mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
IN RECOGNITION OF NORM ARCHIBALD
Jodey C. Arrington (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-5-4

I rise today to recognize and honor Norm Archibald, Mayor of the City of Abilene, Texas, ``The Key City.'' Norm is a native Texan from San Benito. He and his wife Nancy have lived in Abilene for more than forty years. When he is not representing Abilene as Mayor, Norm serves as Vice President of the Hendrick Health System in Abilene where he is responsible for the development of the Health System through the Hendrick Medical Center Foundation. He holds a bachelor's and a master's degree from Texas A&M University, a master's degree from Abilene Christian University, and a doctorate degree from Texas Tech University. Norm is the father of two beautiful children, Bryan and Betsy, and grandfather to four grandchildren, Hunter, Hudson, Margaret, and Archer. During his childhood years, Norm achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America. Even with his demanding professional career, Norm has always carved out time to serve his community, especially through his work with the Abilene/Taylor County Health Board, the United Way, the YMCA, the Boy Scouts of America Board, Junior Achievement, the Military Affairs Committee of the Abilene Chamber of Commerce, and the Abilene Metropolitan Planning Organization. More recently, Norm has been serving our country through his membership on the EPA's Local Government Advisory Committee. Norm became Mayor of Abilene in 2004 after four years of serving on the Abilene City Council. He was re-elected in 2005, in 2008, in 2011, and again in 2014. Now, after seventeen years on the Abilene City Council and thirteen years as Mayor, Norm has chosen to step down to make way for new leadership. He has been a strong, effective, and passionate advocate for the values and interests that are important to Abilene and the Big Country. Mayor Archibald devoted his tenure to improving quality of life, long-term water resources, Dyess Air Force Base, and local government the people of Abilene and the people of our nation have been fortunate to have a man like Norm dedicate so much of his time, talents, and energy to building a better and stronger city. I ask that my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives join me in congratulating Norm as he completes his successful tenure as Mayor of Abilene and in thanking Norm and his wife, Nancy, for all their years of outstanding public service and exceptional contributions to the city of Abilene and the Big Country.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2192, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT AMENDMENT, AND PROVIDING FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1628, AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Doug Collins (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-5-4

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , if I had to defend Care, I would go into hysterics, too. Since Care went into effect, the insurance choices and coverage have gotten lower and the costs have gotten higher. Virtually no doctors take the marketplace insurance so I'm left to change doctors who I've seen for over 30 years and switch to ``new'' doctors who I don't trust, and who cannot provide the same healthcare benefits I've received in the past. I have a brain tumor that I have monitored by a very skilled neuro-oncologist. Not anymore. The three choices I was given via healthcare.gov aren't even honored forms of insurance for this doctor. prgtoken Yes, it left them out again. prgtoken , I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Messer).
HIRE VETS ACT--Continued
Richard Burr (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-5-4

this explanation reflects the status of negotiations and disposition of issues reached between the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. prgtoken The explanation shall have the same effect with respect to the implementation of this act as if it were a joint explanatory statement of a conference committee. The explanation comprises three parts: an overview of the application of the annex to accompany this statement, unclassified congressional direction, and a section-by-section analysis of the legislative text. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent that the joint explanatory statement for the Intelligence Authorization Act for fiscal year 2017 be printed in the Record.
HONORING NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WEEK
Ted S. Yoho (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-5-4

I rise today in honor of National Small Business Week. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. This week is dedicated to celebrating and recognizing them and their contributions to our Nation. Because of this, I wanted to take a moment to recognize a few stellar small businesses in north central Florida. prgtoken Archer Automotive and Tire, founded in 2004, came about after a fleet mechanic of over 20 years decided he wanted to open his own shop. Thirteen years later, they have expanded into a state-of-the-art facility employing over eight families, allowing them to serve even more of their community. prgtoken Eat the 80, winner of the Gainesville Chamber of Commerce's 2016 Leading Women's Enterprise Award, is a meal delivery service specializing in health food that doesn't lack flavor or quality. They believe that everyone should have access to a healthy diet, and they built a business that could provide meals for working families. prgtoken Finally, I would like to recognize Endoscopy Replacement Parts, an aftermarket manufacturer established in 1997. Their 18 years of manufacturing experience, great customer service, and giving back to the community has led them to be recognized as the 2015 Manufacturers Association of Florida's Manufacturer of the Year, and the 2015 Small Business Administration's Small Business Exporter of the Year. prgtoken , it is businesses like that that keep our communities vital and growing.
HONORING ARMY RANGER SERGEANT JOSHUA P. RODGERS
Rodney Davis (Republican, IL) \u2014 2017-5-4

I rise today to honor one of our Nation's heroes. prgtoken On April 27, Army Ranger Sergeant Joshua P. Rodgers of Bloomington, Illinois, was killed in action serving his third tour in Afghanistan. prgtoken At age 22, Sergeant Rodgers had already earned the prestigious Ranger Tab, Parachutist Badge, Marksmanship Qualification Badge Expert-Rifle, and many others. prgtoken Sergeant Rodgers leaves behind his parents, Kevin and Vonda; sisters, Emily and Hannah; brother, Ashton; and countless others whose lives have been forever changed by him. prgtoken I never had the honor of meeting Sergeant Rodgers, but those who knew him best remember him as a warrior, tenacious, humble, determined, a true inspiration to everyone who knew him. prgtoken We are forever grateful to Sergeant Rodgers and the men and women who put country above all else, a debt which we can never repay. It is because of Sergeant Rodgers and many like him that we live in the land of the free. It truly is because of the brave. prgtoken On Saturday, Sergeant Rodgers will be laid to rest as his family and friends gather to celebrate his life, a life filled with patriotism, honor, and service. This House and his country will never forget Sergeant Rodgers' sacrifice. prgtoken May God bless his family and the brothers and sisters he served alongside.
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT AMENDMENT
Brett Guthrie (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-5-4

I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the American Health Care Act. prgtoken A constituent of mine from Kentucky personally reached out to share her story. Under Care, the cost of her family's monthly premium rose to over $1,000 with a deductible of over $12,000, in total, almost half her income. When she fell and broke three ribs, she couldn't afford to go to the emergency room because of the astronomical deductible. She suffered for weeks until as she could afford care; and as she said in her own words: ``I paid 50 percent of my income for something I am forced to buy and cannot use.'' prgtoken In Kentucky, there are many counties with just one health insurer on the exchange. That is not right. Affordable health care means having real access to health care when you need it. Care reduces access. It is not there, when they need it, for many Americans. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support the American Health Care Act.
Government Funding Legislation (Executive Session)
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2017-5-4

earlier today, the Senate voted to pass the Omnibus appropriations bill for 2017. prgtoken This bill is a product of bipartisan negotiations and hard work on the part of our Appropriations Committee, of which I am proud to be a member, and the leadership of both of our parties. prgtoken I am encouraged by the overwhelming support for this important legislation that reflects our Nation's priorities and funds the government in a responsible way. I am very pleased--and I can't emphasize this enough; very pleased--that the bill includes a bipartisan provision that keeps the promise of lifetime healthcare benefits for 22,000 coal miners and their families, including 8,500 West Virginians--my home State. prgtoken Bankruptcies in the coal industry meant that these miners would have lost their critical health insurance coverage at the end of last year. We passed that little, short-term extension for 4 months, and it was set to expire this coming week. prgtoken This appropriations bill provides certainty to these coal mining families. Because of this bill, they will keep the healthcare they earned through their years of hard work. prgtoken I worked closely with my West Virginia colleague, Senator Joe Manchin, as well as our Representatives--Representatives David McKinley, Evan Jenkins, and Alex Mooney--to get this permanent miners' healthcare fix included in the bill. prgtoken I also want to particularly thank our majority leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, for his leadership on behalf of the miners in West Virginia and in his home State of Kentucky, and the rest of Appalachia. I would also like to thank my fellow from the State of Ohio, Senator Rob Portman, who was a champion for those miners as well. prgtoken But, most importantly, I would like to thank the miners from across coal country who came to Washington to advocate for their healthcare benefits. I met with dozens--probably hundreds, over the course of the years--of West Virginia miners in my office over the last several years. prgtoken Last September, miners came by the thousands to the west front of the Capitol and stood for hours in just excruciatingly hot conditions. These miners and their families put a human face on the issue. They are the reason--they are the reason--that we have a successful result today. prgtoken Many of these miners have shared their stories with me through letters and emails and personal stories and visits, and I want to share just a few of their thoughts. prgtoken Brenda, a coal miner's widow from West Virginia, wrote that continued healthcare coverage presented a life or death situation for her. She wrote: I have medical problems, which require monthly doctor visits and prescriptions and I will no longer be able to see my doctors--nor afford the prescriptions should our health insurance be taken away. prgtoken Alfred, a retired West Virginia coal miner wrote: We were not given our h
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2017-5-4

I thank the chairwoman of the Budget Committee for yielding. prgtoken I was in strong support of this bill, , that finally provides relief to the American people across this country from the failures of Care. prgtoken Just how bad is it failing? prgtoken You don't have to look any further than what happened in Iowa yesterday, where literally they are going to have in 94 out of 99 counties nobody to write insurance for people that are in the Care exchanges. prgtoken So what do the people, , that are opposed to this bill say to those millions of people in Iowa who are about to have no place to go to get health care? prgtoken What are the people that oppose this bill, , going to say to the millions of people with preexisting conditions across the country who are being faced with double-digit increases in their health insurance every year and, oh, by the way, premiums and deductibles as high as over $10,000, which are creaming those folks that are struggling under the weight of this bill? prgtoken So what we are replacing it with, , are reforms that actually lower premiums, that actually put patients back in charge of their healthcare decisions so that elitists up here in Washington won't tell you what you have to buy. You actually get to make that choice yourself. prgtoken You get to focus on plans that are good for your family at lower costs so that you can be in charge. And, by the way, reforming the Medicaid system, one of the most broken forms of health care so that States actually have the ability to innovate and help low-income families. prgtoken This bill is important, , to rescue the American people from a law that has failed dismally. Let's end the skyrocketing premium increases. Let's lower costs and put patients back in charge of their healthcare decisions.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2192, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT AMENDMENT, AND PROVIDING FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1628, AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-5-4

how did we get to this point? prgtoken The Affordable Care Act is simply not working for the American people. It is limiting choices. It is raising costs. It is leaving millions without access to care. And unfortunately, these are not just talking points but very real issues affecting very real Americans. prgtoken The Affordable Care Act has left the individual market in shambles and has driven insurers away from offering coverage. Now, we are seeing one-third of all counties in the United States of America with only a single insurer. And among the plans that have chosen to remain in these markets, there have been widespread, double-digit premium increases. In Texas, premiums have jumped 29 percent a year, on average, from 2014 to 2017. prgtoken The markets are in difficulty. They are failing to live up to the promise made 7 years ago, that Americans would be able to receive ``affordable care.'' prgtoken As we knew then, and we still know now, this was an empty promise and has priced over 19 million Americans out of the market. What is worse, these individuals are forced to pay the individual mandate penalty or seek a hardship exemption because of the cost to purchase and use their health insurance. prgtoken , 11 months ago, Ryan released the Better Way plan to save the Nation's healthcare system and to bring relief to the American people. This plan, which served as the blueprint for the American Health Care Act, laid out policies to stabilize the markets damaged by the Affordable Care Act, repeal the burdensome Affordable Care Act taxes and mandates that have hindered innovation and limited access to care. So let's take a look at what the American Health Care Act does. prgtoken First and foremost, the American Health Care Act provides immediate relief to the State insurance markets. As s, we know that one-size-fits-all works for no one, and certainly did not work for the individual markets. The States should have the flexibility to support their insurance markets and ensure that plans can continue to provide options for coverage. prgtoken To do this, we relax two of the more egregious market regulations that were imposed under the Affordable Care Act: the mandate that premiums cannot vary for younger and older Americans by more than a 3- to-1 ratio and the mandate creating fixed actuarial values for plans. prgtoken The mandate limiting a plan's ability to set premiums by age has driven up the cost of coverage for younger and healthier Americans and, subsequently, pushed them away from seeking coverage by the millions. Of the over 19 million Americans who have sidestepped the individual market, it is estimated that as many as 45 percent of these individuals are under the age of 35. Without these younger Americans seeking coverage, the markets have plunged, as insurers have hiked up premiums year after year to compensate for unhealthy risk pools. prgtoken To change this, there is relaxation of the
HONORING OFFICERS MAURO AND FRANCEMONE
John Katko (Republican, NY) \u2014 2017-5-4

I rise today to honor the heroic actions of two law enforcement officers from my district, Syracuse Police Department Officers Joseph Mauro and Kelsey Francemone. Both of these officers put their own lives on the line in protection of our community: Officer Mauro, in October of 2016, when he was confronted by an armed suspect in the University Hill neighborhood and Officer Francemone on Father's Day of 2016, when she approached a fatal riot head on, only to be brutally attacked by an angry crowd. For their bravery, Officers Mauro and Francemone were each nominated for the National Association of Police Organizations TOP COP Award. Next week, Officer Francemone will be honored as one of only a few nationwide winners of this prestigious award. As a federal prosecutor, I worked alongside the brave men and women of the Syracuse Police Department for nearly twenty years. I have the utmost respect for these officers and their selfless actions. Congratulations to Officers Francemone and Mauro, and I thank them for their commitment and dedication to making Syracuse a safer place.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Jeff Flake (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2017-5-4

immigration enforcement is one of the Federal Government's most essential responsibilities. It is also one of the most debated and rightly so. Those of us in this body need to ensure that Federal immigration laws secure our borders from criminal and terrorist threats and facilitate effective interior enforcement to keep citizens safe. prgtoken At the same time, our laws must promote a system of legal immigration that encourages economic growth and opportunity, especially in border communities like those in my home State of Arizona, but while we debate these policies on the Senate floor, local police officers and sheriffs around the country are serving on the frontlines of immigration enforcement. These men and women put their lives on the line every time they go out on patrol. For them, immigration policy is not a hypothetical exercise, it is part of the day in and day out reality of serving in law enforcement. Throughout the country, local officers increasingly find themselves coming in contact with individuals who, after being apprehended for the commission of a crime, are determined to be in the country illegally. This is especially common in border States like Arizona. prgtoken Once it is determined an individual in their custody is in the country illegally, that information is relayed to Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE. ICE can then send a request to local officials with instructions to hold that individual for up to 48 hours so they can be transferred to Federal custody. This is called a detainer request. The partnership between law enforcement authorities at all levels of government leverages vital information and resources in order to keep dangerous criminals off the streets. The Federal Government has no better partners in this effort than State and local law enforcement agencies from Arizona. prgtoken Despite the critical role these entities play in assisting their Federal partners with immigration enforcement, current Federal policy leaves them exposed with the threat of costly litigation. That is because third-party groups that oppose detention have threatened local agencies that choose to comply with valid detainer requests. They are threatened with lawsuits. Using punitive legal action to punish law enforcement for good-faith efforts to keep people safe is simply wrong. prgtoken We can have this policy debate without jeopardizing public safety and the ability of local law enforcement officers to do their job. That is why I am introducing the Support Local Law Enforcement Detainer Indemnity Act. This bill will require the Department of Homeland Security to protect State and local law enforcement entities from lawsuits that uphold valid detainer requests from ICE. This is called indemnification. It would allow officers to fulfill their law enforcement responsibilities without second-guessing whether to keep potentially dangerous criminal aliens in custody. prgtoken Refo
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Diane Black (Republican, TN) \u2014 2017-5-4

I yield 30 seconds to myself. prgtoken The American Health Care Act has gone through many fits and starts over the last few months. This bill begins to fulfill our promise to the American people by reducing costs for American families. It eliminates Care's burdens on small businesses and families and protects those with preexisting conditions. We must continue to work to build on this. prgtoken I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), our majority leader.
HIRE VETS ACT--Continued
John McCain (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2017-5-4

I come to the floor once again to discuss the threats facing our country, the challenges confronting the brave men and women of our Armed Forces. I feel compelled to remind my colleagues about what is at stake because of our failure right here to provide them the resources and equipment they need and deserve, placing their lives at greater risk. That is not my opinion; it is the opinion of the uniformed leaders of our country who have stated time after time that because of our sequestration and our mindless meat ax, we are putting the lives of the men and women who are serving our Nation in uniform at greater risk. prgtoken Don't we have an obligation to try to stop that? Obviously, there is not a majority here in the Senate who believes we should, to our everlasting shame. Unless we change course, we will only continue that failure. prgtoken We are about to vote on yet another Omnibus appropriations bill. It is well over 1,000 pages. Look here; this is what we are about to vote on without a single amendment--without a single amendment. Is there any Member of the U.S. Senate who has read this? Is there any Member who has read this bill of over $1 trillion that we are about to vote on? Many of us are going to be compelled to vote for it because we don't want to shut down the government again. The American people don't want the government to shut down, no matter what some colleagues of mine say. But here it is. prgtoken I challenge any of my colleagues to come to the floor and tell me they have read this bill. prgtoken Is it any wonder that the American people are fed up with this way of doing business? There are 1,000 pages--1,000 pages. That is what we are going to vote on in a relatively short period of time--haven't read it--no amendments. prgtoken I am sure there may be some provisions in this 1,000-page document that Members would like to modify, like to add to. But what business are we doing? What is the world's greatest deliberative body doing here in a couple hours? We are going to vote yes or no on a 1,000-page document. Shame on us. Shame on us. prgtoken Not a single appropriations bill--we have an Appropriations Committee. They have their subcommittees. My friend and colleague from Vermont is here and wants to talk about it. They churn out individual bills. I believe there are 13 of them, one of them being Defense, by the way. But all of that is without amendment, without debate on the floor of the world's greatest deliberative body. Yet we are going to go ahead and vote yes or no. prgtoken Many of us are going to vote yes because we don't want to shut down the U.S. Government. We don't want to deprive our citizens of the goods, services, and provisions that a government is supposed to provide people. I don't want to shut down the Grand Canyon again, my friends. I don't want to deprive people from all over the world the ability to see the Grand Canyon. So what do we do? CRAs. prgtoken I