[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12488]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              FOREST FIRES

  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, for a couple of weeks, every time 
Americans look at their TV screen, they see a huge fire, a piece of 
America burning. Forests in our Southwest and West are on fire. We have 
seen huge fires in the State of Arizona, small but significant fires in 
New Mexico, and very large fires in the State of Colorado.
  I do not want to discuss the why of the fires today, but I am very 
hopeful that another year will not pass in the Congress, at least the 
Senate, without a thorough analysis and research by a committee of 
Congress on why our forests are burning. Some say it is natural. Others 
say it is a terrible management mistake. They claim that we have gone 
along without pruning, thinning, or taking care of forests and are 
inviting either manmade fires, lightning, or some kind of natural fire 
starter.
  We have a very serious problem with reference to our national forests 
and these fires. So far this year, over 3 million acres have burned, 
and the fire season is not yet over. This is 1 million acres more than 
the devastating 2000 fire season and twice the 10-year average. So far, 
twice the 10-year fire average has already occurred in our forests! 
This fire season has had a detrimental impact on communities throughout 
the West and Southwest, disrupting thousands of people's lives, hurting 
the economies in ways we cannot measure, and destroying homes and 
property. We must act in each instance to put out the fires, to contain 
them, and, yes, after that, provide whatever help we can to those 
suffering.
  While the fires burn, there are people who need help. There are 
people in both the BLM and the Agriculture Department who are busy, day 
by day, using millions and millions of dollars, which we have provided.
  I suggest today that the Department of the Interior and the 
Department of Agriculture indicate they will have to move resources 
from all kinds of activities that are supposed to occur during the rest 
of this year over into fire accounts because nobody expected such a 
huge, onerous, and costly fire season. The Department of the Interior 
and Department of Agriculture are about $850 million short for 2002.
  Those managing the bills, and the White House, should know it is a 
very difficult situation to let a supplemental catch up with the 
problem. That is what happened here. We have a supplemental 
appropriations bill waiting around. Now we have a new problem that did 
not exist when the supplemental started--reimbursement to the 
Departments of our Government that have used their money to pay for the 
forest fires that are burning down America.
  We ought to either find a place for that amendment on the 
supplemental or in some way accommodate it. We always say if it is an 
American problem, we will pay for it. If it is an earthquake, we pay 
for it. If it is a tornado, we pay for it. That is the collective 
insurance of America that we will pay for those emergencies, either on 
the supplemental or on the Interior appropriations bill, neither of 
which at this moment has money for these forest fires--neither bill, 
neither the supplemental nor the full yearly appropriation bill.
  The whole of next year is ready to be appropriated without the fire 
money in it. So we need to provide the money the way I see it. It has 
been waiting long enough. I know the President does not want the 
supplemental over a certain amount. I will accommodate to arrange the 
additional funding, however he and others in the appropriations process 
and the Congress desire.
  I repeat, the money that has been used to fight the forest fires has 
come out of various and sundry accounts, including the accounts for 
rehabilitation and restoration of burned lands. For those in the West 
who are suffering from these fires, we will get a bill ready.
  I close by saying there is also a growing problem in Texas and other 
States regarding excessive water. The floods have caught up with this 
supplemental. I have been discussing the issue with the Senator from 
Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison. I have also talked to Senator Gramm. We 
will be asking that they present their water issues, and maybe we can 
provide funding on one emergency supplemental bill to the extent it is 
necessary to accommodate the emergencies of our people.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senator from 
Kansas is recognized.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, will the Senator yield for a unanimous 
consent to be placed in the queue to speak?
  Mr. BROWNBACK. I yield.
  Mr. McCAIN. I ask unanimous consent that at the appropriate time, 
which I believe is following Senator McConnell, I be allowed 15 minutes 
to speak in support of the Leahy amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Kansas.

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