[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 51 (Monday, April 23, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3773-S3774]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              BROWNFIELDS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss an important piece 
of legislation that I believe we should be working on today, certainly 
tomorrow. This legislation, the bipartisan brownfields bill, S. 350, 
was reported from the Environment and Public Works Committee on 
February 27 by a vote of 15-3. This legislation now has 66 cosponsors. 
It is ready for floor action and has been for more than a month. 
There were a couple of people in committee who voiced concerns about 
specific bill language, particularly Senator Voinovich. I indicated at 
that time that we would work with him prior to the bill being ready for 
floor action to satisfy any problems he might have, and we did that. We 
worked with him, and I think Senator Voinovich is satisfied. Actually 
we worked day and night to reconcile these differences.

  The bill is very important. The bill would produce almost 600,000 
jobs around our country. It would increase annual tax revenues up to 
$2.4 billion. This is important environmental legislation. We need to 
move forward immediately. There has been a lot of controversy over what 
President Bush has done and what he has not done, but the one thing 
that he campaigned on was this legislation. He campaigned on the 
importance of this legislation. This is a

[[Page S3774]]

bill the administration endorses. This is a bill the Clinton 
administration endorsed. This is legislation that we should move 
forward. I see no reason we cannot. We are ready on this side to move 
forward. We hope that our friends on the other side of the aisle are 
ready to move forward. We have worked on this legislation for years. It 
is just not in the best interests of this country not to move forward. 
We have to move forward. This bill is truly a compromise. It is a 
consensus. I think its passage would indicate the true nature of this 
Senate. We are split 50-50, and this legislation, certainly with 66 
cosponsors, indicates our ability to reach across the aisle both ways. 
When we entered into this historic power sharing agreement this year, 
we indicated that we had a thoughtful, bipartisan Senate. I think it 
indicates the bipartisan nature of this bill. There is no need to wait 
any longer. We have a half million contaminated abandoned sites in the 
United States that are waiting to be cleaned up to become thriving 
parts of our communities. Some of these sites would take only a few 
dollars to clean up.
  For example, Mr. President, in Las Vegas, where we have the old 
National Guard armory, $50,000 in brownfields money cleaned that up and 
produced a site that is now really a thriving economic entity within 
the State of Nevada. It is creating jobs. There is now a tax base that 
will help support the people of Las Vegas and the State of Nevada.
  I do not want to be partisan today and I will not be partisan today, 
but as the days go on I am going to have to be more direct as to what 
the problem is in holding up this legislation. As I said, we are clear 
on this side. It is not right to hold up this bill. And I also say that 
this legislation has the support of the Senate. If we do not move this 
bill forward--and I think we could finish in just a few hours--in the 
regular course, I am going to be obligated to attach this bill to other 
legislation that moves through this body.
  I repeat, with 600,000 jobs, 500,000 abandoned sites, increasing 
annual tax revenues up to $2.4 billion, this is a bill that is good for 
the environment. It is good for jobs. We should not delay its 
consideration any longer. It is supported by the last administration, 
supposedly by this administration, and I hope the leadership in the 
Senate, the majority leader, will allow this matter to be brought 
before the Senate.
  This legislation has been worked on very closely by Senators 
Voinovich, Inhofe, Bond, and Crapo, as well as Senators Clinton, Boxer, 
Corzine, and Graham to accommodate all their interests. Senator Smith 
and I have worked hard to have this bill reported out of committee. I 
hope we can have action on the Senate floor at an early date--maybe 
this afternoon, maybe tomorrow. But I think we should move forward 
quickly.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GREGG. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Feinstein). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina is recognized.

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