mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
USA FREEDOM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2020
Warren Davidson (Republican, OH) \u2014 2020-3-11

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken Madam , I rise to caution my colleagues about this false dilemma of security versus freedom and about supporting and defending our Constitution against all enemies foreign or domestic by abridging the rights and freedoms protected by our Constitution. prgtoken I want to applaud, frankly, the behind-the-scenes folks on the committees who worked hard to make this bill better than the status quo. Many of my colleagues will look at this, and, frankly, that has been the argument by the ranking member and the chairman that this bill really isn't that good of a bill, that it is really not what we should do, but it is better than the status quo. prgtoken Too often that is what happens here. I think that might leave people with the false perception that we couldn't do better. But the reality is there is bipartisan agreement and bicameral agreement on the Safeguarding Americans' Private Records Act. prgtoken The bill that the committee was going to move forward with was pulled. The committee process didn't take place because there was a bipartisan coalition of conservatives and progressives who had a plan to amend the bill. It may, in fact, have been a completely different bill. prgtoken We also didn't take it through committee. We also didn't allow any amendments, so numerous good amendments weren't even able to be considered, amendments like the confess your transgressions amendment that would say that, of all these agencies that report, the Director of National Intelligence would say: What has been done to discipline people who access these records in violation of statute? prgtoken My colleague, Mr. Biggs, highlighted the real problem. There is one standard for everyday Americans and a different one for the powerful and connected. Our Justice Department needs to hold someone accountable. Whether it is in my district, in a district, or one of my colleagues' districts, in a ic district, we get the same question: When is someone going to jail? prgtoken We need to know that the law is being followed, that Lady Justice does have a blindfold on, and that there is one standard. This falls far short of that, and it is not the standard that should be used against American citizens; therefore, it is not the standard that should be used to secure our country.
PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2020-3-11

I am going to speak about the drug affordability act, what people in Washington call the Grassley-Wyden bill. prgtoken I am renaming that bill. I am going to rename that bill to what I call the ``Making Coronavirus Medicines Affordable Act,'' and I want to address drug affordability from the perspective of coronavirus and address it from the perspective of a physician. prgtoken First, people ask: How is this different than regular flu? Ten thousand people die a year from flu. Why is this so different from that? prgtoken Well, again, as a physician, let me speak to that. Each of us, however old we are, have been exposed to flu, either by the flu vaccine or a flu infection, as many years as we have been alive. So when someone is exposed to the flu, they have a whole kind of armamentarium of antibodies. When the flu virus comes into your body, those antibodies mobilize, and it is not an exact fit to block the effects of the flu virus, but it is a pretty good fit. So for an infection which otherwise might cause problems, the effect is blunted and the symptoms are either absent or minimized. prgtoken As it turns out, the flu virus kills the very young, who have never before been exposed to the flu virus before, or the very old, whose immune systems are no longer working as well. Even though they have been previously exposed, their body is more vulnerable. prgtoken Now, as for coronavirus, nobody's body has ever seen that before. For everyone, this is a brand-new infection, and there is not a library book of immunologic responses that enable us to fight back against this virus. For all of us, if you will, it is a sucker punch to our health. We turn around, and, boom, it hits us. prgtoken Now, in terms of who it can kill, again, it seems to cause problems in newborns--the very young--but it also causes problems not just in the very old but in the older but not so very old. prgtoken In China we have learned that if someone is over 50 and they have an underlying medical condition, they are at increased risk. If you are over 60, you are at even more risk. So unlike influenza, where typically the person who dies would be 75 or 85 and in a nursing home, in terms of coronavirus, it might be somebody with high blood pressure or diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or a lung disease, who is otherwise living life, walking around the streets. They get hit with this virus, and, all of a sudden, they have a problem. prgtoken Now, we are going to find a cure. Sooner or later, we will come up with medicines that help somebody who is infected get well. The question is, Will those medicines be available to you? That is what we need to be concerned about. prgtoken So what does it mean? Well, first there have been reports that both because of the infection raging through China and a decision by India, it is possible that some of these drugs will not be available. prgtoken In China, they make the raw ingredients that are shipped
PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2020-3-11

as most of my colleagues know, I hold a meeting in each of Iowa's 99 counties every year for Q&A with my constituents. Over the last couple of years, without fail, Iowans have brought up the skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs. People all over my State, including farmers, factory workers, and especially senior citizens, have raised the concern that pharmacy bills have been ballooning. prgtoken I will say, Iowans are always interested in hearing about solutions, and they are looking for solutions on this issue from Congress, but not a single one of these people who bring this issue up cares about the partisan politics of the issue. Iowans just want Congress to act. This is my 40th year of taking questions in our 99 counties--although, as of now, only 14. Rarely have I heard so much unanimity when it comes to this issue, but on prescription drug prices, it is unanimous. s, , and Independents alike all want us to take action, and the data, both polling and otherwise, bears out our constituents' concerns. prgtoken As I highlighted last week, right here in this position on the Senate floor, a new study shows that pharmaceutical prices have increased 3\1/ 2\ times the rate of inflation in recent years. People are paying more than double what they paid in the year 2007 for drugs treating conditions from MS to diabetes and everything in between. The lack of transparency and the enormous subsidy incentives are driving these price hikes--perverse incentives that we have in law. If they were not intended to be perverse, they are incentives people have found out how to benefit from. prgtoken This is because the government's spigot is all the way open for the big pharmaceutical companies or--how we say it around here--Big Pharma. Of course, when this happens, taxpayers get ripped off. It happens because we pay a lot of money--I think about $138 billion--for Medicare and Medicaid. We pay at least that much. So, when you have 5- to 10- percent increases on January 1, you can see willy-nilly, on the judgment of Big Pharma, that taxpayers are paying a heck of a lot more. prgtoken I know all of my colleagues want to do something about this, and I know the administration wants to do something about it. In fact, let me say to the administration that I have been involved in this as the chairman of this committee since just a year ago January. The administration has given a major speech, and the Secretary of HHS has taken major action going way back to June of 2018. So we all know that our colleagues and our administration know that something needs to be done. prgtoken We are fortunate that, just yesterday, the White House published five principles that the administration can get behind for reducing prescription drug costs. Our legislation in the Senate fits the bill, or the principles, that were laid out in that op-ed piece. The Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act is the name of our leg
PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2020-3-11

first, I express my appreciation to the chairman of the Committee on Finance, Senator Grassley, not only for his leadership but also for his persistence on an issue that affects so many Americans, and that is the soaring price of prescription drugs. prgtoken Three committees--the Committee on Finance, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and the Committee on the Judiciary-- have all advanced bipartisan legislation to reform our broken drug pricing system. prgtoken The Aging Committee, which I chair, has held eight drug pricing hearings which have highlighted the burden of soaring prices and the manipulation of the market by individuals like the infamous Martin Shkreli. It is now past time for us to move forward to the Senate floor to debate these bills that have prgtoken bipartisan support and that have garnered the approval of three major committees. prgtoken The Finance bill, which Senator Grassley has crafted with Senator Wyden and others and of which I am proud to be a cosponsor, makes crucial improvements to Medicare Part D, such as protecting seniors with an out-of-pocket spending cap as well as including cost control measures, such as an inflationary cap to limit pharmaceutical price hikes. prgtoken In one of the hearings that the Aging Committee held, it heard testimony that was heartbreaking from a former teacher with multiple myeloma who had to refinance her home in order to cover the cost of her $250,000 cancer medication. We heard example after example. prgtoken I will never forget my standing in the pharmacy line in Bangor, ME, where I live, and ahead of me was a couple who had just been told that the couple's copay was $111. prgtoken The husband turned to his wife and said: Honey, we just can't afford that. prgtoken They walked away--away from the medication that one of them needed. prgtoken I asked the pharmacist: How often does this happen? prgtoken He told me that it happens every day. prgtoken We have to take action. That experience led me to author legislation that became law that prohibited gag clauses that were preventing pharmacists from advising their patients, their customers, on whether or not there was a less expensive way to purchase their prescription drugs. I am proud to say that this legislation is now law, but there is much more that we need to do. prgtoken The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, on which I serve, has incorporated more than 14 measures to increase price competition in its legislation on lowering healthcare costs. I know the Presiding Officer is a member of that committee as well. I am pleased to say that the bill includes major portions of the Biologic Patent Transparency Act, which is a bill that I authored with Senator Tim Kaine. It is intended to prevent drug manufacturers from gaming the patent system. prgtoken Now, patents are very important. They help to spur innovation, and that period of exclusivity encourages drug
PUTTING ECONOMIC REPORTS IN CONTEXT
David Schweikert (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2020-3-11

. Madam , we try to come here every week to do sort of a combination of economic reports and what we believe is a solution to long-term debt. prgtoken Often, we sort of get a little, shall we say, technical, if not a bit geeky. But, tonight, I am going to try to do a little bit of that but also try to put it in context to where I think we are. prgtoken We in the Joint Economic Committee, and also even some of the staff from the Ways and Means Committee--and bless their souls for tolerating my questions. They have been very helpful, but there is still a lot of things we don't know. But I want to start off with encouragement. prgtoken About 20 minutes ago, I got off the phone with my father. My father is in his mid-eighties, still doing pretty darn well but still has some health issues. prgtoken How do you turn to a family member like that--he is blessed to live in Scottsdale, Arizona, which is just a beautiful, beautiful place--and say, ``Father, for the next few weeks, you may want to not go to the different activities,'' which I know he loves, the art shows, the art walks, and all of these other things that are activities in our community. prgtoken For the next few weeks, because of the things we are learning about the coronavirus, the populations that appear to be most at risk are those with a series of health issues. Do you have heart issues? Do you have diabetes? Do you have lung issues? Particularly, are you in your seventies or, in my father's case, mid-eighties? prgtoken Sort of the moral outreach I am going to ask everyone to think about is my call to him: ``Hey, we have family in the neighborhood. If we can convince you to maybe spend a little bit more time around the house and avoid crowds and some of your activities, we will be happy to make sure food and things are dropped off at the house. If you need your pharmaceuticals picked up, we will be happy to go out and do that. We will try to be good family and be supportive.'' prgtoken Why don't we take that same concept, as both and s, and say to the VFW, the Legion, my Knights of Columbus club, or some of the other things in our community: Are you reaching out to the seniors in your community? prgtoken Are you reaching out to those who may have certain health issues? prgtoken If they are making the decision to follow what our county and State health departments are suggesting, what the CDC, HHS, and the others are suggesting, that, if you are in those more statistically vulnerable populations, you are going to stay home, avoid the crowds, those things, at least for a few weeks, what do we as a community do? What do those organizations do to reach out to their friends and their members and let them know they are loved and let them know we care, but also provide a little bit of that human contact, even if it is through the phone, even if it is through FaceTime. prgtoken We were having the conversation of putting my little daughter a li
TRUMP KEEPING AMERICANS SAFE
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2020-3-11

. Madam , I am grateful to President for focusing on the safety and health of American families since the beginning of his administration. Not only did President immediately take action to address the coronavirus with a travel ban, he has increased funding for important disease research and preparedness efforts since he first took office. prgtoken President has focused on a whole-of-government approach in combating the coronavirus by ensuring State, local, public, and private officials are prepared to keep families safe. He has made the swift decision to appoint Vice President head of the Coronavirus Task Force, who is skilled as a voice for this important service. prgtoken Since President was elected, his administration has increased funding to the National Institutes of Health by 39 percent, the Centers for Disease Control by 24 percent, balanced biomedical research by 35 percent, Strategic National Stockpile by 32 percent, and infectious disease response by 70 percent. This administration is committed to keeping families safe while preparing our country for disease outbreaks. prgtoken In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.
RECOGNIZING K-9 VETERANS DAY
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2020-3-11

I rise today to recognize March as National Red Cross Month. prgtoken This tradition began in 1943 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the proclamation to designate the month of March to celebrate Red Cross volunteers, donors, and instructors. prgtoken The history of the Red Cross, however, goes back even further into American history. In 1881, Clara Barton established the organization right here in Washington, D.C to better serve people in need. On June 5, 1889, Clara Barton and five volunteers came to Johnstown to respond to the Johnstown Flood. prgtoken For more than 100 years, the American Red Cross has worked to support those in need, whether they are men and women in uniform or victims of natural disaster. prgtoken Perhaps the organization's best-known program, the American Red Cross established the first nationwide civilian blood donation program in the 1940s. prgtoken According to the organization, someone in the United States needs blood every 2 seconds. There are regular blood donation drives right here on Capitol Hill, where we can all volunteer to donate blood that has the potential to save a life. prgtoken Less than 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to give blood, and only 3 percent of those individuals donate annually. prgtoken The critical need for blood and the lifesaving potential that comes from a donation cannot be overstated. prgtoken The American Red Cross has always been a leader in this effort, and today, they still provide more than 40 percent of the blood products in the United States. prgtoken The success of the Red Cross relies on the generosity of the American spirit. prgtoken This month and all year long, I am thankful for their service to our Nation.
CENTENNIAL OF THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA GREATER WYOMING COUNCIL
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2020-3-11

I rise today in celebration of 100 years of Scouting in Wyoming. prgtoken On Saturday, March 21, 2020, the Boy Scouts of America Greater Wyoming Council will host their annual Silver Beaver and Eagle Scout Recognition Luncheon in Casper. This year holds a special significance as they will celebrate their 100th anniversary at this event. prgtoken The Boy Scouts of America incorporated on February 8, 1910. Scouting came to Casper with the creation of the Casper Council in 1917. The council continued to expand, changing its name to the Casper Area Council in 1925, Central Wyoming Council in 1931, and finally the Greater Wyoming Council in 2016. The Boy Scouts of America's mission is ``to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.'' The council remains true to this mission and to their purpose to educate youth, age 5 to 21, to build character, develop personal fitness, and to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship. prgtoken In Wyoming, the Greater Wyoming Council upholds the mission and purpose of the Boy Scouts through service to 11 counties and 3,000 youth across our State. The organization enjoys tremendous community support with 1,400 volunteers and 150 community partners. This consistent and broad involvement demonstrates what a valuable benefit the council provides to the youth and people of Wyoming. prgtoken The council provides a variety of events and opportunities for Scouts, families, and communities in Wyoming. These events include their annual Strength of America Banquet, the annual Camp Buffalo Bill Summer Camp in Cody, fishing tournaments, and family camping trips. They work hard to provide many opportunities for Scouts to participate in fellowships, trainings, basecamps, and much more, to help members be, as the Scouts say, ``Prepared for life.'' prgtoken Brad Bodoh, the Scout executive for the council, has a strong background in serving the Scouts of America. We are fortunate to have his leadership. Before Brad made Wyoming home, he worked for the Boy Scouts of America in Iowa and Ohio. The knowledge and experience Brad brings to the Greater Wyoming Council allow the Scouts to flourish and expand their skills. Senior district executives Frank Solla and Andrew Allgeier, in addition to the council office staff, are instrumental in growing and supporting the organization's participation throughout the state. prgtoken In Wyoming, we live by the Code of the West. One of the principles of the Code is ``to take pride in your work.'' The council's volunteers and families embody this principle. They make it possible for Scouts to advance through the program all the way through the rank of Eagle Scout. They see their work rewarded every time a Cub Scout earns a new badge and an Eagle Scout completes their project. The support for this organization is truly exceptional, and Wyoming
RECOGNIZING RICHARD ``DICKIE'' LAMAR CREW
Trent Kelly (Republican, MS) \u2014 2020-3-11

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate the life of Richard ``Dickie'' Lamar Crew, who passed away on Friday, March 6th, at the age of 81. Dickie was born on May 5th, 1938, in Crews, Alabama. He was a beloved member of his community in Pontotoc, Mississippi, and was known for his kindness. Left to cherish his memory is his wife of 64 years, Shelia Simmons Crew; his children, Tabby Vaughn, Kerry Crew, and Richie Crew; his grandchildren, Codi Crew, Bryer Vaughn, Max Crew, Kenny Houpt, and Kassidy Houpt, as well as many friends and extended family members. Dickie's life was one of service, grace, and love for his family and community. He will be greatly missed by all whom he encountered.
GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2020-3-11

today there is a discussion about transparency. I am going to talk about one that is maybe going to surprise some people, but it is about the lack of transparency and about $150 billion a year that is taxpayer money that is put into research and development. It is money that we, as taxpayers, pay to places like the National Institutes of Health. The National Institutes of Health does great research. So the Federal dollars go in there to try to develop cures--as an example, for diseases, but also for other healthcare research. There is the National Science Foundation, which does a lot of research on technology and research, and the Department of Energy, which does a lot of the basic research on science in our country. So I am going to focus on that funding today and a specific problem we have right now. It is about ensuring the government remains accountable to taxpayers. It is about ensuring that hard-working American taxpayers know where their money is going, and it is about a specific issue of that money going to research that is then taken by other countries, particularly by China, and the need for us to address that issue, in part, through transparency and, in part, through actually some new criminal statutes to be able to ensure that there is accountability. prgtoken Last fall, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations did a study. It was about a yearlong study. We looked at this issue of China's talent recruitment programs and, more broadly, other countries, but, specifically, what China has been doing to find researchers over here in the United States whom they think are doing interesting work and recruiting those people to be able to provide that research and sometimes to have the person actually go to China to provide that research. prgtoken The issue we focused on in our report was this theft of intellectual property at research institutions and at our colleges and universities. It was a shocking report. We issued it late last year. It showed, as you probably know now from some of the press accounts that have arisen since then, that, in fact, China was recruiting individuals who were giving up their research that was taxpayer funded. prgtoken China has made no secret of its goal to surpass the United States to be the world leader in scientific research, but that doesn't mean they should use our research institutions here in America, paid for by us, to accomplish that goal. These talent recruitment programs--most notably, the Thousand Talents Program--recruits researchers at American universities and American research institutions to do the same research, usually at shadow labs in China, in order to just transfer taxpayer-funded research back to China. prgtoken This is an issue that has been going on for two decades, we found out, and prgtoken really kind of right under the nose of the FBI and others. The FBI testified at our hearing and said they readily acknowledge that they we