mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Mike Kelly (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-3-24

I am proud to stand today in support of this bill. I have been told that this is a rookie mistake. I understand that. We have been working 7 years to undo that rookie's mistake. That is why we are here today. A rookie who didn't know what he was doing, but lectured to us, told us: This is what you have to do; and if you do this, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your health plan, you can just stay on board, and we are going to insure millions of you. prgtoken Nothing could be further from the truth. The big thing was you are going to save $2,300 on your premiums. He forgot to tell everybody but the people who were actually in that business. Incredible. Incredible. prgtoken Now, this isn't about me, and it is not about you. This is about people. We are in the people's House. Let me just read to you a couple letters from the people who I represent back home. By the way, out of the seven counties I represent, five have one insurer, and the rest of them got out because they couldn't stand to try and work under this onerous law. prgtoken Let me tell you what Amanda says: I am very happy to hear that you are working to repeal the Affordable Care Act. I just got an up-close- and-personal look at how dysfunctional it is while trying to shop for my own plan. It is hard enough to start a business in this country due to so many rules, regulations, and confounding taxes. This law makes it even harder. And I don't think the government should make me buy coverages I simply don't need. I know my situation, and I should be able to buy whatever I want without incurring four-figure tax penalties. prgtoken Jason says to me: Dear Mike, I am a self-employed father of four feeling the hurtful effects of Care. For years there has been so much talk from s about repealing Care. I am paying yet more money for less coverage. We are really feeling the effects of this in my family in our budget. My kids are going to bed hungry after dinner. We desperately need relief and now, not next year. I enthusiastically pulled the lever for and for you, and we are counting on you to make some real change in D.C. Please keep up the fight, and do it quickly. prgtoken So this is not about Mike, it is not about John, it is not about any of us. What it is about is taking care of the people that we were sent here to represent. They are s and they are , who some people could care less about any of us, but they expected us to do something for them. We are sitting here today because this law prgtoken is so bad. If it was so good, we wouldn't have to worry, but it is bad, with a capital B. prgtoken Now, I have got to tell you, growing up, as a young kid, as it got toward Christmas--and I say this to my friends, by the way, on our side--I used to make a list right before Christmas. I put on that list everything I wanted. You know what, ? Come Christmas morning, I never got everything I wanted, but I w
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Erik Paulsen (Republican, MN) \u2014 2017-3-24

today we are taking a very important step to lift the burden of the Affordable Care Act off of the backs of the American people. A key component of this is repealing the burdensome mandates and tax increases that were imposed to help fund this failed law. This includes the medical device tax, a senseless policy that placed an excise tax on lifesaving medical technology. prgtoken What did this achieve? A loss of 30,000 high-paying American jobs, less research and development, canceled projects, and postponed expansions. Most importantly, it hurt patients. prgtoken There is good news. Just a few years ago, in 2015, we came together on a bipartisan basis and suspended the tax for 2 years. We are seeing positive results. Companies are now hiring again, we have increased research and development, and we have new investments in facilities coming online. prgtoken We need to permanently repeal this onerous tax or it is going to start up again. Voting ``yes'' today means permanent repeal of the medical device tax. prgtoken , I am also encouraged to see several provisions I have authored to enhance and expand the use of health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts that are included in this legislation today. prgtoken HSAs and FSAs are now more popular than ever and used by 20 million Americans. It is time to remove the restrictions on HSAs that were imposed in Care so that we can make them more accessible and easier to use and empower Americans to take more control of their healthcare decisions. prgtoken Expanding HSAs will help us also begin to address the rising costs of health care. One recent study showed that, when a large employer switched their employees over to an HSA plan, it lowered their healthcare spending by an average of $900 per employee over a 5-year period. That is real savings, . prgtoken Let's support a better way forward to lower healthcare costs for patients and put them back in control of their healthcare decisions.
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Larry Bucshon (Republican, IN) \u2014 2017-3-24

when Care was debated 7 years ago, I wrote my Member of Congress to urge him to vote against what I saw as a government takeover of our healthcare system. prgtoken At that time, I was a practicing physician, and I could foresee the disastrous consequences of this law and what it would do to patients across this country, including my own. And I wasn't alone. prgtoken Citizens from every corner of America stood up and demanded that Congress reject the Care bill, but we were ignored. Since then, out-of-pocket costs for families have skyrocketed, patient-choice has evaporated, and Care has inched closer to the brink of collapse. prgtoken In that time, those same Americans who fought against passage of Care have delivered s majorities in the House, in the Senate, and put a in the White House. They did so, in part, based on our promises to repeal and replace Care. prgtoken And here we stand, 7 years after Care passed, with the opportunity to finally deliver on that promise, and to bring relief to patients across this country who haven't been able to find the care they were promised at a cost they can afford. prgtoken It is an opportunity for us to fulfill our promise to our constituents. Let's be clear: a vote against this bill today is a vote for preservation of the Care disaster, a vote to keep critical healthcare decisions in the hands of bureaucrats in Washington, D.C and a vote against the largest entitlement reform in a generation. prgtoken I urge all of my colleagues to do the right thing and vote for this bill.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1628, AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Pete Sessions (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-24

I rise in support of this rule and the underlying legislation. prgtoken This rule is a fair rule that adequately provides both sides of the aisle with ample time to debate the merits of the underlying legislation. In fact, the Rules Committee thought it was so important that ample time be provided to this debate, that we are provided 4 hours of general debate on the underlying bill. prgtoken , in honor of our former President, Ronald Reagan, I wear brown today. The former President, when he was President, believed that wearing brown was good luck to him and good luck for the things which he was undertaking. So, in honor of Ronald Reagan, I, too, wear my brown jacket today. prgtoken , it has become abundantly clear that Care has failed the American people. Our Nation's healthcare system today is broken and only getting worse under the current law, known as the Affordable Care Act, or Care. prgtoken Simply put, Care is collapsing, and it is collapsing fast. Options and choices are disappearing for consumers, and an anticompetitive marketplace has been created that firmly harms patients. prgtoken How bad is it? Nearly one-third of all U.S. counties currently have only one insurer offering plans on their State's exchanges. That is a government-created monopoly, , and that kills the free market, meaning no choices for the American people and higher costs are what the American consumer and the healthcare market are finding. prgtoken And it is only continuing to get worse. As more and more insurers leave the marketplace, prices will continue to rise, forcing healthy individuals to make economic decisions not to purchase health care, creating a self-defeating spiral of rising costs and less options. That is why we must act, and act today, which is what we are doing. prgtoken It is no wonder that in such a government-controlled system that premiums have increased by an average of 25 percent on the Care exchanges this year alone. And it is no wonder that some 19.2 million taxpayers chose to outright pay the individual mandate penalty or claimed an exemption. What this means is that Care is not a good option to these 19.2 million people. prgtoken , the American people, I believe, sent us to Washington, D.C to fix this issue. They are telling us directly: this must be fixed now. And people certainly outside of Washington resent the Federal Government telling them how to purchase health care and what that healthcare marketplace would look like. But we really do not have to tolerate this. We do not have to agree that we will accept the status quo. prgtoken , I believe the American people are smart. I believe the American people want independence, they love freedom, and they want to know that they can make their own choices, because they believe they make better choices than a one-size-fits-all plan out of Washington, D.C. prgtoken What brings us here today, however, most assuredly, is a broken
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Patrick J. Tiberi (Republican, OH) \u2014 2017-3-24

I thank the gentleman for his leadership in this important matter, and I echo his words with respect to the staff, Emily Murry and her team, as well as Whitney Daffner and Abby Finn in my office. prgtoken , like the chairman, I had a front row seat in 2009 and 2010 to the passage of the Affordable Care Act and a front row seat to all the promises made about this wonderful bill called the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken Then, over the last 6 years, like the chairman, I heard from my constituents and fellow Ohioans. I heard about their sad Care stories of a road of broken Care promises. prgtoken There was a lady east of Columbus who had cancer. She was a survivor. Fast-forward to a few years ago. She gets cancer again and finds out that the oncologist that she had, she could no longer have. He was not in the network. She could not go to the hospital in her community. She had to go 60 miles away. prgtoken Or there is the small-business owner and his wife and family on the individual market and now on the exchange not getting employer-provided health care and, therefore, not getting the benefit. They saw their plan price quadruple in the last several years we are going to take care of that person and give them a tax credit so they have the ability, just like employer-provided employee's health care. prgtoken In Ohio, last year, our CO-OP collapsed. We had 20,000 people without health care. Many saw bills not being paid. Twenty counties in my State had one provider and fewer choices. prgtoken Broken promises. Constituents can't keep their doctor, can't keep their hospital. Constituents saw emergency room visits go up. It was supposed to go down under the Affordable Care Act. Premiums and deductibles are going up, not down, in my district. prgtoken One promise wasn't broken, and that is a government-mandated, one- size-fits-all Washington plan that many of my constituents didn't want and others couldn't afford. That was their Care. prgtoken We can do better, and in this bill we do. In one step, in the first step, more steps to come, we begin creating a patient-centered healthcare system that will not only put more power in the hands of our constituents, but it will also drive down healthcare costs. prgtoken Remember what they said in Ohio newspapers in my State about Care: a tough pill to swallow, a nightmare, very taxing, just more red tape. These aren't my words, ; these are hardworking Ohioans' words. They deserve better. They deserve more choices. They deserve better access, the access and the choices they want for them and their families. prgtoken We begin, , with this bill. We don't end here. There is much more to do. We are putting the people's power back in their hands, not in Washington's hands. Today, it is time for us to deliver.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1628, AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Dan Newhouse (Republican, WA) \u2014 2017-3-24

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken , under the ACA, 5 to 6 million Americans were kicked off their healthcare plans, including 300,000 of my fellow Washingtonians who lost coverage despite repeated promises they could keep their plans. A majority of Americans have faced skyrocketing costs, reduced access to quality care, and fewer choices for their families. I believe we can and we must do better. prgtoken Under this bill, Americans will have health care that fits individual and family needs instead of federally mandated, one-size-fits-all coverage that is simply unaffordable for far too many people. This bill strengthens and guarantees access for the most vulnerable in our communities. prgtoken The ACA has failed. I made a promise to the thousands of my constituents who have told me of the devastation this law has wreaked on their lives that I would not forget them. Americans in every election since 2010 have said loud and clear the same thing, and it is time that we listened. prgtoken , the American Health Care Act is the first major step in keeping that promise, and I think that we need to take it.
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Jodey C. Arrington (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-24

Care's disastrous effects over the last several years have wreaked havoc on our small businesses, broken the backs of middle and working class families, and have had a disproportionately negative impact on rural America. Those are the folks who I represent in west Texas. prgtoken While the current bill before us is far from perfect--and let's be honest, there is no such thing as perfect legislation--it reverses course and takes us in the right direction. It repeals the mandates and restores freedom to individuals and markets. prgtoken It repeals about $1 trillion of taxes. It reduces deficit spending by over $100 billion, making it the largest entitlement reform since the 1960s. It rolls back regulations, gives maximum flexibility to States, and begins to defederalize health care. prgtoken For 7 years now, s have promised the American people that if we were given control of the Presidency and the House and the Senate, then we would repeal and replace Care. And now that we are given the opportunity to govern and to keep our promises and to deliver results for the American people, we can't let perfect be the enemy of good. prgtoken The debate is now closing. We have two choices. We either pass a good but imperfect bill, or we leave Care in place. That is an unacceptable alternative. prgtoken As leaders, we have a moral obligation to do something, to not stand idly by while the people suffer under a system that is failing them. prgtoken If we are going to restore the greatness of America and transfer power back to the people, we need more than policy solutions, even perfect policy solutions. We need the political will and the courage to lead. prgtoken This is a rescue mission, , and it isn't without risk; but I have faith in the President and his team. I have faith in our States and the free markets, and, above all, , I have faith in the American people.
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-3-24

skyrocketing cost, diminished choices for patients, small businesses destroyed, fewer jobs, and lower wages, that is prgtoken Care's legacy. That is what imposed on our country. prgtoken We believe the American people deserve a better way, and that is what this legislation will deliver. The American Health Care Act puts the American people back in control of their health care. It restores choices, protects the most vulnerable, encourages lower healthcare costs, empowers States, and frees families and small businesses from costly taxes and mandates. prgtoken Let's keep our promise to provide a better way on health care by voting ``yes'' on the American Health Care Act. prgtoken , I ask the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden) to engage in a brief colloquy. prgtoken Health sharing ministries play an increasingly important role in the lives of many Americans, particularly in the devastating wake of Care. In recent days, constituents have expressed concerns about the future of these healthcare plans, particularly as it relates to whether they would be considered credible coverage under the bill's continuous coverage provisions. prgtoken Will Chairman Walden work with me, as the bill moves forward, to ensure we address the concerns of those who benefit from health sharing ministries?
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Matt Gaetz (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-3-24

I rise to repeal the disaster that is Care. Care functions as a wet blanket over the American economy, stopping businesses from growing, and impairing the rights of individuals to make their own decisions about health care. prgtoken , I specifically implore my conservative colleagues to vote for this bill and give us a chance to get out from under this disastrous law. This legislation represents $1 trillion in tax cuts, $1.15 trillion in spending cuts, $150 billion in deficit reduction; defunding Planned Parenthood. prgtoken How long have we been fighting to defund Planned Parenthood? prgtoken Close the illegal alien loophole that allows people to enroll in Care, only to check their status in this country subsequently. prgtoken We install work requirements. I don't think people that are able to work but choose not to should expect us to go borrow money from China to pay for their health care. Installing those work requirements is fundamental to bold conservative reform. prgtoken Block grants for States so that finally they can be liberated from the oppressive hand of the Federal Government, and also blocking States from additional Medicaid expansion. prgtoken We have been engaging in these conservative fights for years, and finally, today, we have got the chance to put a win on the board; and so I am joining our President, our , and many conservatives in this Congress in voting for the American Health Care Act. prgtoken When we win, when we do this, not only do we enhance our economy, not only do we free up opportunities for broader prosperity in America, but we allow people to be in charge of health care, and we move from a government-centered system to a patient-centered system. That was the promise we made in the elections, and that is the promise I intend to keep by voting for this bill.
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Bill Flores (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-24

we have heard numerous comments from the left extolling the virtues of Care, and I think it is instructive to hear the words of a former ic President that is beloved by the left. Here is what he said less than 6 months ago: ``So you've got this crazy system where all of a sudden 25 million more people have health care and then the people who are out there busting it, sometimes 60 hours a week, wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half. It's the craziest thing in the world.'' prgtoken , hardworking American families in my district, they don't want crazy. They want the American Health Care Act, a sane plan that gives them their freedom back. prgtoken In a few minutes, , you are going to hear somebody from the other side say that a bunch of my constituents are going to lose coverage. That is absolutely false. Those constituents are getting their freedom back to choose whether or not they want healthcare coverage and what kind of healthcare coverage they want. I say vote ``yes.''
REMEMBERING TOM FRIEDKIN
Pete Olson (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-24

a man loved throughout Houston, throughout Texas, throughout America, and throughout our world, Tom Friedkin put on his angel wings and flew to Heaven last week. prgtoken Tom was the force behind Houston's largest private company, Gulf States Toyota. Tom put an ``open for business'' sign up in 1969. Thirty years later, Tom was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame. prgtoken Tom's brain made him a billionaire, but his heart was worth much, much more. Tom took that heart to Tanzania to protect elephants from being poached and killed. Tom's foundation signed a 30-year agreement with Tanzania to make it a better country. prgtoken A legend Texans love, Bum Phillips, would say this about Tom Friedkin: Tom, you may not be in a class by yourself, but whatever class you are in, it don't take long to call the roll. prgtoken God bless you, Tom.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1628, AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-24

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken , we all know why we are here--the problems that exist within the Affordable Care Act. It is simply not working for the American people--limited choice, costs going up, and millions without access to care. Unfortunately, these are not just talking points, but real issues affecting real Americans. prgtoken The Affordable Care Act has damaged the individual market. It has driven insurers away from offering coverage. Now, we are seeing one- third of all United States counties with only one insurer. And among the plans that have chosen to remain in the markets, there have been widespread, double-digit premium increases. prgtoken The individual markets are a death spiral and are failing to live up to the promises made 7 years ago--that Americans would be able to receive affordable health care. As we knew then, and we know now, this was an empty promise that has left an estimated 19.2 million Americans without coverage. What is worse, these individuals are forced to pay the individual mandate penalty or seek a hardship exemption because of the costs to purchase and use health insurance. prgtoken Nine months ago, , we began our 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 the policies to stabilize the collapsing insurance markets and to repeal the more 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, it 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 relaxed two of the 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 for coverage for younger and healthier Americans and has pushed away those seeking coverage by the millions. Of the 19.2 million Americans who have sidestepped the individual mandate, it 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 further plunged into death spirals, as insurers hike up premiums year after year. prgtoken To change this, we are relaxing the ratio to 5-to-1. It will lower premium costs and provide necessary opportunities to stabilize the markets. prgtoken Additionally, we are repealing the actu