mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Session)
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2017-6-21

I come to the floor today, having returned from the weekend in Wyoming, talking to people as a physician, and talking to former patients of mine. What I see is that the pain of Care is continuing to worsen around the country for men, women, families, and people who have been living under the healthcare law for a number of years now. prgtoken This is an important day, when insurance companies have to come up with the filings and the plans on what they plan to do for next year with regard to plans that meet the Care mandate. So very soon, millions of people will find out if they are going to be able to buy an insurance plan in their own communities, regardless of the cost. We have seen that the Blue Cross Blue Shield group in Maryland has proposed rate increases up to 58 percent for next year in the State of Maryland. This is after they went up 24 percent last year. How many families can afford such a thing? But that is what we are dealing with. prgtoken That is why it is so critical that we get involved in trying to provide relief for American families at this time, with the healthcare insurance market, certainly, collapsing. The head of Blue Cross Blue Shield in Maryland, which is the largest insurer in the State, has said that they see their system is in the early throes of what is known as the insurance death spiral. Prices are continuing to go up, fewer people are signing up, and, as a result, prices are going to have to be raised even more. We saw last year that they went up 24 percent, and this year the proposal, going forward to next year, is 58 percent. This is a terrifying reality for people on Care today. prgtoken One of the big reasons we have been working so hard on healthcare reform is to improve access to healthcare--not empty coverage, but actual healthcare. So what we want to do as s is get rid of some of the excessive mandates, the expensive mandates, things that are driving up the cost of care and certainly driving up the cost of coverage for that care. prgtoken When prices come down, people are able to afford insurance and companies are ready to sell that insurance. I know we have people in Wyoming who are ready to buy it. That is how you improve access to insurance. It is how you also improve access to care. You don't do it by forcing the prices up and prgtoken then requiring people to buy coverage, which is what the who voted for Care did. They said: You have to buy it, it is a mandate, whether you like it or not. We know better than you do. That is what we heard from the during the debate on President 's healthcare law. That is what they passed. They passed it. They voted for it. They didn't know what was in it. Actually, it was the of the House, Nancy Pelosi, who said: First you have to pass it before you even get to find out what is in it. prgtoken President gave a big speech to a joint session of C
WELCOMING RABBI HERSHEL LUTCH
Tom Emmer (Republican, MN) \u2014 2017-6-21

I rise to recognize my friend, Rabbi Hershel Lutch, and to thank him for reading the opening prayer here on the House floor today. prgtoken Rabbi Lutch has devoted his life to working for the Jewish community in the United States and around the globe. prgtoken I met Rabbi Lutch on a trip to Israel that he and his organization, Aish HaTorah, helped to coordinate. That special trip showed me firsthand how our ally in Israel fights to survive and thrive every day. prgtoken In addition to his work for Aish HaTorah, Rabbi Lutch is the CEO of the MEOR Foundation, an organization that strives to inspire Jewish students on college campuses to learn more about their history and heritage. prgtoken In his personal life, Rabbi Lutch is a husband and a father and a son. He is an asset to his community and our country, and I am pleased we could hear from him on the floor today. prgtoken Thank you, Rabbi, for blessing us here today and for your continued dedication to the Jewish people and to people of all faiths. It is an honor to know you.
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Session)
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2017-6-21

I am also here to comment, as Senator Cornyn has, on the state of play, if you will, and the repeal and replacement of Care. I think sometimes the American people feel like collateral damage as s and go back and forth as to what is the best policy. prgtoken I am a physician, a doctor who worked in a public hospital for the uninsured for decades before I went into politics. I guess from my perspective, the primary thing is not versus , but that patient who is struggling to pay her bills, her premiums, or the fellow who can't afford medicine. What are we doing for them? prgtoken There is a gentleman who went on my Facebook page--again, cutting through this kind of political noise. This is Brian from Covington, LA: My family plan is $1,700 a month, me, my wife and 2 children. The ACA has brought me to my knees. I hope we can get something done. The middle class is dwindling away. Can everyone just come together and figure this out? prgtoken If that is not a plaintive plea of someone who is drowning under the cost of premiums for insurance, which he knows he has and, as a responsible father and husband, he will work to pay for--nonetheless, he says that he is being crushed by these high premiums. prgtoken The American people need relief. We have to lower those premiums. I have always said, though, that whatever we do must pass the Jimmy Kimmel test; that is, to say that if Brian's wife or children or he himself has a terrible illness, there will be adequate coverage to pay for the care their family would need for that member of their family with that terrible disease. It kind of brings us to where we are now-- two aspects to what we are considering. prgtoken By the way, when folks say that we are redoing one-sixth of the economy, that is not true. The Affordable Care Act, Care, again, attempted to address one-sixth of the economy that is healthcare. We are focused on the individual market, which is about 4 percent of those insured, and Medicaid. We are not touching Medicare. We are not touching the employer-sponsored insurance market. It is important to realize that this is not as comprehensive as the Affordable Care Act. It is something far more focused. prgtoken Let's first talk about Medicaid. I am very concerned about what has been proposed for Medicaid, but also concerned about current law regarding Medicaid. Under the Medicaid expansion in the Affordable Care Act, States got 100 percent of all the cost of the patients enrolled for the first 4 to 5 years. As you might expect, States were quite generous in their payments for these patients as they contracted with Medicaid-managed care companies to care for them, so much so that those folks enrolled in Medicaid expansion. Taxpayers are paying 50 percent more than taxpayers are paying for those in traditional Medicaid. And States enrolled roughly 20 million people in the Medica
Nomination of Marshall Billingslea (Executive Session)
Mike Crapo (Republican, ID) \u2014 2017-6-21

I rise in support of Mr. Marshall Billingslea, who has been nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorist Financing. prgtoken Mr. Billingslea proved at his nomination hearing before the Banking Committee that he is exceptionally qualified for this job. As Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, Mr. Billingslea would be in charge of coordinating Treasury's efforts on terrorist financing, anti-money laundering, and other illicit financial threats to the domestic and international financial system. prgtoken Mr. Billingslea would work with the entire national security and law enforcement communities, the private sector, foreign governments, and other entities to carry out this mission. prgtoken As demonstrated at his confirmation hearing, his unique background includes 22 years of experience working with these entities to protect the Nation, and it also includes time in the legislative and executive branches, as well as the private sector. After 9/11, Mr. Billingslea served in senior positions in the Department of Defense and NATO. Prior to that, he worked on national security affairs at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he drafted numerous pieces of sections of legislation intended to combat weapons of mass destruction and disrupt terrorist networks. prgtoken Mr. Billingslea's qualifications and capabilities were affirmed when he received bipartisan support from the Banking Committee in a 19-to-4 vote. prgtoken Before we proceed to the cloture vote on Mr. Billingslea, we will have a final vote on Ms. Sigal Mandelker's nomination to be Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Crimes, which I spoke about yesterday. prgtoken These two positions are critically important to defending our Nation from threats and securing our interests. As Assistant Secretary, Mr. Billingslea would work closely with Ms. Mandelker as head of the policy and outreach apparatus for the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, which Ms. Mandelker would lead. prgtoken As we saw with the Senate passage of the Iran sanctions bill and our Russia sanctions amendment last week, there is strong bipartisan support in Congress to remain strong against these Nations. As with the passage of that bill, I urge my colleagues to confirm Ms. Mandelker and to move forward with Mr. Billingslea's nomination so they can carry out the important work for which we have already shown such strong bipartisan support. prgtoken Thank you. .
ELECTRICITY RELIABILITY AND FOREST PROTECTION ACT
Ken Calvert (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-6-21

. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to be here today in strong support of H.R. 1873, the Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act. prgtoken As we enter wildfire season, it is of the upmost importance that the federal government act to prevent these devastating disasters. prgtoken The Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act strengthens electric grid reliability while reducing the risk of fires and fire hazards caused by poor vegetation management in power line rights-of- way on federally managed public lands. prgtoken Currently, bureaucratic permitting delays impede electric utility companies from effectively managing overgrowth near electric infrastructure, which puts these areas at greater risk for a fire event. This common-sense, widely-supported, legislation would require an expedited federal review process for trees that are dangerously close to power lines. prgtoken The effective management of this unruly vegetation is especially important in my home state of California, where in 2016, an overwhelming 6,986 fires destroyed over 565,000 acres of land throughout the state. prgtoken I thank my Colleague from California, Mr. LaMalfa, for his leadership on this legislation and I look forward to supporting the Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act later today.
CONGRATULATING AYESHA AHSAN
Andy Biggs (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2017-6-21

I rise today to honor Ayesha Ahsan, a resident of Arizona's Fifth Congressional District, who has earned a significant achievement: the Congressional Award Gold Medal. Ayesha has completed 400 hours of voluntary public service, 200 hours each of personal development and physical fitness, and a 5-day, 4-night expedition. prgtoken She is one of five Arizonans and only 373 Americans to win this prestigious award in 2017. prgtoken Ayesha volunteered at her local hospital in outpatient services, where she was responsible for registering patients who needed vital tests. prgtoken For her personal development requirement, Ms. Ahsan participated in weekly study groups with her friends to prepare for the SAT exam; and for physical fitness, she worked out at the local gym. For her expedition, she traveled to Sedona, Arizona, where she enjoyed hiking and exploration of that town. prgtoken Congratulations to Ayesha on these achievements. By completing the benchmarks for this award, Ayesha has learned perseverance and diligence, traits that will last her a lifetime. prgtoken I thank her for her example and service to our community, and I wish her well with her future endeavors.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1873, ELECTRICITY RELIABILITY AND FOREST PROTECTION ACT, AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1654, WATER SUPPLY PERMITTING COORDINATION ACT
Ken Buck (Republican, CO) \u2014 2017-6-21

I thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse), my colleague on the Rules Committee, for yielding. prgtoken , in the West, water is life. Coloradans must wisely steward the precious water flowing through our lands. That is why we are so focused on water storage projects. prgtoken Unfortunately, many water storage projects in my State face significant setbacks in permitting due to a long list of regulatory checkboxes. Local, State, and Federal agencies all have their own requirements. prgtoken For the past several years, I have followed multiple important water storage projects on the front range of Colorado that deeply impact Coloradans. Year after year, the shovels remain untouched as the water projects inched their way through the regulatory permitting process. Water projects should not take over 10 years to permit and then only a few years to build. prgtoken Much of this delay occurs because each level of government--local, State, and Federal--requires their own studies and permitting checklists, even though many of those requirements are the same or only slightly different. prgtoken H.R. 1654 makes this process more efficient, allowing the Bureau of Reclamation to coordinate the Federal and State permitting processes, so that we can avoid unnecessary duplication and so that we can better unify the approval requirements. prgtoken H.R. 1654 offers a more streamlined approval process for our water projects but still empowers State and Federal governments to fulfill our duties to protect communities and the environment. prgtoken This is a good government bill. We are simply asking different levels of government to work together so that our water projects can earn the permits they rightfully qualify for. prgtoken No water project should take 10 years to gain approval, but too many have. H.R. 1654 ensures that projects on Federal lands will have a clear, more efficient permit application process. prgtoken We owe this bill to the people of Colorado; we owe this bill to the people of the West. We owe this bill to everyone in this country who relies on fresh, clean drinking water. We owe it to the farmers who need water for their crops, to the ranchers who need water for their livestock, to the anglers who need water for their recreation. prgtoken I am supporting H.R. 1654 for these people. I ask my colleagues to support this important legislation as well.
SURVIVORS OF BUS ACCIDENT IN TANZANIA AIDED BY SIOUXLAND TANZANIA EDUCATIONAL MEDICAL MINISTRIES
Steve King (Republican, IA) \u2014 2017-6-21

it is my honor and privilege to be recognized to address you here on the floor of the United States House of Representatives, this great deliberative body that we have and are, and this deliberative body that brings this Nation together to discuss our troubles, to discuss our triumphs, and sometimes intensively debate our disagreements here on the floor and in committee. We have seen a fair amount of that disagreement around the country. prgtoken There are a few things we see that brings this country together, and we join together in these efforts when we can be Americans, and reach out with the hand of the American heart and spirit and help others when they are in sometimes dire need and dire difficulty. prgtoken , I come to the floor this afternoon to discuss one of these circumstances where Americans joined together and reached out their hands--not only of friendship but physically reached out their hands--to deliver the kind of medical care that saved three lives from a terrible accident that took place in Tanzania. prgtoken This terrible accident in Tanzania was worldwide news. There were 39 people on a bus in Tanzania, and all but three were students, children, 12 to 13 years old. There were two teachers and a bus driver on the bus. prgtoken From the reports that I got, the bus was going too fast. It went around a curve and reached the peak of a bump in the road, a rise in the road. The bus went airborne off the road into a ravine, and it crashed nose down in the same fashion that a plane might crash into the Earth. prgtoken Of the 39 people on the bus, 36 of them children, there were only three survivors. These three survivors were in the back of the bus, and all others in the front were thrown to the front, where the engine and the front part of the bus, all the way back to behind the driver, was jammed into the fuselage, I might call it, of the bus itself. And as that was jammed backwards, they were all thrown into that. prgtoken The three survivors were in the back, and the violence to them was cushioned, to a degree, by those who had perished in front of them. Everyone else was essentially instantly killed, and these three children by the name of Wilson and Sadia and Doreen were survivors. The bus was crushed together like a tin can. prgtoken Three vehicles behind the bus were some missionary workers who are associated with STEMM, the Siouxland Tanzania Educational Medical Ministries, which was formed in Sioux City, Iowa, and it was formed by the inspiration of a long chain of, I will say, the Hand of Providence that arranges people together. They were there in Tanzania, following the bus three vehicles behind. prgtoken , the situation there was that, as they saw the bus go off the road and crash, the bus crashed down off into the ravine; they stopped. The three of them were trained medical personnel named Kevin Nygard and Jennifer Milby and Amanda Volkers. I believe there are also a couple that
SUPPORT DEFERMENT FOR ACTIVE CANCER TREATMENT ACT
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-6-21

Representative Ed Perlmutter and I will be introducing the Deferment for Active Cancer Treatment Act. prgtoken In 2017, more than 1.6 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer, and many of them are currently repaying their student loans. For these individuals, a cancer diagnosis goes beyond the exhaustive treatment and increased medical expenditures and often leads to unemployment or underemployment. As a response to this growing problem, I have introduced the Deferment for Active Cancer Treatment Act. prgtoken This commonsense bill will enable cancer patients to defer payments on their public student loans while actively receiving treatment without interest accruing during this difficult period, helping them, thusly, to avoid defaults. This measure will also help lenders by empowering borrowers to continue repaying their public loans after their treatment ends, leading to fewer defaults. prgtoken , I encourage my colleagues to join Mr. Perlmutter and me in standing with cancer patients prgtoken throughout our Nation and supporting the Deferment for Active Cancer Treatment Act.
125TH ANNIVERSARY OF SUMMIT, SOUTH DAKOTA
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2017-6-21

today I recognize Summit, SD. The town of Summit will be celebrating its quasquicentennial on June 23 through 25, 2017. Summit will host quasquicentennial events, which include school tours, alumni gatherings, a craft and flea market, competitions, tournaments, and a parade. prgtoken Summit is located in the Coteau des Prairies in Roberts County. The Summit area has long been known as a community enriched with various outdoor activities, such as fishing, hunting, and camping. Since its founding 125 years ago, the community of Summit continues to serve as a strong example of South Dakota values and traditions. It is also known as the location of the annual Fog Fest. prgtoken I offer my congratulations to the citizens of Summit on their quasquicentennial celebration and wish them continued prosperity in the years to come.
COMMEMORATING AMERICAN EAGLE DAY
David P. Roe (Republican, TN) \u2014 2017-6-21

I am proud once again to rise and join in commemorating June 20, 2017, as American Eagle Day and to celebrate the recovery and restoration of the bald eagle, the national symbol of the United States. prgtoken On June 20, 1782, the eagle was designated as the national symbol of the U.S. by the Founding Fathers at the Second Continental Congress. The bald eagle is the central image of the Great Seal of the United States and is displayed in the official seal of many branches and departments of the Federal Government. prgtoken The bald eagle is an inspiring symbol of freedom and the democracy of the United States. Since the founding of the Nation, the image, meaning, and symbolism of the eagle have played a significant role in art, music, history, commerce, literature, architecture, and culture of the United States. prgtoken The bald eagle's habitat exists only in North America. I hope my colleagues will join me in celebrating June 20, 2017, as American Eagle Day, which marks the recovery and restoration of the bald eagle.
ORDERS FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2017
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-6-21

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 22; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Billingslea nomination postcloture; finally, that all time during morning business, recess, adjournment, and leader remarks count postcloture on the Billingslea nomination.
Requests for Authority for Committees to Meet (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-6-21

if I could take 30 seconds more--because my colleague from Louisiana is here--I, frankly, think the objection to nine committees meeting in the Senate is indefensible. I mentioned the three committee hearings we had this morning, but they are just an indicator of important issues, such as the investigation by the Intelligence Committee of Russian involvement in our election; the Judiciary Committee looking into prgtoken the role of MS-13, one of the most dangerous and violent street gangs in America, with about 10,000 gang members present in the United States. We are looking at things like trade and the importance of modernizing NAFTA and the 5 million jobs that binational trade supports with Mexico or the 8 million jobs with Canada. prgtoken For our ic colleagues to object to our being able to meet in committees because of their pique over healthcare--which they have voluntarily taken themselves out of--is just beyond indefensible. I hope the American people realize exactly what they are doing. This is the temper tantrum I talked about a moment ago. This is not about having an open and honest debate and trying to solve a problem that, frankly, is not just our problem; it is a problem for all Americans. We ought to do better than that. We ought to hold ourselves to a higher standard than that. But this is the kind of temper tantrum, unfortunately, you get when a political party is not willing to participate in the debate and where they have no ideas that are actually workable, other than a single-payer system that will bankrupt the country and will fail to deliver quality healthcare to all our citizens. prgtoken .