mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-3-20

. I thank the gentleman for yielding, my good friend, Representative Burgess from Texas. prgtoken We are very blessed to have Representative Burgess' leadership on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee, as he chairs the Health Subcommittee and brings his years of experience. I want to thank him for his leadership and for holding this tonight. prgtoken , every day, I hear stories from folks all across my district in the First Congressional District of Georgia, in southeast Georgia, who have been forced to choose. They have been forced to choose between paying their monthly insurance premium or buying other essentials for their families. prgtoken I want to give you an example of someone who I am talking about--a real life example, someone who has experienced this. prgtoken Consider the case of Bob Joiner. Bob Joiner is an independent adviser in south Georgia. His wife, Kim, is an audiologist who works in a small practice that does not provide healthcare benefits. prgtoken Bob and Kim exercise regularly. They watch their nutrition. They are fortunate to have no health problems. They also have a 28-year-old son, Wesley. In 2016, Bob's monthly healthcare premium increased 134 percent, and his son's healthcare insurance climbed to an astonishing 190 percent. In total, their 2016 annual premiums were $4,285 for their son Wesley, and for them it was $19,026. prgtoken The Joiners should have been hopeful that in 2017 they could change their plan for something more affordable. But thanks to Care, that wasn't the case. You see, what Care has done is to limit choices. prgtoken In 2017, there was only one Care-compliant plan that was accessible to the Joiners on the healthcare.gov website. An additional policy featuring a higher deductible with lower premiums was available; however, the plan was not Care compliant, leaving the Joiners subjected to the penalty. Before Care, the Joiner family's annual premium was $7,400. At the time, they had access to multiple providers and dozens of plan designs. prgtoken Unfortunately, Care has brought chaos into the healthcare system. The Joiners are not alone. This is just one example of many throughout my district and throughout America of what Care has done. prgtoken Care has done, essentially, three things. First of all, it has taken away choice. It has limited choices. prgtoken Representative Burgess mentioned the fact that a third of the counties in America right now only have one provider. Only one provider. That is not a choice. Five States only have one provider. That is not a choice. Sixteen counties in Tennessee have no provider. No one. That is not sustainable. prgtoken We have a situation that faced us here in the majority party, the Party. We had to decide: What are we going to do? Should we even touch health care or should we just leave it alone? prgtoken We did the right thing. We said: We need to rescue the healthcare system here
HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-20

. I thank the for the recognition. prgtoken , October of last year, October of 2016, Bill Clinton, speaking in front of a group of people in Michigan, said: So you have got this crazy system. There are all these people out there who are busting it sometimes 60 hours a week, and they wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half. It is the craziest thing in the world. prgtoken , I don't often agree with former President Bill Clinton, but that quote pretty much sums up why we are here doing what we are doing this week with trying to fix the problems inherent in the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken Now, sometimes people turning in and watching these hours must wonder how can it be we are talking about the same thing where one side says it is good and one side says it is not it may help to set some of the historical context. I would like to do that tonight. I would like to talk about the beginnings of what we now know as the Affordable Care Act. Some people refer to it as Care. prgtoken This is a bill that was signed into law 7 years ago this month, but it didn't just spring forth. There was a lot of work involved in bringing it forward and getting it heard and getting it voted on on the floor of this House. I was part of the Energy and Commerce Committee that summer, as I still am today. The Energy and Commerce Committee did hear what was then H.R. 3100, several hours of markup in the committee, several days of markup. Other committees marked it up, and H.R. 3100 was a 1,000-page bill that left our committee. I didn't vote for the bill. I didn't think it was a good idea, but it did have amendments at the end of that process. prgtoken That bill then went to the 's Office--not to the Budget Committee, but to the 's Office. Pelosi put it together, and when it emerged, it was a 2,000-page bill that really didn't have much to do with the bill that was marked up in the committee. But, nevertheless, the bill came to the floor of this House; and in November of 2009, after a significant amount of debate, a significant amount of anxiety expressed on the side and even some on the ic side, the bill was passed by a very slim majority. The bill went over to the Senate, and that was the end of that bill. prgtoken What happened next was there were--it was not exactly a bill--several drafts of several ideas that people had over on the Senate side; and the Senate took up a bill that the House had previously passed, H.R. 3590 was the number of that bill, and the Senate debated and passed that bill on Christmas Eve of 2009. You may remember there was a snowstorm that was descending upon Washington, kind of a familiar story, a snowstorm that was coming to town. The Senators wanted to get home before the snowstorm hit, and they passed H.R. 3590. prgtoken Remember, back in those days, the had a 60-vote majority in the Senate. They were able t
HONORING HARRISBURG FIRE LIEUTENANT DENNIS DeVOE
Lou Barletta (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-3-20

it is with a heavy heart that I honor burg Fire Lieutenant Dennis DeVoe, and express my deepest condolences to his family, colleagues, and friends. prgtoken On March 11, 2017, Lt. DeVoe was on his way to pick up his gear to respond to a house fire when his vehicle was T-boned. Lt. DeVoe sustained fatal injuries in the crash, passing later that night surrounded by his family. This honorable man lost his life while in the process of saving the lives of others, and the people of burg, along with myself, are forever grateful for the service he provided his community. prgtoken Lt. DeVoe graduated from Kennard-Dale High School in 1989 and later attended Thaddeus Stevens School of Technology, earning an Associate's Degree of Applied Science in Automotive Technology. Lt. DeVoe was a 1996 graduate of the 14th Fire Academy at burg Area Community College and faithfully served the burg Fire Department Squad 8 in the 21 years since. Additionally, Lt. DeVoe was a member of the Pennsylvania Search and Rescue and a state Fire Instructor at burg Area Community College as well as the York County Fire School. Lt. DeVoe was actively involved in the community. Lt. DeVoe volunteered with numerous area fire departments and coached local soccer teams. Lt. DeVoe's colleagues described him as a kind and energetic leader who prioritized community, service to others, and his family above all else. prgtoken Lt. DeVoe is survived by his wife, Amy DeVoe, and their four children, Carson, Aliza, Emma, and Jake, his mother, Joyce Webb, and her husband, Robert, and his brother, Brian DeVoe, and his wife, Sheila. prgtoken , please join me in honoring the life and service of Lt. Dennis DeVoe, for his selfless heroism and dedication to his community and his family.
HONORING SHAWN T. ANDERSON
Clay Higgins (Republican, LA) \u2014 2017-3-20

I rise today with a saddened heart for my friend and comrade Sergeant Shawn T. Anderson, a veteran and highly decorated police officer, who was shot dead on Saturday evening as he attempted to arrest a rape suspect. prgtoken Sergeant Anderson died as he lived: in honorable service to the people of his State, Louisiana, and his city, Baton Rouge, wearing the uniform of my comrade and friend Sheriff Sid Gautreaux of the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office. prgtoken , there are 435 Members of this esteemed body. We wear a small badge upon our lapel to acknowledge our service to the citizens of the country we love. prgtoken One million of us across the country wear another badge, resembling this one, of various shapes and colors. We are the thin blue line. When we lose a brethren or sistren, we place a mourning band upon our badge. Over the course of the last decade, it has been difficult to remove my mourning badge because we wear them for 7 days, and I find myself never quite able to get the mourning band removed from the badge that I wear. prgtoken My soul and my heart delivers unto my lips constant prayer for the family of my brother Sergeant Anderson, for his fellow deputies, his community, and, indeed, for our Nation. prgtoken Our job begins with an oath. That oath is not an oath of allegiance to a sheriff or a chief or a marshal. It is an oath of allegiance to the institutional principles that our badges represent. Sergeant Anderson gave his last life's blood in service to all of us. prgtoken I thank the for allowing me to honor my fallen comrade.
DHS MULTIYEAR ACQUISITION STRATEGY ACT OF 2017
Michael T. McCaul (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-20

I rise in strong support of H.R. 1249, the DHS Multiyear Acquisition Strategy Act of 2017. I thank Representative Fitzpatrick for his leadership in championing this important legislation. I also want to commend the other Committee Members, especially the freshmen, on their key bipartisan legislation being considered today. prgtoken We are in dangerous times and our homeland faces significant threats. The tools we provide our frontline personnel securing our borders, protecting our airports, and defending our cyber networks need to be delivered on time and properly designed to meet their needs. prgtoken Far too often, DHS has mismanaged major acquisition programs and the result has been systems that are late, do less, and cost more to the taxpayer. Representative Fitzpatrick's bill, along with Representatives Rutherford and Higgins' bills, is critical in ensuring that DHS better manages these vital acquisition programs. These bills put important safeguards into place to guard against waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement. prgtoken As we move forward with our Committee's work to reauthorize DHS for the first time ever, we will continue our focus on draining the waste from the Department to ensure our homeland is secured efficiently and effectively. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1249.
CALIFORNIA'S FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT TOWNHALL MEETINGS
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-3-20

this past Saturday, in my own First Congressional District of California, we had the first of our series of townhall meetings--this one in Nevada County at the Grass Valley fairgrounds. prgtoken It was a good meeting. A bit raucous at times. There was disagreement, and there was some agreement as well. But I think it was a good dialogue to get started with the dialogue we need to have in northern California on the very important issues that we are working on here in Congress. prgtoken There was agreement and disagreement on where we should go with the ACA treatment and where we should go with the funding of EPA. But what I am happiest about is that at least we were able to come together, 1,400 people and me and my staff, and have a dialogue that, again, at times was a little loud, a little raucous, but also people looking forward to being able to hear each other and listen to each other on the issues that are important as we go forward in this Congress. prgtoken I commend people in Nevada County for reaching out and for helping us get started with our outreach that we are going to have in northern California. Upcoming next will be Butte County, Shasta County, and the farther reaches a little bit later. prgtoken , this is a good dialogue I need to have.
SPRING CREEK TROUT UNLIMITED CHAPTER
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-3-20

I rise to recognize the Spring Creek Trout Unlimited Chapter located in Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District for receiving the National 2016 Gold Trout Award as the Nation's most outstanding Trout Unlimited chapter. prgtoken The Spring Creek Chapter's conservation and angler science activities this year are world class, with more than 1.5 miles of riparian habitat planted, 13 in-stream structures built, water quality monitoring, redd count and angler surveys totaling more than 4,500 hours. These volunteer efforts are valued at more than $210,000. prgtoken Beyond this outstanding conservation activity, the chapter reaches into the community, hosting events and activities. The Veterans Service Partnership program serves hundreds of veterans, with the power of healing and a sense of community. prgtoken , I look forward to joining the members of the Spring Creek Trout Unlimited Chapter this Saturday for the 44th annual dinner to celebrate the chapter's gold trout award. It is just 1 of 400 Trout Unlimited chapters across the country. This outstanding achievement shows the power, dedication, and teamwork from local Trout Unlimited members.
PESTICIDE REGISTRATION ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2017
Rodney Davis (Republican, IL) \u2014 2017-3-20

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , and the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta), my good friend and colleague, I rise in strong support as the author of H.R. 1029, the Pesticide Registration Enhancement Act of 2017, also known as PRIA. It is not every day in Washington that we see a bipartisan bill come to the House floor that is supported by both industry and industry advocates, but PRIA is that bill, Madam . prgtoken PRIA initially passed in 2003, establishing a new section of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, or FIFRA, which put in place a fee schedule for registering pesticides with the EPA. More specifically, PRIA constructed time frames for when the EPA was required to make a determination on pesticide registrations. The goal of PRIA was to create a more predictable and effective evaluation process for pesticide decisionmaking by coupling the collection of fees with specific decision review periods. It also promoted shorter decision review periods for reduced-risk pesticides. prgtoken The nature of PRIA is very technical, but the widespread benefits across industries has gained it consistent bipartisan support. PRIA is backed by a broad coalition comprised of the companies that rely on the registration process and also labor and environmental advocates. Each member of this broad coalition had a seat at the table when the Committee on Agriculture held a roundtable discussing the merits of the bill last month before it passed unanimously out of our House Committee on Agriculture. prgtoken This reauthorization bill that we are considering also provides a few modifications, including reasonable increases in registration fees, funding for good laboratory practices, and added efforts to promote transparency. Although it has generally been a 5-year authorization, this bill would extend PRIA for 7 years. A lengthened reauthorization, we believe, is appropriate because PRIA has been proven effective, it has enjoyed widespread, bipartisan support, and to date each reauthorization has only involved minor adjustments. prgtoken PRIA expires on September 30 of this year, and I am glad to be presenting this bill well in advance of that expiration date because we need to provide folks with the certainty they need to conduct their business, educate farmworkers, and keep the communication with EPA open and transparent. This is the fourth time PRIA has come before Congress for reauthorization, and that is because it is working for everyone. It has always been a bipartisan effort, and we hope to continue that tradition. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this commonsense reauthorization. prgtoken Madam , . House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, March 16, 2017. Hon. K. Micha
NATIONAL AGRICULTURE DAY
Tom Emmer (Republican, MN) \u2014 2017-3-20

in recognition of National Agriculture Day, I rise to honor and thank the men and women who feed our Nation. prgtoken Agriculture is one of the most important sectors in our economy. It is cultivated and maintained by our Nation's farmers who rise before the sun every day and work long hours 7 days a week so that Americans can have safe, quality food to feed their families. It is not an easy job, but it is certainly an important one. prgtoken In order to fully honor and appreciate our farmers and their devotion to the agriculture industry, we must do more than recognize their hard work 1 day a year. We must also invest in and work to better the agriculture industry every day of the year. That is why, for as long as I serve in Congress, I will continue to meet with, work for, and advocate on behalf of our farmers. prgtoken Happy National Agriculture Day, and a huge thank-you to every American farmer. prgtoken Celebrating Jeff Amacher's 20 Years of Service with the Centennial Fire District
NATIONAL AGRICULTURE WEEK
Adrian Smith (Republican, NE) \u2014 2017-3-20

I rise today in recognition of National Agriculture Week and the farmers and ranchers who have made Nebraska's Third District the top producing agriculture district in the country. prgtoken One in four Nebraska jobs is tied to agriculture. The hard work and innovative practices of our producers have made our State a leader in feeding the world. prgtoken For too long the heavy hand of the Federal Government has threatened agriculture's future. Thankfully, we have seen important victories under the administration, including the beginning of the end for the EPA's dangerous waters of the U.S. rule, or WOTUS. prgtoken Nebraska's farmers and ranchers are committed stewards of our natural resources and take many steps to keep our water resources clean. President ordered a reset on WOTUS, agreeing farmers and ranchers deserve better than to have Washington bureaucrats controlling the water puddles and irrigation ditches on their land. prgtoken As founder and co-chairman of the Modern Agriculture Caucus, I will continue to promote policies designed to get the government out of the way and prgtoken open more markets around the world for Nebraska producers.
HONORING THE LEGENDARY CHUCK BERRY
Wm. Lacy Clay (Democrat, MO) \u2014 2017-3-21

I rise to honor a legendary American musical genius, an inaugural member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a former neighbor and friend of the Clay family for six decades, the father of rock and roll, the immortal Chuck Berry, who died this past Saturday at the age of 90. prgtoken I grew up just a few blocks away from the Berry residence. My sisters and I came up with his kids, and our families knew each other very well. Chuck Berry was one of the first Black superstars whose innovative music was not only popular with African-American audiences, but with young music fans around the world. prgtoken Since his death, tributes from across every spectrum of music have poured in, including The Rolling Stones, U2, Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and hundreds of other internationally known artists who were deeply influenced by Chuck Berry's magical music. prgtoken On behalf of my family, I want to express our deepest condolences to the Berry family; and on behalf of music fans everywhere, I want to give thanks for the life of this legendary American treasure whose legacy and unique sound will live on for generations, a true St. Louis original, the real king of rock and roll: Chuck Berry.
RECOGNIZING LISA COHEN, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WASHINGTON GLOBAL HEALTH ALLIANCE
Adam Smith (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-3-21

I rise to recognize Lisa Cohen, the Founder and Executive Director of the Washington Global Health Alliance. As Lisa steps down from her ten years of service to the organization, we acknowledge the successes of the WGHA under her leadership, and we thank her for her tireless service to the greater Puget Sound region. prgtoken WGHA was founded with the goal of facilitating collaboration between various health prgtoken and globally-focused organizations--empowering them to more effectively face the most challenging global health issues. Under Lisa Cohen's leadership, the WGHA has done exactly that; it has channeled the resources of Washington's vibrant healthcare sector. prgtoken In the time that I have represented Washington's 9th District, I have had the privilege of attending many WGHA forums and healthcare advocacy meetings. In the past ten years, Lisa Cohen has moderated more than 100 panels and presented to over 50,000 people. WGHA now has over 70 members who, because of her commitment to collaboration, are now better able to serve the communities they touch. It has been an honor to watch WGHA as it has built an international network that achieves more in a more efficient manner. prgtoken Lisa Cohen has not only helped to set WGHA on a path to success, she has tirelessly served the greater Puget Sound community. Her list of accomplishments include channeling resources to many of those who are most at-risk in our community, mapping the state's global health community, cofounding Global to Local, and leading the Washington Global Health Fund and Global Health Nexus. As a huge proponent of collaboration, Lisa has helped to form Washington's organizations into a community, so that they can collectively tackle the world's most pressing issues. prgtoken Lisa Cohen's unique ability to bring people together has left our community better equipped to handle future health challenges. As she takes her next steps, I know she will continue to make a positive impact and help to make our world a better place. prgtoken , it is with great pleasure that I recognize the global health work that Lisa Cohen has done in our community and wish her well in her future endeavors.