[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 92 (Wednesday, July 7, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H5209-H5214]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL WINDSTORM IMPACT REDUCTION ACT OF 2004
Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3980) to establish a National Windstorm Impact Reduction
Program, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 3980
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Windstorm Impact
Reduction Act of 2004''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes, and
thunderstorms can cause significant loss of life, injury,
destruction of property, and economic and social disruption.
All States and regions are vulnerable to these hazards.
(2) The United States currently sustains several billion
dollars in economic damages each year due to these
windstorms. In recent decades, rapid development and
population growth in high-risk areas has greatly increased
overall vulnerability to windstorms.
(3) Improved windstorm impact reduction measures have the
potential to reduce these losses through--
(A) cost-effective and affordable design and construction
methods and practices;
(B) effective mitigation programs at the local, State, and
national level;
(C) improved data collection and analysis and impact
prediction methodologies;
(D) engineering research on improving new structures and
retrofitting existing ones to better withstand windstorms,
atmospheric-related research to better understand the
behavior and impact of windstorms on the built environment,
and subsequent application of those research results; and
(E) public education and outreach.
(4) There is an appropriate role for the Federal Government
in supporting windstorm impact reduction. An effective
Federal program in windstorm impact reduction will require
interagency coordination, and input from individuals,
academia, the private sector, and other interested non-
Federal entities.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) The term ``Director'' means the Director of the Office
of Science and Technology Policy.
(2) The term ``State'' means each of the States of the
United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American
Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and
any other territory or possession of the United States.
(3) The term ``windstorm'' means any storm with a damaging
or destructive wind component, such as a hurricane, tropical
storm, tornado, or thunderstorm.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL WINDSTORM IMPACT REDUCTION PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--There is established the National
Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (in this Act referred to
as the ``Program'').
(b) Objective.--The objective of the Program is the
achievement of major measurable reductions in losses of life
and property from windstorms. The objective is to be achieved
through a coordinated Federal effort, in cooperation with
other levels of government, academia, and the private sector,
aimed at improving the understanding of windstorms and their
impacts and developing and encouraging implementation of
cost-effective mitigation measures to reduce those impacts.
(c) Interagency Working Group.--Not later than 90 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall
establish an Interagency Working Group consisting of
representatives of the National Science Foundation, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, and other Federal agencies as appropriate.
The Director shall designate an agency to serve as Chair of
the Working Group and be responsible for the planning,
management, and coordination of the Program, including budget
coordination. Specific agency roles and responsibilities
under the Program shall
[[Page H5210]]
be defined in the implementation plan required under
subsection (e). General agency responsibilities shall include
the following:
(1) The National Institute of Standards and Technology
shall support research and development to improve building
codes and standards and practices for design and construction
of buildings, structures, and lifelines.
(2) The National Science Foundation shall support research
in engineering and the atmospheric sciences to improve the
understanding of the behavior of windstorms and their impact
on buildings, structures, and lifelines.
(3) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
shall support atmospheric sciences research to improve the
understanding of the behavior of windstorms and their impact
on buildings, structures, and lifelines.
(4) The Federal Emergency Management Agency shall support
the development of risk assessment tools and effective
mitigation techniques, windstorm-related data collection and
analysis, public outreach, information dissemination, and
implementation of mitigation measures consistent with the
Agency's all-hazards approach.
(d) Program Components.--
(1) In general.--The Program shall consist of three primary
mitigation components: improved understanding of windstorms,
windstorm impact assessment, and windstorm impact reduction.
The components shall be implemented through activities such
as data collection and analysis, risk assessment, outreach,
technology transfer, and research and development. To the
extent practicable, research activities authorized under this
Act shall be peer-reviewed, and the components shall be
designed to be complementary to, and avoid duplication of,
other public and private hazard reduction efforts.
(2) Understanding of windstorms.--Activities to enhance the
understanding of windstorms shall include research to improve
knowledge of and data collection on the impact of severe wind
on buildings, structures, and infrastructure.
(3) Windstorm impact assessment.--Activities to improve
windstorm impact assessment shall include--
(A) development of mechanisms for collecting and
inventorying information on the performance of buildings,
structures, and infrastructure in windstorms and improved
collection of pertinent information from sources, including
the design and construction industry, insurance companies,
and building officials;
(B) research, development, and technology transfer to
improve loss estimation and risk assessment systems; and
(C) research, development, and technology transfer to
improve simulation and computational modeling of windstorm
impacts.
(4) Windstorm impact reduction.--Activities to reduce
windstorm impacts shall include--
(A) development of improved outreach and implementation
mechanisms to translate existing information and research
findings into cost-effective and affordable practices for
design and construction professionals, and State and local
officials;
(B) development of cost-effective and affordable windstorm-
resistant systems, structures, and materials for use in new
construction and retrofit of existing construction; and
(C) outreach and information dissemination related to cost-
effective and affordable construction techniques, loss
estimation and risk assessment methodologies, and other
pertinent information regarding windstorm phenomena to
Federal, State, and local officials, the construction
industry, and the general public.
(e) Implementation Plan.--Not later than 1 year after date
of enactment of this Act, the Interagency Working Group shall
develop and transmit to the Congress an implementation plan
for achieving the objectives of the Program. The plan shall
include--
(1) an assessment of past and current public and private
efforts to reduce windstorm impacts, including a
comprehensive review and analysis of windstorm mitigation
activities supported by the Federal Government;
(2) a description of plans for technology transfer and
coordination with natural hazard mitigation activities
supported by the Federal Government;
(3) a statement of strategic goals and priorities for each
Program component area;
(4) a description of how the Program will achieve such
goals, including detailed responsibilities for each agency;
and
(5) a description of plans for cooperation and coordination
with interested public and private sector entities in each
program component area.
(f) Biennial Report.--The Interagency Working Group shall,
on a biennial basis, and not later than 180 days after the
end of the preceding 2 fiscal years, transmit a report to the
Congress describing the status of the windstorm impact
reduction program, including progress achieved during the
preceding two fiscal years. Each such report shall include
any recommendations for legislative and other action the
Interagency Working Group considers necessary and
appropriate. In developing the biennial report, the
Interagency Working Group shall consider the recommendations
of the Advisory Committee established under section 5.
SEC. 5. NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON WINDSTORM IMPACT
REDUCTION.
(a) Establishment.--The Director shall establish a National
Advisory Committee on Windstorm Impact Reduction, consisting
of not less than 11 and not more than 15 non-Federal members
representing a broad cross section of interests such as the
research, technology transfer, design and construction, and
financial communities; materials and systems suppliers;
State, county, and local governments; the insurance industry;
and other representatives as designated by the Director.
(b) Assessment.--The Advisory Committee shall assess--
(1) trends and developments in the science and engineering
of windstorm impact reduction;
(2) the effectiveness of the Program in carrying out the
activities under section 4(d);
(3) the need to revise the Program; and
(4) the management, coordination, implementation, and
activities of the Program.
(c) Biennial Report.--At least once every two years, the
Advisory Committee shall report to Congress and the
Interagency Working Group on the assessment carried out under
subsection (b).
(d) Sunset Exemption.--Section 14 of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act shall not apply to the Advisory Committee
established under this section.
SEC. 6. SAVINGS CLAUSE.
Nothing in this Act supersedes any provision of the
National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety
Standards Act of 1974. No design, construction method,
practice, technology, material, mitigation methodology, or
hazard reduction measure of any kind developed under this Act
shall be required for a home certified under section 616 of
the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety
Standards Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5415), pursuant to standards
issued under such Act, without being subject to the consensus
development process and rulemaking procedures of that Act.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Federal Emergency Management Agency.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to the Federal Emergency
Management Agency for carrying out this Act--
(1) $8,700,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(2) $9,400,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(b) National Science Foundation.--From sums otherwise
authorized to be appropriated, there are authorized to be
appropriated to the National Science Foundation for carrying
out this Act--
(1) $8,700,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(2) $9,400,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(c) National Institute of Standards and Technology.--From
sums otherwise authorized to be appropriated, there are
authorized to be appropriated to the National Institute of
Standards and Technology for carrying out this Act--
(1) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(2) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.
(d) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.--From
sums otherwise authorized to be appropriated, there are
authorized to be appropriated to the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration for carrying out this Act--
(1) $2,100,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
(2) $2,200,000 for fiscal year 2007.
SEC. 8. BIENNIAL REPORT.
Section 37(a) of the Science and Engineering Equal
Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885d(a)) is amended by striking
``By January 30, 1982, and biennially thereafter'' and
inserting ``By January 30 of each odd-numbered year''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Neugebauer) and the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer).
General Leave
Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on H.R. 3980, as amended, the bill now
under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr.
Boehlert) and his staff for their leadership and support for allowing
me to bring this important piece of legislation before the Committee on
Science. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Kansas (Mr.
Moore), who introduced this bill with me, and all of the cosponsors of
H.R. 3980 for their support.
Windstorms in the United States, such as hurricanes, tornadoes,
continue to cause high levels of injuries, deaths, business
interruption, and property damage. Unfortunately, the level of losses
due to the windstorms increase each year and will continue to escalate
unless technology generation, education, and public policies are
improved.
On May 11, 1970, tragedy struck my hometown of Lubbock, Texas. An F5
[[Page H5211]]
tornado ripped through downtown Lubbock. Six people were killed, and
500 were injured. The tornado had winds estimated in excess of 200
miles an hour and damaged or destroyed a large portion of our city.
In a few moments between 9:35 p.m. and the time the funnel lifted
into the cloud, the tornado devastated a community along an 8\1/2\
mile-wide path. It wrought havoc along a track that was 1\1/2\ miles
wide in downtown Lubbock to one-fourth mile wide as it passed over the
National Weather Bureau's office located at the airport. The twister
was responsible for $125 million in damage, and an estimated 15 square
miles of the city was damaged or destroyed.
The National Weather Service estimates that between 1995 and 2002,
hurricanes, tornadoes, and thunderstorm winds caused an average of $4.5
billion in damage every year. Texas alone averages 124 tornadoes every
year, which is more than double the average of any other State.
Over this past Memorial Day weekend, for example, 175 tornadoes were
reported across the country, bringing the preliminary total for May to
544. The storms were responsible for 8 deaths and millions of dollars
in damages in 12 States.
June 1 was the official start of hurricane season, and forecasters
are predicting an above-normal Atlantic season. Officials anticipate 12
to 15 tropical storms for the season, with six to eight systems
becoming hurricanes, with two to four of those becoming major
hurricanes.
Last year, Hurricane Isabel, one of the storms to affect the United
States, caused 17 deaths and more than $3 billion in damages.
Technological advancements in the second half of the century have
contributed to better, more accurate severe weather watches and
warnings from the National Weather Service, ultimately saving countless
lives. Advancements in computer technology also led to progress in
numerical weather prediction, allowing meteorologists to apply physics
in replicating motions of the atmosphere.
But even as we build on our current weather prediction successes and
create new resources to predict windstorms at a greater rate, the
United States continues to sustain billions of dollars each year in
property damage and economic losses due to wind storms, and the human
costs are all too painful.
Over the last 5 years, Texas Tech University Wind Engineering
Research Center has received funding under a cooperative agreement with
the National Institute For Standards and Technology to research the
detrimental effects of windstorms on buildings and to reduce the loss
of life from windstorm events. Their work has led to many
accomplishments on the national scope. This year alone, they will
receive $900,000 to carry on research to improve the economy of
shelters and wind-resistant construction.
A variety of cost-effective windstorm hazard mitigation measures
exist, and many more are undergoing important research and development
at universities like Texas Tech University across this Nation. However,
these efforts are not being coordinated at the Federal level to improve
the general public's understanding of windstorm impacts, and we are not
doing a good job of encouraging implementation of cost-effective
mitigation measures for our citizens.
Improving the wind resistance of buildings can only be achieved when
there is a demand for wind-resistant construction by homeowners.
Hurricane Isabel, the tornado in Lubbock that was so destructive more
than 30 years ago, and the 544 tornadoes in the month of May alone are
serious reminders of how vulnerable we are and how serious we should be
about severe weather safety and preparedness.
Here is what we can do about it. The objective of the National
Windstorm Impact Reduction Program is to achieve measurable reduction
in loss of life and property from windstorms. In a coordinated effort
between academia, the private sector and the Federal Government, this
legislation will improve distribution of current research findings,
develop cost-effective and affordable windstorm-resistant systems, and
develop outreach techniques for the general public.
The aim of this act is also to enable the marketplace to form
incentives. Improving our understanding of how wind impacts buildings,
enhancing the scope and detail of damage data collection, and measuring
the degree to which varying mitigation techniques can lessen that
impact will make it possible to quantify the value of mitigation. This
information will give policymakers, private industry, and individual
homeowners the tools to make decisions that take windstorm
vulnerability into consideration.
An investment in windstorm impact reduction will pay significant
dividends and will save lives, decrease property damage, and reduce the
cost of Federal disaster relief in the future. Therefore, I urge
Members to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 3980.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I would like to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) for
following through on his promise to mark up legislation on windstorms
in the 108th Congress. I would also like to thank the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Neugebauer) for sponsoring with me this important
legislation. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Mario Diaz-Balart) and the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Hart) and
the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones), who have worked with me
over the past three Congresses. And finally, staff member Jim Turner of
the Committee on Science staff and Brian Pallasch of the American
Society of Civil Engineers, and my staff person, Jana Denning, have
worked tirelessly over the past 5 years on this legislation, and they
all deserve thanks.
Almost 6 years ago, my hometown of Wichita, Kansas, was hit by an F4
tornado which plowed through the suburb of Haysville, killing six,
injuring 150, and causing over $140 million in damage. The devastation
of this attack motivated me to try to do something.
I put together a bill modeled after NEHRP, the successful earthquake
research program begun over 30 years ago. My goal is to mitigate loss
of life and damage to property due to wind and related hazards. We can
do this through early warning of tornadoes, better emergency response,
and better design and construction of buildings. I reviewed comments
from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Association
of Home Builders, the insurance industry, meteorologists, emergency
managers, academia, industry, and the manufactured housing associations
to try to fine-tune this legislation.
On May 4, just last year, almost 4 years to the day after the deadly
1999 Kansas and Oklahoma tornadoes, tornadoes touched down again in
metropolitan Kansas City and the surrounding suburbs, as well as in
many of my congressional colleagues' districts, destroying property,
killing people and injuring our constituents.
{time} 1115
These tornadoes, Mr. Speaker, did not check to find out if they were
hitting a Republican or Democratic district. Tornadoes are truly an
equal-opportunity destroyer. This is not a Republican bill. It is not a
Democratic issue. It is a human issue, and it is a human tragedy. And
we need to deal with this, and we are dealing with this. And I am
grateful to my colleagues across the aisle for dealing with this on a
bipartisan basis. These windstorms destroy lives. I have seen it in my
own district, and I know that many of my colleagues have as well.
I thank, again, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer) for his
work on this legislation with me.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I wanted to just summarize a little bit about this bill
and to also let folks know that this bill has a lot of endorsements
from people that are very active in this type of engineering: the
American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Association of Mutual
Insurance Companies, the Manufacturing Housing Institute, the National
Association of Wind Engineering, Applied Technology Council, and the
International Code Council. These are the organizations that are
actively involved in this kind of research, and
[[Page H5212]]
they wholeheartedly support and endorse this bill.
One of the things that this bill does is it creates a national
windstorm impact reduction program, and it improves our understanding
of windstorm issues. And it also brings about a collaboration of the
private sector and the public sector so that we can begin to
commercialize a lot of the important research that is going on. It
really does not do us any good to do a lot of good research in this
country if we do not get it into the hands of the people that can
actually use that, and those are the homeowners and the building owners
around this country.
It also brings some oversight to the process and creates a National
Advisory Committee who will oversee the various research. They will be
reported back to and given an opportunity to give progress reports to
the Congress to make sure that we are providing adequate oversight for
the important research dollars that we are providing for this type of
research.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart).
Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Speaker, first let me thank the
gentleman from Texas, and I also want to thank the gentleman from
Kansas (Mr. Moore), who has also worked awfully hard on this
legislation.
But I have to admit, Mr. Speaker, that I am a bit in awe of the work
that the gentleman from Texas has done to get this bill this far. As
has been said, many lives and billions of dollars are lost during
hurricanes and tornadoes due to really poor mitigation techniques, from
the structure of buildings to the planning of evacuation corridors.
Hurricane Andrew, for example, in 1992 resulted in $26.5 billion in
losses and 61 fatalities. Southern Dade County, by the way, Miami/Dade
County, is still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Andrew.
Hurricane Hugo in 1989 resulted in $7 billion in losses and 86
fatalities.
I am fortunate to help represent the International Hurricane Research
Center, a research center in Florida International University, which is
directed by Dr. Leatherman. It was established after Hurricane Andrew.
It serves as Florida's center for hurricane research, education, and
outreach. Of course, their work really serves the entire Nation. The
center has led research on everything from appropriate housing
techniques to beach erosion and coastal vulnerability. Like many other
wind-related institutions, the International Hurricane Research Center
supports this legislation. The sponsor of this legislation was
mentioning a number that did. This is one more, which I know the
gentleman is aware of, and, again, it will make significant steps in
mitigating the effects of wind-related hazards throughout the United
States.
This legislation, is a, I think, very important piece of legislation,
and the gentleman from Texas has done an incredible job shepherding it
through the process; and, again, I am in awe of the job that he has
done. This legislation creates a National Windstorm Impact Reduction
Program in order to improve understanding of windstorm impacts and
develops implementation of cost-effective mitigation measures. This
will use the vital research already done to implement a uniform policy
that will ultimately lead to better-built office buildings, homes,
structures, in order to lessen the impact of hurricanes and tornadoes
and other wind-borne tragedies.
It establishes a National Advisory Committee on Windstorm Impact
Reduction. Again, this group will routinely assess the effectiveness of
the program and make recommendations if any changes are needed down the
road. The sponsor has been very key on making sure that there is strong
oversight, and I want to thank the sponsor for his leadership there and
not only on this issue but particularly on this issue, on this bill.
And, again, I want to thank the sponsor, the gentleman from Texas,
and the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore), who also, I repeat, has done
a lot of work. I am in awe of the work that has been done on this bill,
and it is a privilege to support this bill here on the floor today.
Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen).
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3980 and
applaud the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer) and the gentleman
from Kansas (Mr. Moore) for introducing it and getting it to the floor
for passage today.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3980 would establish the National Windstorm Impact
Reduction Program to achieve major measurable reductions in losses of
life and property from windstorms. This is critically important to
Members like me whose districts are prone to catastrophic windstorms
such as hurricanes.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent one of the most beautiful places
under the American Flag, the U.S. Virgin Islands. While we live in an
area that sees its share of hurricanes every year, prior to 1989 we
were spared for over 60 years of being hit by one of these storms.
Since September, 1989, however, when Hurricane Hugo hit with sustained
winds in excess of 200 miles per hour, our islands were changed
forever. The devastation wrought by this storm was astronomical.
However, just as we were beginning to recover from the legacy of
Hurricane Hugo, we were hit with a second devastating storm in
September of 1995, Hurricane Marilyn. Since then we were hit by at
least four other major storms, the last one being Hurricane Lenny in
1999.
Mr. Speaker, if having to deal with recovering from a major natural
disaster was not enough, Hurricanes Hugo and Marilyn left the Virgin
Islands with an even more ominous legacy. It almost wiped out the
availability of affordable windstorm insurance in the territory.
The lack of available affordable homeowners insurance in the Virgin
Islands remains a serious problem for many of my constituents today.
With the huge payouts associated with the September 11 attacks and
natural disasters of 2 years ago, insurance companies' costs have
skyrocketed. To keep from falling into the red, many are passing their
costs on to homeowners in the form of higher premiums. For the Virgin
Islands, added risk of hurricanes, increased seismic activity, and the
lack of competition among insurers make it more difficult for my
constituents to find relief from these skyrocketing premiums.
While H.R. 3980 does not directly address the problem of the
availability of affordable disaster insurance, it has the very real
potential of lowering these costs in the long run if it is successful
in lowering or reducing the losses to life and property from hurricanes
and other windstorm disasters.
Mr. Speaker, windstorms and the damage and destruction they bring
result in higher and higher costs to our Nation every year. Any effort
which will result in the reduction of these costs will yield untold
benefits for all of us. For this reason I urge my colleagues to support
H.R. 3980. And I once again want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Neugebauer) and the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) for introducing
it and bringing it to the floor today.
Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), the distinguished chairman
of the Committee on Science.
(Mr. BOEHLERT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill, and
I want to congratulate the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer) for
bringing this bill forward. Bills in this area have been proposed for
many years; but through the gentleman from Texas's (Mr. Neugebauer)
efforts, we now have a bipartisan measure that the House can pass.
The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer) is what I refer to as an
impact player. Some people come to this House, the people's House, and
take a few years, understandably, to get sort of settled in and to
begin to have an impact. He just took a couple of months, and he has
had an impact. And this bill is a direct tribute to his tenacity and
determination to get something done, and I want to thank him for that
on behalf of the entire committee on a bipartisan basis.
Windstorms cause damage and deaths every year throughout the country.
Far too much damage, far too many
[[Page H5213]]
deaths. One is unacceptable. We may not be able to do anything about
the weather, but we can do more than talk about it. We can build and
retrofit structures so they are better able to survive windstorms. But
we can do that successfully and affordably only if we conduct the
research and development needed to learn more about storms and about
structures. That is exactly what this bill will enable us to do.
This is not a vain hope. Congress created the same kind of program
for earthquakes in the late 1970s. And as a result, we are able to do
much more today than we were 30 years ago to make structures earthquake
resistant. We hope this similar program will yield a similar result for
windstorms.
So in this bill we are following a proven formula. So again let me
congratulate once again the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer) and
the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) for this bill. They worked
together in a bipartisan basis to fashion something that earns our
support.
Let me thank also the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
and I am privileged to serve on that committee also, for working with
us on the FEMA portions of this bill. And let me thank the American
Society of Civil Engineers and the other groups that have guided us in
drafting the bill. We did not just get in some closet someplace and say
this is a problem, how do we deal with it. We reached out under the
gentleman from Texas's (Mr. Neugebauer) leadership and the gentleman
from Kansas (Mr. Moore), and we invited opinion, we invited input; and
as a result of all that, we were able to fashion something that is
pretty darn good, and I am proud of it. And I want to commend it to the
attention of my colleagues and urge its overwhelming adoption.
Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm), who helped get an initial ``big
wind earmark'' that brought $3.8 million to Texas Tech's Wind Disaster
Research Program in 1998 and helped lay some of the foundation for the
bill that is now going to come to the floor for a vote.
Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3980. With the rain,
wind, hail, and tornadoes that passed through West Texas last month and
again today, this legislation could not be more timely.
This bill will give us the tools to research the effects of these
storms, and it will provide us with a foundation from which we can
learn how to minimize the damages associated with them. A working group
comprised of officials from many Federal agencies will be formed to
assess ways to reduce losses of life and property caused by these
storms. As a farmer from West Texas, I know how damaging tornadoes and
windstorms can be, and I understand the importance of this legislation.
In the past I have strongly supported the efforts of research entities
like the Texas Tech Wind Science Center to study ways to mitigate the
damages caused by large windstorms. The Wind Science Center at Texas
Tech has done yeomen's work identifying the best ways to reduce
structural damage to properties caused by high winds associated with
tornadoes and hurricanes. As a member of the Wind Hazard Reduction
Caucus, I have supported efforts to make available the resources needed
to study and minimize the damaging effects of these windstorms.
As has already been pointed out, in 1997 I worked on a bipartisan,
bicameral basis with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison to ensure the Texas
Tech Wind Science Center got its first Federal earmark of $3.8 million,
which was included in the fiscal year 1998 appropriations bill. As is
quite often the case, when some folks do not understand, quite frankly,
what wind is all about, some suggested this was pork. We contacted the
then-Chief of Staff for the White House, Erskine Bowles, and requested
that the funding be supported by President Clinton and be kept off the
line item veto list. These efforts paid off. The center has since
received anywhere from $1.1 million to $2.4 million each year since
then.
I want to close by thanking the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) for
his work on this issue and the gentleman from Texas. The gentleman from
Kansas (Mr. Moore) first introduced this legislation in 1999, and he
has been a champion of wind hazard reduction efforts since he has come
to Congress. I know that he is happy to have this bill on the floor, as
I am here today happy to support these measures again and encourage my
colleagues to support this legislation.
{time} 1130
Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
South Dakota (Ms. Herseth), the newest Member of the House of
Representatives.
Ms. HERSETH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3980, the National
Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004. In an average year, more than
1,000 tornadoes are reported in the United States. With winds that can
reach in excess of 200 miles per hour, these storms cause an average of
more than 80 deaths and over 1,500 injuries per year.
In South Dakota, we have our fair share of severe weather. In the
summer months, this takes the form of violent thunderstorms that often
contain powerful winds. In fact, barely 1 year ago, South Dakota
experienced the worst tornado outbreak in its recorded history. June
24, 2003, will be forever known in South Dakota as ``Tornado Tuesday.''
In one 24-hour period, we had a confirmed 67 tornadoes touch down in
the State.
This ``superstorm'' produced over 350 weather warnings, and at least
one tornado reached F-4 status, meaning it had winds reaching over 260
miles per hour. Miraculously, no one lost his or her life on this day,
but at other times we have not been so lucky.
On May 30, 1998, a category F-4 tornado pummeled the small community
of Spencer, South Dakota. The town of 400 residents was almost totally
destroyed and six people lost their lives.
We have also experienced loss on my State's Indian lands. On June 4,
1999, a deadly tornado swept across the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
One person was killed and the property damage was widespread. More than
1,000 people were left temporarily homeless.
Because the people of South Dakota have seen firsthand the
devastation that tornadoes and strong straight-line winds can bring, I
am proud to support this legislation. It would create incentives for
Federal agencies to work together to address the threats caused by wind
damage. It would also improve our understanding of windstorms and how
they create such intense devastation.
I believe that we need a proactive approach that will mitigate the
damage caused by these remarkable natural events. This bill will save
lives, result in decreased property damage and reduce the overall cost
of Federal disaster relief.
I appreciate the bipartisan efforts of my colleagues, the gentleman
from Kansas (Mr. Moore) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer)
in moving this important legislation forward, and I urge all Members of
this House to support the bill.
Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge).
Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this National Windstorm
Impact Reduction Act. This legislation will help us take great strides
in reducing the loss of life and property from windstorms.
We in North Carolina know all too well how devastating tropical
storms and hurricanes can be. While flooding from hurricanes is often
the culprit for the majority of the deaths, the winds generated from
these storms range from 74 to 155 miles an hour or more,
indiscriminately wreaking havoc to lives and property wherever they
strike.
The National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act will develop windstorm
impact reduction projects that could lead to new designs and
construction practices that could mitigate, if not withstand, the force
and damage generated by these high windstorms. This is an important
piece of legislation, which I encourage all Members to support.
[[Page H5214]]
I want to congratulate the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) for his
work and leadership on this issue. Kansas does not have the hurricane
problems that my State has, but I know its position in the middle of
Tornado Alley makes it a life-and-death issue for the State of Kansas.
So I thank the gentleman.
As a Member of the House Committee on Science, the gentleman from
Kansas (Mr. Moore) has been fighting to improve research in wind-
related hazards for years. I have been proud to cosponsor and support
very similar legislation that he introduced both in this Congress and
during the 107th Congress.
Very simply, this legislation will save lives in North Carolina, in
Kansas and throughout this country. I congratulate my friend and
colleague on his success in this effort, and urge my colleagues to vote
for H.R. 3980.
Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to close by saying that this bill
consolidates and coordinates windstorm research that has been going on
throughout multiple agencies and brings oversight to that process, and
I think that is very important. I think the American people expect us
to oversee the moneys that we are appropriating and authorizing; but it
also is a public and private partnership, and the whole goal of this
bill is to make sure that we get the important research out of the
laboratories and into practical solutions that are going to be saving
lives and reducing property damage.
So I encourage my colleagues to vote yes on H.R. 3980, the National
Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004.
Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 3890, the
Steel and Aluminum Energy Conservation and Technology Competitiveness
Act. I'd like to commend my colleague from Pennsylvania, Melissa Hart,
for introducing this important legislation.
During a very busy week in May, I chaired two Energy Subcommittee
hearings on the issues of energy efficiency R and D. The first hearing
took a broad look at research and development in the area of energy
efficiency.
The second hearing focused on the legislation under consideration
today, H.R. 3890. This bill authorizes a research and development
program at the Department of Energy aimed at improving the energy
efficiency of the metals industry.
Some may have wondered why we didn't simply combine the two hearings,
on similar topics, into a single hearing. But there were two main
reasons why it was important to give the metals industry initiative a
dedicated place on the Subcommittee's calendar, and why the Department
of Energy has an initiative focused on this one industry to begin with.
First of all, the metals industry is highly energy-intensive. Taken
together, the steel, aluminum, and copper industries account for more
than 10 percent of industrial energy usage in the United States.
President Bush's National Energy Plan recognized that improving energy
efficiency in our most energy-intensive industries could yield large
improvements in productivity, product quality, safety, and pollution
prevention.
Second, we have a strategic national interest in helping our metals
industry remain competitive. For any industry, energy efficiency means
increased production without increased energy consumption or costs.
Improving energy efficiency helps improve the bottom line, making
American metal products more competitive on the global market. That
means more jobs here at home.
But energy efficiency is more than that. Reducing energy use reduces
our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases, and it increases our
energy security. In this way, energy efficiency just makes sense--
dollars and cents--for the nation. Again, I commend Ms. Hart for all
her hard work on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support
the bill.
Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Boozman). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3980, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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