mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
SPORTS MEDICINE LICENSURE CLARITY ACT OF 2017
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2018-10-3

there is a lot going on in the world right now, and obviously there is a lot going on in Washington, DC, but I want to take a global look at what is happening in trade. prgtoken I want to begin by mentioning what is happening in Indonesia. It is a part of the world where Americans don't travel too often or interact with. It is not in our typical sphere, but right now the people of Indonesia are digging out from a massive earthquake and tsunami that followed. prgtoken The latest death toll numbers are over 1,400 people they identified right now. Many of the most remote villages that were deeply affected by the earthquake haven't been reached yet. We don't know how high the death toll is going to climb. prgtoken Our State Department has already engaged, as we should, to help them in any way we can. We have already released some initial aid relief to them. We are offering our help in any way we possibly can to assist the people there as they try to make sense of how to go forward on relief efforts. There are private organizations, such as World Relief, that provide a global response that are already on the ground engaging to help. There are Americans helping the people of Indonesia--and rightfully so that we should. We should keep our focus on what is happening around the world, and where we can help, we should help and engage. So we should continue to pray for and reach out in practical ways to help the people of Indonesia. We will try to keep people updated on that in the days ahead on how people can stay engaged. prgtoken The President made an announcement earlier this week dealing with international activities with our closer neighbors of Canada and Mexico. This is an issue that has been discussed for quite a while. The President brought it up in his campaign and immediately went to work on trying to reshape the NAFTA agreement. prgtoken Interestingly, States have different opinions about NAFTA, but in Oklahoma our No. 1 and No. 2 largest export locations are Canada and Mexico. Our manufactured and agricultural products often are moving north and south to our closest neighbors, and NAFTA has been a win for us as far as building our own economy and reaching out to export our products. prgtoken So I was very attentive when the President said he wanted to revisit NAFTA. Our team quickly engaged with the President and his team to talk about what can be done to help. It is one of the issues I brought up with Robert Lighthizer before he was even appointed to the position of U.S. Trade Representative. We talked about NAFTA; we talked about the importance of trade agreements as well. prgtoken I met with Gregg Doud, the Chief Agricultural Negotiator, multiple times through this process. I met with the White House to talk numerous times. I met with the President and with the Vice President. I met with different individuals with their team to talk about how important trade is and how essential it is that w
SPORTS MEDICINE LICENSURE CLARITY ACT OF 2017
John Hoeven (Republican, ND) \u2014 2018-10-3

I rise to discuss the bipartisan, bicameral 5-year reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration Act that we will be voting on, and I believe passing, in about one-half hour. prgtoken This is the first 5-year reauthorization for the FAA since 1982, providing long-term certainty for our aviation infrastructure while ensuring that we continue to have the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. prgtoken The bill continues to provide stable funding for the Airport Improvement Program which supports the construction, rehabilitation, and development prgtoken of airports of all sizes, including the construction of the new Williston Basin International Airport in North Dakota, the first new air carrier airport built in the United States in over 9 years, and very much needed because it is right in the heart of the Bakken. prgtoken We have had incredible energy development there. We now produce between 1.2 and 1.3 million barrels a day, second only to Texas, so we have a lot of people coming in, a lot of infrastructure being developed, and obviously our service is incredibly important. I can't thank the FAA enough for recognizing that we not only needed an expansion of airport facilities, but we needed to build a whole new airport because they were closed in by the community of Williston. This is the first new air carrier airport built in the United States in 9 years, and it is tremendous. It is not just about serving Williston, it is about serving Northwest North Dakota, as well as parts of Eastern Montana, and a very important, growing energy industry area for our Nation. That shows the importance of the kind of provisions we have in this legislation and how it affects every part of our great Nation. prgtoken Ensuring long-term certainty for FAA programs like the Airport Improvement Program are essential for our airport construction projects, as I have described, in the Williston Basin. It is particularly important that we have this funding and are able to utilize it in an efficient way. For example, in cold-weather States like my State or the State of our Presiding Officer, there is a relatively short construction season so we have to get out there and get after it and get it done when we can. That is what we are doing with this legislation, as well as in the appropriations bill, making sure the funding is there so we can deploy it cost-effectively, getting the funding out there and construction done when it can actually be done. prgtoken The FAA reauthorization includes a number of provisions I worked on and authored to expand upon work we are doing in North Dakota on unmanned aircraft systems. This is a big part of the future of aviation. I thank the Commerce Committee chairman--the Commerce Committee being the committee of jurisdiction--and I would like to thank Chairman Thune, my good buddy from the other Dakota, and also the ranking member for their work on the UAS legisla
Introductory Statement on S. 3545
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2018-10-3

I rise today to urge my colleagues to support prgtoken the Home Health Payment Innovation Act, which I have introduced with Senator Stabenow and Senator Nelson. Our legislation would help preserve access to existing home health services under the Medicare program while also providing a pathway for innovative approaches to utilizing these services moving forward. This bipartisan legislation is endorsed by the National Association of Homecare and Hospice as well as the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare. prgtoken I have been a strong supporter of home care since my very first home visit during my second year of Senate service. This experience gave me the opportunity to meet and visit with home health patients, where I saw first-hand what a difference highly skilled and caring visiting nurses make to the lives of patients and their families. I have been a passionate advocate for home care ever since. Last year, I was delighted to be recognized with the Ruby Slipper award from the Maine Home Care and Hospice Alliance--appropriately named because as Dorothy said in The Wizard of Oz, ``There's no place like home.'' prgtoken The highly skilled and compassionate care that home health agencies provide in Maine and across the country has helped to keep families together and enabled millions of our most frail and vulnerable individuals to avoid hospitals and nursing homes and stay just where they want to be--in the comfort and security of their own homes. In fact, in 2014, AARP found that nearly 87 percent of of adults over 65 years old want to stay in their current home and community as they age. Furthermore, 85 percent of home health patients live with three or more chronic conditions. prgtoken The legislation I am introducing today ensures the viability of home health services now and in the future. First, the Home Health Care Payment Innovation Act provides two key adjustments to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 home health payment reform provisions. These changes would prevent premature payment rate cuts by basing any behavioral adjustment on observed evidence. It also provides a phase-in for any necessary rate increases or decreases to limit the risk of disruption in care. This phase-in is critical for home health providers as CMS has already proposed cutting Medicare payment rates in 2020 by more than $1 billion in the first year alone, based purely on assumptions of changes in behavior. prgtoken Second, the legislation provides a pathway to expanded use of home health care in Medicare without increasing program spending by providing flexibility on waiving the ``homebound'' requirement for home health services when a plan or innovative care delivery models such as an ACO determines that providing care in the home would improve patient outcomes and reduce spending on patient care. prgtoken By helping patients to avoid more costly hospital visits and nursing homes, we already know that home hea
SUBSTANCE USE-DISORDER PREVENTION THAT PROMOTES OPIOID RECOVERY AND TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS AND COMMUNITIES ACT
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-10-3

I would like to reiterate my appreciation to Senators Portman, Brown, Cardin, King, and others and echo what Senator Portman said about flexibility to elongate lengths of stay as medically necessary for patients, beyond the 30 days under this new statutory authority. Earlier this year, Illinois obtained a Medicaid 1115 waiver to address behavioral healthcare in the State, which allowed for a partial waiver of the IMD exclusion to allow for Medicaid beneficiaries in my State to receive up to 30 days of treatment in these IMD facilities. That was good news. prgtoken Nonetheless, I expect that section 5052 of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act will still be able to help residents of Illinois and those in other States with 1115 waivers, because, similar to the authority that Senator Portman noted that Medicaid managed care plans have, States will be able to pair this new authority under section 5052 with the existing authorities under State waivers. Thus, Medicaid enrollees in Illinois will be able to combine the 30-day stay under our waiver with the 30 days under this new authority, thus giving my constituents the opportunity to receive up to 60 days of inpatient, substance use disorder treatment a year. That is an important new step forward, and I look forward to working with our State and CMS to fully implement this policy for States to coordinate waivers and statutory authority for longer lengths of stay. prgtoken This is by no means a uniform policy for each of the States, and I hope that we can come together again to lengthen these stay limits.
NOMINATION OF BRETT KAVANAUGH
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-10-3

first, I am glad that the majority leader and I get along. I am glad we are able to do certain things together, like the opioid bill and the appropriations bill, but that cannot hold me back from responding to the blatant falsehoods he tells day after day after day on this floor. prgtoken First, from the man who singlehandedly delayed the filling of Justice Scalia's seat for 10 months to complain about a 1-week delay to get the truth--give me a break. It is classic, diversionary, blame-the-other- person tactics, when he himself is the master of delay. It is galling and appalling day after day to hear the majority leader get on his high horse about delay, when he almost invented the word when it comes to judicial nominations. prgtoken Second, he blames for the delay, which is about the most blatant falsehood I have heard uttered on the floor in a long time. The majority leader knows darn well that he has the sole power to determine when to put the Kavanaugh nomination on the floor. He could have done it 2 weeks ago. He could have done it last week. He is now insisting he will do it this week. prgtoken have no say. He talked about an agreement that caused a week's delay. Who was the agreement with? Three Senators. prgtoken The majority leader knows--knows--that it was s who caused him to delay, both for the FBI investigation and for Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford to testify. He didn't have to do that. He had the power. He is to blame for the delay, but he couldn't do anything otherwise because his own s insisted on it. prgtoken Again, it is a blatant falsehood. I am so tempted to use the L word, but he is my friend. To say that caused the delay--Mr. Leader, assert your power to determine what is put on the floor, and be a man. Man up and say it is your decision, not ours. We have nothing to do with it. prgtoken Third, he says he is one of the most qualified nominees we have ever seen. We know what is going on here. Everyone--everyone--including the majority leader himself, knows that Kavanaugh is a deeply flawed candidate for a whole lot of reasons. Knowing that, the majority leader and the majority have to divert attention from Kavanaugh. So they are focusing on people who did nothing wrong, like Senator Feinstein, like the Judiciary ic minority, and like the ic Party. prgtoken It is outrageous, but they know that Kavanaugh is not very good, and they know his testimony hurt him across America. I was talking to a CEO, a of a major company. He said his board was watching the debate, and every one of them changed their mind after seeing Kavanaugh testify. They said: This guy doesn't belong on the bench. We can do better. That is the overwhelming reaction of Americans. prgtoken Judge Kavanaugh hurt himself dramatically and permanently by his screed--his nasty, partisan screed. That is something of a new, uns
SPORTS MEDICINE LICENSURE CLARITY ACT OF 2017
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-10-3

later today we are going to have an opportunity to vote on the Opioid Crisis Response Act. I want to take some time to compliment all involved in bringing this legislation forward. prgtoken First, let me start by acknowledging the problem in Maryland. The problem we have in Maryland is throughout our entire country. prgtoken Recently, I was at the MedMark Treatment Center in Baltimore City, and I had a chance to see firsthand the efforts being made by the local community, by the private sector, and by the government to deal with those who have addiction issues as a result of the opioid crisis. I must tell you, they are making progress, but the problem continues. The problem continues in every community in Maryland. prgtoken I have had similar roundtable discussions in western Maryland, on the Eastern Shore, in the Baltimore and Washington metro areas, and in all prgtoken parts of Maryland. In every community, they tell me that the crisis of overdose is still increasing, despite efforts made by local communities to try to deal with the addiction issue on many fronts--on the front of law enforcement, looking at different ways of dealing with pain medicines, and looking at ways to deal with people with addiction issues. prgtoken As we know, with the widespread use of addictive opioids, they hit the market, and people became addicted to the prescription opioid medicines that were not used for their proper purposes. Later, they used heroin, which was cheaper than the opioid medicines, and people became addicted to that. More recently, heroin has been mixed with fentanyl, which can be very deadly and is much more powerful than heroin or prescription opioids, and people end up in the emergency room. In many cases, they end up dead. prgtoken Congress has responded. We passed the 21st Century Cures Act, which was a bipartisan bill that set up a framework and alternative ways of dealing with pain rather than using addictive opioids and dealt with providing significant resources to local governments to deal with the issues in law enforcement, in prevention, and in treating people with addictions. prgtoken Of course, the passage of the Affordable Care Act provided healthcare coverage for people with behavioral health issues and addiction, which helped not only those in the exchanges on private insurance but also those in the Medicaid system. So we have done a good job in trying to respond to it. prgtoken Now we have the legislation before us: the Opioid Crisis Response Act. I am very pleased about the provisions. Many committees have provided input. It is a truly bipartisan product reflecting the will of the House and the Senate and the different committees of jurisdiction. prgtoken I am particularly pleased that we have provided additional resources and flexibility for local communities. The one thing I learned in visiting different parts of Maryland is that programs in some communities will work, and in other
Climate Change (Executive Calendar)
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2018-10-3

I am delighted to be here with my colleague from Rhode Island. This is a coast-to-coast presentation, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and on around the world, because our oceans are in deep trouble from climate chaos. prgtoken It is indeed time to wake up, and this week is my colleague's 222nd speech addressing that fact. It is so important not just that we speak but that the world act. prgtoken Driving these factors--whether we are talking about the impacts on the land or the impacts on the ocean--is carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide pollution. It is facts on the ground everywhere that people can pay attention to, but I think every now and then it is good to return to the basic science. So I am just going to share this chart which shows, with this red line, rising carbon dioxide levels. This chart ends a little bit early, but we are now well over 400 parts per million. prgtoken When I was born, we were at about 314 parts per million, and we are approaching 414. This generation over the last 62 years is the first generation to experience a 100-point climb in human history on this planet, the first one to experience this dramatic growth in carbon dioxide. prgtoken If it were just growth in carbon dioxide, if it were just a matter of changing the air chemistry a little with no impact, we wouldn't be here talking today, but now we have this set of black dots representing temperature changes. We can see, essentially, as the carbon dioxide levels rise, the temperature of the planet is rising as well. The heat that is being trapped has been well understood for a long time. It goes back more than a century. prgtoken In more recent times, in 1959, there was a scientist, Edward Teller, who was quite famous for his work on nuclear issues. He gave a speech to the 100-year anniversary of the petroleum. He said: This energy that you are pulling out of the ground--oil and coal and gas--is pretty powerful in helping humans transform the world and it can do a lot of good, but then he went on to say, it has two problems. The first problem is, there is a limited supply in the ground. It turns out there is a lot more carbon stored in the ground than Edward Teller had any idea about in 1959, but, he said, the second problem you have is that when you burn this resource, you create carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide traps heat and you are going to have a dramatic impact on the planet. He focused specifically on the issue of rising sea levels and the fact prgtoken that most people around the world live next to the sea. prgtoken That is a proper introduction to us recognizing that this issue has been understood scientifically for a long time, but in terms of our politics, individuals are reluctant to embrace that challenge because it requires action, and that action is sometimes hard to come by to shift the status quo to address this rising threat. In the 10 years I have been in the Senate, we have seen dramatic, dram
SUBSTANCE USE-DISORDER PREVENTION THAT PROMOTES OPIOID RECOVERY AND TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS AND COMMUNITIES ACT
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2018-10-3

I join my colleague from West Virginia and thank her for her leadership on this work. prgtoken The continuing problem of opioid abuse--the epidemic that has swept our Nation--has struck at the heart of my State, like West Virginia. In my State, there were 694 deaths from opioids and other drug overdoses in 2017. That is more than the number of people who died from car crashes and homicides combined in the State of Minnesota. prgtoken No matter where I go, I hear heartbreaking stories. It is not just beloved superstars like Prince whom we have lost in Minnesota; it is teenagers in Duluth and young people in our farmland, 12-year-olds. prgtoken One story I heard from some people at a small town gathering was about 12-year-olds being courted by drug pushers. The drug pushers tell them to go home to their parents' medicine cabinet. They are given a list of stuff to look for and are told: If you bring one of those bottles of pills with those names on it, we will give you a beer. That is happening in my State. prgtoken There is the story of Shelly Elkington's daughter, Casey Jo, who was a champion swimmer who hoped to study nursing like her mom, but in 2008, she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. After painful complications, Casey Jo received her first prescription opioid for pain relief. prgtoken As many of you know, about four out of five heroin users got their start on prescription drugs. The very pills that are supposed to ease someone's pain end up getting them hooked or, worse yet, getting them killed. That is what happened to Casey Jo. She died of an illegal drug overdose, but she first became addicted because of that painkiller she took that day. That is what prgtoken is happening to too many families in Minnesota and across the country. prgtoken Here in the Senate, we have made some progress on the epidemic. Last Congress, I led a bill with three other Senators--Senators Rob Portman of Ohio, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire. It is called the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, known as CARA, and it was signed into law. It encourages States and communities to pursue several strategies, including increasing the availability of naloxone to save lives in overdose situations. prgtoken Later in 2016, this Senate and this Congress made $1 billion in funding available for treatment and prevention with the passage of the 21st Century Cures Act. I got to be at the bill-signing with President and Vice President . prgtoken Earlier this year, we made an additional $3.3 billion available as part of the government funding bill. prgtoken That is all progress, but we still have a lot of work to do. We are taking important steps forward by passing this legislation today, which includes more than 70 provisions to take on addiction. We have worked with the administration, we have worked with the House, and we see this as a bipartisan priority. prgtoken One of the ma