[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 111 (Thursday, September 8, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9744-S9745]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           EMERGENCY FUNDING

  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, we will sometime later today be getting a 
supplemental request in the Senate to continue to fund the needs of the 
relief effort in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, which will be 
approximately $50 billion on top of the $10 billion that has already 
been spent. Obviously, it is essential that we get these dollars down 
there and put them to use aggressively in order to try to help the 
people who are in such dire straits, and to try to begin to bring some 
order and some relief to those who have suffered so much.
  As we proceed in this effort, we should err on the side of making 
sure that we get the dollars there quickly in order to support these 
individuals who are in such dire straits, and to try to assist this 
part of the country that has been hit by this catastrophic event.
  But in the process, I think it is important that we have some fiscal 
oversight that allows us to feel comfortable that the dollars that are 
being spent are going effectively, quickly, and aggressively to relief 
efforts which are legitimate and appropriate.
  Thus, I congratulate the House of Representatives for putting in the 
supplemental and identifying within the supplemental $15 million which 
will be assigned to the Inspector General's Office to start to put in 
place the auditing process and the oversight process on how the money 
is being spent, which I believe is critical.
  We have seen some issues which obviously, if they are pursued 
logically, make sense. But if they are pursued in a way that is not 
logical, they are going to cost us a lot of money and probably not get 
us a lot of relief.
  For example, there was a report in my State paper which said that all 
the dealerships who sell Winnebagos in New Hampshire have been 
contacted and told to get ready to transfer their entire inventory over 
to the Federal Government because they are going to ship it all out. 
Maybe that is what we will end up doing, but we hope before we buy up 
all the Winnebagos in America and send them to the gulf coast, we would 
be thinking about the cost and how we are going to approach that and 
whether that is the best way to proceed.
  There are a lot of ideas floating out there. I think it is important 
we have the structure in place that effectively monitors cost and how 
the money is being spent. So I congratulate the House.
  In addition, I think the President's decision, along with the Vice 
President, to have the Vice President physically going there and being 
on the ground in that region is a very positive step in our efforts to 
get order in the process of delivering relief.
  Anybody who knows the Vice President--and I have had the good fortune 
to serve with him in the House and fortunate to serve with him here 
while he has been Vice President--will note that he is a no-nonsense 
individual. He looks at an issue, decides how to get the best results 
for resolving the problem, and moves forward. He did that as Defense 
Secretary. He has done it, obviously, as Vice President. He will bring 
immediate coherence, intelligence, and aggressive action in solving the 
problem and will move forward with the complexities of this 
reconstruction and relief effort. I think it is an excellent decision 
to have the Vice President step into the middle of this effort and 
basically try to calm the waters, but more importantly execute 
efficiently what is going on in the area of the Federal relief effort. 
However, it does lead to the point I made earlier--

[[Page S9745]]

and which I want to stress once again--which is that this is not an 
overnight, 2- or 3-month exercise. We all realize that rebuilding this 
region is going to take a significant amount of time and a tremendous 
amount of resources and a lot of thought and an intelligent process.
  We need to set up, I believe as we move forward--obviously, not 
within the next few days but certainly within the next month--some type 
of structured commission along the lines I would suggest as was done 
after the horrific floods of 1926 when Herbert Hoover led the effort, 
where you basically have a central focal point with an individual of 
great ability and national recognition leading the effort, and 
basically manage the Federal dollars as they come in from all the 
various Federal agencies that will be impacted, and make sure those 
Federal dollars are effectively, efficiently, and quickly brought to 
bear on the problems in concert with the State and local governments.
  I believe that is going to take a separate type of entity to be 
created. I think we should be thinking about how to structure that 
entity. I would certainly be looking to people such as Senator Cochran, 
Senator Lott, Senator Shelby, Senator Sessions, and the Senators from 
Louisiana, Ms. Landrieu and Mr. Vitter, for ideas about how we should 
set that up. We should be starting the process.
  I wanted to come to the floor and say, as we move forward on this 
supplemental--obviously, it is totally outside of the budget. It is an 
emergency, and that is the way it should be done, but it is $50 
billion--it is important that we retain this language--and I guess we 
will try to move this supplemental through the Senate without 
amendment--retain this language which makes sure that the Inspector 
General has the resources the office needs in order to effectively 
monitor how these funds are managed; to make sure we are getting the 
best return in the most prompt way for these tax dollars which are in 
such dire need down there in order to pursue the reconstruction and 
relief effort.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________