[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 69 (Friday, May 24, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E937-E938]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  2002 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT FOR FURTHER RECOVERY FROM AND 
           RESPONSE TO TERRORIST ATTACKS ON THE UNITED STATES

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                               speech of

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 23, 2002

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4775) making 
     supplemental appropriations for further recovery from and 
     response to terrorist attacks on the United States for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 2002, and for other 
     purposes.

  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Chairman, I rise to strike the 
requisite number of words.
  Support from Congress and the President has been essential in recent 
months in working to secure New York's recovery after 9/11.
  The significant funds committed from Congress and the President are 
deeply appreciated by those in New York who were so personally affected 
by catastrophic terrorism.
  But simply appropriating aid has proven far different than actually 
delivering these funds in a timely manner to the people who really need 
help in New York.
  Sadly, Mr. Chairman, the agency charged with the disbursement of 
these funds FEMA--has on several occasions refused to help or stalled 
in helping specific people and institutions in New York, from the 
public school system, to utilities and private universities, to the

[[Page E938]]

thousands of individuals in lower-Manhattan who were denied aid because 
they didn't fit into rigid standards adopted by FEMA.
  In recent weeks, several of us in the New York delegation, with 
Chairman Young and Ranking Member Obey on the Appropriations Committee, 
have tried to ensure that the needs of New York are addressed as it 
recovers from the terrorist attacks of September 11th.
  And as a representative of New York City, I wish to thank the 
Appropriations Committee for its work on behalf of New York.
  The Committee is truly a friend of New York and we appreciate your 
work and commitment.
  But FEMA has shown a clear inability to streamline the delivery of 
aid to New York when it is not given clear direction through statements 
of intent from Congress.
  As the supplemental appropriations bill advances today, several 
concerns remain outstanding about the timeliness of the response from 
FEMA on a number of issues--including the need for funding for New York 
City's public school system to make up lost class time, to pay for 
crisis counseling to students who experienced trauma, and for the 
reimbursement of several direct expenses to the school system.
  In addition, the City of New York faces significant costs in overtime 
pay to emergency workers, police officers, fire fighters, and law 
enforcement personnel as a result of 9/11.
  FEMA at this time, is not reimbursing the city for these costs and 
there have been problems with overly restrictive rules as well as 
interpretations for eligibility for direct assistance.
  The lesson is clear--if funds are appropriated for FEMA without clear 
directives on its use, large portions of 9/11 aid meant for those in 
need will languish in bureaucratic red tape for months on end.
  Recently we have started to see a vast improvement in FEMA's 
response, particularly with the annulment of its decision that New York 
University would not qualify for assistance.
  We now have a choice: we can hope that this glimmer of good judgment 
magically reverses a pattern of problems with FEMA, or we can ensure 
that the aid appropriated by this Congress is actually delivered to 
those in need, by accepting the Senate version of this bill in 
conference committee, which specifically directs FEMA to allocate funds 
for the people and institutions in New York that have been wrongly 
denied so far.
  I would hope that this Congress does everything in its power to 
ensure that the money we intend to go to the people of New York for 
recovery, is actually given to the people of New York who need it.

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