[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 126 (Friday, September 24, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11432-S11439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. FRIST (for himself, Mr. Breaux, Mr. McCain, Mr. Hollings, 
        and Mr. Rockefeller):
  S. 1639. A bill to authorize appropriations for carrying out the 
Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, for the National Weather 
Service and Related Agencies, and for the United States Fire 
Administration for fiscal years 2000, 2001, and 2002; to the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.


            earth, wind, and fire authorization act of 1999

 Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Earth, 
Wind, and Fire Authorization Act of 1999. This legislation would 
authorize three public safety entities: the National Earthquake Hazard 
Reduction Program (NEHRP), the National Weather Service and related 
agencies of the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and 
the U.S. Fire Administration for fiscal years (FY) 2000, 2001, and 
2002. Each of these entities have important science and technology 
safety programs which serve as a powerful example of the types of 
research that Federal Government should be investing its scarce 
resources in--the safety and protection of the American public.
  Weather forecasts are an indispensable element of our everyday lives. 
As Hurricane Floyd ravaged the eastern coast of the United States last 
week, millions of Americans from the southern tip of Florida to the 
ports of Boston tuned into their local weather channels to obtain the 
latest information from the National Weather Service (NWS). They 
evaluated the very safety of their homes, possessions, and loved ones 
based upon televised data. Numerous organizations including schools, 
public transportation, and local businesses were also captivated by NWS 
forecasts to determine the potential of Hurricane Floyed to threaten 
the safety of its citizens.
  The Earth, Wind, and Fire Authorization Act of 1999 authorizes the 
NWS at $617.9 million in FY 2000, $651.9 million for FY 2001, and 
$687.7 million for FY 2002. Atmospheric Research is authorized at 
$173.3 million in FY 2000, $182.8 million in FY 2001, and $192.8 
million in FY 2002. And the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and 
Information Service (NESDIS) is authorized at $103 million for FY 2000, 
$108.8 million for FY 2001, and $114.7 million for FY 2002. NESDIS 
provides for the procurement, launch, and operation of the polar 
orbiting and geostationary environmental satellites, as well as the 
management of NOAA's environmental data collections.
  Also in the news today is the recent earthquake in Taiwan. The 
tremendous loss of lives and property has been beyond our 
comprehension. I am pleased to authorize a federal research program 
that targets these natural disasters. NEHRP combines research, 
planning, and response activities conducted within each of the four 
specified agencies; Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. 
Geological Survey (USGS), National Science Foundation (NSF), and 
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The ultimate 
goal of this multi-agency program is to protect lives and property.
  The NEHRP is authorized at the following levels ($ millions):

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                FY2000   FY2001   FY2002
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEMA.........................................     19.8     20.9     22.0
USGS.........................................     46.1     48.6     51.3
NSF..........................................     29.9     31.5     33.3
NIST.........................................      2.2      2.2      2.4
------------------------------------------------------------------------

  The mission of the U.S. Fire Administration is to enhance the 
nation's fire prevention and control activities, and thereby 
significantly reduce the nation's loss of life from fire while also 
achieving a reduction in property loss and nonfatal injury due to fire.
  The bill, which authorizes the Fire Administration for $46.1 million 
in fiscal year 2000, $47.6 million for fiscal year 2001, and $49 
million for fiscal year 2002, provides for collection, analysis, and 
dissemination of fire incidence and loss data; development and 
dissemination of public fire education materials; development and 
dissemination of better hazardous materials response information for 
first respondents; and support for research and development for fire 
safety technologies.
  With this authorization, our local and state firefighters will 
continue to have assess to the training from the National Fire Academy 
necessary to allow them to better perform their jobs of saving lives 
and protecting property.
  The authorization levels detailed above in each independent programs 
are based upon an overall 5.5 percent increase for research programs 
for FY 2001 and 2002 over the President's FY 2000 budget request to be 
consistent with the Federal Research Investment Act.
  Mr. President, there are some additional concerns that the committee 
will continue to address as we proceed to move this legislation. They 
include the proper role of the NWS and the commercial weather service 
industry, and several employee-related concerns.
  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I join my colleague Senator Frist in 
introducing this bill to authorize the atmospheric programs of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Fire 
Administration, and the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program 
(NEHRP) through FY 2002. These agencies are doing important work to 
protect public safety through prediction, education, and mitigation 
efforts.
  This bill authorizes the ``dry'' side of NOAA, the Fire 
Administration, and NEHRP at the President's requested level for FY 
2000. The Senate-passed Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations bill 
provided additional monies for the Weather Service and atmospheric 
research within NOAA, and Senator Frist has agreed to revise this 
authorization bill during the Commerce Committee's consideration to 
reflect this additional support.
  As many of you know, I have been trying to put the ``O'' back in NOAA 
for years, so it is interesting to be co-sponsoring a bill which 
authorizes only the ``dry'' side of NOAA. My support for the ``wet'' 
programs of NOAA has not waned. Senator Frist, Senator Breaux, and I 
have also been working with Senators Kerry and Snowe to craft a bill 
which will authorize all of the programs of NOAA.
  NOAA is doing some important work. We need only look at their 
superior warnings during and after Hurricane Floyd to see that the 
National Weather Service directly impacts the lives of Americans every 
day. Every weather report heard on the Weather Channel, CNN, and local 
affiliates was based on information provided by NOAA. The agency worked 
with emergency managers, the private sector, and the public to make 
sure that its predictions and warnings were heard and could save lives 
and property.
  NOAA's atmospheric scientists are also at work to help us understand 
what our weather might be like not just next week but also next year or 
in the next decade. NOAA is trying to understand long-term climate 
change, as well as seasonal patterns like El Nino and La Nina. 
Meanwhile, NOAA's satellite operations keep our eyes in the sky in 
working order and help us understand and predict the path of large 
systems like hurricanes.
  I especially appreciate the hard work that the Weather Service has 
undertaken in its modernization. While this is still a work in 
progress, NOAA has improved warning times and accuracy while 
undertaking a difficult streamlining process. I wonder if Congress may 
have asked NOAA to do too much with too little and am glad that the 
Weather Service has been able to fulfill its important mandate even 
where we might have cut too close to the bone.
  Mr. President, while I hope each of us are benefitting from the 
forecasts and warnings of the Weather Service, I hope that far fewer of 
us have to interact with this nation's fire service. The United States 
has over 2 million fires annually. Each one can devastate a

[[Page S11439]]

family or business. I should know. This August I lost my home in 
Charleston, South Carolina. The statistics--approximately 4500 deaths, 
30,000 civilian injuries, more than $8 billion in direct property 
losses, and more than $50 billion in costs to taxpayers each year--do 
not tell the whole story. A fire can take away a lifetime of things 
that have true value only to the person who has suffered the loss. The 
tragic thing is that most of these fires are preventable.
  The bill would authorize the United States Fire Administration which 
provides invaluable services--such as training, data, arson assistance, 
and research of better safety equipment and clothing--to the more than 
1.2 million paid and volunteer firefighters throughout the nation. I 
hope the Fire Administration will work quickly to resolve the 
outstanding recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel so that they can 
once again focus on reducing losses from fire and meet new challenges 
like medical emergencies, hazardous spills, and even acts of terrorism. 
The Strategic Plan called for in Section 302 of the bill should lay out 
a road map for this process.
  Finally, the bill would authorize the programs of the NEHRP. While 
most people only think of California as having earthquakes, all or 
parts of 39 states--populated by more than 70 million people--have been 
classified as having major or moderate seismic risk. In 1886, an 
earthquake leveled my hometown of Charleston. Estimates of the strength 
of the Charleston quake range from 7.0 to 7.6 on the Richter Scale. Of 
particular interest and concern about east coast quakes is that there 
is no known geological origin for them. This fact underscores the 
possibility of unpredictable seismic activity in the United States.
  What we do know though is that the loss of life and property from 
earthquakes can be considerable. That is what NEHRP is here for. It is 
a Federal interagency program--with participation from the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Geological Service, the National 
Science Foundation, and the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology--designed to help minimize the loss of life and property 
caused by earthquakes. It is supports scientific research on the 
origins of earthquakes, and funds engineering research to make 
buildings and other structures more seismically resistant. NEHRP also 
disseminates this technical information to the states and helps states 
and localities prepare for earthquakes. NEHRP focuses on helping states 
prepare for earthquakes, in contrast to Federal disaster response 
programs that help states after a major event.
  Mr. President, in conclusion the public safety programs authorized in 
this bill--the Weather Service, fire safety, and earthquake 
preparedness--protect the lives and property of every American citizen. 
Protecting public safety is one of the first and most important 
functions of government, and I am hopeful that my colleagues will join 
me in supporting these programs and this bill.
                                 ______