mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
STRENGTHENING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Raja Krishnamoorthi (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-6-22

the balance of my time. prgtoken I would like to thank my staff and committee staff for all their work on this bill. I especially want to thank Alex Payne, the lead committee staffer on career and technical education from our side, who, unfortunately, couldn't be here with us today, due to the death of his father. I want to thank Congressman Thompson for his incredible leadership on this bill for all these years. prgtoken I also want to say that the main purpose of this bill is to coordinate what is taught in CTE classes with workforce demands. H.R. 2353 requires State plans to show how CTE curricula aligns with in- demand careers. School districts must consult business leaders, educators, parents, community leaders, representatives of special populations, and others to determine the most promising career fields. This bipartisan bill gives everyone a seat at the table and makes sure no one is left behind. prgtoken I also want to thank Chairwoman Foxx and Ranking Member Scott for their incredible leadership on this bill. prgtoken I want to take note of the fact that this is a bipartisan bill, at a time when bipartisanship is so needed in this town. I urge the Senate to take up our bill, and I urge a ``yes'' vote. prgtoken , .
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Calendar)
Tom Udall (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2017-6-22

. Thank you, , and thank you for the recognition. prgtoken All across my home State of New Mexico, thousands of hard-working people owe their healthcare and in some cases their lives to the Affordable Care Act. Since early January, I have received over 10,000 letters, emails, and calls from New Mexicans pleading with me to help save their access to healthcare. Over 96 percent of my constituents who have contacted me about healthcare oppose Care. prgtoken Let me say that again because I think it is a very important number. Over 96 percent of New Mexicans who have contacted me about healthcare over the past 6 months are opposed to Care, and they are opposed to the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken The Care bill is a disgrace and a disaster. It is a disgrace that Senate s are trying to force an extremely unpopular bill on the country in 1 week, and they are doing this even though this bill affects one-sixth of our economy and even though it would cost hundreds of thousands of people in New Mexico and millions of Americans to lose access to healthcare, prescription drugs, drug addiction counseling, and other lifesaving services. prgtoken The plan raids Medicaid, it strips away protections that prevent insurance companies from canceling your policy for getting sick, and it reduces the services your insurer has to provide. It does all this to pay for massive tax cuts for the wealthy. prgtoken This bill is a disaster because it would be devastating for older New Mexicans, families who are struggling to make ends meet, women, people with preexisting conditions, and New Mexicans in rural areas. prgtoken Our rural areas would be particularly hard hit. In some cases, it would do very severe damage to healthcare in rural areas. Hospital administrators in rural counties like Guadalupe County and Socorro County in my home State have told me that losing Medicaid reimbursements could break their budgets, and that could force the small, rural hospitals to limit services or even to close. You know, the last thing you want to have happen in a small, rural community is to have the hospital close. We all know what happens after that: The hospital closes, and then a diminution in services takes place, and it is very hard for communities to stay alive in that situation. prgtoken It is no wonder the American people don't want this bill. They don't want Care. prgtoken I suppose it is no surprise that the s have kept it hidden--without letting anyone see it. I want to talk about that for a moment. That is not just a talking point for . If this bill passes and becomes law, many people will suffer, and it has been kept a total secret. prgtoken I wish I could read on the Senate floor every story I have gotten from my constituents who are concerned. If I could, I could hold the record for the longest floor speech. I have shared several in the past, but toda
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2842, ACCELERATING INDIVIDUALS INTO THE WORKFORCE ACT, AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO SUSPEND THE RULES
Peter A. DeFazio (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-6-22

. And according to the National Utility Contractors Association, every billion dollars invested in our Nation's water infrastructure creates or sustains 27,000 real jobs in the private sector. That means that the $20 billion in Federal investment in the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, including H.R. 2510, would create or sustain approximately 540,000 jobs. prgtoken This is real. It is real. Real jobs for real people and real improvements in the infrastructure of this country. This would be a great step forward, and I urge that my colleagues adopt the amendment.
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Calendar)
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-6-22

I rise today to talk about the healthcare bill that is currently pending before us. Now that I have had a chance to look at it a little bit, I can see why there has been a lot of secrecy surrounding this process. prgtoken Before talking about how I think this bill would hurt Virginians, let me talk about the process itself and how flawed I think it is. But the good news is that it is a process that can be fixed. prgtoken This morning, when the bill was first described on the floor, I was interested when my friend the senior Senator from Texas, the majority whip, said we were doing it this way, through a budget reconciliation process, because didn't want to work together. I took offense at that comment. prgtoken As the Presiding Officer knows, I am a member with him on the committee. I was just added to the committee in January. I have been in the Senate for 4 years. I have had great committees, but this is the committee I always wanted to be on because, as a former mayor and Governor, the two biggest line items in the budget I have had to deal with have been education and health. So, finally, I am on the committee I most want to be on. prgtoken I believe this session of the Senate started on January 3. That was my first day on the committee. I have a letter I wrote on January 5. I had been a committee member for 2 days, and I wrote a letter to my chairman, whom I hold in the highest regard, Senator Alexander; the Senate majority leader, Senator McConnell; and the chairman of the Finance Committee, Senator Hatch, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid and Medicare issues. I wrote a letter on January 5, and I got 13 , including me, to sign this letter. prgtoken The gist of the letter is this: We would like to work with you. We would like to work with you to find solutions that would improve our healthcare system, whether that be within the Affordable Care Act or, more broadly, Medicare, Medicaid, and Medicare Part D. We want to work together. prgtoken That was on January 5, 2 days after I had been added to the committee. As a member of the committee, I have been given no opportunity--not one--to work on this bill. prgtoken The committee we serve on works productively. We work productively on pharmaceutical issues. We work productively on educational issues. In the committee the Presiding Officer and I serve on, we have passed legislation through our committee and sent it to the floor. Some of the legislation we have sent has already gone off the floor to the House. This is a committee that has a great bipartisan track record, and I am convinced that bipartisan track record is going to continue. But there has been one topic which has been taboo, and that has been to allow meaningful bipartisan discussion about this healthcare bill. prgtoken When the House bill passed--now a number of weeks ago--it was our expectation that we would have hearings in the HELP Committee and in the Financ
STRENGTHENING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Suzanne Bonamici (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-6-22

the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act is an important step in educating students and preparing them for the workforce. It increases opportunities for historically underserved students. It strengthens alignment between CTE programs and stakeholders. It includes the amendment I worked on with Representative Stefanik to encourage CTE programs to integrate arts and design skills. prgtoken This bill will support more programs that respond to local workforce demands and teach advanced skills and creative thinking, like the one I just visited at Portland Community College. Employers, including Intel, support the school's new STEAM Lab, prgtoken where students are pursuing certificates and degrees in fields like microelectronics technology. prgtoken The Federal Government does have an important enforcement role, and I am disappointed that the bill weakens the Department of Education's ability to hold States accountable for improving low-quality CTE programs. But despite that concern, this bill is worthy of support. prgtoken I thank Chairwoman Foxx, Ranking Member Scott, Representative Thompson, and Representative Krishnamoorthi for their bipartisan work, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Session)
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-6-22

first I want to thank Senator Markey for his comments. I share his concerns. I agree with what he has said about the risk factors of the bill that was announced this morning by the leader and what it could do to millions of people around this country and what it will do to coverage for hundreds of thousands of people in my State of Maryland who will lose coverage and just about every Marylander whose healthcare will be impacted if this bill were to become law. prgtoken I want to start by saying that I think this is a shameful moment for the Senate--the Senate, whose traditions have made it be known as the most deliberative body in the world; the Senate, which has been known as a body that prgtoken allows for robust debate and benefits from the views of all 100 Members, where each of us has opportunities to get our voices heard. That tradition has been badly damaged by what the majority leader has done in bringing a bill that affects one-sixth of the economy of our country to the floor of the Senate without the deliberation by our committees and without transparency to the American people. prgtoken When I got to the Senate, I worked hard to get on the Senate Finance Committee. I did that because the jurisdiction of the Senate Finance Committee contains areas that I have devoted a good part of my public career to, including issues of taxation and issues concerning social programs in our State. But it also included healthcare, an area that I worked on when I was first in the Maryland State legislature. I wanted to be on the committee that had a role in developing the health policy of this Nation. I thought I could add to that debate with my experience, and I wanted to make sure that the people of Maryland had a voice as we developed healthcare policy in America. prgtoken That role is being denied by what the leader is doing in bringing this bill to the floor without the benefit of hearings. Let me just repeat that. There has not been one hearing held on the legislation being brought forward by the majority leader. There hasn't been one committee markup of the bill. prgtoken Now, let me explain to the general public what a markup is. It is when the committees that have expertise on a bill--in this case, it would be the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the Senate Finance Committee--have had a chance to bring the public in to get their views on the legislation, have had the committee staff go through it and explain all of the aspects to the members of the committee, with an opportunity for us to offer amendments to improve the bill, and then, ultimately, taking a vote on the recommendation to the full Senate. That is the regular order, but it is particularly the regular order on complex pieces of legislation. prgtoken I don't think there is a Member of this body who would say that this is not a complex field when we are dealing with healthcare--one-si
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2842, ACCELERATING INDIVIDUALS INTO THE WORKFORCE ACT, AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO SUSPEND THE RULES
Suzan K. DelBene (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-6-22

I rise to express my support for the underlying legislation, which includes my amendment expanding apprenticeships for American workers. prgtoken I would like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for supporting this important effort in the Ways and Means Committee, and I look forward to its passage. prgtoken We can all agree that helping people find long-term employment in a high-demand industry is one of the best ways to ensure that everyone has economic security. But technological advancements like automation and artificial intelligence are dramatically shifting the way our economy works, and these changes are only going to accelerate. prgtoken We cannot allow American workers to be left behind. Congress needs to be forward looking, not reactive, in crafting policies that help workers who are displaced from the workforce. I believe that means we need a national prgtoken commitment to addressing the skills gap and mitigating disruption in an evolving 21st century economy. prgtoken Apprenticeships and on-the-job training are an important part of that equation. Apprenticeships can be an incredible opportunity for businesses and workers alike. prgtoken They allow employers to build a pipeline of qualified workers while equipping job seekers with the specific skills they need to find and keep good-paying jobs. prgtoken Oftentimes, they provide skills that are portable and meaningful anywhere in the country, giving workers more freedom to transfer between companies and industries. prgtoken In my home State of Washington, investments and apprenticeships have been shown to give a higher return on investment than any other job training program, returning $23 for each dollar that is invested. prgtoken It is important to remember these investments not only have an incredible impact on our economy but also on people's lives by helping them become more self-sufficient through specialized training and increased earning potential. prgtoken I appreciate my colleague's bipartisan support for this amendment, and I urge its passage in the underlying legislation.
STRENGTHENING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Jared Polis (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2017-6-22

I rise in support of H.R. 2353, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act. prgtoken I recently had the opportunity to visit our new Pathways in Technology Early College, or P-TECH, program at Skyline High School in Colorado. prgtoken P-TECH is a partnership between the St. Vrain Valley School District, Front Range Community College, and IBM. It allows students to earn a high school diploma and an associate's degree in 5 or 6 years through dual enrollment. prgtoken I spoke with a number of students participating in P-TECH and they shared with me how the program equips them with the skills they need to get a well-paying, reliable job after graduation. That is exactly the kind of innovation Congress should be supporting, and I am proud that the Perkins reauthorization bill does just that. prgtoken I urge this bill's final passage in the House, and I call on my colleagues in the Senate to take up this bipartisan legislation as soon as possible so more students can enjoy the kinds of opportunities that the students at the P-TECH High School and St. Vrain Valley School District do.
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Session)
Maria Cantwell (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-6-22

from Maryland for articulating the issues in this discussion draft that has been released this morning. prgtoken As I hear him talk about these complex kids, how the cap is going to work, and when people are going to be affected, it reminds me of the book, ``The Smartest Guys in the Room.'' Right? Basically, people cook up schemes they think other people can't understand or the broader public will not catch on to in the hopes they can pass something. That is exactly what is going on here, a hoax and a scheme that is not cost- effective for the American taxpayer and will literally cut people off of access to healthcare, and literally, if the House bill was mean, this is doubling down on mean. prgtoken So from Maryland for articulating the complex kids issue because these are concepts. If this is a discussion draft, I would hope my colleagues would come to the floor and discuss it-- discuss the concepts that are in this bill and debate them, but that is not what is happening. In fact, we know very little detail at this point in time because people are assessing the information and trying to read and assess in between the lines. prgtoken I can state what I know and have gleaned so far by the accounts, and that this is a continuation on the war on Medicaid. I say that because with regard to this war on Medicaid, we didn't know where the Senate would go in their proposal. We know what the House decided to do. The premise and structure of the House bill is to cut Medicaid by capping it and continually driving down the amount of Federal obligation to this program. prgtoken I will tell you, it is not even a smart idea. If you want to reform and deliver prgtoken better healthcare at a lower cost, there are many ways to do that and save dollars and give better patient care, but that is not what the House proposal is. It was a budget mechanism. I am not just saying that. I am talking to my healthcare providers at home, I am talking to university professors, people who know and understand healthcare and have studied it for a long time. What the House did and now the Senate is doubling down on is nothing but a budget mechanism to cut people off of healthcare--as my colleague said, the most vulnerable of our population. prgtoken It is a wrong-headed idea. It is not going to help us control costs. Medicaid reduces bankruptcy rates, helps people stay employed, and boosts our GDP. Why would we want a draconian idea like cutting Medicaid as the centerpiece of a budget proposal by our colleagues on the other side of the aisle? As people have said, because they want to take that revenue and give it away in tax breaks for the wealthy. I guarantee you that is not what we should be doing. prgtoken The access to Medicaid is so important. Our veterans access the healthcare system through Medicaid. Many of them receive care through the VA, but also they receive services through M
STRENGTHENING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Joe Courtney (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-6-22

I rise in strong support on reauthorizing the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, which really should be just called the JOBS Act. As we have heard from Members all across the country, Members are hearing the same thing from their employer community, which is jobs exist, but skills don't. prgtoken What this bill does is it connects people to that job market in response to the fact that the 21st century market is dynamic and changing, and this bill really gets it in terms of getting to that point. prgtoken In May, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that there are 5.9 million job openings in the U.S. economy; a record high since they even started collecting that data. So our job as Members of Congress is to update the law and update these programs to align prgtoken it with the Workforce Investment Act, which was passed in 2014, and the Every Student Succeeds Act, which was passed again in the last Congress. prgtoken This will be the final piece of the puzzle, which will, again, make sure that millions of Americans will have the opportunity to have good- paying jobs that they can support themselves and their families. In sector after sector, whether it is IT, whether it is healthcare, whether it is advanced manufacturing, all are going to benefit from this measure. prgtoken , I congratulate both of the sponsors for their great work on this, and I urge all Members to support it.
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Session)
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-6-22

last week, President reportedly told several of our colleagues that the House-passed version of Care's healthcare repeal of the Affordable Care Act was mean. This week, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that the President would like to see a healthcare bill from the Senate that ``has heart in it.'' What did we get? We got a bill from my Senate colleagues that is identical to and in some cases even worse than the disastrous House-passed American Health Care Act that would rip coverage away from 23 million Americans and gut Medicaid by more than $800 billion. prgtoken Nothing changes the fact that this undemocratic, secretive process has resulted in legislation that is so mean-spirited, it would make the Wicked Witch of the West cringe. The Senate bill will rip away economic security from young families, make grandma and grandpa pay more for health insurance simply because they are old, tear away coverage for opioid addiction patients desperate for treatment, and punish Americans with preexisting conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. For once, I agree with President . This bill is mean. prgtoken Let's take a closer look about what is really inside of the Senate GOP's proposal on healthcare. Let's start by looking at the lower quality coverage. First, this bill will roll back the clock to the days before the Affordable Care Act, when an insurance card did not guarantee comprehensive coverage. prgtoken Because of the Affordable Care Act, there are certain things an insurance plan just has to cover--things like emergency services, maternity care, prescription drugs, mental health services. There is security in knowing that if you pay your premiums, this sort of basic minimum coverage is in place when you need it. But s want to rip that away. They want to give States and insurance companies the option to not cover these things. This would make it so that a consumer could easily be faced with an unexpected medical bill for services they had assumed were covered with their healthcare plan. prgtoken Independent analysis from the Congressional Budget Office estimates that out-of-pocket costs for maternity care or mental health or substance abuse disorder services could increase by thousands of dollars in a given year under Care. That is not increasing quality, as President promised; that is lower quality. And that just increases inequality between the healthy wealthy, who can pay out of pocket for their care, and providing lower quality coverage for everyone else. That is mean. prgtoken Second, an age tax. Since the Affordable Care Act became law, the uninsured rate for Americans ages 50 to 64 decreased by one-half. Those are the baby boomers, and it is estimated that more than 28 million of these baby boomers will develop Alzheimer's disease between now and the year 2050. This reduction in the uninsured r
REPUBLICAN HEALTHCARE BILL IS A REPULSIVE SCAM
Brian Higgins (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-6-22

the Senate bill that was unveiled this morning, much like the House healthcare bill, is a repulsive scam perpetrated against the American people. prgtoken On page 30 of the bill, section 120, under Executive Compensation Tax Cut, UnitedHealthcare will get a tax cut, under this bill, representing $15.5 million. If that is not egregious enough, the fact is that UnitedHealthcare is under investigation today by the United States Department of Justice for defrauding the Medicare program of billions of dollars over the last 7 years. prgtoken This should be rejected today and, decisively, by all decent Members of this Congress who believe there is a moral responsibility to ensure that the legislation passed here is fair and just.