mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2017-1-11

as we continue to debate health care, there are some things that are kind of being debated that I call monkey dust. When two gorillas fight, they try to confuse each other by throwing dust up in the air. It has nothing to do with the substance of the fight but rather is only meant to distract the other side. That is part of what this kerfuffle, if you will--people raise per-beneficiary payments as if that is something pernicious, something that should be avoided, something which is bad. prgtoken First, we are setting this kind of in the perspective of Medicaid. prgtoken Let me speak about per-beneficiary payments. For those who are in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan, the Federal Government makes a per-beneficiary payment to the insurance company to cover that Federal employee. For those States which have a Medicaid managed care company contract, the State makes a per-beneficiary payment to the Medicaid managed care company. That is a per-beneficiary payment. The reason I like this is because, inherently, the dollar follows the patient. prgtoken Now we are speaking about this in the context of a Medicaid reform program. Why should Medicaid be reformed? That is the question. Let's speak about our current Medicaid system. It is bankrupting States and the Federal Government. prgtoken In 2009, for the first time, the amount of money spent by States on Medicaid exceeded what they spent on education. Ever since then, Medicaid's expenditures are going up, and education expenditures are going down. Despite all this money, we get poor outcomes. Medicaid typically pays physicians below their cost of seeing a patient. prgtoken I pointed out in my speech yesterday that the week Care passed the House of Representatives, Robert Pear, the New York Times journalist, wrote an article in the New York Times following cancer patients on Medicaid in Michigan. What Mr. Pear found was an oncologist who had so many Medicaid patients she was going bankrupt. Indeed, she had to begin to discharge those patients from her practice because she could not pay her bills. We tracked down one of those patients who was featured, and she died 2 weeks after being discharged from the practice. prgtoken Medicaid pays so poorly that physicians cannot afford to see large numbers. prgtoken That said, it isn't just an anecdote from this New York Times article. There is a study out of MIT for the National Bureau of Economic Research, I believe it is, that found that with all the money spent on Medicaid, the beneficiary only receives 20 to 40 percent. The rest goes to institutions. prgtoken If we speak about a per-beneficiary payment, substantially all of that money goes to the patient. Under the current scenario, out of an MIT study, only 20 to 40 percent does. prgtoken Go back to the oncologist who couldn't afford to see the patients because her reimbursements were so low. What if the rest of that money, which was not being a
DR. GILDARDO ANDRES CEBALLOS NAMED PHYSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Pete Olson (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-1-11

I rise today to congratulate Dr. Gildardo Andres Ceballos of Richmond, TX, for being named OakBend Medical Center's 2016 Physician of the Year. prgtoken Dr. Ceballos, board-certified in internal medicine, was awarded this honor thanks to his experience and reputation for kindness and sincerity appreciated by patients and staff alike. The Physician of the Year award is OakBend's highest recognition, which honors the physician who demonstrates significant skill, along with genuine compassion. Colleagues of Dr. Ceballos have described him as a positive professional and a role model both professionally and personally. prgtoken On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, congratulations again to Dr. Ceballos for being named OakBend Medical Center's 2016 Physician of the Year. We all benefit from his commitment to quality healthcare and we thank him for his dedication to keep Houstonians healthy.
RECOGNIZING MACY MAINE AND HANNAH MASON, INSPIRATIONAL ROLE MODELS
Martha McSally (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2017-1-11

I rise to recognize two southern Arizona young women for their achievements and for serving as role models in their communities. Macy Maine, a senior at Buena High School, and Hannah Mason, a senior at Pusch Ridge Christian Academy, were recently given the 2016 Brilliant, Beautiful and Bold Role Model Award from the Girls Rule Foundation. The award recognizes only a handful of young women across the State who are making a difference. prgtoken Macy was given the award for her active engagement in the community. She represented her high school as an American Legion Auxiliary Arizona Girls State delegate, is an All-American cheerleader, and represented her city at the Power Up Teen Leadership Conference. She is a frequent volunteer and hopes to enter public service. prgtoken Hannah has been a selfless leader for her family and community. After a car accident took the life of her father and severely injured her older sister, Hannah stepped up to care for her family. She helped her sister through multiple surgeries while continuing to excel at school and remain active in the community. She hopes to enter medical school one day. prgtoken , I congratulate both Macy and Hannah for being inspirational role models to their peers and wish them the best of luck as they continue to pursue their dreams.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017
Patrick J. Toomey (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-1-11

I rise this afternoon to bid a very fond farewell to a man whom I have come to like very much and respect enormously. He is Christopher Gahan. He has been my chief of staff for 6 years. After 6 years of extraordinary service, he has decided that he is going to move on to the private sector. I want to say a few words about Christopher's background and his contribution to my office, to our country, and the people of Pennsylvania. prgtoken Christopher is actually from New Hampshire. He is a native of Rye Beach. After growing up in New Hampshire, he earned his degree in biology at Brown University and then went on to get a law degree from Harvard. I can assure everyone he has recovered from his educational experience to a very extensive degree. prgtoken He went into law and practiced at the law firm of Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles and Washington. He had a very successful time there, but he decided he wanted to come to Washington and work in government and, specifically, work on the Hill. He went to work for Judd Gregg, Senator Gregg from New Hampshire, and Christopher Gahan, I understand, had almost every job that a Senate office has. He started at the very beginning, but because of his enormous talents and his ability and hard work, he relatively quickly rose and became chief of staff for Senator Gregg. prgtoken When I was elected to the Senate in 2010, I got a call within a matter of weeks from Christopher, and he said he wanted to come and meet with me and discuss the fact that I needed a chief of staff. He drove up to Allentown. We had lunch, and I decided almost immediately that this guy would probably do a great job. He clearly had the attributes that I was looking for. prgtoken I should also point out some of the things that are perhaps not as widely known about Christopher outside of my office. One is that he is a tremendous athlete. He has been for a long time. When he was in college, he was on the varsity men's water polo team. He was cocaptain at Brown, he was All-Ivy League, and to this day, he gets up at 4 or 5 o'clock every morning and usually goes for a run. He occasionally bangs out a marathon and thinks nothing of it. He has quite a diverse range of talents. prgtoken He also has a very peculiar taste in certain things. He loves all things related to cats, except the animals themselves. I don't understand that. Maybe it is an allergy; I am not sure exactly what it is. If you look at his desk area, he has funny photos of cats, little porcelain cats, little masks of cats, and a calendar of cats. He loves all things cats, except the animals themselves. It is quite remarkable. prgtoken Having said all of that about his background, what I really want to say is how fortunate Pennsylvania and I have been to have Christopher Gahan serving in this capacity. As I said, from the day that I had lunch with Christopher, I knew he could do a great job. I knew he had that ability. I had very h
U.N. RESOLUTION 2334
Ron DeSantis (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-1-11

U.N. Resolution 2334 was an anti-Israel resolution that sought to erase the history of the Jewish people and their connection to their historic homeland. prgtoken Under U.N. Resolution 2334, the Western Wall, which is the holiest site in Judaism and the last remnant of the Second Temple, is considered occupied territory. You can't even make this up. I think it is important to point out that the territory at issue, which we are talking about, including the West Bank, which is historic Judea and Samaria--some of the oldest Jewish lands dating back thousands of years--is disputed. It is not occupied territory. prgtoken When you use that term for things like the Western Wall, you show that all you are trying to do is to harm and attack the State of Israel but not do this in an intellectually honest way. If you look at the Balfour Declaration, that entire mandate was originally for a Jewish state, including what is now Jordan. prgtoken As we got into the 1920s, Britain thought that giving what was called Transjordan--what is considered to be the eastern part of Palestine-- would be a reward for the help of some of the Arabs during the First World War. That had been under Turkish control for hundreds of years before World War I. It was then under British control. You have this British mandate, and they eventually give Jordan everything east of the river; but then Jewish Palestine--this is a Jewish state, which is all of Israel proper: Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, you name it--was what Britain wanted to do. The League of Nations in 1922, which is the last legally binding document, recognized that as well. prgtoken Fast-forward past World War II and we get into the late forties. The Arabs always rejected having a state shared with Israel in that respect. Then we get to 1948 and the U.N. Partition Plan. How much measly less territory for Israel? It is really an indefensible country. There is a massive Arab state there; yet Israel accepted even these little crumbs of territory. What did the Arabs do? They rejected having a state. You had invasions against Israel from all sides, and the goal was the annihilation of the Jewish state in 1948. prgtoken Between '48 and '67--we always heard about these 1967 lines. Those are not political lines. Those are armistice lines. Israel won the war for their independence. They beat back the Arab armies. You had Egypt controlling the Gaza Strip and you had Jordan controlling Judea and Samaria, what we know as the West Bank. prgtoken So those were armistice lines, never internationally recognized. Jordan's occupation of the West Bank was not recognized internationally. prgtoken When Arafat founded the PLO, it was in 1964, '65, when you still had these armistice lines. So the Palestine Liberation Organization, what are they trying to liberate Palestine from? He is not talking about the West Bank. He is talking about Israel proper. He wanted to push the Jews to the sea. prgtoken So why
REGULATORY ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2017
Keith J. Rothfus (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-1-11

I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5, the Regulatory Accountability Act. prgtoken Many speaking today in support of this legislation are right to point out the crushing impact that Washington's overregulation has had on our economy. We know all too well how overregulation has driven up the cost of health care, financial services, and energy; and it is long past time for reform. prgtoken I would like to highlight a provision of this legislation that I offered 3 years ago that requires agencies to identify when new rules will have a negative impact on jobs and wages. prgtoken Too often, regulators and agency heads are well aware of the negative impact a regulation will have on Americans' jobs and wages even before it is imposed, but they impose it anyway. Specifically, my provision defines when rules have a negative impact on jobs and wages and requires agency heads approving such a rule to submit a statement that they approve the rule knowing its negative impact. prgtoken When people in this far-off Capitol take away the jobs and livelihood of working families, as they have done with miners and power plant workers and laborers in my district, they need to own up to it. The Regulatory Accountability Act will help us to provide American workers with substantial relief from what is often Washington overreach, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation.
OBAMACARE
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-1-11

when Care's supporters forced their partisan law on our country, they promised an easy-to-use system--one that would lower premiums and out-of-pocket health care costs, one that would foster choice and allow families to keep the plans and doctors they liked. prgtoken But it didn't take long for the American people to discover the truth about Care. Too many have been personally hurt by this law. Too many feel they are worse off than they were before Care. Listening to their stories helps to explain why they might feel this way. prgtoken For instance, too many Americans say their Care plans are too expensive to actually use. Too many say their Care premiums have gone up and up, although their options have diminished. Too many say their choices on Care have deteriorated to just one or two insurers. prgtoken These are some of the realities of Care for too many families in Kentucky and across the country. These are some inconvenient realities that those who continue to defend this failed law must finally face up to. Remember, even former President Clinton called Care ``the craziest thing in the world.'' This was Bill Clinton on Care. prgtoken So it is little wonder that 8 in 10 favor changing Care significantly or replacing it altogether. We must act quickly to bring relief to the American people. I hope will work with us as we take the next steps toward repealing and replacing this failing law. prgtoken Tonight, Senators from both parties will have an important opportunity to take a vote on the legislative tools necessary to repeal Care. Then we can send it to the House and begin taking the next steps to finally move away from Care, while we move ahead with smarter health care policies. This is what the American people have called for us to do. It is the best way forward for our country and the people we represent. prgtoken .
REGULATORY ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2017
Bob Goodlatte (Republican, VA) \u2014 2017-1-11

I include in the record a list of organizations supporting H.R. 5. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this important amendment. Agricultural Retailers Association, Washington, DC, January 11, 2017. To All Members of the U.S. House of Representatives: On behalf of the Agricultural Retailers Association (ABA), I am writing to urge a vote in support of H.R. 5, the ``Regulatory Accountability Act'' sponsored by Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA). This legislation includes a number of important provisions designed to reform the Federal rulemaking process. All stakeholders have a right to fair, open, and transparent rulemaking that respects the proper role of the states and the intent of Congress. For decades, there have been Executive Orders issued from both and Administrations highlighting the importance of an open, transparent, and fair regulatory process. H.R. 5 is an important step forward in codifying the principles that Presidents of both parties have issued in Executive Order 12004 (Issued in Match 1978), Executive Order 12291 (Issued in February 1981), Executive Order 12866 (Issued in September 1993), Executive Order 13132 (Issued in August 1999), and Executive Order 13563 (Issued in January 2011). Some of the reforms in H.R. 5 include provisions such as requiring federal agencies to use less costly regulations, rather than more costly proposals, to obtain a stated objective; requiring federal agencies to explain how their proposed regulations would impact small business owners, their employees, and customers; prohibiting any new rules with a significant economic impact from taking effect until litigation against such proposal has been fully settled without impacting existing regulations; and requiring Federal agencies to publish mandatory transparency reports. Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) plans to offer an amendment on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to prohibit agencies from using social media to sway public opinion in favor of a pending agency proposal. This common-sense amendment is necessary to prevent actions taken by federal agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the General Accountability Office (GAO) found took unlawful actions during its `Waters of the United States'' (WOTUS) proposed rulemaking. ARA urges all House members to vote in favor of the Peterson amendment and to vote ``Yes'' on final passage of H.R, 5. Sincerely, Richard D. Gupton, Senior Vice President, Public Policy & Counsel.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017
Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC) \u2014 2017-1-11

there are a lot of pressing issues going on in the country and in the world. These are tough, turbulent times. But Senator Scott and I are going to take a moment or two to talk about a topic that I think millions of Americans appreciate: college football. prgtoken In the South, where Tim and I come from, it is as close to being a religion as you can get, and we are here to celebrate Clemson University becoming the national champion in college football, beating Alabama in the best college football playoff game I have ever witnessed in my life. prgtoken To the people of Alabama: You had one heck of a ride, a 26-game winning streak, something you should be proud of. prgtoken To the Tigers: You beat the best team in the country, and, to me, the way you won is as important as the outcome. prgtoken DeShaun Watson is probably going to go in the very top of the draft to the NFL. I would say he is the best college football player in America. What DeShaun has won for Clemson is unbelievable. The way he has done it is even more unbelievable. He graduated in 3 years. He is one of the nicest young men I have ever met in my life. His faith means a lot to him. prgtoken He threw the ball to Hunter Renfrow, who was a walk-on--a young man from a small town in South Carolina who walked on to the Clemson University team. Because of Coach Dabo Swinney, he had a shot at making the team and wound up catching the winning pass to win the national title. prgtoken How is this possible? It is possible because of leadership at the top. President Clements, our new president, has a vision of Clemson University as aggressive and bold off the field as Dabo has had on the field. I think Dabo Swinney represents the best in college sports. The Clemson team is truly a family. If I had a son, I would want him to play for Dabo. prgtoken If you are looking for a place to go to school where you would be academically challenged, go to Clemson. If you are looking for a place to go to school or to be a part of a community, something bigger than yourself, go to Clemson. If you are looking for a place to watch sports at the highest level possible, go to Clemson. prgtoken So I congratulate the Tigers. Who you beat was impressive, but more impressive is how you have conducted yourself over the last couple of years. prgtoken The Clemson program is a model for college athletics. Dabo has an uncanny ability to take people from different backgrounds and mold them into a team. He loves his players and they love him. prgtoken I live 5 miles from Clemson University and went to the University of South Carolina, and most of you don't know what that means: the biggest rivalry. prgtoken I am proud of Clemson. I grew up in the shadow of the university, 5 miles from the stadium. I have been around the Clemson Tiger family all my life. They conferred an honorary degree upon me a couple of years ago. Given the academic standards at Clemson, that is the only way
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-1-11

I would like to congratulate my good friend Joseph Crisco, Jr on his outstanding 24 years of service representing the 17th district in the Connecticut State Senate. Joe has shown an incredible commitment to working for the people of Connecticut over his long career, and I thank him for all that he has done for our State and, in particular, the towns of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Hamden, Naugatuck, and his hometown of Woodbridge. prgtoken Joe is a graduate of Wilbur Cross High School and the University of Connecticut, where he credits many of his early lessons to his time spent as an athlete on the football field. His outstanding career as a player at both institutions earned him a place in the Wilbur Cross Athletic Hall of Fame, and his experience as a standout guard on the UConn football team in 1956 and 1957 helped forge a lasting commitment to his alma mater and shaped the ethic of teamwork and dedication that would follow him to the Connecticut State Senate. prgtoken First elected to the senate in 1992, Joe's commitment to his constituents and his community has never wavered. It is no exaggeration to say that his district would not be what it is today if not for the many grants and public projects he has been responsible for bringing home, from recreational centers and trails, to libraries, animal shelters, and affordable housing. The 17th district's most important institutions--like Griffin Hospital, Quinnipiac University, the Sterling Opera House, the Troop I Barracks of the Connecticut State Police, the former Bethany Airport, and the Metro-North Waterbury branch line--have always had a dedicated friend and advocate in Joe. And the annual senior fair in Ansonia's Warsaw Park, which Joe ran throughout his service in the senate, has provided assistance to thousands of senior citizens over the years and become an iconic event in the Naugatuck Valley. prgtoken But more than simply serving the people in his district, Joe distinguished himself in the Connecticut General Assembly as one of its most effective and hard-working legislators. He served as chair of the Appropriations Committee and the Insurance & Real Estate Committee and had a hand in some of the most important legislation in a generation to support Connecticut's economy and the welfare of its citizens. He led the creation of the Biomedical Research Fund, which has devoted millions of dollars towards research efforts in the State to fight heart disease, cancer, smoking-related illnesses, Alzheimer's, stroke, and diabetes. He championed investment tax credits for economic development and public safety, secured a cost-of-living adjustment for beneficiaries of the ConnPACE Program for seniors, and fought passionately to expand the reach of health insurance coverage. After only 6 years in the senate, Joe pioneered the founding of Family Day; an initiative close to his heart as a father of 6 and grandfather of 18. And t