mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Calendar)
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2017-5-24

I want to follow the comments made by the President pro tempore of the Senate--the Senator from Utah--talking about problems that people have and problems that grow every day with their future look at healthcare and what it may mean for their families. prgtoken This is a top-of-the-mind issue for families in Utah, or Missouri, where I am from, or Montana, where the Presiding Officer is from, or Massachusetts. Anywhere in the country, anyone who is looking at this system and hoping to have a system they could rely on is finding that it is just not working. This is a plan that clearly has failed. It was a plan that gave all kinds of assurances, virtually none of which have been kept. prgtoken In our State today, we got some bad news in Missouri about what that health insurance exchange looks like next year. Blue Cross Blue Shield serves 30 counties in our State. Another Blue Cross-related group, Anthem, serves the rest of the State. But today, Blue Cross Blue Shield announced that it is going to pull out of the exchanges next year. Some 31,000 people in 25 counties around Kansas City will have no insurer at this moment who is willing to sell policies on the individual exchange. This is devastating news for those families--maybe they are already on their second or third insurance company in as many years--trying to wade through yet another individual plan that tells them what might or might not be covered. This is certainly a long way from the assurances that you would be able to keep your plan and you would be able to continue to see the doctors you like. It seems a long way from that pledge. Remember that pledge? If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. It didn't turn out to be that way at all. prgtoken In fact, in the five other counties that Blue Cross is leaving in our State--and I don't say this with any disrespect toward that nonprofit company--they are losing money. This system won't work, and that is why we are down from multiple companies willing to offer insurance in all kinds of counties around the country to now States, like Iowa, having no insurance company at all that will offer an individual policy anywhere. prgtoken In the five metropolitan counties in the Kansas area, they have three competitors this year in those five counties. Humana announced in February that they would be leaving next year. Blue Cross announced today that they would be leaving. So 5 metropolitan counties at this moment, at least, have only one company that will even offer prgtoken a policy, and 25 counties have no company that will offer a policy based on that announcement. If you only have one choice, do you really have any choices at all? prgtoken Under this plan, unless we go in a very different direction, the choice is to buy the policy or pay the penalty. This exchange that was promised where the average family would see their insurance costs go
MEMORIAL DAY
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2017-5-25

this weekend we will mark the beginning of the Memorial Day remembrances that we do every year. Memorial Day, of course, is on Monday, but many activities will begin even today and tomorrow to honor those who have died in the defense of our country. These men and women had families, they had dreams for the future, and they had their whole lives ahead of them. But they did something extraordinary. prgtoken I remember that a few years ago I had the opportunity to be at the American cemetery in Normandy. At the end of the tour of that cemetery, the guide had us sit down on a ledge with the English Channel to our back and those 8,000 graves in front of us that we had just looked at and had talked about the sacrifices made. Then he flipped open his computer and, at that exact same spot, on the 20th anniversary of the D-day, General Eisenhower--former President Eisenhower--in 1964 was talking to Walter Cronkite. He said to Walter Cronkite: You know, Walter, my son John graduated from West Point on D-day, and over the last 20 years, I have watched him and his wife raise their family and have the experiences they have had, and, he said, many times I have thought about these young men and the life they didn't get to lead because of what they were asked to do. prgtoken Particularly, you had the person sitting there 20 years later who ultimately was the person who asked them to do what they were asked to do, and you understand that that is the kind of decision he thought about. It is the kind of sacrifice we should think about as we think about those who didn't get to pursue their dreams and didn't get to see the family they had grown up with or have the family they would have liked to have had because they laid down their lives so that we could take care of our families, so that we could realize our dreams, so that we could enjoy the freedoms that our Nation is truly blessed with and that make us truly extraordinary in our belief and our defense of freedom, not only for ourselves but for people everywhere. prgtoken We are grateful for all that these people have done, and this is a time of year that we particularly set aside to honor those fallen heroes--the soldiers, the sailors, the airmen, the marines, the people in the National Guard and the Coast Guard and the Reserve--called up and losing their lives in that cause. prgtoken Also, it is good for us to remember those who served and who were willing to make that sacrifice, if necessary, and often have their own burdens they carry from their service. Maybe that burden was just simply losing those years when others were already at a civilian job that they would only be able to go to later. prgtoken I am honored to represent nearly 500,000 Missouri veterans. As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus, I am committed to helping our veterans find good-paying jobs as civilians. We took an important step in that direction recently when
THE FIGHT TO STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-5-25

I rise today to continue support for this week's focus on combating human trafficking. prgtoken Some of the people most vulnerable to trafficking are unaccompanied alien children who cross our southern border. These children are oftentimes released to sponsors or relatives, and sometimes they simply disappear. Once released, unaccompanied alien children receive one follow-up phone call, and many are never contacted, leaving them potentially vulnerable to trafficking. prgtoken No child should fall into the hands of traffickers because of our lack of surveillance. When I was in practice as a physician, if I ever suspected that a child had been abused, I was required by law to notify authorities. We should require no less of our Federal agencies. prgtoken Today, I am asking the Office of Refugee Resettlement to redouble their efforts to make certain these children never end up in the care of the wrong people. prgtoken I also want to take this opportunity to thank our Denton County sheriff, Tracy Murphree. Just last weekend, they conducted a significant human trafficking operation that led to 11 arrests. I am grateful for them and for all law enforcement officials for taking the steps to end this abuse.
CELEBRATING THE VOLUNTEER EFFORTS IN IMPROVING THE ALTOONA USPS CENTER
Bill Shuster (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-5-25

I rise today to celebrate four talented young Pennsylvania students who volunteered their time and artistic abilities to the beautification of the Altoona Mail Processing Center. Portage Area High School students Makayla Klein, Christopher Hartline, Kaylee Koval, and Alexis Miller were selected by their instructor to design and paint a mural in the lobby of the postal center. They submitted several designs for consideration, and, upon selection, collaborated to carry out the chosen design. The design that was selected by the postal center was a striking image of a bald eagle with wings spread and talons out. On the left wing is the emblem of the United States Postal Service, and on the right wing an American flag. On April 7th and 8th, 2017, Makayla, Christopher, Kaylee, and Alexis volunteered their time to complete the mural on the lobby wall of the postal center. The mural was dedicated to the hardworking men and women of the Altoona Mail Processing Center, and their commitment to ensuring the efficient and accurate handling of our mail and postage. The students who carried out this tremendous project deserve nothing but our gratitude and admiration I am privileged to thank Makayla, Christopher, Kaylee, and Alexis for their hand in the improvement of the Altoona Mail Processing Center. Congratulations on a job well done and for your beautiful contribution which will be enjoyed by thousands in the community for years to come.
RECOGNIZING GARY PICHON'S BIKE RIDE
Doug Collins (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-5-25

I rise today in recognition of Gary Pichon, who just completed a 3,000-mile bike ride around our country. prgtoken Gary set out on a mission, not for the thrill of ride, but to see what he could learn about the landscape and people of our great nation. As he mapped a course across the states, Gary soaked up the beauty of America's cityscapes and countrysides. prgtoken In the towns that he traveled through, people were kind and ready to work. He also noted the plight of rural Americans, who are resilient and strong and often underappreciated, prgtoken , I echo Mr. Pichon's respect for the hardworking Americans who give our nation enduring character. Mr. Pichon and I call northeast Georgia home and could not ask for better neighbors in a finer nation. prgtoken Gary's ride from coast to coast serves as a reminder of the diversity that makes our nation beautiful and the unassuming kindness that fuels our nation's endurance.
HEALTHCARE LEGISLATION
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2017-5-25

from Colorado for his kind words. prgtoken I rise to speak about our effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. I always kind of chuckle when I say the ``Affordable Care Act,'' as I have a friend back home whose quote for his insurance was $39,000 for 1 year. That is the un-Affordable Care Act. prgtoken A family member from San Francisco whose policy was $20,000 for 1 year had a $6,000 deductible for each person. I think her husband actually voted for Bernie Sanders, but she is like: The heck with this because I cannot afford it. prgtoken Then there is another fellow here in Washington, DC, who is an insurance consultant. If anybody can get a good deal, an insurance consultant should be able to. He says: My family premium is $24,000 a year with a family deductible of $13,000. We will pay $37,000 before we receive benefit from our insurance policy. prgtoken That is unsustainable. prgtoken President saw that during the campaign. He said over and over again--kind of his four pledges, if you will--that he wished to maintain coverage, lower premiums, get rid of those mandates that Americans hate in Care, and care for those with preexisting conditions. This is what he said over and over. It is a great pledge. prgtoken He actually said something else as well: He said he wanted to make healthcare easy. Now we have an approach to do this. Some people call it auto enrollment, but I call it making it easy. In this way, we can increase coverage and achieve the goals of President 's to lower the premiums. We are using something that is already used in Medicare and 401(k) plans. Again, we make it easy to enroll. Let me elaborate on this. prgtoken People argue that we have to have a mandate because without a mandate, people will lose coverage, and if people lose coverage, only the sick enroll and healthcare expenses increase. I think the Senate actually has an opportunity to do something better. We can make it easy. Under this, we can imagine that someone is eligible to be enrolled in our program unless he calls us up and says he does not want to be. prgtoken This is what we do in Medicare. When we--when I, when you, when any of us--turn 65, we are automatically enrolled in Medicare. I turned 65, and I am on Medicare. It is not a mandate. I can call them up and say that I do not want to. You have never heard anybody complain about it. It is just called making it easy. prgtoken Similarly, when a Fortune 500 company puts in a 401(k) plan, it has learned that if it asks somebody to sign all of the forms, and they can opt into its 401(k) retirement plan, it gets about 65 percent participation, but if they say: You are in unless you call us up and tell us you do not want to be--if they make it totally easy, they get 95 percent participation in that 401(k) program. prgtoken We know both from Medicare and from business that if you make enrollm
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2017-5-25

I wish to introduce the Community Bank Sensible Regulation Act of 2017, a bill that would allow financial regulators to exempt community banks from unnecessary and unduly burdensome requirements, if doing so is in the public interest. My bill would provide this authority to the FDIC, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Reserve and would apply to financial institutions with less than $10 billion in assets. prgtoken The aim of my legislation is to allow the financial regulators to exempt community banks from highly complex regulations designed to protect our financial system from systemic risks that would arise from the failure of larger banks. All banks, large and small, should be well-capitalized and properly regulated, but that does not mean that our financial regulators must impose a ``one size fits all'' regulatory regime across the board without regard to the risks posed to the financial system by banks with fundamentally different business models and of vastly different sizes. prgtoken Some regulations that are appropriate or essential for larger banks may make no sense when applied to community banks. For example, current law requires community banks to demonstrate that they are in compliance with the Volcker Rule--which restricts proprietary trading and hedge fund investments by banks--even though community banks rarely engage in such trading. Even so, community banks must shoulder the burden of complying with this complex regulation. My bill would allow the regulators to exempt community banks from the Volcker Rule. prgtoken As the GAO has noted, smaller banks are ``disproportionately affected by increased regulation, because they are less able to absorb additional costs.'' These costs are significant. According to industry representatives, the cost of complying with regulations absorbs 12 percent of total bank operating expenses, and is two-and-a-half times greater for small banks than for large banks. prgtoken The cost of regulation puts community banks at a competitive disadvantage vis-a-vis larger banks. Over the past two decades, the share of the U.S. banking industry represented by community banks has declined from 40 percent to just 18 percent. Over the same period, the share of the market represented by the five largest banks has grown from roughly 18 percent to 46 percent. I am concerned that unnecessary regulation will accelerate these trends, and ironically, contribute to the further consolidation of the banking industry into a handful of ``too big to fail'' banks. prgtoken Community banks play an essential role in meeting the credit needs of their customers, particularly small businesses, homeowners, and farmers. Although community banks represent just 18 percent of total banking assets, they are responsible for half of our nation's small business loans. With small business formation at generational lows, it is essential that we preserve and prote
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Don Bacon (Republican, NE) \u2014 2017-5-25

I thank my friend and colleague from Texas for yielding to me. prgtoken I just want to take a few moments to thank the House for the work they did recently on H.R. 1242, and I want to urge the Senate to take action on this bill as well. prgtoken So I rise today in support of H.R. 1242, entitled 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act. I am a cosponsor of this legislation. I worked with my colleagues to pass this act in the House, and I look forward to the Senate also passing this bill. prgtoken I believe it is important for all citizens of the United States to recognize the unique history, sacrifices, and remarkable contributions that African Americans have made to build our great Nation. prgtoken I am invigorated by this legislative intention to identify and educate the public on the arrival of Africans and their role in building this great country. It is equally important to understand the generational impact that slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination have had on our United States. prgtoken While there have been many successful and inspirational African Americans with enumerable contributions, we must address ongoing disparities in employment and education by focusing on achieving six milestones for success. These milestones include: entering school ready to learn; reading at grade level by third grade; graduating from high school ready for college or career; completing postsecondary education or training; successfully entering the workforce; reducing violence and providing a second chance for returning citizens. prgtoken I applaud the many organizations actively working to address these opportunity gaps faced by African Americans. In my community of the Second Congressional District of Nebraska, I appreciate the efforts of Willie Hamilton, president and founder of Black Men United. He is a true grassroots leader. prgtoken In addition, I want to highlight some other organizations and work that is ongoing in the district I serve to implement a coherent cradle- to-college-and-career strategy for improving the life outcomes of all young people. These organizations include: the Urban League of Nebraska; the START Center, that is run by my friend, Julian Young; the Omaha Empowerment Network, coordinated by Willie Barney; the Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership; the 100 Black Men of Omaha; the Malcolm X Foundation; the Operation prgtoken Youth Success; members of the Midlands Mentoring Partnership; the efforts of the City of Omaha through the Black Male Achievement Program, previously coordinated by Cameron Gales, another friend of mine. prgtoken Like all complicated issues facing Americans, we need this type of strong community support, along with smart bipartisan legislation to address these problems. prgtoken As the African-American History Commission develops programs, I hope they will consider inspiring communities to continue building partnerships between local organization
ORDERS FOR FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2017, THROUGH MONDAY, JUNE 5, 2017
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-5-25

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn, to then convene for pro forma sessions only, with no business being conducted, on the following dates and times, and that following each pro forma session, the Senate adjourn until the next pro forma session: Friday, May 26, at 8:45 a.m.; Tuesday, May 30, at 7 a.m.; and Friday, June 2, at 9 a.m. I further ask that when the Senate adjourns on Friday, June 2, it next convene at 3 p.m Monday, June 5; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to Calendar No. 107, S. Res. 176, as under the previous order.
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
Dean Heller (Republican, NV) \u2014 2017-5-25

I have 9 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 Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry prgtoken The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, May 25, 2017 at 10 a.m in 328A Russell Senate Office Building, in order to conduct a hearing entitled ``Examining the Farm Economy: Perspectives on Rural America.'' Committee on Armed Services prgtoken The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, May 25, 2017 at 9:30 a.m in open session, to receive testimony on the posture of the Department of the Army in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2018 and the Future Years Defense Program. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources prgtoken The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate in order to hold a hearing on Thursday, May 25, 2017, at 9:45 a.m. in Room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, to consider the nominations of Mr. Dan R. Brouillette to be Deputy Secretary of Energy and Mr. Neil Chatterjee and Mr. Robert F. Powelson to be Members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Committee on Finance prgtoken The Committee on Finance is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, May 25, 2017, at 10 a.m in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Fiscal Year 2018 Budget Proposals for the Department of Treasury and Tax Reform.'' Committee on Foreign Relations prgtoken The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on May 25, 2017 at 9:30 a.m to hold a business meeting. Committee on the Judiciary prgtoken The Senate Select Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on May 25, 2017, following the first floor vote in the Capitol, to conduct an executive business meeting. Agenda is attached. 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 Thursday, May 25, 2017 from 2 p.m. in room SH-219 of the Senate Hart Office Building to hold a closed Member briefing. prgtoken Subcommittee on Multilateral International Development, Multilateral prgtoken Institutions, and International Economic, Energy, and Environmental Policy prgtoken The Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on