mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Session)
John McCain (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2017-5-11

today I come to the floor in opposition to the nomination of Robert Lighthizer to be United States Trade Representative, USTR. After close examination of the confirmation process for Mr. Lighthizer, I have come to the conclusion that Mr. Lighthizer does not adequately understand the positive economic benefits the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, has had and will continue to have on Arizona and our Nation. His advocacy for protectionist shifts in America's trade policies, including his support for the withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, TPP, and the administration's incoherent and inconsistent trade posture, have only solidified my opposition to his nomination to be USTR. prgtoken As I wrote in a February piece in the Arizona Republic, coauthored by my colleague Senator Flake and Arizona chamber president Glenn Hammer, NAFTA has delivered enormous economic benefits to the United States since its inception in 1994, especially for the citizens of Arizona. In just two decades, Arizona's exports to Canada and Mexico have increased by $5.7 billion, or 236 percent. Mexico stands as Arizona's No. 1 trading partner, with bilateral trade accounting for 40 percent of our State's exports to foreign markets in 2015 and totaling $9.2 billion. Arizona's trade relationship with Mexico also directly supports more than 100,000 Arizona jobs. prgtoken While I understand NAFTA could be strengthened and modernized, any efforts by this administration to withdraw from NAFTA or impose new restrictions or barriers on our ability to trade with Mexico and Canada will have serious consequences for Arizona, including massive job losses for workers and dramatically higher costs for consumers. Furthermore, I am troubled by the need for and the process by which Congress recently granted Mr. Lighthizer a waiver to serve as USTR given that he previously represented a Brazilian and Chinese client in trade litigation matters. As part of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, Congress adopted my amendment to prohibit an individual from serving as U.S. Trade Representative or Deputy U.S. Trade Representative if that person has ``directly represented, aided, or advised a foreign entity'' in ``any trade negotiation, or trade dispute, with the United States.'' Ultimately, the waiver was tucked in the must-pass omnibus spending bill, with no chance to debate or vote on such an important trade related policy. prgtoken As Senator Sasse and I recently wrote in a letter opposing Mr. Lighthizer, the administration's incoherent and protectionist message on trade ``is especially troubling because confirming a USTR grants the Administration additional legal authority to negotiate trade deals that Congress must consider under `fast track' procedures. Given these circumstances, granting the Administration additional legal powers through your confirmation without understanding how you or the Administration in
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR--Resumed
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2017-5-11

before us as the Senate right now, aside from issues Mr. Blumenthal referred to, is the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken I am a physician, and I have been practicing in hospitals for the uninsured for the last 25 years. I would like to in one sense say that gives me special standing to speak about this issue, but in reality, it does not. prgtoken Senator Moran from Kansas spoke up the other day at our lunch. He said that healthcare is like no other issue. He spoke of a friend of his approaching him at church with tears rolling down her face. Her mother had a preexisting condition, and she was so concerned that we get this right. prgtoken I don't need to say I have special standing, being a physician. We all have special standing from living, having families and friends who--sooner or later, healthcare will affect the family. prgtoken The Affordable Care Act for many is not working. Premiums are going sky high. prgtoken Two or 3 days ago, I had communication with someone from San Francisco. Her young family has a $20,000-a-year premium, a $6,000 deductible for each member of the family--in San Francisco, already paying so much for housing, food, and transportation, and $20,000 on top of that for a family of relatively modest income. prgtoken Then I spoke to someone in Washington, DC. His family's premium is $24,000; they have a $13,000 deductible. He said: I am out $37,000 before my insurance kicks in. I reassured him that his colonoscopy would be for free. I don't think he thought that funny. prgtoken Then a friend of mine who last year in Louisiana--his quote for a policy for himself and his wife, 60 and 61, was $39,000 for 1 year-- $39,000 for 1 year--with a deductible. prgtoken Now we are being told there will be premium increases this coming year. In Connecticut, they just announced they are going to be 15 to 35 percent higher. In my own State, I have been told they may approach 30 to 40 percent higher, although that is not definite. prgtoken The reality is that premiums have become unaffordable. President campaigned on this. There were four things he told the American people. He said he wanted to cover all, care for those with preexisting conditions, eliminate the Affordable Care Act mandates that people hate so much, and lower premiums. prgtoken I would like to say I think it is part of President 's intuitive genius. Whatever you say about the fellow, he certainly has an intuition sometimes about how things work. Of course, the way you would lower premiums is that you would cover all, and by covering all, you expand the risk pool, which then lowers premiums for those with preexisting conditions but keeps them lower for the rest of us. prgtoken Folks ask how you can do that without mandates, and I say you can do it through the mechanism of the Cassidy-Collins plan, the Patient Freedom Act, which is to say you have an auto-enrollment feature. prgtoken By the way,
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
John J. Faso (Republican, NY) \u2014 2017-5-11

I rise to express my support for the American Health Care Act. As I have said from the beginning, when it comes to the Affordable Care Act, we should keep what works and change what doesn't. I urge support for the AHCA because it does just that. prgtoken The AHCA stops the Washington, DC, one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare and puts choice and freedom back in the hands of states, counties, families, and individuals. With the AHCA's monumental strides in reforming Medicaid to ensure its solvency for our most vulnerable citizens and repealing burdensome taxes on the middle class, it is a win across the board for all Americans, but specifically Upstate New Yorkers. prgtoken Upstate New York residents will see additional benefits due to an amendment which Congressman Collins and I have included in the bill. This language is one of the greatest pieces of state mandate relief that New Yorkers have ever seen. By normalizing the fashion in which New York State funds Medicaid, those in my district alone will see more than $224 million in tax relief every year. prgtoken The fact is that New York funds its Medicaid program by imposing a portion of the state's funding responsibility on the counties. Home ownership is burdened by lower property values due to high taxes. This also lessens business competitiveness in areas like Upstate NY. The extent to which New York burdens its counties is unlike any other: of the approximately $9.5 billion in Medicaid costs shouldered by localities nationwide, New York localities account for more than $7 billion of the total. Albany mandates ensure that New York spends more on Medicaid than Texas and Florida combined. This is simply unsustainable. prgtoken The people of Upstate New York demand relief: relief from burdensome Albany mandates; relief from rising property taxes; relief from Washington-controlled, bureaucratic healthcare; relief from ACA- imposed, middle-class healthcare taxes. For these reasons, I support the AHCA and urge my colleagues to support this bill.
TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL ``MIKE'' MUNOZ
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2017-5-11

today I recognize the hard work of my Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee law clerk Mike Munoz. Mike hails from Avon, CT, and will soon graduate from Georgetown University Law Center. As a law clerk on the Commerce Committee, Mike assisted the Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security Subcommittee. He is a dedicated worker who has been committed to getting the most out of his clerkship. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Mike for all of the fine work he did for the committee and wish him continued success in the years to come.
CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ACT RESOLUTIONS
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-5-11

over the past 8 years, the American people struggled in an economy that too often failed to meet its potential. Many struggled to pay bills. Many struggled to make the mortgage. Too many couldn't find a job at all. prgtoken Yet, time after time, when Americans looked to the administration, they got tired leftwing ideology instead of serious solutions. When Americans asked for policies that would allow the economy to grow again, the administration gave them just the opposite: a highly aggressive regulatory rampage that sometimes veered outside congressional authority, that often hurt the economy and job creation even more, that nearly always empowered unaccountable Washington bureaucrats at the expense of the American people. prgtoken Of course, not all regulations are bad regulations. Many are necessary and even beneficial, but what the administration seemed to forget in its fit of ideological pique is this key point: Regulations are not issued in a vacuum. They can harm the middle class. They can kill jobs. They can raise prices. They can depress wages. They can reduce opportunity. prgtoken No matter how well-intentioned, regulations can have undesirable, often unexpected, impacts--and in this regulatory avalanche of the last 8 years, we saw another example of the consequences of putting leftwing ideology over the lives of real people. prgtoken It is one reason why Americans decided to go in a pro-growth direction last November. They elected a new President who, as one of his first acts, ordered the elimination of at least two existing regulations for every new one issued. He called for a regulatory budget to cap regulatory costs. He and his administration took a number of actions that are already helping to turn the regulatory tide back in favor of growth and jobs. prgtoken The American people also reelected a Congress that wasted no time in providing regulatory relief to Americans and restoring legislative power where it rightfully belongs, with the people through their elected representatives right here in Congress. prgtoken We have a tool that has proved incredibly helpful in this regard. It is called the Congressional Review Act. It is the brainchild of a bipartisan group of legislators, including former ic Leader Harry Reid, and what it allows Congress to do is overturn regulations issued over the last 60 days with a simple majority vote. prgtoken From its inception in 1996 until this February, it had only been used successfully one time. From February until today, it has been used successfully 13 times--with the 14th soon to be signed into law; namely, to overturn a number of administration regulations rushed through at the last minute. prgtoken Getting this done hasn't always been easy, and we have met a lot of obstruction along the way. Although the once championed the CRA, a tool that is ``fair'' in the words of former Leader Reid, o
Congressional Review Act Resolutions (Executive Session)
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-5-11

I will be brief. I think the Senator from Oklahoma is going to go into some additional details, and the Senator from Wyoming did a great job of summarizing some of the positive results that have come from our actions. I want to refer to his resolutions of disapproval for regulations that we feel were an overreach. prgtoken When we went through the 14 votes--we actually had 15, but we were not able to succeed in 1 last regulation of disapproval yesterday-- there were arguments put forth against our disapproving these regulations. It was as if we were completely deregulating the subject matter area that we were focused on, but that was not the case. What we were trying to do is eliminate the duplication and the costs associated with layering regulations on top of regulations. prgtoken We have a lot of discussion around here about tax reform, and we need to do that, but if we look at the regulatory burden on businesses and homeowners and State and local governments, there is a smart, right- size way to implement regulations, and there is a costly, complex, wrong way to implement regulations. prgtoken So I am proud we were able to get 14 resolutions of disapproval completed. I think they were regulations that were not necessary. They are obviously areas that if Congress ever needed to act, we could go back and implement regulations, if necessary. prgtoken What we ended up doing through this action over the past couple of months with the administration is reduce regulatory burdens by $67 billion, and we have eliminated some 56 million paperwork hours. We are eliminating, we are cutting redtape, and that is a good thing. prgtoken I appreciate all the Members who worked hard on getting this together. I particularly appreciate my staff--Bill Bode and Torie Ness in particular--who worked hard with the other Senate offices to see what kind of support we could get for moving these regulatory disapprovals forward. I thank my fellow Members and the administration for working with us to fulfill our promise, which is to right-size government and get our economy going again. prgtoken With that, .
CELEBRATING ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY
Evan H. Jenkins (Republican, WV) \u2014 2017-5-11

I rise today to recognize the Israel Independence Celebration in my hometown of Huntington, West Virginia, that took place on Sunday, May 7. This event honoring the establishment of one of our nation's greatest allies was made possible by the hard work of Jewish Charities of Huntington and Christ Temple Church of Huntington. I thank Linda Klein and Pastor Chuck Lawrence for their steadfast leadership as well. prgtoken Just like West Virginia, Israel's greatest strength is the resolve and resilience of its people. I witnessed firsthand the importance of the relationship between our two countries during my recent visit to Israel, where it was evident that the nation is under threat like never before. That is why I will continue to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs so that it will never be able to obtain a nuclear weapon. I have also been a vocal supporter of placing stronger sanctions on Iran until it no longer financially supports terrorist groups that pose a threat to both Israel and the United States, and to providing aid and support to Israel to help it defend itself. prgtoken Israel will always have a friend in the United States, and in me. I congratulate the citizens of Israel on 69 years of independence and look forward to many more years of friendship between our people.
HONORING THE DEDICATED SERVICE AND SELFLESS SACRIFICE OF STAFF SERGEANT MARK R. DE ALENCAR
Matt Gaetz (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-5-11

it is with both profound sadness and deep gratitude that I rise to pay tribute to a fallen decorated American hero. On April 8, 2017, Staff Sergeant Mark R. De Alencar, who was assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, tragically succumbed to injuries received from small arms fire in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. De Alencar was 37 years old, but lived a lifetime marked by and full of service. prgtoken Born in a U.S. Army hospital in Nuremburg, Germany, Staff Sgt. De Alencar's childhood followed his father's military career. Graduating from Joppatowne High School, Joppa, Maryland, in 1998, he then worked odd jobs before becoming a carpenter. But it was in 2009, that he choose to follow in his father's footsteps and joined the U.S. Army. prgtoken After attending Basic Combat Training and Cannon Crewmember (13B) Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Staff Sgt. De Alencar was assigned to Bravo Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. prgtoken After arrival, he was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. Staff Sgt. De Alencar later attended Ranger School, graduated, and re-classed as an Infantryman (11B). During his time at Schofield Barracks, he served as Fire Team Leader, Rifle Squad Leader, and attended multiple training events with partnered forces throughout the Pacific; including Australian Jungle Operations, Operation Cobra Gold in Thailand, and multiple rotations to the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California. prgtoken In September 2016, Staff Sgt. De Alencar graduated from the Special Operations Qualification Course earning the qualification as a Weapons Sergeant (18B) and was assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) located at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. prgtoken Staff Sgt. De Alencar's military education includes Basic Leaders Course, Advanced Leaders Course, Jungle Operations Course, Ranger School, Airborne School, Air Assault School, Special Forces Qualification Course, and Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape School. prgtoken Staff Sgt. De Alencar's awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal with five Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Achievement Medal with 6 Oak Leaf Clusters, Meritorious Unit Citation, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Non Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Expert Infantryman's Badge, Special Forces Tab, Ranger Tab, B Badge, and the Drivers Badge. prgtoken As exemplified by his extraordinary heroism, Staff Sgt. De Alencar's life stands as a testament that freedom is not free, and his legacy
CELEBRATING THE LIFE & LEGACY OF FATHER JOHN K. RING
Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-5-11

I rise to pay tribute to the life and legacy of a dear friend and beloved pillar of the San Francisco community, Father John Ring, who served for 25 years as Pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Church. prgtoken Born and raised in San Francisco, Father Ring's leadership and compassion were invaluable to our parish and our community, in times of joy and sorrow alike. In the suffering of the Loma Prieta earthquake, Father Ring bound up the wounds of our community, consoling and encouraging us, tending his flock. prgtoken During his entire Pastorate, we saw the creation of a mass for young adults, a group of Home Visitors to care for the sick and homebound in the parish and beyond, and for the first time girls were allowed to be altar servers. He also poured himself into the service of the parish's children, and the strength of the St. Vincent de Paul school will be an enduring part of Father Ring's rich legacy. prgtoken My husband Paul, my family and I were deeply saddened to hear of Father Ring's passing. Our family has been parishioners at St. Vincent de Paul for generations, since Paul's parents John and Corinne Pelosi became parishioners in the 1930s. We count ourselves deeply blessed to have known Father Ring, and it was a special privilege to join in celebrating the Golden Jubilee of his priestly service in 2011. He will remain an inspiration to our family. prgtoken Father Ring once said that Christ's farewell to his disciples was one of his favorite parts of Scripture. In the Gospel according to John, Jesus says, ``Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.'' Truly, Father Ring was an instrument of God's peace. prgtoken The families of Father Ring's parish were blessed with a Pastor who strengthened their church and school, built community, and inspired their love for service and their love for God. May it bring comfort to all those who loved and admired Father Ring that so many join in remembering this extraordinary man and the blessing he was to our community.
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Barbara Lee (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-5-11

I rise once again in strong opposition to H.R. 1628, which is a bill to take away health care from 24 million Americans. Whether you believe it or not, health care is a basic right. prgtoken This shameful bill steals from the most vulnerable among us, including seniors, veterans, people living with HIV, children, and the disabled. And this new bill is even more dangerous and destructive than when they brought it to the Floor last time. prgtoken It would, yes, rip away health care from 24 million people. It would reduce benefits, make families pay more for less, and transfer $600 billion in tax cuts to the very wealthy. prgtoken This is outrageous. Access to women's health is denied by defunding Planned Parenthood. Medicaid, as we know it, will end. Healthcare costs for working families and seniors will skyrocket. It allows states to eliminate essential health benefits like maternity care, cancer screenings, and emergency care. prgtoken , this is not a health bill at all. This is a massive tax giveaway to the wealthy. prgtoken Let me tell you, as a woman of faith, I am appalled and I am saddened by the hypocrisy displayed in this bill by people who say they are religious. I want to remind you--in the Scriptures, the Book of Mark, chapter 12:31, we are reminded to love your neighbor as yourself. prgtoken I hope s remember to love their neighbor as themselves today and vote ``no'' on this mean-spirited and evil bill. Let's defeat this harmful and morally bankrupt bill. prgtoken This is a matter of life and death, and the American people deserve better.