[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 13, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4577-S4578]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. Markey, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Warren,
and Mr. Blumenthal):
S. 4823. A bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to
remove the overtime wages exemption for certain employees, and for
other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions.
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the
Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act, which I introduced today.
America's truckdrivers are on the frontlines of keeping goods and our
economy moving. More than 70 percent of goods across the United States
are shipped by truck.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting supply chain
crisis exacerbated longstanding challenges for truckers, including long
hours away from home and time spent waiting--often unpaid--to load and
unload at congested ports, warehouses, and distribution centers.
As our Nation makes historic investments in our port and supply chain
infrastructure through the bipartisan infrastructure law, we should
also improve wages and working conditions for essential workers and
ensure they are paid for all of the hours they work.
However, for more than 80 years, Federal law has denied truckers
guaranteed overtime pay benefits that are afforded to nearly all other
professions. This means that if a truckdriver experiences delays due to
congestion or weather, they are often not paid even though they are
working.
The motor carrier exemption is exacerbating trucking workforce
challenges. Additionally, research suggests that when truck labor rates
are fair, there is less driver fatigue, fewer regulatory violations,
and lower crash rates.
That is why I am proud to introduce this bill to repeal the overtime
exemption for motor carriers.
I want to thank Senator Markey for co-leading this bill with me, and
I hope our colleagues will join us in support of this bill that will
ensure that trucker compensation reflects the fact that these jobs are
essential.
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By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mr. Daines):
S. 4826. A bill to amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
to modify the definition of the term ``at-risk community'' ; to the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the
Community Wildfire Protection Act, bipartisan legislation that Senator
Daines and I are introducing today.
This bill would ensure that those communities that are deemed to be
under the greatest threat from wildfire are eligible to receive
existing Federal wildfire grants. This sounds obvious but unfortunately
is not the case under existing law.
This will help more communities in our home States of California and
Montana and others throughout the West access Federal grants to reduce
hazardous fuels around their communities and reduce the threat posed by
wildfire. In particular, it would protect areas at risk of a large-
scale wildfire that would significantly threaten human life and
property.
Aligning the definition in law for at-risk communities to today's
environmental realities is more important than ever given the increased
spread, frequency, and destructiveness of wildfires, especially in the
West.
The current definition of an ``at-risk community'' was codified in
the 2003 Healthy Forest Restoration Act. That law requires that, other
than experiencing significant wildfire risk, an eligible community must
either be adjacent to Federal land or included on a list generated in
2001 consisting of voluntary input from States and Tribes.
To be clear, including a town on this list was not based on an
objective evaluation of wildfire risk or threat to life and property,
only whether an individual Governor or Tribal leader decided to add it.
There are obvious omissions from the list that show its inadequacy, and
in fact, 19 States and territories never submitted a single community.
For example, in California, big cities like Fresno, Fairfield, and
Napa are not included, all of which have experienced major wildfires in
recent years, nor are countless small towns that are at great risk of
wildfire. The town of Grizzly Flats, CA, which was devastated by the
2021 Caldor Fire, is also notably absent from the list.
The exclusion of these communities means that they are not eligible
for Federal grant funding that would help them develop and implement
wildfire resiliency plans, such as hazardous fuels reduction, nor can
they utilize critical authorities to expedite wildfire mitigation
projects on nearby Federal lands.
Our bill would simply end the practice of making Federal grants
contingent on being this outdated, incomplete list. Instead, our
legislation would allow communities to be included based on the most
up-to-date quantitative wildfire risk data for the entire United
States--data that are already maintained by the U.S. Forest Service.
Our bill would also allow communities not immediately within or
adjacent to Federal lands to qualify as ``at risk'' of wildfire. This
is important given a recent survey of more than 22,000 fires that
indicated that wildfires are more likely to start on private lands and
burn into Federal forestlands than the reverse. Federal policies must
adapt to recognize this fact, not prevent funding from going to where
it would be most effective.
Better tailoring Federal grants to the areas at greatest risk of
wildfire is particularly essential given congressional funding of
wildfire resilience projects, including $1.8 billion that passed as
part the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act.
I am proud that our bill has received the support of the National
Association of Counties, Rural County Representatives of California,
the National Association of State Foresters, the Pacific Forest Trust,
and the California Fire Safe Council.
I am pleased to work with Senator Daines on this commonsense bill
that will save lives, save communities, and ensure that Federal dollars
are spent as effectively as possible.
Mr. President, my bill is simple--just three lines long--but it
would ensure that our Federal policies enable billions in wildfire
resiliency funding to be applied where it is needed most.
I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation.
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By Mr. THUNE (for himself and Ms. Collins):
S. 4832. A bill to temporarily prohibit the hiring of additional
Internal Revenue Service employees until a certain level of taxpayer
services have improved, and for other purposes; to the Committee on
Finance.
Mr. THUNE. 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:
[[Page S4578]]
S. 4832
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 ``Increase Reliable Services
Now Act''.
SEC. 2. TEMPORARY PROHIBITION ON ADDITIONAL TAX ENFORCEMENT
PERSONNEL.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provisions of
law, the Internal Revenue Service may not hire any person for
the purpose of conducting enforcement activities during the
period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and
ending on the first date after such date on which--
(1) the Internal Revenue Service has maintained, for 6
consecutive months--
(A) a level of service for accounts management phone lines
of not less than 70 percent; and
(B) an average speed of answering calls in 5 minutes or
less; and
(2) not less than 90 percent of the regular employees of
the Internal Revenue Service perform work in person at their
job sites.
(b) Enforcement Activities.--For purposes of this section,
the term ``enforcement activities'' means activities
described in section 10301(a)(1)(A)(ii) of Public Law 117-
169.
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF ADDITIONAL INTERNAL REVENUE
SERVICE FUNDS FOR TAXPAYER AUDITS.
Section 10301(a)(1)((A)(ii) of Public Law 117-169 is
amended by inserting before the period at the end the
following: ``: Provided further, That the Internal Revenue
Service shall not audit taxpayers with taxable incomes below
$400,000 at a greater rate than such taxpayers were audited
for the most recent taxable year beginning before the date of
the enactment of this Act''.
SEC. 4. TEMPORARY PROHIBITION ON INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
HIRING.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provisions of
law, the Internal Revenue Service may not hire any person
(other than for activities related to return processing and
call center operations) during the period beginning on the
date of the enactment of this Act and ending on the first
date after such date on which the Internal Revenue Service
meets the requirements of subsection (b).
(b) Requirements.--The requirements specified in this
subsection are the following:
(1) With respect to the processing of taxpayer
correspondence, tax forms, and payments, the Internal Revenue
Service has a backlog not in excess of 1,000,000 cases.
(2) With respect to tax returns eligible for a refund,
refunds are issued to taxpayers on average within six weeks
or less of the receipt of the return.
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By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mr. Padilla):
S. 4833. A bill to improve the health and resiliency of giant
sequoias, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of
legislation that I introduced today along with Senator Padilla to
preserve the enduring legacy of California's giant sequoias: the Save
Our Sequoias Act. I thank Senator Padilla for working with me on this
important bill, as well as the bipartisan sponsors of similar
legislation in the House.
The Save Our Sequoias Act would charge a dedicated group of Federal,
State, local, and Tribal land managers known as the Giant Sequoia Lands
Coalition with developing wildfire resilience projects to help save
these magnificent trees.
The bill would also provide Federal Agencies with narrow, targeted
authorities to implement these projects quickly and protect our
remaining sequoias, as well as create a strategy to enhance sequoia
reforestation.
Giant sequoias are one of the most iconic plants in the world. The
sequoia known as General Sherman is the largest tree on Earth at more
than 100 feet in circumference and 275 feet tall.
Sequoias grow quickly, producing a 50-foot tree's worth of wood each
year, yet can live to be thousands of years old. They are also
remarkably fire-adapted, with spongy bark that can be up to 2-feet
thick.
Perhaps most importantly to me, these incredible trees only grow in
my home State of California. Just being around these trees is a
humbling experience. Their immensity puts them in a class by
themselves, and it is no wonder that they have been the source of
reverence and amazement.
For many years, sequoias were considered nearly immune to the effects
of wildfires, but unfortunately devastating fires in recent years have
overwhelmed even their potent defenses. Officials have estimated that
20 percent of all mature giant sequoias have been destroyed just since
2020.
Scientific research has additionally suggested that without
significant action, another 20 percent could be lost in the next 3
years. This would be a staggering tragedy and demands action. As former
President Theodore Roosevelt himself put it, ``A grove of giant redwood
or sequoias should be kept just as we keep a great and beautiful
cathedral.''
The vast majority of giant sequoias live on Federal land, and I thank
President Biden and his administration for using existing authorities
to try to save these magnificent trees. Nevertheless, Congress can and
should enact legislation to protect sequoias long into the future.
Our bill would accomplish this goal by first codifying the Giant
Sequoia Lands Coalition, an existing group of public land managers with
jurisdiction over sequoia groves, and requiring it to develop a
strategy to make sequoia groves more resilient to wildfire. It would
also provide congressional support for the Biden Administration's
current actions under an emergency declaration to expedite sequoia
wildfire resilience projects.
Federal agencies should not be reliant on emergency authorities,
however, in order to implement necessary wildfire resilience projects
in the future. To that end, our bill provides those Agencies with
narrow, targeted authorities to continue making progress on those
projects and authorizes funding for dedicated personnel. It also
establishes a grant program for sequoia resilience projects that occur
off of Federal land.
Lastly, our bill ensures that we do not simply mitigate future
sequoia losses but also begin the process of regrowth. Since sequoias
can live to be thousands of years old, it is never too early to begin
rejuvenating these majestic trees.
Mr. President, giant sequoias are one of the great treasures of the
world, not just of California. It is incumbent upon Congress to pass
our bill to ensure they are protected and can be cherished for
thousands of years to come.
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