[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 24 (Wednesday, March 1, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1580-S1582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. PRYOR:
  S. 2343. A bill to authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
to provide relief to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane 
Rita by placing manufactured homes in flood plains, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs.
  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, this week marks the 6-month anniversary of 
when Hurricane Katrina ravaged the gulf coast, destroying lives and 
dreams along the way. Thousands upon thousands of homes were also 
ruined, and today they remain simply a heap of debris.
  I saw this devastation firsthand a few weeks ago when, as a member of 
the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, we traveled 
to Gulfport and New Orleans for field hearings to see what resources 
are necessary to help the region recover from the largest natural 
disaster in our history.
  In fact, this photograph was taken by one of the press people who was 
on that trip. So we saw this scene firsthand. Alison Vekshin of 
Stephens Media took this photo.
  I remind my colleagues that Hurricane Katrina completely destroyed 
205,330 homes in Louisiana. It completely destroyed 68,729 homes in 
Mississippi. And 363 homes were completely destroyed in Alabama. For 
many of these families who lost everything, a place to live would offer 
opportunity for them to go back to work and begin rebuilding their 
lives.
  I was told by local and State leaders that housing is the catalyst to 
get businesses open, to get people back to work, to pump money back 
into the local economy, and to restore the infrastructure that once 
existed.
  Many people along the gulf coast who lost their houses have also lost 
hope. In Arkansas, we have a place called Hope where 10,777 
manufactured homes sit on an airfield.
  These homes--ordered by FEMA and paid for by FEMA--now sit in a FEMA-
leased site, only to be restricted from use in the gulf region because 
of a FEMA-imposed rule that prevents them from being located in a 
floodplain.
  FEMA is now accepting bids to gravel the area where the homes are 
sitting on dirt, costing taxpayers another $4 to $7 million. In 
addition, FEMA is buying a specially designed jack for each corner of 
each home to prevent sagging and further damage.
  These manufactured homes epitomize FEMA's ineptitude in planning, 
communication, and response. Taxpayers have now spent an estimated $475 
million for these homes to sit gridlocked in bureaucracy, even as 
evacuees are evicted from hotel rooms and thousands of others struggle 
to find affordable housing.
  Congressman Mike Ross of Arkansas asked FEMA to waive the floodplain 
restriction that stands in the way between the homeless and a home. But 
FEMA refused, citing that manufactured homes are ``sitting ducks'' for 
the next natural disaster. These homes, I have to remind my colleagues, 
were built to high wind zone 3 specifications, so while they may not 
withstand the next hurricane--although they may--they will not tumble 
over during a storm.
  Now, we are telling FEMA to let hope travel to where it is needed 
most, from

[[Page S1581]]

Arkansas to Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama.
  My legislation, the Hope Housing Act of 2006, allows manufactured 
homes bought for Katrina and Rita victims to be located in floodplains, 
protects FEMA from responsibility if the homes are subsequently 
flooded, and directs FEMA to publicize this change so people will know 
they are available.
  This is a one-time change that I believe is necessary in the face of 
what I hope will be a one-time disaster. We have people without homes 
and homes without people. Let's allow the homes to go where they are 
needed so the people in New Orleans and the gulf coast can return to 
their communities and help rebuild them. The alternative seems to be to 
let them sit and deteriorate in Hope, Arkansas.
  Mr. President, 6 months is too long to allow this nonsense to 
continue. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense solution 
that allows hurricane victims a little hope and opportunity for their 
future.
  The bottom line is that basically FEMA ordered these homes, paid for 
these homes, and now they are storing these homes, but their own 
regulation will not allow them to use them where they are most needed. 
So what our legislation does is allow FEMA to put these homes down 
where they are needed to try to get the economic cycle in New Orleans 
and the gulf coast area going again because right now the cycle is 
broken. They do not have people down there to work the jobs. They do 
not have people down there to be consumers. And the reason they do not 
have people is because they do not have a place to live.
  So I urge my colleagues to consider helping in this effort. The Hope 
Housing Act of 2006 is a very commonsense solution for this very 
critical need.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself and Mr. Baucus):
  S. 2345. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exempt 
passenger vehicles eligible for the alternative motor vehicle credit 
and the credit for qualified electric vehicles from the limitation on 
depreciation for luxury automobiles; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
a bill I introduced today that may be cited as the ``America's Business 
Choice Act'' be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2345

       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 ``America's Business Choice 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. EXCEPTION FROM DEPRECIATION LIMITATION FOR CERTAIN 
                   ALTERNATIVE AND ELECTRIC PASSENGER AUTOMOBILES.

       (a) In General.--Paragraph (1) of section 280F(a) of the 
     Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to limitation) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(D) Special rule for certain alternative motor vehicles 
     and qualified electric vehicles.--Subparagraph (A) shall not 
     apply to any motor vehicle for which a credit is allowable 
     under section 30 or 30B.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--Subparagraph (C) of section 
     280F(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by 
     striking clause (ii) and by redesignating clause (iii) as 
     clause (ii).
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall apply to property placed in service after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. CONRAD (for himself and Mr. Rockefeller):
  S. 2347. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend 
and modify the tax credit for holders of qualified zone academy bonds; 
to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, today, I am reintroducing, with Senator 
Rockefeller, a bill to make some small but important changes to the 
Qualified Zone Academy Bond, QZAB, program.
  The QZAB program helps qualifying schools renovate and update school 
buildings. Schools issue special bonds to finance the cost of 
renovation. Purchasers of the bonds receive a Federal tax credit in 
lieu of interest on the bond, thus helping to reduce the cost to the 
school. Most States are now using this program to modernize their 
school facilities. The QZAB program expired in 2005, but the Tax 
Reconciliation bill that will soon be considered by a conference 
committee extends the program.
  We are proposing to make modest changes in the QZAB program to make 
it even more useful to schools across the country. Our bill would 
expand the pool of bond purchasers to include all taxpayers, both 
individuals and other entities. Currently, only financial institutions 
can buy QZABs, which precludes pension funds and mutual funds from 
purchasing QZABs.
  Our bill would also allow QZABs to be ``stripped'' so the purchaser 
could then sell separately the principal portion of the bond and the 
tax credit. This will encourage the development of a secondary market 
for the bonds and reduce the discount costs making more of the proceeds 
available for school-related expenses. It will also open the market to 
nonprofit entities such as public employee pension funds.
  The bill revises the allocation formula to the States to better align 
with Title I, the program for disadvantaged students. Current law 
requires that allocations be made on the basis of a State's population 
living below poverty. This change simplifies and updates by tying 
funding to the formula used to distribute Title I funding for 
disadvantaged students.
  Unused bonding authority would be reallocated to other States. A few 
States have not used their allocations, and their bonding authority has 
lapsed. However, the demand in many States now far exceeds their 
allocation. Allowing funds to be reallocated would maximize the 
potential of the QZAB program.
  Finally, our bill would allow QZABs to be used for new construction 
and to purchase land for school buildings. We believe QZABs have been 
proven to be a cost-effective method for financing school renovation. 
With this additional flexibility, States can effectively reduce their 
construction backlogs.
  School districts across the country have praised the QZAB program for 
helping them to address serious problems in their buildings. This is a 
good program. We can make it even better by enacting these small 
reforms. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this important 
measure.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. OBAMA (for himself and Mr. Durbin):
  S. 2348. A bill to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to require a 
licensee to notify the Atomic Energy Commission, and the State and 
county in which a facility is located, whenever there is an unplanned 
release of fission products in excess of allowable limits; to the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, less than 2 months ago, it was announced by 
Exelon Nuclear that an environmental monitoring program discovered 
higher than normal concentrations of tritium in the groundwater near 
the Nuclear Generating Station in Braidwood, IL.
  Indications are that this tritium plume is the result of an 
accidental radioactive wastewater release that occurred approximately 6 
to 8 years ago, and now the tritiated water has migrated underground 
into several drinking wells of nearby residents.
  While most of the issues associated with this situation are still 
under investigation, one issue is clear. Community residents, 
particularly the State and local officials responsible for the safety 
and health of their constituents, did not receive full or immediate 
notification of this contamination--either from Exelon, or the Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, NRC, the Federal agency with oversight over 
nuclear plant operations.
  I was surprised to learn, that while Federal law requires State and 
local officials to be notified immediately upon a ``declared 
emergency,'' Federal law does not require State and local officials to 
be notified of any other accidental, unplanned, or unintentional 
radioactive substance releases that may occur if those releases do not 
immediately rise to a public health or safety threat. And while those 
incidents must be documented with the NRC and made available to the 
public, accessing that information is contingent upon the public and 
State and local officials actually knowing that these incidents ever 
occurred.
  When radioactive substances are released into the environment outside 
of normal operating procedures, notifying State and local officials 
should not be a courtesy; it should be the law.

[[Page S1582]]

  That's why today I am introducing the Nuclear Release Notice Act of 
2006, a bill designed to expand the public's right to know when 
radioactive substances are released from a reactor. Specifically, the 
bill is designed to accomplish the following: (1) to ensure that the 
licensees notify State and local officials at the same time the NRC is 
notified regarding unplanned incidents that occur at local nuclear 
power plants; (2) to add State and local reporting requirements not 
just on incidents regarding fissionable material releases, but on all 
unplanned radioactive substance releases that are outside of normal 
operating limits; (3) to add State and local reporting requirements 
when releases exceed not just NRC limits for normal operation, but also 
when they exceed other Federal limits and standards for groundwater and 
other types of contamination; (4) to ensure than any repeat unplanned 
releases of radioactive substances--even if within allowable limits--
that occur more than twice within 2 years are reported to State, local 
and NRC officials--so that we all know when poor maintenance, 
malfunctions of poor design are going unfixed; and (5) to provide that 
violations of this provision could result in the revocation of the 
operating license of the licensee.
  As energy demand throughout the Nation increases in the coming 
decades, we will be challenged in how best to meet these consumption 
demands without sacrificing the environment. That means using all of 
our energy resources fully and wisely, including wind, solar, and other 
important renewable power-generating resources.
  Moreover, as Congress considers policies to address air quality and 
the deleterious effects of carbon emission's on the global ecosystem, 
it is reasonable--and realistic--for nuclear power to remain on the 
table for consideration. Illinois has 11 nuclear power plants--the most 
of any State in the country--and nuclear power provides more than half 
of Illinois' electricity needs.
  The people of Illinois--and all residents who live near nuclear power 
plants--have a right to know when actions are taken that might affect 
their safety and well-being. This bill furthers this commonsense goal, 
and I urge my colleagues to support it.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. Dayton):
  S. 2351. A bill to provide additional funding for mental health care 
for veterans, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce legislation 
today to double the funding for veterans mental health care over the 
next 5 years.
  Our brave veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have faced 
unspeakable horrors. They have seen people killed and wounded, 
experienced the stress of urban warfare, and endured other traumatic 
events. These experiences undoubtedly take their toll. However, it can 
take months or even years for these events to impact a person's mental 
health.
  The need for this legislation is clear. Just today, the Washington 
Post reported that more than one in three soldiers and Marines who have 
served in Iraq later sought help for mental health problems. And we 
already know that the Veterans' Administration treated almost 19,000 
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans for post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, 
between 2002 and 2005. These numbers will continue to increase.
  This legislation will help ensure that the VA has the resources 
necessary to treat veterans with mental illness. First, it authorizes 
the VA to spend at least $3.6 billion in 2007--up from $2.8 billion in 
2006--and increases funding to $5.6 billion by 2011. Second, it 
requires an annual report about progress in implementing milestones 
from the VA Mental Health Strategic Plan.
  This bill is supported by AMVETS and Disabled American Veterans.
  It is imperative that we make a long-term commitment to provide 
mental health services to our veterans, who have sacrificed so much for 
us. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

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