mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Spirit Airlines (Executive Calendar)
Bill Nelson (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-5-9

most everybody has seen the news of another disturbance with regard to an airline in an airport terminal. Indeed, what has happened at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport just in the last day has been a disturbance where they had to call in the Broward County Sheriff's Office to put down the disturbance because there were some upset people. prgtoken I have just gotten off the phone with the CEO of Spirit Airlines, as well as the head of the Air Line Pilots Association, and basically have told them that they should get this thing fixed and get it fixed quick. There is not so much a labor dispute, because they are in negotiations and I think are reaching final conclusions, but, as a result of some things with the schedule, it caused a number of flights to be canceled and, unfortunately, canceled right at the last before they could let the passengers know ahead of time before they ever came to the airport. Even much more of an irritant, they load them on the airplane as if they are ready to go and then tell them they don't have a crew of pilots and, therefore, the flight has to be canceled. Those problems are going to go through today and tomorrow. prgtoken I am given to believe--having talked to the head of the pilot's union, as well as the CEO of the airline--that they will have this straightened out over the next several days. It has been costly, and it has certainly been an irritant and an inconvenience to the passengers because 300 flights have been canceled already in the past several days, and we are going to see some more canceled in the next couple of days. prgtoken Now, this all culminated in what the American television viewer has seen--a chaotic scene at Spirit's front ticket counter at the Fort Lauderdale airport after passengers had to get off of the airplane and the canceled flight. Many people have seen this video. It is now circulating online. Obviously, these passengers were very frustrated, and it took, unfortunately, the deputies coming in to put down the disturbance. prgtoken Having said that, this is just the latest. Doesn't that recall something else that has happened in the last few weeks--a passenger being dragged off of an airplane, beaten, and bloodied? Then, who has to come and get him but an element of the airport authority of Chicago. Haven't we also seen on another TV episode--and isn't this telling us something--that passengers are now recording evidence of how passengers are being treated because they have cell phones and cell phones have video cameras. So we saw an airline employee kind of go off on passengers in the case of another airline. Well, airlines, you had better start fixing this because the passengers are not going to tolerate it. prgtoken On the instant circumstance, having talked with the CEO and the head of the union, they are in these discussions. I think they are going to get it fixed. But they need to fix it fast because the trav
Drug Epidemic (Executive Calendar)
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2017-5-9

as the Senate continues to consider nominees to lead our Nation's top agencies, we are once again faced with the difficult decision to confirm an individual whose interests run counter to the mission of the agency he or she will be tasked to lead. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the nominee for Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, is another such nominee. prgtoken Dr. Scott Gottlieb is a physician and current medical consultant for pharmaceutical, medical device, and other healthcare companies. From 2003 to 2007, Dr. Gottlieb was a senior adviser to the FDA Commissioner for Medical Technology. He was also the Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs under two different FDA Commissioners. In 2013, Dr. Gottlieb served on the Federal Health IT Policy Committee for the Department of Health and Human Services. He also prgtoken worked as an adviser to Mitt Romney during his 2012 Presidential campaign. prgtoken While I appreciate that Dr. Gottlieb has qualifying experience, I remain concerned about his policies and conflicts of interest. For instance, while serving as the FDA's Deputy Commissioner, Dr. Gottlieb defended the administration's position to deny the availability of certain contraceptive care drugs over-the-counter, despite the science that pointed to lifesaving benefits from such drugs. Additionally, while serving with Kure, a company that operates vaping and ecigarette products, Dr. Gottlieb was noncommittal in supporting regulations over commerce in such products, which directly targets young kids through marketing, when there is a lack of appropriate medical science to suggest vaping and ecigarettes are less harmful than tobacco products. He has also historically sought ways to ensure that the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 can better support the industry instead of better protecting patients and their families. This is especially problematic, given that the law provided the FDA with the authority to regulate tobacco in order to further curb smoking. prgtoken I am also concerned with Dr. Gottlieb's public disagreement with proposals that would allow patients to access affordable medications through drug importation. I have always supported policies that would allow patients to access safe and affordable medications from Canada because this is a cost-effective method to provide patients with the resources they need to manage their health needs. Of course, Dr. Gottlieb has long been an outspoken critic of the Affordable Care Act, ACA, making troubling assertions along the way. He has been quoted as opposing the ACA's medical loss ratio, which ensures that the dollars consumers pay on their healthcare go to just that and not to CEO salaries and overhead costs. He has also publically opposed the individual mandate and has supported converting the ACA's premium tax credits from an income-based to an age-based rating system, which wou
Tribute to Sherry Bess (Executive Session)
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2017-5-9

every week I have been coming to the floor to recognize someone in my State who has made a difference, someone who has devoted time and energy to making my State a better place to live for others. We call these individuals our Alaskan of the Week. prgtoken As I have said repeatedly, I believe my State is the most beautiful State in the country. We have visitors. We want to welcome more and more visitors. Come on up. I guarantee it will be the trip of a lifetime. prgtoken When you go to Alaska, one town that nobody should miss is Homer, AK. It is surrounded by the glistening waters of Kachemak Bay, jagged mountains, glaciers, and snowcapped volcanoes. Some people call it the Halibut Fishing Capital of the World. Others call it the Cosmic Hamlet by the Sea. Some, like me, call it a slice of Heaven. prgtoken I was there a few weeks ago holding a community meeting. I thanked them then, and I want to thank them all today for the very warm welcome I received. prgtoken I also wish to thank Homer for the very warm welcome they gave to Navy destroyer USS Hopper, which spent a few days in Homer before participating in a joint naval exercise with the Army in the Gulf of Alaska. The 300-member crew of the USS Hopper was greeted by hundreds of cheering, flag-waving Homer residents. The commander of the Hopper, J.D. Gainey, wrote that in his 24 years of naval service, ``I have never seen as much patriotism as we enjoyed in Homer.'' Thank you, Homer, from all of us. Alaskans love Homer. prgtoken They see it for the landscape but also for the people. It is a tight- knit community. They might not always agree with one another, particularly with regard to politics, but they look out for each other. Like any community with a heart, they look out for their animals. prgtoken This week I want to recognize a special person as our Alaskan of the week, Sherry Bess, who spent nearly 30 years--three decades--taking care of Homer's animals as the manager of the Homer Animal Shelter. In 1989, when Sherry began to volunteer at the pet shelter in Homer, there was one building, no phone, and only four cages to hold cats. ``It was basically a shack,'' she said. The snow would come in through the dog door. The drains in the water bowls would freeze. Sherry's hands and feet were always cold, and it was infested with mice. There was no bathroom. Oftentimes, when the shelter was too busy and when the animals needed extra care, Sherry would take them to her home, where she would care for them. prgtoken Sherry and a handful of residents cared for over 1,200 animals each year in that little shelter. Along the way, she gathered both happy stories and heartbreaking stories about the animals she found that were abused and the ones she found homes for. In fact, one of the members of my team in Alaska took a puppy that had been abandoned in a crate in the woods near Homer, took him home, fed him, and Mick Fleagle on my staff now has a dog.
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-5-9

I have two requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. prgtoken Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: committee on armed services prgtoken The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at 9:30 a.m in open and closed sessions, to receive testimony on United States Cyber Command. committee on armed services prgtoken The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at 2:30 p.m in open session to consider nominations. committee on foreign relations prgtoken The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at 10 a.m. committee on foreign relations prgtoken The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at 10:15 a.m to hold a hearing entitled ``Nominations.'' committee on intelligence prgtoken The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the 115th Congress of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 2:30 p.m in room SH-219 of the Senate Hart Office Building. Subcommittee on surface transportation and merchant marine infrastructure, safety and security prgtoken The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to hold a meeting during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at 2:30 p.m. in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building. prgtoken The Committee will hold Subcommittee Hearing on ``Maritime Transportation: Opportunities and Challenges for the Maritime Administration and Federal Maritime Commission.'' Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure prgtoken The Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the Committee on Environment and Public Works is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, May 9, 2017, at 2:30 p.m in Room 406 of the Dirksen Senate office building, to conduct a hearing entitled, ``Water Resources: The Role of the Public and Private Sectors.''
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Calendar)
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2017-5-9

the topic before us is clearly the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act, and that is what I rise to speak about today. In part I will speak as a Senator, and in part I will speak as a doctor, as I am a physician. My wife is also a physician. I worked in a hospital for the uninsured for many years. prgtoken First, let's just describe the state of play. It is so interesting, President 's healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act, Care. prgtoken I had two different communications yesterday, one from a sister-in- law in San Francisco. I think her husband voted for Bernie Sanders. She is, you know--but she said: This is incredible. Speaking of herself, she said: I am paying $20,000 a year in premiums, and each of my family members has a $6,000 deductible. prgtoken They have to pay San Francisco prices for everything, and they make good money but not exorbitant money. They are paying $20,000 a year for a premium, for a young couple in good health, with a family deductible probably of $13,000. prgtoken The next communication was in a phone call with a consultant here in Washington, DC, who does healthcare. He knows his stuff, and at some point, he breaks out of sort of a professional kind of ``this is the way I talk,'' and he says: You don't see my insurance. I am paying $24,000 a year for premiums, and I have a $13,000 family deductible. If my family gets in an accident, it will be $37,000 my family puts out before we see any benefit from our insurance. prgtoken I reminded him he would have preventive services, such as a colonoscopy, but that was cold comfort for him. prgtoken The reality is that middle-class America can no longer afford the now-ironically named Affordable Care Act. So where does that leave us? prgtoken President --I like to say because I think he would say it-- established a contract with the American voter. President said that he wanted to continue the number of folks who were covered under Care, he wanted to take care of those with preexisting conditions, he wanted to eliminate mandates because Americans hate to be told what to do by the Federal Government, and lastly, he wanted to lower costs. I think the average voter took lower costs to mean lower premiums, not a better CBO score, and lower premiums are really what those two communications are about. prgtoken The second thing I will note is that he was very passionate about a particular preexisting condition that the Presiding Officer here in the Senate cares about, which is opioid addiction. And he would go to counties where prgtoken there was a high incidence of opioid addiction and speak to how he wished to address their needs. prgtoken So I think President 's proposals--his contract with the voter-- really give us hope. The question is, How do we achieve that? Well, first we have to acknowledge a couple of things. prgtoken Rich Lowry is a conservative author for National Review, and he wrote a
Drug Epidemic (Executive Calendar)
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2017-5-9

I rise today to continue a discussion we have had on the floor over the last year or so on the issue of opioids--that would be addiction to heroin, prescription drugs, and now this new form of synthetic heroin coming into our communities called fentanyl or carfentanil. prgtoken Sadly, I must say that things are not getting better. In fact, in the States we represent, in our communities, we see more and more evidence of not just addiction but overdoses and deaths. Fentanyl, in particular, is more deadly than heroin--30 to 50 times more powerful-- and is resulting in not just more overdoses but more deaths per overdose. This has become a crisis to the point that it is the No. 1 cause of death in my home State of Ohio and across the country, surpassing car accidents. prgtoken This is the 35th time I have come to the floor to talk about this issue and what we ought to do. We have made progress. In the last year alone, we passed legislation, including the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, to help with prevention, treatment, and recovery, and to help our law enforcement and other first responders, with Narcan, be able to reduce the number of deaths--this miracle drug that reverses the overdoses--to be able to save lives. prgtoken We also passed the Cures legislation, which sent money straight back to the States that would help to provide the treatment that is so badly needed. Probably 8 out of 10 people who are addicted are not receiving treatment. Sadly, there is a revolving door where people are coming under the grip of this addiction, committing crimes, going to prison, getting out, getting into the addiction again, and going back into the criminal justice system once again. prgtoken This legislation we passed is now starting to be implemented. It takes a little while for things to get moving around here. I am happy to say that the States have now received some of this funding. Some of the programs--about half of those in the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act are now implemented. I urge the administration to implement the other half of the programs, and I have done that every time I have come to the floor over the last few months. prgtoken Unfortunately, I also have to come to the floor today to talk about something that is going to make it harder to address this issue should it become reality. As some of you may know, recently it was reported that there was a document from the White House Office of Management and Budget saying that the White House is considering cutting funding dramatically for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the ONDCP. This is the office that coordinates the drug issue for the White House, the administration. The proposal that was leaked to the media said that it would be a cut from $388 million a year to $24 million a year. That is a cut of 95 percent. What does that mean? It means the staff would be, obviously, reduced dramatically. They have 33 peop
Congressional Review Act Resolution (Executive Calendar)
John Hoeven (Republican, ND) \u2014 2017-5-9

now is the time to get back to basics. The Federal Government doesn't exist for its own sake, it exists for the people, and if Federal regulation serves no useful function for the people, then it only serves to hold back our Nation's prosperity and growth. prgtoken With so many Americans hungry for good-paying jobs, now is the time to unleash our Nation's economic potential by getting government out of the way. It is just plain common sense to eliminate regulations that are duplicative, costly, and unworkable. We need to get back to the basics by getting rid of those kinds of regulations, and one of those regulations is the BLM methane rule. prgtoken Now, the BLM methane rule is one of those midnight regulations that the administration put out as they were walking out the door. This new regulation from the Bureau of Land Management--or BLM--imposes new rules and royalty rates on methane emissions from oil and gas production on Federal and Indian lands. prgtoken For those wondering why methane emissions aren't already regulated, there is a simple explanation: They are. Under the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with individual States, is tasked with regulating air quality, which includes methane emissions. In fact, States like my State of North Dakota and the State of Texas, where the Presiding Officer resides, currently have regulatory systems in place to govern oil and gas emissions. Critically, the North Dakota Industrial Commission has put in place flaring requirements that have successfully reduced the flaring in our State from 35 percent down to 10 percent as a result of their work, and they have a goal to take it even further. This flaring reduction is a big deal because to reduce methane emissions you need to reduce flaring. prgtoken Flaring sounds complicated, but it is very simple. When excess gas is produced along with oil and it can't be captured, then it gets burned off, or flared. Neither industry nor State officials like flaring because it wastes natural gas--it wastes a natural resource--of which methane obviously is the main component. As most Americans know, obviously, natural gas is a valuable commodity that is used to heat our homes and power our factories. That is why both industry and the States have worked hard to make big improvements. They want to capture that natural gas and that methane. That is not just in North Dakota. That is in other energy-producing States across the country. prgtoken Nationally, methane emissions from the oil and gas industry have been on the decline for a number of years. So we are already actively working at the State level under a regulatory regime where States have primacy to spend, authorized by EPA, to reduce natural gas flaring. prgtoken With methane emissions already being regulated and reduced by the States and industry, it is tough to figure out why this new BLM regulation has been passed and what
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF McCORMICK COUNTY
Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC) \u2014 2017-5-9

November 2016 marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of McCormick County, the smallest and second youngest county in South Carolina. Known as the Gem of the Freshwater Coast, McCormick's rich history dates back to before our Nation's founding. The first overt act of the American Revolution in South Carolina occurred in McCormick County, at Fort Charlotte near Mount Carmel on July 12, 1775. McCormick continued to grow after the discovery of gold in 1850 and the expansion of the railroad. Today McCormick is known for its ``Natural Pace of Life,'' with ample outdoor recreation opportunities and hospitable citizens. prgtoken On behalf of South Carolina and all of us here in the Senate, I offer congratulations to the entire McCormick County community on reaching this milestone. Best wishes for continued success and prosperity.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2017-5-9

I wish to recognize the city of Urbandale, IA, which was founded 100 years ago. prgtoken The city of Urbandale was incorporated on April 16, 1917. Early denizens worked primarily in local coal mines, many of which closed by the late 1940s. Urbandale was also a so-called street car suburb, where residents could commute to their jobs in the city--Des Moines--via a street car on the Urbandale Line until they were replaced by buses in the early 1950s. Over the years, the community saw homes go up, restaurants and business flourish, and people from all corners of the world pass through, from Presidential candidates to Pope John Paul II, who held mass at Living History Farms in 1979. Urbandale is one of those quintessential Iowa towns where you would want to raise a family. Though the community had only 298 residents in the 1920s, today over 40,000 people call Urbandale home. prgtoken I would like to congratulate the city of Urbandale on their centennial year, and I ask that my colleagues in the U.S. Senate join me in congratulating them and wishing them another prosperous century.