mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-3-9

. Mr President, I am proud to introduce the Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act today, together with my colleague Senator Duckworth, to try to bring some transparency and fairness into FEMA's disaster declaration process. prgtoken The inspiration for this bill was a tragic one. On February 29, 2012, a category F-4 tornado tore through southeastern Illinois, causing major damage in the towns of burg and Ridgway. Eight people in burg died in that event and 15 people were killed in total. Winds reached 175 miles per hour. It is not too much of a stretch to say these two small towns were almost wiped off the map. prgtoken And just last week, on February 28, 2017, another tragedy struck the small towns of Ottawa and Naplate after a category F-3 tornado tore through North Central Illinois. Two people in Ottawa died in last week's storm and at least 50 homes were damaged or destroyed. prgtoken Requests for Federal assistance after a disaster are made by the Governor of each State based on State emergency management damage assessments. In the case of the burg and Ridgway tornado, the Governor's request for a Federal emergency declaration for individual assistance was denied, as was the State's appeal of that decision. With that denial, individuals whose homes or properties were damaged were precluded from direct Federal help. prgtoken When I asked FEMA why it denied the Governor's request, I was told that the disaster did not meet or exceed the State's per capita figure. Currently, FEMA multiplies the number of people in a State by $1.43 to determine a threshold of the amount of damage a State would incur to be considered for Federal assistance. In Illinois, that figure is more than $18 million. In other words, because Illinois is a highly populous State, it is presumed it can absorb the costs of cleanup and recovery from disasters up to more than $18 million. prgtoken From 2002 to 2012, Illinois was denied Federal disaster assistance seven times. Texas was denied 13 times. Florida was denied Federal disaster assistance eight times during that period, and California, New Jersey, and New York were each denied four times. prgtoken FEMA's formula does not work for large, populous States, particularly those with a concentrated urban area, like Illinois. prgtoken Illinois ran into this issue again in November 2013 when tornadoes swept through the State. That time, six people were killed and whole neighborhoods were nearly destroyed. The cities of Washington, Gifford, and New Minden, Illinois, experienced some of the worst tornado damage I have ever seen. Their infrastructure was decimated, but because Illinois did not meet one of FEMA's criteria, we were denied Federal public assistance. prgtoken In the case of last week's tornado in Ottawa and Naplate, Illinois, may not even be able to request federal help because damage assessments are too low to reach anything close to FEMA's per capita requirement
INTRODUCTION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2017-3-9

today, I introduce the District of Columbia Paperwork Reduction Act, to eliminate the wasteful congressional review process for legislation passed by the District of Columbia Council and to align longtime congressional practice and the law. The congressional review process for D.C. bills is almost entirely ignored by Congress, providing it no benefit, but imposes substantial costs, in time and money, on the District. Congress has almost always used the appropriations process rather than the disapproval process to block or nullify D.C.'s legislation, and entirely abandoned the congressional review process as its mechanism for nullifying D.C. legislation 24 years ago, having only used it three times before then. Yet Congress still requires the D.C. Council to use Kafkaesque make-work procedures to comply with the abandoned congressional review process established by the Home Rule Act of 1973. prgtoken Our bill would eliminate the congressional review process for legislation passed by the D.C. Council. However, Congress would lose no authority it currently exercises because, even upon enactment of this bill, Congress would retain its authority under clause 17 of section 8 of article I of the U.S. Constitution to amend or overturn any D.C. legislation at any time. prgtoken The congressional review process, 30 days for civil bills and 60 days for criminal bills, includes those days when either house of Congress is in session, delaying D.C. bills from becoming law often for many months. The delay forces the D.C. Council to pass most bills several times, using a cumbersome and complicated process to ensure that the operations of this large and rapidly changing city continue uninterrupted, avoiding a lapse of the bill before it becomes final. The congressional calendar means that a 30-day period usually lasts a couple of months and often much longer because of congressional recesses. The congressional review period for a bill that changed the word handicap to disability lasted nine months. The Council estimates that 50 to 65 percent of the bills it passes could be eliminated if the review period did not exist. To ensure that a bill becomes law, the Council often must pass the same legislation in three forms: emergency (in effect for 90 days), temporary (in effect for 225 days) and permanent. Moreover, the Council has to carefully track the days the House and Senate are in session for each D.C. bill it passes to avoid gaps and to determine when the bills have taken effect. The Council estimates that it could save 5,000 employee-hours and 160,000 sheets of paper per two-year Council period if the review period were eliminated. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy addressed the issue of saving such resources by eliminating the amount of paperwork sent to Congress when he proposed a cut in the number of reports that federal agencies are required to submit to Congress. Our bill is a perfect candidate because it
75TH ANNIVERSARY OF APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-3-9

today, we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory. prgtoken I am fortunate to represent Maryland, a State that plays a leading role in science, technology, and innovation. From NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Maryland is at the frontier of discovery and innovation. Among Maryland's leaders in space, science, and innovation is the Applied Physics Laboratory, or APL prgtoken From its humble beginnings in a converted auto dealership in Silver Spring, MD, to its current state-of-the-art facility in Howard County, APL has designed, built, and launched countless spacecraft and instruments. Like the Goddard Space Flight Center, APL provides a great economic boost for Maryland, employing thousands of Marylanders and generating $1 billion in annual revenues. APL serves both civil and national security clients, in areas from homeland protection and undersea warfare to missile systems and biomedicine. prgtoken Early on the morning of July 14, 2015, along with representatives from NASA and the Southwest Research Institute, and my old friend Dr. Tom Krimigis, I was able to visit APL to witness the Pluto flyby of the spacecraft New Horizons. I waited eagerly as New Horizons flew 7,800 miles above the surface of Pluto, making it the first spacecraft to explore the dwarf planet. The excitement and pride in the room was palpable. Maryland and the Applied Physics Laboratory were once again playing a critical role in the history of human discovery. prgtoken I am grateful for the work that APL has done. And I look forward to the work that APL will continue to do, well into the future. I join my Colleague, Senator Ben Cardin, in sponsoring a resolution congratulating the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab on the 75th anniversary of the Lab's founding. prgtoken Humanity has long asked: From where did we come? And are we alone? Places like APL will help us answer fundamental questions like these. I am proud to represent them here in the prgtoken U.S. Senate, and I look forward to working with them to keep science, space, and space technology strong and vibrant in Maryland and the United States for years to come. prgtoken I congratulate APL, Johns Hopkins, and its many partners as they celebrate this important milestone.
FIX HEALTH CARE, DON'T DESTROY IT
Charlie Crist (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-3-9

I rise today in strong support of strengthening the Affordable Care Act. Last Saturday, we held a townhall meeting in my home of St. Petersburg, Florida. Over 550 Pinellas County residents showed up, and the message was overwhelming: Work together, fix health care, don't destroy it, put people above politics. prgtoken The bill unveiled this week would drive up healthcare costs, strip away important protections, and leave millions without coverage. It is wrong for senior citizens. It is wrong for women. It is wrong for the poor and the disabled. We are judged by how we treat the least among us.
OPPOSING REPEAL AND REPLACE
Bradley Scott Schneider (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-3-9

I rise today in strong opposition to the repeal and replace bill offered by my colleagues. I have never believed Care was perfect, but it was a step in the right direction. prgtoken We will only move our healthcare policy forward by working together to prgtoken build on the very real successes of ACA and fix the actual problems with the law. But this legislation as proposed does none of that and, in fact, takes us in the opposite direction. prgtoken Under the proposed legislation, 10 million Americans would lose their health insurance, according to an analysis from Standard and Poor's. Seniors would be charged much more than what others pay for health care, and the 3.2 million Illinoisans who depend on Medicaid will face cuts to their coverage. prgtoken , this House is recklessly and unnecessarily rushing to a vote before we have basic answers. Most importantly, we need to know from the Congressional Budget Office how many people this bill will and will not cover and how much it will cost. prgtoken We need to set aside the politics and work in a bipartisan way to give all Americans quality, affordable health care. prgtoken I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose the bill.
END HUNGER NOW
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-3-9

this week, the Food Research & Action Center, known as FRAC, and Feeding prgtoken America, in conjunction with the National Child and Adult Care Food Program Forum, hosted their annual fly-in. Over 1,200 hunger advocates from every State came to Washington, D.C to meet with their local Members of Congress and to emphasize the importance of the Federal antihunger programs in alleviating food insecurity and poverty amongst our most vulnerable constituents. prgtoken These advocates delivered powerful messages to Members of Congress: as we consider the FY 2018 budget and appropriations legislation, and as we work to craft a 2018 farm bill, our antihunger safety net must stay intact. That means no block grants or structural changes to SNAP; no funding cuts to SNAP or any other antihunger programs. prgtoken These advocates, , also delivered paper plates to their Members of Congress containing powerful messages from constituents who rely on antihunger safety net programs. prgtoken I would urge all my colleagues to make sure they read these paper plates. These aren't statistics. These are real human beings. These are our constituents, our brothers and sisters. prgtoken I would like to read a few of the messages that were sent to me from people in my district. prgtoken This is from a client at the Northbridge Food Pantry in Massachusetts: ``Without food assistance, I wouldn't have any other source of nourishment. I have many medical issues, and a proper diet is necessary.'' prgtoken This is from, again, another client from the Northbridge Food Pantry: ``Food stamps are important to me and my family because I have lung cancer, and it is next to impossible to find a job, to buy food. My husband barely makes enough to pay the bills, that is not counting food.'' prgtoken Also, another client from the Northbridge Food Pantry: ``Food stamps is important to me 'cause I don't make any money to support myself, let alone I'm disabled and I only make $16 for SNAP. I need food to survive and to stay healthy.'' prgtoken This is from a client at Centro Las Americas in Worcester: ``For me, they are very important, so that my children have good balance and nutrition.'' prgtoken Also, from Centro Las Americas in Worcester: ``Well, for me, they fill a gap because I am a single father who has a child.'' prgtoken This is from a client at the Marie Anne Center in Worcester, Massachusetts: ``I think SNAP is important because it helps, because it helps families.'' prgtoken This is from a client at the Amherst Survival Center: ``It means there is food every night.'' prgtoken Also, from the Amherst Survival Center: ``I thank God for the food pantry because most of my income goes toward bills. The food pantry really relieves the anxiety of not having enough to go around. Thank you.'' prgtoken Also, from the Amherst Survival Center: ``I am in bad health. I can't work. The food pantry really helps my family. Thanks to the food pantry. Thanks Survival
FAIRNESS IN CLASS ACTION LITIGATION ACT OF 2017
Betty McCollum (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2017-3-9

. Mr. Chair, asbestos is a deadly poison. It can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma. Once detected, these patients survive only, on average, 8 to 14 months. It was true for Congressman Bruce Vento, who proudly served the families of Minnesota's Fourth District for more than 23 years in this House. prgtoken Bruce was a friend, and he died from mesothelioma 8\1/2\ months after he was diagnosed. Congress has a responsibility to find real solutions to support mesothelioma victims and their families, but H.R. 985 would not support the families. In fact, it exposes families at a time of great vulnerableness. prgtoken It exposes them by putting their identity, their name, their address, and the last four digits of their Social Security number on a public website--a public website--when this information has already been given in a confidential manner. prgtoken It is especially outrageous to me that once again this legislation is on the floor and it fails to protect children who are victims of asbestos exposure from having their information shared publicly. Parents should have the peace of mind knowing that their child's privacy is secure and not on the internet where who knows who would be out possibly preying on them. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to stand with me, stand with the mesothelioma victims, stand with their families, stand with their children, and oppose this bill, as they have asked me to do.
INTRODUCTION OF NO TRUMP ACT
Earl Blumenauer (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-3-9

the presidency should not be a get-rich- quick scheme. No president or presidential family should be able to exploit the Oval Office to get rich or become even wealthier. prgtoken The emoluments clause of the Constitution expressly forbids the President from accepting payments from foreign governments which, in my opinion, happens whenever an agent of a foreign government stays in any president's hotel. While this constitutional protection may have been enough in the past, we are now in uncharted waters. Hardly a week goes by without reports of taxpayer-funded trips by the President or his family to one of his family-owned properties throughout the world. These excesses have surpassed anything that this nation has seen before, and this unprecedented abuse of taxpayer dollars demands an additional ethical check on the office of the presidency. prgtoken That's why I'm introducing the No TRUMP Act, the No Taxpayer Revenue Used to Monetize the Presidency Act. This legislation would prohibit the use of taxpayer funds to pay for food, lodging, or other expenses at hotels owned or operated by a president or his or her relatives, ensuring that there is no personal financial incentive for the current or any future president and family to stay or hold official meetings or events at certain properties across the United States or abroad. In the interest of safety, the bill would allow the Secret Service to continue guarding First Family residences-- Tower in New York and Mar-a- Lago in Palm Beach, FL. prgtoken With so many unresolved concerns about White House business conflicts, this is a responsible step to make sure that the public doesn't subsidize the President's private interests.
TRUMPCARE COSTS MORE AND DELIVERS LESS
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-3-9

in listening to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle this morning, I am struck by the adage, ``You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.'' prgtoken I think it is important to note that the reality of the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 was that there were hundreds of hours of hearings, many opportunities for all Members to provide input, mandatory processes that allowed for changes to that legislation that eventually became law, discussion, and a CBO analysis that shed light on the true cost--nothing like what has been described during the 24- hour whirlwind in the middle of the night that has resulted in the ramming through of legislation that will clearly increase costs and cover fewer individuals. prgtoken , as a mother, a breast cancer survivor, and a proud Floridian, I rise today in opposition to the majority's irresponsible proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken After preaching for 7 years about a superior alternative to Care, my colleagues across the aisle have finally revealed their Care plan to the American people. prgtoken As you might expect from Care, it promises more, delivers less, has fewer protections, and costs more. In other words, it will make America sick again. prgtoken To add insult to injury, my colleagues have moved this bill under the cover of darkness, without any hearings or even an analysis of its cost from the Congressional Budget Office. prgtoken However, we do have an earlier CBO report that estimates that 15 million people would lose health insurance just as a result of repealing the individual mandate, which this bill, of course, does. prgtoken Perhaps even more disturbing is the fact that President told 129 million Americans like me, as a breast cancer survivor with preexisting conditions, that he would preserve the ACA provision prohibiting insurance companies from dropping us or denying us coverage, but he and his colleagues in the House broke their promise and did not keep their word. prgtoken The bill would once again allow insurance companies to charge people higher premiums when they have a preexisting condition, which will make coverage unaffordable. That is unconscionable. prgtoken This bill will also punish millions of people who experience a lapse in coverage. Before we had the Affordable Care Act, an estimated 59.1 million people lacked continuous coverage for at least part of the previous year. prgtoken One of those 59.1 million people was Suzanne Boyd from my district in Sunrise, Florida, who, with two daughters heading to college, was just starting to realize her dream of owing her own special events small business as her full-time job. Suzanne had insurance coverage for years through her husband's employer-sponsored health plan, until 2012, when her husband, Mark, died of lung cancer. Two weeks later, the family lost their employer-sponsored health insur
TrumpCare (Executive Session)
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2017-3-9

. I appreciate the eloquent comments from the Senator from Oregon and all of his efforts to make sure we don't take away healthcare for so many people who desperately need it. prgtoken That is why I came to the floor today, because I spent the week we were back home--not last week but the week before--talking to constituents in New Hampshire and listening to what their concerns were. prgtoken What I heard was that people were deeply, deeply concerned and very upset by the efforts here to repeal the Affordable Care Act, when they didn't know what the replacement meant for them. In dozens of conversations and roundtable discussions at a townhall forum, Granite Staters shared stories of how the Affordable Care Act has been a lifeline for them. I heard from people who say their lives have been saved by the law. prgtoken In fact, we can see what is at risk in the State of New Hampshire, where we have almost 600,000 Granite Staters who have preexisting conditions. We have 118,000 people who could lose coverage. We have 50,000 Granite Staters with marketplace plans who are in the exchange, 42,000 who are enrolled in Medicaid, and 31,000 who have tax credits that lower the cost of healthcare for them. If that is taken away, so many of those people have no option for getting healthcare. prgtoken What we know now, after we have finally seen the plan leaders are talking about, we know those fears were well founded that they were worried they were going to lose their healthcare. What we have seen is legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act that would have catastrophic consequences not only for people in New Hampshire but for people across this country. prgtoken It is especially distressing that Care--as it has been introduced by the s--would roll back expansion of the Medicaid Program, which has, in New Hampshire and across this country, been an indispensable tool in our efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. In addition, we are seeing, as the Senator from Oregon pointed out, that Care would terminate healthcare subsidies for the middle class and for other working Americans, and it would replace those subsidies with totally inadequate tax credits--as low as $2,000, which doesn't begin to pay for healthcare coverage for an individual, much less a family. This means as many as 20 million Americans could lose their healthcare coverage. prgtoken Even as the bill makes devastating cuts to the middle class, it gives the wealthiest Americans a new tax break worth several hundred thousand dollars per taxpayer. I think this proposed legislation is totally out of touch with the lives of millions of working Americans, people whose health and financial situation would be turned upside down by the bill. prgtoken Last week, in his response to President 's address to Congress, former Gov. Steve Beshear of Kentucky said something that really resonated with me. He reminded us that people who have acce