mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
VETERANS EQUAL TREATMENT ENSURES RELIEF AND ACCESS NOW ACT
Richard E. Neal (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-6-15

. such time as I may consume. prgtoken , before I begin, I want to send my deepest thoughts and prayers to our colleague Whip Scalise, the Capitol Police officers, and the staff members that were injured in yesterday's shooting. prgtoken Although my colleagues and I have robust policy discussions, ultimately, we desire the same goals. Today is no different, and our institution is based on the respect and thoughtful debate that remain important pillars of our democracy. prgtoken , this discussion and debate that we are about to have here is an honest disagreement. There is no suggestion here that there is anybody on this side of the aisle that is any less enthusiastic or less sincere in their support of what it is that our veterans need and desire. This is an honest policy dispute. prgtoken And I must tell you, based on long service in this institution, this is an unusual manner in which to proceed. We are actually being asked today to amend a piece of legislation that a month ago left this institution. I have not been witness to this, I believe, in the past; and I hope that, as we go on for the next hour, we will have a chance to connect the dots for our colleagues about why this underlying bill is less than desirable. prgtoken Last month, the s brought Care to the House floor and every in this institution opposed it. This was the leadership's second attempt to pass the repeal, and it seems that their first attempt was not harmful enough to the American people. prgtoken The measure, as passed, takes health insurance from millions of Americans, raises premiums for working families, and places an age tax on older Americans. Middle class Americans would end up on the losing end, while millionaires would receive a handsome, nearly $1 trillion tax cut. prgtoken Perhaps most concerning is that Members voted in favor of this legislation without understanding its impact on the American people. There were no hearings on Care. Amendments were rushed to the floor without committee consideration, and the CBO score was not available at the time the House considered it. prgtoken CBO, based on nonpartisan career professionals, provides important context and independent advice for Members of Congress. It provides an opportunity for us to look at the long-term results and ramifications of policies we are considering. prgtoken Clearly, our friends don't care about the jarring consequences CBO foretold. The House has ignored certain procedures when considering these important measures. prgtoken First, since the repeal bill passed, the CBO confirmed that the measure would leave 23 million Americans without health insurance. It would cut Medicaid by $800 billion, discriminate against individuals with preexisting conditions, and drastically raise premiums for older Americans. prgtoken Earlier this week, the CMS actuary confirmed that out-of-pocket costs
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Session)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-6-15

I want to start my remarks on healthcare and what is ahead over the next couple of weeks in this way. prgtoken For almost 7 years before I got elected to the Congress, I was the director of the Oregon Gray Panthers, which is a senior citizens group, and I ran a legal aid office for the elderly. I made the judgment then that healthcare was and always would be the most important issue. I made that judgment because I have always felt that if you and your loved ones do not have their health, then pretty much everything else does not matter. prgtoken The Presiding Officer of the Senate, of course, is a skilled healthcare provider and knows a lot about these issues, and I am really going to use that as my reference point today in making the judgment that having quality, affordable healthcare for your families and yourselves is paramount to everything else. prgtoken My view is that the proposal being considered here in the Senate of cutting hundreds of billions of dollars in funds from the social safety net--the Medicaid Program, which is the lifeline for seniors and kids with special needs and for the disabled--is going to put at risk the health and well-being of millions of Americans if it is passed. prgtoken It is why I want to take some time to explain what it actually does so that people all across this country will be in a position to make their voices heard--to speak up, to do their part--so that when this debate comes to the floor of the U.S. Senate, as I believe it will in the next couple of weeks--and it moves very quickly--every Member of this body will have heard, loud and clear, what Americans think of this proposal, and I do not think that that assessment is going to be too kind. prgtoken Now, the House passed their version of Care by a razor's edge, and to put it in a pleasant way, over here, Senators looked at it and said: No way. No thanks. My colleagues in the Senate majority said: We are throwing this bill out, starting fresh, and we are going to do it right. So I am going to start with where that process got lost. prgtoken The majority convened a special working group made up of 13 Senators, all of them men, and it turns out, based on comments that have been reported, the Senate bill isn't going to be all that different from what the House was talking about. So s in the Senate are pretty much picking up where the House left off on Care, and the legislation that is being crafted stays hidden-- stays behind closed doors and in a position where, for example, if you are a on the Finance Committee, you don't even know what is in it. It is not going before committees. It will not be put forward for amendment in a markup. With barely any public notice, the bill will hit this floor for 28 hours of debate--that is that. prgtoken I will just briefly describe a session we had in the Finance Committee this week where there was discussion from the other sid
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-6-15

I thank the gentleman for his information. prgtoken , it is a time for us to be together, to be united as Americans, not as s or , Liberals or Conservatives, and I thank the majority leader for his leadership in that effort and in remembering Officers Griner and Bailey and Cabrera, and all of their colleagues in the Capitol Police, and with our prayers for Steve Scalise and the others who have been injured. I thank the majority leader, and .
REFLECTING ON YESTERDAY'S HORRIFIC INCIDENT
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-6-15

yesterday, I indicated to all those who would ask that it was a day of reflection and prayer, to give comfort to those who needed to have comfort, and to reassert over and over again that when tragedy strikes, we are family. prgtoken When tragedy strikes Americans from the East to the West Coast, to the North to the South, whether it be manmade or natural disasters, hurricanes or tornadoes, terrible floods that we have experienced in different regions of the country, mass shootings, the horrific loss of life of children in Connecticut, the tragic Sandy Hook story that will live forever, the Pulse Nightclub, Virginia Tech, Columbine, and places beyond, San Bernardino, that, in actuality, we recognize that we are, in fact, family. prgtoken So I think it is important to raise up those who are still in the hospital, and the staff member who was released, in prayer, and to be able to explain to the American people how precious our democracy is. prgtoken Before I do that, I do want to praise our Capitol Police, Officers Griner and Bailey, and I want to express my deepest prayers for Majority Whip Scalise, who is a neighbor. Those of us in the southern region, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and beyond, we are neighbors. We have that southern thing going on. Texas might argue a little bit that they have got a little western thing going on, but we are neighbors. prgtoken So many of our constituents travel back and forth between Louisiana and Texas--particularly, my city of Houston--and we welcome them. We wish our deepest prayers and a hardy and speedy recovery for Majority Whip Scalise, and we thank him for his service to the Nation. prgtoken We also recognize two that are wounded--a staff member and volunteer--who just came to be helpful. That prgtoken is the way we perform here. People who say: Send me. I will help you do this. You have got an event; I will come over and help. prgtoken That is the preciousness of this country and what is admired by people around the world. But I think it is also important to explain democracy. prgtoken Democracy generates great passions by Members of Congress, House, and Senate. If we went back over the ages and we were able to read the papers of those who were on this floor when we were a much smaller country, it was high and shrill because of their passion about democracy, because they wanted to put together a country that would respect people because they fled persecution, and they didn't want us to be a nation that would persecute. prgtoken So I think as we go forward, it is important to engage our constituents in the beauty of democracy and in the beauty of disagreement without being disagreeable and let them know that we welcome acting on their behalf. But violent acts or taking things into your own hands, let us calm our communities all over the Nation. Let us give them a sense of the beauty of our disagreement, because we have managed to keep this democracy sacred for so many y
HONORING DR. ALICE CHEN FOR HER ADVOCACY EFFORTS AND EXEMPLARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO PUBLIC HEALTH
Raul Ruiz (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-6-15

I rise today to congratulate and recognize the extraordinary contributions Dr. Alice Chen has made to the health and well-being of all Americans as Executive Director of Doctors for America. Throughout her career, she has been an exemplary physician, taking on her medical vocation with a sense of duty and strength of character that is needed to accomplish such a noble calling. prgtoken As a medical student at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, Dr. Chen volunteered for the American Red Cross and provided assistance to the director of the largest service center after September 11, 2001. Dr. Chen also shared her passion for medicine as the co-director of Big Buddies, a mentorship program that connected Cornell medical students with underserved youth. prgtoken Dr. Chen earned her M.D. in 2005 and completed her internal medicine residency at UCLA in 2008. She then joined the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA as an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor, and became the co-director of the Resident Elective in Malawi, Africa for the UCLA Department of Medicine and Program in Global Health. prgtoken In 2009, she joined Doctors for America, a coalition of physicians and medical students who have joined together to advocate for the improvement of our health care system. Her dedication and advocacy efforts for health reform led her to become the Executive Director from 2011 to 2017. Since then, Dr. Chen has strived to address gun violence prevention as a public health issue, advocate for affordable health coverage and prescription drugs, protect women's reproductive rights, and battle against racial disparities in access to health care. Today, I am elated to honor her stellar achievements, and I am honored to call her my friend. She is truly an inspiration. prgtoken , I am proud to recognize and honor Dr. Alice Chen. On behalf of California's 36th Congressional District, it is with deepest respect that I commend her for a remarkable career dedicated to health advocacy. I wish her and her husband Vivek all my best in the years to come.
COUNTERING IRAN'S DESTABILIZING ACTIVITIES ACT OF 2017
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-6-15

today is the fifth anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, known as DACA. DACA provides temporary legal status to immigrant students who arrived in the United States as children and infants, if they register with the government, pay a fee, and pass a criminal background check. prgtoken The program is based on the DREAM Act, a piece of legislation I introduced 16 years ago in 2001. That legislation gave undocumented students who grew up in this country a chance to earn a path to legal status and citizenship. These young people have come to be known as DREAMers. What used to be a word reserved for rock-and-roll groups is now a word that has become part of our common language to describe an immigration challenge and opportunity. prgtoken These DREAMers came to the United States as children. They are American in every way except for their legal immigration status. We have already invested a lot of money in these kids. We educated them. We made them part of this country, and it makes no sense to squander their talents by deporting them at this moment in their lives. prgtoken In April 2010, I sent a letter to President . Dick Lugar, the Senator from Indiana, joined me. On a bipartisan basis, we said to President : Stop deporting these young kids. They did nothing wrong. Their parents made the decision to come here. Give them a chance. The President responded. It is now clear the DACA Program he created by Executive order has been a great success. More than 780,000 DREAMers have come forward and received DACA protection and status that has allowed them to contribute more fully to this country as students, as teachers, as nurses, as engineers, as entrepreneurs. prgtoken A recent study by the Center for American Progress found that ending DACA--saying to these 780,000 young people they are no longer part of America--would cost us. It would cost our economy over $400 billion in gross domestic product over the next 10 years. These are productive citizens doing good things for America. I should take that back. They are not citizens yet. They are productive people doing good things for America whom I want to make citizens if the DREAM Act becomes law. prgtoken I have many differences with President on immigration. For example, the President's January 25 Executive order makes up to 8 million immigrants priorities for deportation, and seeks to create a deportation force by tripling the number of immigration agents. This ignores the reality that the vast majority of undocumented immigrants are law-abiding individuals who make important economic contributions to this country, and have deep roots in the United States. prgtoken I am grateful, and I say that publicly. I have said it before. I am grateful President has decided to keep the DACA Program in place. Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service Director n
VETERANS EQUAL TREATMENT ENSURES RELIEF AND ACCESS NOW ACT
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-6-15

I want to begin my remarks by offering my thoughts and prayers to Majority Whip Steve Scalise and his family, as well as Special Agents David Bailey and Crystal Griner, and the two other members of our community who were injured in yesterday's attack. prgtoken We are a family--from Members to staff, to the Capitol Police officers who keep us safe. Families have disagreements and arguments, but, in the end, we support each other. Ryan got it absolutely right yesterday: an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. prgtoken We owe it to the American people to hold a vigorous and public debate of our ideas, but we also owe it to them and to each other to do so without losing touch with our humanity. prgtoken With that in mind, , I rise in support of H.R. 2372, which would protect access to tax credits for up to 7 million veterans on the American Health Care Act. However, I am concerned by the process that led to this legislation. prgtoken In testimony to the Rules Committee and on the House floor, I described this loophole in the bill that jeopardizes access to tax credits for veterans who are eligible but not enrolled in the VA. prgtoken Repeatedly, supporters of the AHCA told me that veterans' tax credits would be protected by existing regulation. This bill is evidence that the loophole is an issue and that the existing regulation would no longer apply if the Affordable Care Act was repealed. prgtoken While I am glad we are making this fix, I am concerned that the rushed process for considering the AHCA led to the House passing disruptive healthcare legislation without fully understanding its impact on millions of Americans, especially our Nation's veterans. prgtoken The tax credit issue is relatively easy to solve, but there are more complicated issues for veterans under the AHCA that require more comprehensive solutions. prgtoken The $834 billion cut to Medicaid could impact nearly 2 million veterans. The potential for States to waive protections like essential health benefits could lead many veterans without health coverage for the invisible wounds of war. Indeed, military service could be construed as a preexisting condition. prgtoken As someone who repeatedly called out this veterans loophole, I feel compelled to support this fix, but my support is not an endorsement of the AHCA or its impact on veterans and their families.
Resolution of Disapproval (Executive Session)
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2017-6-15

I rise today to reiterate my support for the resolution of disapproval related to the sale of certain defense articles to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. While the resolution, unfortunately, did not pass the Senate in a recent vote, I believe its goals remain important. prgtoken The Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen is fueling a humanitarian disaster. Over 10,000 people have died, and over 3 million people have been displaced as the conflict has exacerbated poverty, famine, and disease. According to UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, a cholera outbreak in Yemen could quadruple to infect 300,000 people in the coming weeks. Half of the current cholera cases affect children, and the ongoing conflict leaves few hospitals to turn to and almost no medical supplies. prgtoken In addition to deaths related to famine and the outbreak of other diseases, we are seeing civilian casualties as a direct result of Saudi military action. Earlier this year at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, I asked General Votel, the commander of U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for the Middle East, to assess the cause of the large number of civilian casualties in Yemen. General Votel responded: ``I attribute those type situations more to the competence of the forces that are operating there, and their ability to properly target.'' prgtoken I am concerned that even with the precision munitions the United States prgtoken has sold to Saudi Arabia in the past, air strikes continue to hit civilian targets. The number of civilian injuries and deaths shows that there is simply not enough progress to reduce civilian casualties. prgtoken I could not in good conscience vote to support providing advanced precision munitions--bombs capable of hitting targets guided by laser targeting or GPS--to a campaign conducted by forces unable or unwilling to limit strikes to targets of military necessity. prgtoken Civilian casualties are a tragedy, and they threaten to make us less safe by radicalizing populations that otherwise would not be sympathetic to violent extremist groups like al-Qaida. It is critical that the U.S. military is certainly able to hunt down terrorists wherever they operate or wherever they seek haven. prgtoken The deployment of remotely piloted aircraft has allowed for persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, which is used to minimize the risk of civilian casualties. When the U.S. military carries out air strikes, we know our men and women in uniform are the best trained in the world and are informed by the best available intelligence. prgtoken Precision-guided munitions alone do not avoid preventable tragedies. It takes capable and fully trained personnel. This is what we must expect from our partners for the sake of innocent civilians caught in conflict zones and for our own national security. Failing to do so sets back the potential for a political solution. prgtoken We simply shoul
VETERANS EQUAL TREATMENT ENSURES RELIEF AND ACCESS NOW ACT
Ann M. Kuster (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2017-6-15

I rise to speak on H.R. 2372, the VETERAN Act. However, before I speak about this bill, I would like to take a moment to thank my colleagues, General Bergman and Dr. Wenstrup, both colleagues of ours on the very bipartisan Veterans' Affairs Committee, for their bravery on the ball field yesterday. prgtoken Yesterday was a harrowing day for my colleagues, and their courage under fire made this Congress and America proud. While Majority Whip Scalise is still in critical condition, our colleagues, who both served our country in uniform, gave Mr. Scalise a fighting chance. Please keep Mr. Scalise, Matt Mika, Zack Barth, and U.S. Capitol Police Officers Crystal Griner and David Bailey in your thoughts and prayers. prgtoken I rise before you today on the VETERAN Act to voice my concerns on the underlying bill it seeks to fix: the American Health Care Act. prgtoken My colleagues and I criticized the AHCA a few weeks ago because it did not give veterans access to, and choice for, affordable healthcare. I am very glad to be here today now that my colleagues have realized this error and are seeking to help veterans gain access to tax credits. prgtoken I renew my commitment to work in a bipartisan way to improve the healthcare system in America. Our goal should be a system that provides access to affordable healthcare to all Americans, including those who have served in uniform. prgtoken But no one should be under the illusion that the AHCA, with or without the VETERAN Act, will achieve these goals. The AHCA includes significant negative changes to Medicaid. This Congress and the American people should know that more than 2 million veterans rely upon Medicaid for their healthcare, and millions more spouses and children of veterans also rely on Medicaid. The AHCA would slash $834 billion in Medicaid coverage. prgtoken When 40 percent of working-age veterans have no other coverage, passing the AHCA will mean that these veterans and their families have no access to lifesaving healthcare. prgtoken As co-chair of the bipartisan task force combating the opioid epidemic, I urge my colleagues to consider that Medicaid provides vital mental health and substance abuse treatment for many of these veterans and their families that they will not receive otherwise. For our veterans seeking treatment for combat wounds, PTSD, MST, and other conditions, under the AHCA, military service to our country could be considered a preexisting condition resulting in a denial of care.