[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 84 (Wednesday, June 24, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7037-S7038]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  NATIONAL DROUGHT POLICY ACT OF 1998

  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
proceed to the consideration of calendar No. 416, H.R. 3035.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 3035) to establish an advisory commission to 
     provide advice and recommendations on the creation of an 
     integrated, coordinated Federal policy designed to prepare 
     for and respond to serious drought emergencies.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the bill?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. ENZI. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered, read a 
third time, and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, and any statements relating to the bill appear at the 
appropriate place in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (H.R. 3035) was considered, read the third time, and passed.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I am very pleased that the Senate today 
has passed the National Drought Policy Act of 1998. I introduced the 
National Drought Policy Act of 1997 a year and a half ago in response 
to the devastating drought suffered in New Mexico and the rest of the 
Southwest in 1996. The Senate passed that legislation, and 
Representative Skeen introduced H.R. 3035. The time is indeed ripe to 
send this legislation now to the President, as once again the Southwest 
may face devastating drought conditions.
  The drought of 1996 was a natural disaster that cost $5 Billion in 
the Western United States. Already this year,

[[Page S7038]]

drought conditions in Texas are parching farming and grazing lands that 
will cost an estimated $1.7 Billion in crop and livestock losses. 
Drought conditions are also being reported in areas throughout the 
South. And the summer of 1998 has not yet officially begun.
  Every region in the United States can be hit by these catastrophes. 
Yet, while drought is so pervasive and affects the economic and 
environmental well-being of the entire nation, the United States is 
poorly prepared to deal with serious drought emergencies. As a result 
of the hardships being suffered in every part of my state last year, I 
convened a special Multi-State Drought Task Force of federal, state, 
local, and tribal emergency management agencies to coordinate efforts 
to respond to the drought. The Task Force was ably headed up by the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, and included every federal agency 
that has programs designed to deal with drought.
  Unfortunately, what the Task Force found was this: although the 
federal government has numerous drought related programs on the books, 
we have no integrated, coordinated system of implementing those 
programs. Drought victims in this nation do not know who to turn to for 
help, and when they finally do find help, it is too late and totally 
inadequate. The gradual nature of drought devastation underscores the 
need for drought management rather than drought response.
  This legislation will be the first step toward finally establishing a 
coherent, effective national drought policy. The House-passed bill only 
slightly modifies my original language which passed the Senate in 
November. The National Drought Policy Act of 1998 creates a commission 
comprised of representatives of those federal, state, local, and tribal 
agencies and organizations that are most involved with drought issues. 
S. 222 charges the commission with providing recommendations on a 
permanent and systematic Federal process to address this particular 
type of devastating natural disaster.
  Unfortunately, drought conditions are a way of life in my region of 
the country. But better planning on our part, and with the 
recommendations of the Drought Commission established by this 
legislation, may limit some of the damage. I look forward to the 
President's prompt signing of this important legislation.

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