[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 161 (Tuesday, November 27, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12047-S12049]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           REMEMBER NEW YORK

  Mrs. CLINTON. Madam President, exactly 11 weeks ago today, we as a 
nation suffered the most horrific and tragic attack in our long history 
on our shores. It is almost impossible to reconstruct the feelings, the 
emotions, the reactions that have swept through our Nation in the wake 
of the events of September 11. Certainly our Nation has responded both 
abroad, under the President's leadership, through the extraordinary 
efforts of our men and women in uniform, to root out the terrorists 
responsible for this attack. Here at home we have faced continuing 
challenges in the aftermath of September 11, including the use of 
anthrax to bring about death and injury and create an atmosphere of 
fear. But I want to bring our attention back to that part of our Nation 
that suffered the most grievous attack. That was in New York City in 
Lower Manhattan.

  I don't think it was any accident that the terrorists chose this 
particular place in America to launch their attack. New York City is 
the global city, not only the capital of global finance but of global 
media, of entertainment, of intellectual ferment. It is a beacon, a 
magnet for immigrants from throughout the world. So the attack was well 
planned, not only to destroy buildings and kill innocent people but to 
send a signal to America that the terrorists were aiming to undermine 
our way of life.
  Clearly, we have responded with such strength and resolution that the 
effort undertaken by those who thought they would destroy us has 
clearly been repudiated. We are, I believe, stronger and more unified 
today than we were on September 10. For that I am grateful. But I do 
not want our country, as we turn our television sets and our eyes 
toward Afghanistan, as we worry about tracking down whoever sent 
anthrax-laden envelopes to innocent people, including our colleagues, I 
do not want anyone to forget what happened on September 11 in New York 
City.
  This is an aerial view of Lower Manhattan. It gives you some sense of 
the destruction--acres and acres of destroyed buildings, fires that are 
still burning below ground. Looking at this today brings back the 
memories that I will always have of flying over this site on September 
12 and looking down and not only seeing that the towers and neighboring 
buildings were gone but looking into what appeared to be the jaws of 
hell.
  But beyond this picture of destruction there are so many lives that 
have been impacted forever, not only those who are no longer with us 
but their family members, their colleagues, their friends, and their 
neighbors have been affected, not only those who lost their lives but 
so many whose livelihoods were turned upside down.

[[Page S12048]]

  In New York City alone, as a result of the World Trade Center 
attacks, we lost over 3,500 innocent people. We are still reading their 
profiles and learning a little bit about each one because of the 
extraordinary series that the New York Times runs every day. For that I 
thank the Times.
  Some 20,000 families who called Lower Manhattan home were rendered 
homeless. Think of it; 20,000 families couldn't go home, not only 
because of the destruction but because of the air quality. It was 
reported yesterday that 8,000 have still not returned home.
  Madam President, 15 or 20 million square feet of office space was 
damaged or destroyed resulting in the loss of nearly 125,000 jobs. And 
because the scene--not just the immediate area of destruction known as 
Ground Zero but reaching far beyond--is a crime scene, and because the 
removal of the debris ties up streets, we have an area that is called 
the frozen zone. That makes it very difficult for businesses and 
residents to be able to resume anything resembling normal life.
  The New York City Partnership estimates we lost nearly 125,000 jobs, 
and that a total of 270,000 are at risk. The Partnership expects over 
50,000 small businesses to close their doors during the first quarter 
of the coming year. In the 45 days following the attack, 3,400 small 
businesses rendered inaccessible because of the damage and the crime 
scene designation lost an estimated $795 million in revenues.

  We know the specific cases of the losses are not just in the private 
sector, because the public sector was also impacted in a way from which 
it will take years to recover. The Metropolitan Transportation 
Authority and the Port Authority of New York suffered millions of 
dollars to subway stations, to the PATH train station and 
infrastructure that ran underground, under the river, bringing 
thousands and thousands of people to work every day.
  Hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses lost electricity 
and telephone capacity. Many remain without telephones all these weeks 
later.
  Verizon, which provides our phone service, and serves 300,000 voice 
lines and 3.5 million data circuits out of its building at 140 West 
Street, was severely impacted because the building was destroyed.
  Con Ed lost two substations that supplied power for nearly 400,000 
homes and businesses and suffered destruction of 11,000 feet of gas 
distribution lines. Con Ed continues to provide electricity through 
what are effectively 35 miles of extension cords. I have seen these big 
extension cords lying on top of the streets, and I know this is 
something that needs to be tended to so they are cared for and covered 
up before the winter comes.
  Many of New York's hospitals which cleared their beds in order to be 
ready for the injured, many of whom never came because they lost their 
lives instead, suffered millions of dollars in losses.
  The estimates for the economic loss, for the cost of debris removal, 
for infrastructure repair and rebuilding, are in the range of $100 
billion.
  During those days after the attacks we received a tremendous amount 
of support. Indeed, many people, many of my colleagues as well as 
colleagues in the House, made the trip to Ground Zero because they 
understood what our Constitution says, which is that the United States 
shall guarantee to every State in this Union a republican form of 
government, and shall protect each of them against invasion. When we 
were invaded by those hijacked airplanes on September 11, our country 
responded, not only out of the goodness of our hearts, out of a sense 
of empathy and sympathy, but because as a United States that is what is 
called for in our Constitution.
  Many who came, including the President with whom I went to Ground 
Zero, made a clear commitment. As the President said in the joint 
session of Congress on September 21: We will rebuild New York City.
  The Speaker of the House made a wonderful commitment to see New York 
``rise from the ashes that we saw today.''
  Our leaders, Senator Daschle, Senator Lott, Congressman Gephardt, all 
made that commitment. And OMB Director Mitch Daniels said the 
President's pledge of $20 billion is an absolute guarantee and it is 
likely to be more. Of course, it will be more because the damage is so 
much more.
  In those first days we had tremendous support, not only from our 
majority leader but from the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, 
Senator Byrd. Senator Schumer and I went to Senator Daschle and Senator 
Byrd and to the President, told them what we had seen, made clear we 
were going to face tremendous needs that we could not carry on our own, 
and secured a commitment for $20 billion to address those needs.
  We all acknowledge that that $20 billion was a first installment. 
With the invoices beginning to come in, it is quite clear that the cost 
will be considerably higher. That is not something new for our Nation. 
In natural disasters, and in terrorist attacks in the past, the Federal 
Government, which represents all of us, has stepped up to the plate to 
take care of Americans.
  The charts here illustrate the loss of life and damage from just a 
sampling of past disasters--Hurricane Hugo in 1989, the Northridge 
earthquake in California in 1994, the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, 
and the World Trade Center attack. If you look at the loss of life in 
this first chart, you can see how the World Trade Center compares--the 
terrible, terrible commentary, to think that with all of the natural 
disasters to which we are subject in our Nation that take the lives of 
innocent people caught in a hurricane, or a tornado, or caught in an 
earthquake, or a flood, what happened at the World Trade Center is so 
much greater. The enormity of it, even today with the count at 3,553, 
is almost impossible for us to take in.
  If you look at the estimated economic impact from major disasters--
again looking at Hurricane Hugo, Northridge, Oklahoma City, World Trade 
Center--Hurricane Hugo resulted in losses exceeding $10 billion; the 
Northridge earthquake had a total cost of $25 billion; in Oklahoma 
City, the cost totaled $650 million; and, again, if we look at the 
World Trade Center with costs in excess of $100 billion, it is so much 
greater than any tragedy, natural or man-caused tragedy, that we have 
ever encountered.
  The Federal Government has always come to our rescue. If you look at 
these examples--we could have taken others, but these are 
representative--the return to the impacted area, the city or the State, 
has always been in the range of 30 percent to 40 percent of economic 
loss.
  With the money so far allocated by the White House from the $40 
billion emergency package enacted following the attacks, combined with 
amounts earmarked for New York in the House appropriations bill, the 
financial capital of the world, a place that has so much meaning in our 
Nation's history and the home of 8 million fellow Americans, is 
receiving just 11 percent of the estimated losses suffered. Hurricane 
Hugo received 38 percent; the Northridge earthquake in California, 39 
percent; Oklahoma City, 41 percent; and, so far, even including the 
House appropriations, 11 percent for what New York has suffered. Even 
with the full $20 billion committed by the President following the 
attacks, the Federal response would only be in the 20-percent range.
  Sadly, while I, along with many of my colleagues, acknowledge that 
this $20 billion would be just a first installment, even that money has 
been slow to come.
  If we look at where we stand with respect to the summaries of loss of 
life, the economic impact, and the estimated percentage of Federal 
response, we can see that New York is not getting the help that we not 
only should expect but must count on.
  New York needs that $20 billion which has been promised--not next 
year but this year. The resources allocated thus far by the White House 
and the House appropriations bill leave so many immediate needs unmet.
  If you look at what has already been provided, we are grateful indeed 
for this help because already provided is $2 billion through FEMA for 
emergency response and debris removal; $500 million for SBA loans, 
medical services, and dislocated worker assistance; $700 million to go 
into a community development block grant; the House added to the money 
that the administration had already provided an additional $8 billion 
desperately needed, to increase the amount for debris removal by $4.4

[[Page S12049]]

billion; to increase the amount for the community development block 
grant by $1.8 billion; to put some money into workers compensation, 
which is desperately needed, of $175 million; and then creating an 
emergency employment clearinghouse to help all of the dislocated 
workers who have, through no fault of their own, lost their jobs in the 
aftermath of September 11.

  The total is $11.2 billion, far short of the $20 billion that New 
York was promised and that many of my colleagues and colleagues in the 
House and people in the administration certainly committed.
  Let's look at what is left out. New York City agency costs, MTA 
infrastructure damages, Port Authority costs, the utilities and 
exchange costs, hospital costs, university facilities that were 
impacted, unemployment assistance, health care coverage for our 
displaced residents and businesses--all of those are zero.
  If you look at where New York's $20 billion should be for ground 
zero, unfortunately, too many of our needs are on zero ground. All of 
these needs that have been specified are not being taken into account 
by either the administration or the House appropriations process.
  I commend my House colleagues from New York who fought hard, 
especially the five members of the Appropriations Committee. They waged 
a valiant battle, which actually resulted in increasing what the 
administration was going to give us this year by $8 billion. It was 
against a tremendous amount of pressure that was placed on them.
  There was lobbying against New York getting this necessary money from 
the highest places in the administration, which I just for the life of 
me don't understand. I do not recall there being any argument for any 
lobbying against the needs of our residents and citizens who were 
impacted by Oklahoma City or by the Northridge earthquake or by the 
hurricanes or floods or tornados that we have suffered. Yet the damage 
here is so much greater.
  People say, well, you know you can't use that money right now. That 
is just not true. We have specific requests that have been backed up by 
each of these particular items. We know we can sure use the 
unemployment assistance and the COBRA premium assistance because of all 
of our unemployed workers. We know the utilities have already spent 
over $1 billion getting telephone service and electricity reconnected. 
We could go down each of these.
  We are particularly concerned about our hospitals because so many of 
them spent millions and millions of dollars and turned away revenues in 
order to be ready for injured victims who never came.
  The Senate will begin its work on the appropriations for New York as 
well as the stimulus package which includes some incentives that will 
help us to keep businesses and provide some assistance for residents so 
they will go back downtown despite the fact that the fires are still 
burning. The air quality is subject to question. We will be able to 
provide some additional help to our hospitals, we hope, as well as to 
businesses to stay in Manhattan and New York City.
  The Senate is about to begin our process. But I wanted to take a few 
minutes on this day of commemoration as to what happened to New York 
and America 11 weeks ago to remind all of us about the cost of these 
attacks. New York City is a place noted for resilience. I think the 
country and the world have certainly seen that. It is a place that 
bounces back and keeps going. But one only has to be reminded of the 
tremendous damage that was inflicted to know we need some help. We are 
more than willing to pick ourselves up and rebuild and do what needs to 
be done to make this an even greater city in the 21st century than it 
has been for 400 years, but now New York needs America's help. For 
decade after decade after decade, New York has sent billions and 
billions and billions of dollars right here to Washington. We run a 
balance of payment deficit between New York and Washington that is $15 
to $18 billion a year. But New York has a lot of wealthy people. 
Fifteen percent of the State's revenues came right out of Ground Zero. 
So we have paid for a lot of what needed to be paid for in our country 
that did not directly affect New York.

  We pay for commodities support systems so we have a good, safe food 
supply, and our farmers are well prepared to produce the food we need. 
We pay for our military even though we only have one major base left in 
our State. We pay for so many of the needs that people have all over 
America. So as far as we are concerned, that is one of the prices we 
pay for being so successful.
  But now New York needs America's help. After having done so much for 
so long to make sure our country was strong and prepared for the 
future, we need some help to put New York back into business so that it 
will continue as the capital of the global markets, as the capital of 
the global entertainment and media world.
  And so, Madam President, I ask that the administration reconsider its 
position and be willing to provide us with the additional money that so 
many of our people need and so many of our agencies require to get back 
on their feet. I hope that everyone will remember that disparity of 
damage and economic cost compared to the amount that has been provided 
for us and make good on the President's promise of $20 billion. That 
was one of the most emotional moments that I can certainly remember. To 
have such a quick, open response from the President to meet the needs 
of New York was a shot in the arm and a great confidence booster when 
we needed to hear it. What a shame it would be if that promise isn't 
fulfilled and if it isn't fulfilled in a timely manner this year so 
people can put that money to work to rebuild their lives, to reclaim 
their jobs, to keep their businesses going, to repair the 
infrastructure, and to make clear that New York is back and better than 
ever.
  I appreciate the opportunity to take a few minutes to talk about 
where we are 11 weeks after this attack and to remind all of us that it 
was an attack on America, and New York is counting on America's help.
  Thank you very much.
  Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the 
quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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