[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 112 (Friday, July 25, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9990-S9991]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            DISASTER RELIEF

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, in April of this year, Senator Cochran, as 
chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, and 
I, as ranking member, recognized a looming shortfall in the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, disaster relief accounts. We urged 
the President to release monies that he was holding up and also that he 
request funds to shore up the looming shortfall. Following severe 
floods in 19 West Virginia counties, I wrote to the administration 
again, this time pointing out that the Disaster Relief account would 
likely be empty by the end of July. At the time that I wrote that 
letter, the disaster relief fund has a balance of $181 million. The 
balance now, four weeks later, is a mere $89 million, and is expected 
to be completely exhausted by August 8th.
  On July 7th, the President finally sent up an emergency supplemental 
request. After months of delay, the administration requested the 
additional funds to assist recovery efforts in West Virginia and over 
300 other areas in every State of the Nation that have been hit hard by 
severe rains, floods, and tornadoes. These funds will help citizens to 
get back on their feet. The communication from the White House 
requested fiscal year 2003 emergency supplemental appropriations in the 
amount of $1.9 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, 
Agriculture, Interior, and the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration, NASA.
  The principal item in this request was $1.55 billion requested for 
the Department of Homeland Security for FEMA to provide support for 
``ongoing disaster efforts and to ensure the capacity to respond to 
future disasters and emergencies.'' In a communication from Homeland 
Security Secretary Tom Ridge, dated July 24, 2003, the Department now 
estimates that it will exhaust existing funds by August 8th and that it 
has no authority to provide assistance in the absence of 
appropriations.

  The supplemental request also included an amount of $253 million for 
fighting wildfires. As some of my colleagues may recall, 42 major 
fires, which have consumed over 400,000 acres, are raging in 12 western 
States. Officials at the Forest Service have told the Appropriations 
Committee that their fire suppression budget is already $420 million 
short of what they anticipate needing between now and the end of the 
fiscal year. Also included in the Administration's request is $50 
million for unanticipated costs associated with the recovery and 
investigation of the Space Shuttle Columbia accident.
  In order to expedite the processing of this supplemental, the 
distinguished chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Ted 
Stevens, and I, as ranking member, worked together to assure the 
earliest availability of this emergency supplemental request by 
incorporating it into the fiscal year 2004 Legislative Branch 
appropriations bill. On July 9th, only 2 days after receiving the 
President's supplemental request, the Appropriations Committee ordered 
reported the Legislative Branch appropriations bill, which included the 
full amount for disaster relief, emergency firefighting, and emergency 
NASA needs sought by the President in his July 7th communication, as 
well as $100 million for a shortfall in AmeriCorps, a program which we 
were told the administration supports. The AmeriCorps amendment was 
voted on separately on the Senate floor and the funding was sustained 
by an overwhelming 71 to 21 vote. Susequently, the Legislative Branch 
appropriations bill, including the supplemental, was approved on July 
11th by the full Senate by a vote of 85 to 7, and conferees were 
appointed.
  So what is the situation? The administration was slow in sending up 
the emergency supplemental budget request. The Senate Appropriations 
Committee, under the leadership of Senator Ted Stevens, responded 
quickly, acting within 2 days of receiving the request. And, within 2 
additional days, on July 11th, the measure was approved by the full 
Senate. We have been waiting for the other body ever since. It has been 
2 weeks since we acted on this bill in the Senate. We are advised that 
the other body plans to depart for the August recess tonight.
  What are we to do to cover the costs of recovering from disasters and 
fire emergencies for the remainder of the current fiscal year? FEMA has 
already stopped making payments to States for $400 million of 
infrastructure repairs in the 300 communities with outstanding natural 
disasters. Communities have already been forced to put projects for 
repairing damage from past disasters on hold.
  In addition, if the Disaster Relief Fund is depleted by the end of 
July, which is just around the corner, that leaves 2 full months with 
no means of providing assistance to communities that may be hit hard by 
hurricanes, tornadoes, and other disasters or emergencies occurring in 
August and September. The Forest Service budget request of $253 million 
for fighting 42 major fires in 12 western States is needed now.
  Furthermore, twenty thousand AmeriCorps volunteers will lose their 
positions if supplemental funding is not approved. AmeriCorps 
volunteers work in our schools teaching our children reading and math. 
They provide

[[Page S9991]]

care to our senior citizens, they help clean up our parks, they teach 
the Nation's children and adults to read, and they provide other 
valuable volunteer services to our communities. If we fail to provide 
the necessary funds for AmeriCorps, we will unnecessarily be punishing 
the volunteers, the communities that they serve and the children, 
elderly and the poor who benefit from the skills and energy of the 
volunteers.

  Some 2 weeks ago, the Senate responded positively and in a timely 
manner to address these emergency requests. Now, the House is about to 
pass a stripped-down supplemental appropriations bill in the amount of 
$983 million just for FEMA disaster relief, thus ignoring the Senate's 
supplemental legislation enacted 2 weeks ago for wildfire fighting, 
NASA emergency funds, and AmercCorps funding.
  I am distressed by the situation in which we find ourselves. It is 
not the fault of the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Mr. 
Stevens. He has been trying to find a solution to this problem. The 
Senate has done its part to solve this problem. Citizens who find 
themselves victimized by natural disasters and wildfires, and those 
individuals and communities who would have benefited from the 
AmeriCorps program, do not appreciate the game-playing now taking place 
in the Congress.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor. I again thank the distinguished 
Senator from Alabama.

                          ____________________