[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 165 (Monday, December 3, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12298-S12299]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S12298]]
                           REMEMBER NEW YORK

  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I rise today, as I did several times 
last week and before, to remind all of us, and especially my 
colleagues, of the destruction and devastation that took place on 
September 11, and persists today, nearly 12 weeks after.
  Tomorrow will be the 12th week since we were attacked on September 
11. The New York City Partnership and Comptroller estimate that the 
economic impact of the attack will near $100 billion in damage for New 
York's economy. Today, 83 days after the attacks on our Nation, 
thousands of the businesses and residents who were physically displaced 
by the destruction, by the loss of power and telephone access, by the 
debris removal efforts, by the poor air quality, by the crime scene 
designation, are still awaiting some help, any help from the Federal 
Government.
  Our Constitution guarantees to protect every State against invasion. 
The President said in his joint address to Congress just 10 days after 
the attacks:

       We will rebuild New York City.

  That same day earlier, my colleague, Senator Lott said, while 
visiting New York:

       We are here to commit to the people of New York City . . . 
     that we will stand with you.

  Congressman Gephardt, the House minority leader, said in his weekly 
radio address:

       We will work to make the broken places right again. We will 
     rebuild New York.

  Eighty-three days since the terrorists chose to attack America by 
attacking New York and having lost thousands and thousands of innocent 
lives, we are still taking stock of the damage that we, as a city, a 
State, and a country have suffered. We know we can't get those innocent 
lives back, and every day I and my staff work with the families who 
lost their loved ones trying to make sure that they do get the help 
they need.
  In addition to the lives that were so brutally taken, those attacks 
also took many livelihoods. We can do something about that. Yes, we did 
lose 15 to 20 million square feet of office space; nearly one-third of 
all space in Lower Manhattan, either completely destroyed or seriously 
damaged. Yes, we did have extensive damage to our transportation 
system, and it has been devastating for thousands of people trying to 
get to work not to have those subway lines, not to have that PATH train 
coming in right under the river, underneath the World Trade Center. We 
know the kind of damage that our small business owners have been 
suffering has been devastating.
  What has happened is the attacks, because of the loss of 
transportation and because of the crime scene designation, have 
displaced over half a million commuters who travel to Lower Manhattan. 
We have 10 subway stations that usually handle about 40 percent of the 
downtown commuters that have been closed throughout most of October. 
That is why we recognize we can't possibly do this without the help of 
America.
  Estimates to rebuild the 1,700 feet of collapsed tunnel on the 1 and 
9 subway lines directly beneath the World Trade Center are in the 
billions of dollars. The same is true of the estimates to rebuild the 
PATH train station that brings commuters from New Jersey into Lower 
Manhattan. We also have been told it will take up to $250 million to 
repair the damaged streets around the World Trade Center. And still, as 
we speak, almost one-third of Lower Manhattan permits only restricted 
vehicular access because of the crime scene designation.
  These are cost estimates only of direct impact and damage, not future 
losses, not lost revenues. These are the costs for hazardous material 
removal, for site remediation, for capital costs for rebuilding.
  New York City, it is estimated, is likely to lose 125,000 jobs in 
this fourth quarter. We already lost 79,000 jobs in October alone.
  These are staggering numbers, but they only tell half the story 
because I could literally fill this Chamber with people who have seen 
their businesses devastated, who have lost their jobs. The quotes we 
see from so many of our leaders have been comforting and very 
supportive, but we know that we need more than comfort. We need more 
than rhetoric. We need tangible support. It is imperative that we get 
as much of that support as possible.
  I personally think it is very similar to the other devastating crises 
that have hit our country. Most of them were natural disasters, but we 
also can't forget Oklahoma City. We can't forget the New Mexico fires. 
If you look at past disasters, the Federal Government, through our 
Congress, responded appropriately and swiftly. The Congress came 
together in a time of need, whether it was Hurricane Hugo or the 
Northridge earthquakes or Oklahoma City.
  This chart illustrates the level of Federal response after just a few 
of a sample of major disasters. In each case, the Federal response was 
nearly 40 percent of the estimated economic loss. In New York City, a 
comparable amount would be 40 percent of the approximate $100 billion 
of economic damage. Yet we haven't received, in as timely a manner, the 
percentage share that others have.
  The appropriated assistance that came within 3 to 4 months after the 
Midwest floods was more than 40 percent. After the Northridge 
earthquake, 26 days after, more than 30 percent of the total loss had 
already been appropriated; after the Oklahoma City bombing, within 99 
days, more than 40 percent.
  What do we have? We have a few billion dollars that have been sent to 
FEMA to help pay for the costs that have been incurred, and that is it. 
We don't have a special appropriation that has been passed. We don't 
have an emergency supplemental. We are counting on getting that in the 
next few days because we want to be sure that New York gets the money 
appropriated that we need to have to count on to get about the business 
of rebuilding and restoring. And 79 days later, when this chart was 
made--now we are at 83 days--we were below 5 percent, far below the 
pace of what was done for other major disasters in our country.

  If you look at the headlines from other major disasters, ``One Month 
After Hurricane Andrew''--which I visited in 1992, the site of that 
devastation, ``Bush,'' the first President Bush, ``approves $11.1 
billion in Hurricane Aid.'' It didn't take long at all to get that 
money flowing. Compare where we are with the damage done to New York.
  After the 1993 Midwest floods, 7 months after, ``Families Pour Out 
Praise For Flood Agencies.'' They not only got the money appropriated, 
they got the money delivered. And people were satisfied their needs 
were being met.
  The Northridge earthquake, 24 days after that devastating earthquake, 
``$8.6 billion Quake Aid Ok'd by Senate.'' We are nowhere near that 
pace. We are at 83 days, and although we did--and I am grateful for 
it--appropriate dollars in the immediate aftermath, we haven't gone 
back to appropriate them to actually get them out and be spent to take 
care of the problems we have.
  The Cerro Grande fire, which was a fire set by the Federal 
Government, a fire that was meant to stop other fires--of course, we 
know the results were disastrous--44 days after that fire, ``Los Alamos 
Welcomes Federal Aid.''
  I was pleased, both as a citizen and as an onlooker with a great deal 
of interest over 8 years, to see how well our country came together to 
deal with our emergencies. Compare those headlines with where we are 
right now in New York: ``New York Needs Help Now to Rise from the 
Ashes,'' November 19; ``New York Financial Core Wobbles from Attacks' 
Economic Hit,'' November 26; since September 11, ``Vacant Offices and 
Lost Vigor,'' November 21; ``Terror Attacks Have Left Chinatown's 
Economy Battered,'' November 25; ``A Nation Challenged: Small Shops 
Feel Lost in Aid Effort.''

  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Carper). The time controlled by the 
majority has expired.
  Mrs. CLINTON. Thank you, Mr. President. Again, I hope that we will 
respond with equal vigor and expeditious treatment to deal with the 
problems in New York, as our country always has in previous disasters.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska is recognized.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I inquire as to the time agreement. It 
is my understanding there are 30 minutes on each side remaining; is 
that correct?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. At this point in time, until 5:10, it is 
controlled by the minority.

[[Page S12299]]

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Until 5:10?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Yes. The majority leader, then, has 5 minutes 
with which to close.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Let's run through that one more time. At 5:10, the 
minority time expires. Then the vote is set for 5:45?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. 5:15.

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