[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 173 (Thursday, December 13, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13225-S13226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         PROMOTING SAFE AND STABLE FAMILIES AMENDMENTS OF 2001

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to consideration of Calendar No. 227, H.R. 2873.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 2873) to extend and amend the program entitled 
     Promoting Safe and Stable Families under title IV-B, subpart 
     2 of the Social Security Act, and to provide new authority to 
     support programs for mentoring children of incarcerated 
     parents; to amend the Foster Care Independent Living program 
     under title IV-E of that Act to provide for educational and 
     training vouchers for youths aging out of foster care, and 
     for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, the Senate is passing the House bill 
to reauthorize the Safe and Stable Families Program. This is necessary 
action to protect funding that is fundamental for promoting adoptions 
and preventing child abuse and neglect. By acting today, the Senate can 
secure $1.5 billion over the next 5 years for vital priorities. It 
would be wrong to leave Washington without taking action to ensure 
long-term support for such vulnerable children.
  Earlier this year, I joined with Senator Mike DeWine and a bipartisan 
group in introducing an even better legislative package to boldly 
expand this vital program. Our bill, which was based on President 
Bush's own proposal, would have increased the basic funding for the 
Safe and Stable Families Program from $305 million to $505 million of 
guaranteed annual funding. This would have provided an additional $1 
billion over the next 5 years, including $60 million in funding for 
scholarships for teens aging out of foster care. It would also have 
provided authority to create a new program designed to mentor the 
children of prisoners. I truly wish we were moving the Senate bill 
today, but since that is not possible. I believe enacting the House 
bill is essential for the long-term security of this program.
  The House version provides a 5-year reauthorization of the Safe and 
Stable Families Program. The House bill also authorizes scholarships 
for teens aging out of foster care and new programs for mentoring 
children of prisoners.
  Thanks to the leadership of Senators Harkin and Specter, there is a 
$70 million increase in this year's Senate Labor-HHS-Education 
Appropriations. That is good news for families who need adoption 
support services and prevention services. I am proud of this increase, 
and enormously grateful for the support and cooperation of the 
Appropriations Committees in both the House and Senate.
  Throughout my years of legislative work on child welfare, I have 
worked hard to forge bipartisan compromise and consensus. I strongly 
believe that we must maintain such bipartisanship. The best news is 
that we have more money to provide more services to families next year. 
But the challenge remains for us to work and achieve the goals of the 
original Senate bill and President Bush's proposal. I remain

[[Page S13226]]

committed to this, and hope that this important step forward will help 
build the good will and bipartisanship necessary to deliver on all of 
our long-term goals in the years ahead.
  I want to especially thank my primary cosponsor, Senator Mike DeWine, 
who has been a passionate leader on adoption and child welfare reform 
for many years. Senator DeWine was a leader in 1997 on improving the 
reasonable efforts standards to ensure that a child's health, safety, 
and need for a permanent home are priorities. This change and others 
have helped reform the system and dramatically increase adoptions.
  I also want to thank and recognize the strong bipartisan support from 
all of my Senate colleagues for our original bill, including Senators 
Bingaman, Bond, Breaux, Chafee, Collins, Craig, DeWine, Graham, 
Johnson, Kerry, Landrieu, Levin, Lieberman, Lincoln, and Snowe.
  In West Virginia, adoptions are increasing, thanks to both the 
reforms set in 1997 under the Adoption and Safe Families Act, and the 
new investments. My state needs increased funding to help develop local 
community-based programs, so our children can get needed services in 
their own communities and not be sent out-of-state, away from family, 
friends and familiar schools. I am proud of my State for its 
improvement, but we all understand much more must be done, in West 
Virginia and nationwide, for these vulnerable children who depend on 
our efforts.
  Today's action provides a good foundation, but we must continue 
working in a bipartisan manner to build upon today's action, and 
achieve all of the goals we share.
  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise in support of the Promoting Safe 
and Stable Families Amendments of 2001. This legislation continues our 
support for state efforts to reunify troubled families and to promote 
the adoption of children in foster care who are unable to return to 
their birth homes. It also authorizes additional educational assistance 
to former foster children in the Independent Living program. Abused and 
neglected children are among the most vulnerable of all the members of 
our society--it is important that we continue to look after their 
needs.
  This proposal mirrors that made by the President. I thank him for his 
interest in this issue. It is an important part of being a 
compassionate leader, ensuring that federal efforts to assist abused 
and neglected children continue. It also contains a new proposal 
offered by the President, authorizing a new grant program to mentor the 
children of prisoners, a particularly disadvantaged group. I commend 
him for that idea.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the bill be read the 
third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid on the table, and 
any statements relating thereto be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (H.R. 2873) was read the third time and passed.

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