mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
BANKRUPTCY THRESHOLD ADJUSTMENT AND TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS ACT
Cliff Bentz (Republican, OR) \u2014 2022-6-7

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , S. 3823 would make modest and temporary changes to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. prgtoken First, the bill temporarily increases debt limits for small business debtors under subchapter V of chapter 11 and for individual debtors reorganizing debt under chapter 13. prgtoken Subchapter V of the Bankruptcy Code is a lower cost reorganization bankruptcy option for small businesses. These businesses don't have deep pockets, and traditional, expensive chapter 11 reorganizations may not be feasible. prgtoken Subchapter V is a more affordable and streamlined approach, which can lead to more successful reorganizations. That means that both debtors and creditors should be better off because, hopefully, less of the debtor's estate will go toward professional fees and more will be left for the debtor's business and, ultimately, the creditors. prgtoken Subchapter V took effect in February 2020. At that time, the debt limit for those wishing to utilize this more streamlined law was just over $2.7 million. Due in part to expected trouble for small businesses, the CARES Act and later legislation temporarily increased the debt limit for subchapter V filers to $7.5 million. That temporary increase sunsetted in March of this year. This bill again extends the $7.5 million debt limit for another 2 years. prgtoken Likewise, the bill also changes the bankruptcy debt limits for chapter 13, which is a way for eligible individuals, including sole proprietors, to reorganize their debts. The bill removes the distinction between secured and unsecured debt limits under chapter 13 and increases the overall debt limit for those who wish to file for their individual protection from about $1.9 million to $2.75 million. prgtoken Like the adjustment to subchapter V, these changes to chapter 13 apply for only 2 years. Put simply, Americans are having a harder time making ends meet due to what I think we would agree are mistakes made under the administration and in control of Congress. prgtoken Raising the debt limit will allow those suffering from these failed policies to adjust their debts to fit the new prgtoken realities of our economy, skyrocketing energy and input costs, not enough workers, and more. A successful reorganization can leave both debtors and creditors better off. prgtoken At the same time, we just don't have certain data about some of these bankruptcy policy changes or their likely long-term effects. That is why these changes to our Bankruptcy Code should be temporary. prgtoken An additional 2 years of normal post-pandemic bankruptcy activity will give us a better understanding of the underlying policy issues and will help guide the future design of our bankruptcy system. prgtoken It is also worth noting that this bill did not go through regular order in the Judiciary Committee, so it did not benefit from robust oversight or legislative hearings. Americans are best served
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2022-6-7

I rise to recognize Colonel Leland ``Tony'' Shepherd on his selection as Arkansas Army National Guard's 6th Land Component commander and his promotion to the rank of brigadier general on June 5, 2022. prgtoken On June 12, 2022, General Shepherd will assume command of Arkansas Army's eight land power units with a force size of 6,700 personnel tasked with operational readiness, training, mobilization, and deployments supporting my great State and in defense of an even greater Nation. This historical selection makes him the first African-American man to hold such a prestigious position and only the second African- American man to be promoted as a general officer in the history of the Arkansas National Guard. prgtoken General Shepherd began his military career in the U.S. Army Reserve in Philadelphia, PA, on July 23, 1992. He then transitioned to the Arkansas Army National Guard as an enlisted soldier in October 1995 and was commissioned to second lieutenant in August 1998. General Shepherd has served in several positions over the past 27 years, including assignments as a signal officer in the 212th Signal Battalion in Little Rock and as part of the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in Malvern, AR. General Shepherd also deployed twice to Iraq where he oversaw Camp Victory's post signal capabilities. Prior to this selection for the 6th Land Component Command, he served as the State's deputy chief of staff G-6 overseeing the planning, strategy, network architecture, and implementation of command, control, communications, and networks for Army operations. prgtoken General Shepherd received the Order of Mercury, Bronze for the highest standards of integrity, moral character, professional competence, and selflessness for those who have made significant contributions to the U.S. Army Signal Corps. This award reflects his superior performance and devotion to duty throughout his entire professional career. prgtoken I would like to recognize General Shephard's wife Zandral and children Anthony, Ryan Wells, Logan, and Lukas for their sacrifice and service. It is their steadfast support of their husband and dad that enabled his continued service, ultimately leading to this historic promotion. As the son of George and Gwendoline Shepherd of Guyana, South America, General Shepherd is the epitome of the American dream which is founded on the belief that we all can attain our own version of success and achieve prosperity through hard work. prgtoken General Shepherd, congratulations on this new chapter in your career. I join my colleagues in the Senate and all Arkansans as we express our appreciation for you and your family's continued service to our country.
IMPROVING ACCESS TO WORKERS' COMPENSATION FOR INJURED FEDERAL WORKERS ACT OF 2022
Andy Harris (Republican, MD) \u2014 2022-6-7

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding the time. prgtoken Madam , I rise with concern about H.R. 6087, Improving Access to Workers' Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act. It was mentioned that it is fine if healthcare practitioners are qualified to deliver workmen's comp. Certainly, in some States, nurse practitioners and physician assistants--nurse practitioners, specifically, can practice without a physician oversight, but the question is whether that is appropriate for workmen's compensation. prgtoken Remember, workmen's compensation includes people who have been injured or claimed to have been injured on the job. These employees deserve the highest level of care, the highest level of evaluation, of diagnosis, certification, and treatment. And what this bill does is turns over the qualifications for who is going to treat those injured Federal workers to the State to make the decision. Because it says, Well, if in a State they decide that a physician assistant practicing independently is just fine, well, that Federal worker is not going to have the benefit of having a physician involved in that care. prgtoken Madam , this is a serious policy debate. This debate should be taking place, I believe, not on a suspension calendar but actually come under a regular rule and be debated for whether or not this is the way we want to treat Federal employees, that we want to subject them to a State level of care as opposed to a level of care that we think is appropriate, again, for an injured Federal worker. prgtoken So, Madam , I include in the Record a letter from the American Medical Association strongly opposing H.R. 6087. American Medical Association, June 5, 2022. Hon. Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Kevin McCarthy, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Pelosi and Minority Leader McCarthy: On behalf of the physician and medical student members of the American Medical Association (AMA), I am writing in strong opposition to H.R. 6087, the ``Improving Access to Workers' Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act.'' This legislation would allow nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) to diagnose, prescribe, treat, and certify an injury and extent of disability for purposes of compensating federal workers under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA). Current law prohibits non-physician health professionals from making these determinations and reserves this function to physicians who have the education, training, and expertise to make these evaluations. The AMA remains steadfast in its commitment to patients who have said repeatedly that they want and expect physicians leading their health care team. In a recent survey of U.S. vote
HONORING RHETT ROBINSON
Rick W. Allen (Republican, GA) \u2014 2022-6-7

. Madam , I rise today to congratulate my constituent, Rhett Robinson, upon his acceptance to the United States Merchant Marine Academy. prgtoken As a future midshipman, he will be joining the ranks of the world's most elite naval force, guided by the motto: ``Acta Non Verba.'' prgtoken The service and sacrifice of America's military personnel have safeguarded our nation since its inception, defending our way of life from Lexington to Normandy. prgtoken A vital part of our Nation's maritime operations, the Merchant Marine's duties are dynamic--transporting cargo and passengers during peacetime and serving as an auxiliary to the United States Navy during times of war. prgtoken I was glad to sponsor Rhett's nomination, as his dynamism reflects the mission of the branch which he will soon serve. I am confident that his talents will distinguish him among his peers during his time at the Academy and thereafter. prgtoken I congratulate Rhett, and know that he will make this Nation proud.
FOOD AND DRUG AMENDMENTS OF 2022
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Republican, WA) \u2014 2022-6-7

I rise today in support of H.R. 7667, the Food and Drug Amendments Act. prgtoken The Committee on Energy and Commerce plowed the hard ground necessary to legislate in a strong bipartisan way on this bill. We held three hearings in the Subcommittee on Health in February and March. In April, we introduced legislation, and then over the next week, the subcommittee voted. prgtoken H.R. 7667 passed out of Committee on Energy and Commerce by a vote of 55-0, and at each step, members' ideas were included to improve the legislation. prgtoken Today, we consider a suspension print with further improvements. It adds another provision for more drug manufacturing in America by providing the regulatory clarity needed prgtoken and the training necessary to utilize novel manufacturing technologies. prgtoken Overall, the FDA Act will reauthorize four user fee programs created to expedite the review of critical medical products that people depend on to live healthier and longer lives. prgtoken In addition to delivering drugs and medical devices to people faster, the FDA Act includes policies to lower healthcare costs, spur more lifesaving innovation, secure our supply chains, and provide hope to patients in need of breakthrough drugs and therapies. Those treatments won't make it to patients if FDA doesn't have the right tools to keep up with science, such as accelerated approval pathway. prgtoken Chairman Pallone and I initially had quite different versions for how the accelerated approval process should be updated, but we focused on where we could agree. We streamlined the process to remove drugs that no longer show effectiveness in post-market studies and made sure that real-world evidence can be used. We also made sure rare diseases aren't left out of accelerated approval because of a lack of knowledge and interest in developing the biomarkers necessary. prgtoken Lastly, not only is this legislation necessary to preserve patient access to new medical breakthroughs, it is fiscally responsible. It ensures FDA's timely review of medical products at a reduced cost to the taxpayer, and it reduces the deficit. prgtoken Many other members have priorities included in this legislation. prgtoken Mr. Buchanan has a bipartisan bill to make sure that we are moving away from preclinical testing on animal models where alternatives can work just as well. prgtoken Messrs. Griffith, Carter, and Hudson all have legislation to hold FDA accountable regarding inspections of foreign manufacturing facilities and pilots for FDA to give companies with novel manufacturing technologies more certainty. prgtoken Mr. Guthrie has a solution included to help insurers plan for breakthrough future treatments. This will help patients avoid sticker shock and protect earlier access to those treatments. prgtoken These are just some of more than a dozen examples of member priorities in the FDA Act. I strongly urge support of this legislation, and I encourage all of my col
Inflation (Executive Session)
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-6-7

I certainly rise this morning, going into this afternoon, in advance of a vote on a motion to proceed, a cloture vote, on the SFC Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022, and I would call upon my colleagues to do the same thing. prgtoken I appreciate what I just heard from the chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs and how he made the case for why this is important legislation and why we have little excuse not to see its success here in the next few days. prgtoken I mentioned last night when I spoke on the Senate floor that I am not a veteran. I mentioned that my experience in high school in seeing those who are just a year or two older than me returning from their service in Vietnam caused me to reach a conclusion that I would do everything I could in my life to compensate for the ill treatment those men and women returning from service in Southeast Asia received from their fellow Americans. I was going to pay respect. I was going to honor them. I was going to say thank you. That is what a 16-year-old kid thought he should do to make certain that we compensate for those who served our country and deserved something better than what they received. prgtoken I never envisioned being a Member of the U.S. Senate, never thought that was something that would happen to me in my life, but because I now serve in this capacity, I have an obligation to do much more than saying thank you. There is nothing wrong--it is a good thing to tell those who served ``Thank you. I appreciate your service. I respect you,'' but that is just the beginning. prgtoken Certainly, as a member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee and a Member of the U.S. Senate, I and all my colleagues owe those who served in Vietnam and every other battle of our Nation more than just saying thank you. prgtoken My guess is that nearly all of us, the 100 of us, probably said these words at services across our States on Memorial Day weekend. We have said it hundreds of times: ``Thank you for your service.'' I will continue to say ``thank you for your service'' hundreds and hundreds of times myself. prgtoken But this week we have the opportunity to do something significantly more and that is to actually provide the benefits that men and women who served in Vietnam and who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the globe--the benefits they are entitled to and the benefits which they desperately need. prgtoken We were with a group of veterans--certainly a group of veteran organizations--this morning on the Capitol lawn, and, to my knowledge, every veterans service organization, every organization that represents veterans is asking us to pass this legislation. But I also was surrounded by family members and veterans themselves who have experienced horrendous circumstances in their lives and their families' lives as a result of exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam and toxic burn pits
COVID-19 EIDL FRAUD STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ACT OF 2022
Blaine Luetkemeyer (Republican, MO) \u2014 2022-6-7

. Madam , I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , fraud associated with the EIDL program is a serious matter. Due to mismanagement and poor oversight capabilities, the EIDL program has been overwhelmed with fraud. prgtoken As I mentioned earlier, the SBA's inspector general has found more than $80 billion within the $400 billion program that could potentially be fraudulent. This represents a double-digit fraud rate. prgtoken However, recouping these dollars has just begun and the current statute of limitations is limited. My bill, H.R. 7334, will ensure the statute of limitations runway is recalibrated and extended out to 10 years. By passing this bill, Congress will allow the time needed to correct all wrongdoing within the program. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7334, and .
GUN REFORM
Dean Phillips (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2022-6-8

. Madam , Jim Ramstad represented Minnesota's Third District in Congress as a principled from 1991 to 2009. prgtoken His widow, Kathryn, a remarkable woman in her own right, wrote me last week and asked that I share her message with the country: ``Jim voted for the 1994 crime bill and its gun control measures. He was one of only six s to cast what was clearly a difficult vote, but he felt so strongly about the compelling need to act and believed it was consistent with his bipartisan, pragmatic, and commonsense approach to fighting crime. ``After so many mass shootings, I cannot understand why Congress does not at the very least,'' she wrote, ``ban semiautomatic weapons like the AR-15 that have been used in so many recent mass shootings.'' prgtoken She continued, ``I feel very strongly about this and ask sincerely, what can we do to legislate reasonable legislation like in 1994?'' prgtoken What can she do? She asks; she and the country ask, I might add. prgtoken We all know what we can do. And I say, let's do it.
Health Insurance (Executive Session)
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2022-6-8

I come to the floor today on behalf of 9 million Americans who directly benefited from very important health insurance credits in the American Rescue Plan--credits that are set to expire at the end of the year if Congress doesn't act. I don't believe enough attention has been focused on this issue. prgtoken Last year, in March of 2021, we came to this very Chamber and passed the American Rescue Plan, which provided a crucial lifeline for so many families. We eliminated health insurance premiums for low-wage workers making less than 150 percent of the Federal poverty level, expanded eligibility for health insurance tax credits to middle-class families, and guaranteed that health coverage would not cost more than 8.5 percent of a person's income. The American Rescue Plan also increased the size of the tax credit for all eligible income brackets, putting more money in workers' pockets. prgtoken As a result, ACA health insurance premiums were brought down by an average of $50 per person per month, and people in both New Mexico and in Minnesota took great advantage of that. As a result, a record number of Americans--14.5 million Americans--are enrolled in the Affordable Care Act health insurance plans. That is 2.5 million more people who signed up in a prgtoken single year than ever before. In my home State, that translated to a record-low uninsured rate of just 4 percent. That means 96 percent of Minnesotans have health insurance, which is a great improvement over where it was. prgtoken Millions more Minnesotans and Americans now have the peace of mind that comes with affordable, quality health coverage. Eligible households in Minnesota have an annual average ACA tax credit of $3,600. That is $3,600 freed up for housing, gas, and groceries, while maintaining access to healthcare. But unless Congress acts to make the enhanced, family-friendly tax credits currently set to expire at the end of 2022 permanent, millions of Americans will have the rug pulled out from under them, likely seeing a double-digit hike on their health insurance premiums. Karen Tumulty, a columnist for the Washington Post, called it a ``ticking time bomb.'' prgtoken If these tax credits are not made permanent, 70,000 Minnesotans--or 61 percent of Minnesota families--purchasing health insurance on their own could see a 35- to 41-percent increase in their health insurance premiums, and over 10,000 Minnesotans could lose their health insurance tax credits in 2023 unless Congress acts. prgtoken In my State, Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 would be most affected, and you think about this with cost issues and inflation and all the things people are already facing. Right now, a 60-year-old Minnesota couple with a household income of $75,000 is saving $773 in monthly premiums. Taking away those tax credits would increase their annual health spending by at least $9,000. That is like taking away multiple paychecks. prgtoken It is n
PROTECTING OUR KIDS ACT
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2022-6-8

. Madam , I rise to confront the Nation's leading child killer: gun violence. prgtoken Passing the Protecting Our Kids Act does that by raising the legal age to buy certain semiautomatic rifles and closing the ghost gun loophole. It strengthens safe storage rules at home and clamps down on bump stocks and high-capacity magazines. prgtoken Once more, House will do something meaningful to address this carnage while House s do nothing. Yes, a few Senate s may do the absolute minimum, but when an 11-year-old tells Congress that she smeared her murdered friend's blood on her own body to play dead and stay alive in Uvalde, I will take baby steps over no steps. prgtoken From Uvalde and Buffalo to Parkland, Orlando, and Las Vegas, America is bleeding. While this legislation will not end gun violence, it is a tourniquet. prgtoken The deaths, suicides, and astronomical health costs are too high, and we cannot continue to forsake our national freedoms to learn, work, and worship without fear. prgtoken Let's pass this legislation and reclaim America's values and confront this Nation's leading killer of children: gun violence.
PROTECTING OUR KIDS ACT
Pramila Jayapal (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2022-6-8

. Madam , the Protecting Our Kids Act is about saying no more to mass shootings, no more to children murdered in schools, no more to Black people murdered at the grocery store, no more to doctors being murdered in hospitals, no more to losing our children, our fathers, mothers, siblings, and friends in this uniquely American epidemic of gun violence. prgtoken The families who have lost loved ones know that these deaths are not inevitable. We need to act now. prgtoken This bill has simple but effective solutions: Raise the minimum age to 21 to buy a semiautomatic rifle, prohibit gun trafficking and high- capacity magazines, require safe storage, and crack down on ghost guns and bump stocks. prgtoken Had these protections been enacted in 1999, they would have stopped at least 35 recent mass shootings and saved over 400 lives. prgtoken Today, we can choose to mean it when we say ``never again.'' Vote ``yes.'' Save lives. Save children. Save our communities.