[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 36 (Tuesday, March 6, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1423-S1425]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. KOHL:
  S. 2158. A bill to establish the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway 
National Heritage Area, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. KOHL. Mr. President. I wanted to speak today regarding a bill I 
am introducing to establish the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway National 
Heritage Area. The Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway would cut diagonally 
across Wisconsin through parts of 15 counties following the Fox River 
from Green Bay to Portage and the Wisconsin River from Portage to the 
Mississippi River. This parkway marks the route taken in 1673 by 
explorers Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet through Wisconsin.
  The Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway concept was created in 1991 by the 
National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Wisconsin Department 
of Commerce with the purpose of highlighting and enhancing the unique 
heritage of the State of Wisconsin. The Fox and Wisconsin rivers that 
serve as the pathway of Wisconsin's first explorers will increase 
heritage and recreational tourism to sites within the 280 mile Parkway 
and create awareness of this region's contributions to United States 
history.
  A National Heritage Area designation would revitalize the Parkway as 
an economic, environmental and recreational resource and ensure it for 
future generations. This project has the strong support of local towns, 
cities, businesses and non-profits that are located within this 
proposed parkway. I look forward to working with my colleagues in 
Congress on this National Heritage Area designation.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. LEAHY (for himself and Mr. Grassley):
  S. 2159. A bill to extend the authorization of the Drug-Free 
Communities Support Program through fiscal year 2017; to the Committee 
on the Judiciary.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today, I am pleased to join with Senator 
Grassley to introduce the Drug Free Communities Reauthorization Act of 
2012, a bill to reauthorize the successful Drug Free Communities 
Program. It is crucial that communities around the country have the 
support and resources needed to respond to serious drug problems in a 
comprehensive and coordinated manner. Drug Free Community, DFC, 
coalitions have been proven to significantly lower substance abuse 
rates in our communities nationwide.
  The DFC program encourages local citizens to become directly involved 
in solving their community's drug issues through grassroots organizing 
and data-driven approaches. Since the program's inception, DFC grants, 
which must be matched dollar for dollar, have helped to fund nearly 
2,000 coalitions and have mobilized nearly 9,000 community volunteers. 
Today's legislation will reauthorize the DFC Program for an additional 
5 years, at a reduced rate to reflect current fiscal realities. The 
community coalition model has proven extremely effective and has 
achieved impressive outcomes. It is critical that today's bill become 
law.
  The DFC Program strategically invests Federal anti-drug resources at 
the community level with those who have the most power to reduce the 
demand for drugs--parents, teachers, business leaders, local media, 
religious leaders, law enforcement, youth, and others in the community. 
Grantees execute collaborative strategies to address their communities' 
unique substance use and abuse issues. This is the optimal way to 
ensure that the entire community benefits from prevention. I have 
consistently supported funding for these coalitions, and was pleased 
that last year, eight Vermont coalitions were awarded Drug Free 
Community grants totaling $946,852.
  In Vermont, we have felt the presence of drug abuse and drug-related 
crime in our communities, and prescription drug abuse is on the rise. 
The myth persists that drug abuse and drug-related crime are only big-
city problems, but rural America is also coping with these issues. I 
have brought the Judiciary Committee to Vermont several times to 
examine these problems and gain perspectives to help shape solutions. 
One thing is clear. Law enforcement, while crucial, cannot solve the 
problem on its own. Reducing substance abuse requires a comprehensive 
approach with equal attention to law enforcement, prevention and 
education, and treatment, all with active community buy-in.
  We see significant results in the fight against youth drug abuse when 
we have people working together at the local, State, and Federal 
levels, and in the law enforcement, prevention, and treatment fields. 
We have seen success driven by DFC coalitions in Vermont and throughout 
the country, but there is more work to be done. Drug abuse and drug-
related crime is a persistent problem in major metropolitan areas and 
rural communities alike. I hope all Senators will support this 
bipartisan bill so that communities nationwide can sustain effective 
community coalitions to reduce youth drug use.

[[Page S1424]]

  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill 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. 2159

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF THE DRUG-FREE COMMUNITIES SUPPORT 
                   PROGRAM THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2017.

       Section 1024(a) of the National Narcotics Leadership Act of 
     1988 (21 U.S.C. 1524(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (9) 
     and all that follows and inserting the following:
       ``(9) $90,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
       ``(10) $99,000,000 for fiscal year 2007;
       ``(11) $109,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
       ``(12) $114,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;
       ``(13) $119,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;
       ``(14) $124,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;
       ``(15) $129,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;
       ``(16) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2013;
       ``(17) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2014;
       ``(18) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2015;
       ``(19) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2016; and
       ``(20) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2017.''.

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, throughout my years in Congress, I have 
worked to keep drugs out of our communities. We have all seen the 
destructive impact drugs have on our communities, and our families. For 
years, we have heard tragic stories of the lives impacted by drug 
abuse. These problems plague our society and we must remain united in 
this struggle to end abuse and addiction.
  In 1997 I, along with then-Senator Biden, sponsored legislation to 
create the Drug Free Communities, DFC, program. I believed then--as I 
still do today--that one of the most effective ways to prevent drug 
abuse is by supporting community antidrug coalitions to identify, 
prevent and eradicate the sources of abuse at the grass roots. Since 
the enactment of the Drug Free Communities Act, thousands of community 
antidrug coalitions have received Federal support to further their 
efforts to halt drug abuse in their communities.
  Coalitions, across the country and in my home State of Iowa, are 
confronted with unique challenges, but they are leading their 
communities in finding ways to overcome them. For example, the Van 
Buren Safe Coalition in Keosauqua, IA implemented comprehensive 
community wide strategies to address the growing marijuana problem in 
their community. They conducted town hall meetings to raise awareness 
about the dangers of drug use; facilitated various community and youth 
education opportunities; and partnered with local schools to ensure 
drug policies and codes of conduct were in place. As a result, the Van 
Buren County SAFE Coalition reduced marijuana use among 11th graders by 
one-third in a 5-year time span according to the Iowa Youth Survey.
  The Kossuth Connections coalition, which is headquartered in Algona, 
IA, is also taking action to fight underage drinking and smoking within 
its communities. According to the Iowa Youth Survey, current underage 
drinking and smoking, although still below the statewide average, has 
increased slightly between 2008 and 2010 in this county. As a result, 
the Kossuth Connections coalition has partnered with local businesses 
that sell alcohol and tobacco to ensure compliance with laws requiring 
age restrictions on selling alcohol and tobacco products. Youth from 
the county have surveyed area stores, inspected advertisements and 
product placements, and helped to determine whether or not the store 
displays a ``We ID'' sticker at the counter. These youth are committed 
to ensuring local stores are in compliance with the law and are 
actively working to reduce underage drinking and smoking.
  These coalitions are a small sampling, but they represent the 
incredible efforts that many are putting into controlling and reducing 
drug abuse in our communities. Now is not the time to abandon community 
drug prevention efforts.
  Unfortunately, recent trends indicate youth drug use nationally is on 
the rise and new synthetic drugs like K2/Spice and bath salts are 
gaining in popularity. In fact, the latest Monitoring the Future Survey 
indicates that one in nine high school seniors used synthetic drugs 
like K2/Spice in the past year. This is the first year this survey 
tested students on synthetic drug use. The high number of users in such 
a short time span illustrates how rapidly drug use can spread among 
certain populations and communities. It is discouraging to see these 
surveys and to read about more tragedies on a daily basis. These 
negative trends will continue if they are not aggressively addressed.
  It is vital that communities are made aware of abuse trends and the 
new drugs coming on the horizon. The actions community antidrug 
coalitions can take to stem the growing tide of rising drug abuse, like 
synthetic drug abuse, can and have made a real difference. By holding 
town hall meetings, launching school programs, and confronting local 
businesses that market or sell inappropriate products community 
coalitions are making a real positive difference.
  Whether it is a synthetic drug outbreak, a meth epidemic in a 
Midwestern town, or an increase in underage drinking, community 
antidrug coalitions will lead the way to unite their community against 
drug abuse. It is vital in these tough times that these coalitions 
continue to receive support from their communities and from the Federal 
Government. That is why I am pleased to join my colleague, Senator 
Leahy, in introducing a bill to reauthorize The Drug Free Communities 
Support Program for an additional 5 years.
  This reauthorizing legislation recognizes the good work local 
antidrug coalitions have done over the years, but it also recognizes 
the fact that resources at the Federal level are tight and that 
authorizations need to more closely resemble appropriations. Further, 
this program is part of an ongoing review conducted by the Government 
Accountability Office (GAO) that I, along with Senator Feinstein, 
requested to study the effectiveness of the program. This study will 
take some time to develop and should not hinder our efforts to 
reauthorize the program, but should also be taken into consideration 
once the results are available.
  We must remain vigilant and not relent in our efforts to eradicate 
drug abuse. Drug abuse flourishes when the problem is ignored. If we 
are going to make a better future for our children and communities, we 
must face this menace together.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Leahy, Mr. 
        Brown of Ohio, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Begich, Mr. 
        Franken, Mr. Blumenthal, and Mr. Akaka):
  S. 2162. A bill to provide for the redevelopment of abandoned and 
foreclosed-upon properties and for the stabilization of affected 
neighborhoods, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, 
Housing, and Urban Affairs.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I introduce the Project Rebuild Act today, 
and I thank Senators Durbin, Schumer, Leahy, Akaka, Sherrod Brown, 
Whitehouse, Merkley, Begich, Franken, and Blumenthal for joining me as 
original cosponsors of this bill.
  Rhode Island, like America, is facing a foreclosure crisis. The bill 
we are introducing offers an opportunity to address this crisis--
tackling foreclosures and affordable rental housing at the same time.
  Building upon the successful, proven, and bipartisan Neighborhood 
Stabilization Plan, NSP, which has helped put Americans back to work 
stabilizing neighborhoods, the Project Rebuild Act could provide $43 
million for Rhode Island to help create jobs and overhaul distressed 
neighborhoods and commercial properties.
  Nationwide, about $10 billion would be directed to States and local 
governments through a formula modeled after NSP, and $5 billion would 
be distributed through new competitive grants.
  We are facing a challenging budget environment, but this is the right 
time to make smart investments in strengthening our communities, 
putting more construction workers back to work, and bolstering the 
economy. This initiative will provide a flexible source of funding to 
help local communities leverage federal dollars to effectively address 
vacant and blighted properties.
  In communities across Rhode Island and the country, we have seen how 
the foreclosure crisis has affected not just those who have lost their 
homes, but also how it has impacted entire neighborhoods.

[[Page S1425]]

  I helped ensure that Rhode Island would receive additional NSP 
funding to assist communities hit hardest by the foreclosure crisis. 
Based on my visits to many NSP sites in Rhode Island, the State's NSP 
allotment of $26 million is making a difference in neighborhoods all 
over the State. This crucial investment in Rhode Island has not only 
begun to help reverse the fallout from foreclosures, but has also 
provided families with affordable rental housing.
  But more needs to be done. According to the Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, despite three rounds of NSP funding, ``there is 
unaddressed high need in more than 76 percent of high need census 
tracts across the country.'' According to the Federal Reserve's recent 
housing white paper, the number of new homes that will have completed 
the foreclosure process could be as high as 1 million properties per 
year in 2012 and 2013.
  We need to act to gain traction in our housing market so that we can 
firmly anchor a sustainable economic recovery that actually reaches and 
touches all Americans.
  The Project Rebuild Act takes us in the right direction towards 
gaining this needed traction by making important enhancements to NSP, 
such as broadening eligible uses to include commercial vacancies.
  It would offer new grants for fixing up vacant commercial properties, 
complementing the abilities of private developers.
  It would also increase support for ``land banking.'' Land banks work 
with communities to buy, hold, and redevelop distressed properties as 
part of a long-term redevelopment strategy. Our bill would help more 
communities utilize successful land bank models and provide additional 
resources for Rhode Island Housing's Land Bank.
  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, estimates 
Project Rebuild could create over 190,000 jobs and renovate 150,000 
properties nationwide.
  Just as NSP was supported on a bipartisan basis, I hope we can build 
bipartisan support for this effort to help revitalize neighborhoods, 
create jobs, and accelerate economic growth.
  I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this bill and other 
efforts to address foreclosures and bolster our nation's recovery.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. CONRAD:
  S. 2163. A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to 
improve Medicare benefits for individuals with kidney disease, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I am introducing the Kidney Disease 
Equitable Access, Prevention, and Research Act. This legislation 
recognizes the importance of patient choice, access to care, and 
educational efforts to assist the more than 400,000 Americans with 
kidney failure to manage their disease and understand the treatment 
options.
  First, the legislation seeks to maintain patient choice to retain 
their private insurance options, even after they qualify for Medicare 
by virtue of their disease state. Under current law, an individual 
diagnosed with kidney failure, or End Stage Renal Disease, ESRD, has 
the choice to maintain his/her current group health plan or transition 
immediately to Medicare. The legislation introduced today would direct 
the Secretary to clarify that this long-standing requirement also 
applies to group health plans established through Health Benefit 
Exchanges, as well as more traditional plans.
  Second, the legislation seeks to improve access to preventive and 
educational services by expanding access to coverage for kidney disease 
education services.
  Finally, the legislation seeks to address barriers to receiving this 
life-sustaining treatment, including transportation issues and factors 
that lead to disparities among minority populations. It also calls on 
the Secretary to report on gaps in quality and care management metrics 
to support ongoing efforts to continue quality improvement in the 
Medicare ESRD program.
  I call on my colleagues to reaffirm the Congressional commitment to 
Americans with ESRD by ensuring equitable access to care for 
individuals with kidney disease, supporting research to improve access 
to high quality kidney care, and improving access to preventive care 
for individuals with ESRD. The Kidney Disease Equitable Access, 
Prevention, and Research Act is a comprehensive bill that improves upon 
the Medicare ESRD program. I urge my colleagues to join with me in 
supporting this important legislation.

                          ____________________