[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15815-15841]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2006

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 
Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 2360, which the clerk will 
report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 2360) making appropriations for the Department 
     of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
     2006, and for other purposes.

  Pending:

       Byrd amendment No. 1200, to provide funds for certain 
     programs authorized by the Federal Fire Prevention and 
     Control Act of 1974.
       Akaka amendment No. 1112, to increase funding for State and 
     local grant programs.
       Akaka amendment No. 1113, to increase funding for State and 
     local grant programs and firefighter assistance grants.
       Dorgan amendment No. 1111, to prohibit the use of funds 
     appropriated under this Act to promulgate the regulations to 
     implement the plan developed pursuant to section 7209(b) of 
     the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004.
       Durbin (for Boxer) amendment No. 1216, to provide for the 
     strengthening of security at nuclear power plants.
       Durbin (for Stabenow) amendment No. 1217, to provide 
     funding for interoperable communications equipment grants.

  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, what is the regular order under the bill? 
What is the pending amendment?
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The pending amendment is amendment 
No. 1217 offered on behalf of Senator Stabenow.
  Mr. GREGG. Thank you. Today, Mr. President, we are going to try to 
continue to move forward on the Homeland Security appropriations bill. 
I

[[Page 15816]]

hope Members, if they have amendments, will bring them to the floor so 
we can expedite this bill. I understand there are a number of Members 
who do intend to come to the floor, and we will look forward to 
entertaining their ideas.


                           Amendment No. 1124

  Initially, Mr. President, let me send to the desk an amendment on 
behalf of Senator Ensign. I ask unanimous consent that the pending 
amendment be set aside.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. GREGG. I ask that the amendment be reported.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from New Hampshire [Mr. Gregg] for Mr. Ensign, 
     proposes an amendment numbered 1124.

  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of the 
amendment be dispensed with.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

 (Purpose: To transfer appropriated funds from the Office of State and 
Local Government Coordination and Preparedness to the U.S. Customs and 
  Border Protection for the purpose of hiring 1,000 additional border 
                    agents and related expenditures)

       On page 77, line 20, insert ``of which $367,552,000 shall 
     be transferred to Customs and Border Protection for hiring an 
     additional 1,000 border agents and for other necessary 
     support activities for such agency; and'' after ``local 
     grants,''.

  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I have sent the amendment to the desk on 
behalf of Senator Ensign. I do not necessarily support this amendment 
as the chairman of the subcommittee, but as a courtesy to the Senator, 
I wanted to send it up to get him in the queue. We look forward to 
having other Senators bring amendments forward, and we will try to 
assist them in getting time and votes.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Vitter). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending 
amendment be set aside.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


             Amendments Nos. 1207, 1209, and 1210, En Bloc

  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I send to the desk three amendments en 
bloc, Nos. 1207, 1209, and 1210.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Colorado [Mr. Salazar] proposes amendments 
     numbered 1207, 1209, and 1210, en bloc.

  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that further 
reading of the amendments be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendments are as follows:


                           AMENDMENT NO. 1207

  (Purpose: To provide for a report on the effectiveness of programs 
  concerning State and local government emergency officials, and for 
                            other purposes)

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:
       Sec. __. (a) Not later than September 30, 2006, the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a report to the 
     Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives, the Committee on Homeland Security and 
     Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee on 
     Homeland Security of the House of Representatives that 
     includes--
       (1) the results of the survey under subsection (c); and
       (2) a plan to implement changes to address problems 
     identified in the survey.
       (b) Not later than June 30, 2006, the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security shall submit an interim report to the Committees on 
     Appropriations of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives, the Committee on Homeland Security and 
     Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee on 
     Homeland Security of the House of Representatives on the 
     specific design of the survey under subsection (c).
       (c) In preparing the report under subsection (a), the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security shall conduct a survey of 
     State and local government emergency officials that--
       (1) involve enough respondents to get an adequate, 
     representational response from police, fire, medical, and 
     emergency planners on the regional, State, county, and 
     municipal levels, and other State and local homeland security 
     officials as determined by the Secretary; and
       (2) identifies problems relating to the effectiveness and 
     user-friendliness of programs in which the Department of 
     Homeland Security interacts with State and local officials, 
     including grant management, intelligence sharing, training, 
     incident management, regional coordination, critical 
     infrastructure prioritization, and long-term homeland 
     security planning.


                           amendment no. 1209

(Purpose: To require a quadrennial review by the Department of Homeland 
                               Security)

       On page 100, between lines 11 and 12, insert the following:

     SEC. 519. QUADRENNIAL HOMELAND DEFENSE REVIEW.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Frequency and scope.--Beginning in fiscal year 2008, 
     and every 4 years thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security shall conduct every 4 years, during a year following 
     a year evenly divisible by 4, a comprehensive examination of 
     the national homeland defense strategy, inter-agency 
     cooperation, preparedness of Federal response assets, 
     infrastructure, budget plan, and other elements of the 
     homeland defense program and policies of the United States 
     with a view toward determining and expressing the homeland 
     defense strategy of the United States and establishing a 
     homeland defense program for the next 20 years. Each review 
     under this paragraph shall be known as the ``quadrennial 
     homeland defense review''.
       (2) Consultation.--Each quadrennial homeland defense review 
     under paragraph (1) shall be conducted in consultation with 
     the Attorney General of the United States and the Secretaries 
     of State, Defense, Health and Human Services, and the 
     Treasury.
       (b) Contents of Review.--Each quadrennial homeland defense 
     review shall--
       (1) delineate a national homeland defense strategy 
     consistent with the most recent National Response Plan 
     prepared under Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 or 
     any directive meant to replace or augment that directive;
       (2) describe the inter-agency cooperation, preparedness of 
     Federal response assets, infrastructure, budget plan, and 
     other elements of the homeland defense program and policies 
     of the United States associated with that national homeland 
     defense strategy required to execute successfully the full 
     range of missions called for in the national homeland defense 
     strategy delineated under paragraph (1); and
       (3) identify--
       (A) the budget plan required to provide sufficient 
     resources to successfully execute the full range of missions 
     called for in that national homeland defense strategy at a 
     low-to-moderate level of risk, and
       (B) any additional resources required to achieve such a 
     level of risk.
       (c) Level of Risk.--The assessment of the level of risk for 
     purposes of subsection (b)(3) shall be conducted by the 
     Director of National Intelligence.
       (d) Reporting.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
     submit a report regarding each quadrennial homeland defense 
     review to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security 
     of the House of Representatives. The report shall be 
     submitted not later than September 30 of the year in which 
     the review is conducted.
       (2) Contents of report.--The report submitted under 
     paragraph (1) shall include--
       (A) the results of the quadrennial homeland defense review;
       (B) the threats to the assumed or defined national homeland 
     security interests of the United States that were examined 
     for the purposes of the review and the scenarios developed in 
     the examination of those threats;
       (C) the status of cooperation among Federal agencies in the 
     effort to promote national homeland security;
       (D) the status of cooperation between the Federal 
     Government and State governments in preparing for emergency 
     response to threats to national homeland security, and
       (E) any other matter the Secretary of Homeland Security 
     considers appropriate.


                           amendment no. 1210

  (Purpose: To express the sense of the Senate regarding rail tunnel 
                           security research)

       On page 100, between lines 11 and 12, insert the following:

     SEC. 519. RAIL TUNNEL SECURITY RESEARCH.

       (a) Findings.--The Senate finds that--
       (1) railroad tunnels, and underground stations have been 
     identified as particularly high risk terrorist targets 
     because of the potential for large passenger volumes, 
     confined

[[Page 15817]]

     spaces, relatively unrestricted access, and the potential for 
     network disruptions and significant economic, political and 
     social impact;
       (2) many rail tunnels have safety problems including 
     structural deficiencies, ventilation problems, lack of 
     communications equipment and insufficient emergency access 
     and exits;
       (3) there are more than 898 miles of rail tunnels in 
     transit systems across the country;
       (4)(A) security experts have identified a number of 
     technology and training needs to prevent attacks on tunnels 
     and to mitigate and remediate the impact of such attacks;
       (B) technological needs include detection systems, 
     dispersal control, and decontamination techniques; and
       (C) training for emergency response to a variety of 
     scenarios is also needed; and
       (5) the Department of Transportations Transportation 
     Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado--
       (A) is one of the Nation's largest and most advanced rail 
     safety research centers in the Nation; and
       (B) offers full-scale testing, dynamic modeling, 
     performance monitoring, technical analyses, feasibility and 
     economic studies as well as training classes to prepare first 
     responders and test new safety technologies.
       (b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate 
     that--
       (1) the Department of Homeland Security is urged to invest 
     in research to promote tunnel rail safety as well as training 
     to ensure first responders are prepared to respond to rail 
     tunnel emergencies; and
       (2) employing existing Federal facilities in this effort 
     can result in efficiencies and permit this important research 
     to proceed at decreased cost to the taxpayer and with minimal 
     interference with ongoing passenger and freight rail traffic.

  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to address an issue that is 
perhaps the most important challenge of our National Government, and 
that is protecting the security of our people in this Nation, securing 
our borders, and making sure we have a homeland security that addresses 
the concerns of the post-9/11 world in which we live.
  For 6 years, I had the honor of serving with 14,000 men and women who 
are peace officers in the State of Colorado. I worked with them to 
ensure that we had public safety on our streets and to help in the 
development of the best strategies we could develop in creating a 
homeland security that addressed the war on terror and the threats from 
terrorism within the State of Colorado.
  The legislation we are currently considering is legislation that is 
specifically intended to address that issue on a national level. While 
there can be no doubt we have spent billions of dollars on the issue of 
homeland security since 9/11, the recent events in London remind us all 
that we can never be too far from having this issue at the forefront of 
our radar screens.
  It is with that approach that I would like to speak about these 
amendments, as well as the amendment I cosponsored with Senators 
Lieberman and Collins yesterday.
  I commend Senator Collins and Senator Lieberman on their efforts to 
dramatically improve our Nation's homeland security grant process. I 
also would like to discuss my three simple and straightforward 
amendments to the Homeland Security appropriations bill.
  Before I arrived in the Senate, I was Colorado's attorney general. I 
worked hard to establish greater coordination between law enforcement 
agencies at the local, regional, and State level. This is a complicated 
task because often what happens with law enforcement agencies is they 
work within the stovepipes of their own jurisdictions. So bringing law 
enforcement agencies together to make sure they are coordinating and 
providing the greatest degree of public safety has been one of the 
monumental challenges of the last several years.
  Unfortunately, at a national level, there is often very little 
consultation with local officials. Too often, lawmakers in Washington 
develop Federal policy without taking advantage of the expertise of the 
people who are on the ground. Too many local emergency officials in my 
State feel that the Department of Homeland Security policies are 
dictated to them from above.
  One of the first things I did when I came to Washington was to survey 
Colorado's emergency response officials to ask them what they thought 
about a variety of issues. Those responses were alarming. Those chiefs 
of police and sheriffs told me that 66 percent of Colorado's first 
responders faced significant problems using radio equipment to 
communicate with other agencies. Fifty-nine percent said that Federal 
grants are not going to the right priorities. Fifty-nine percent said 
that the Federal grants were not going to the right priorities. And by 
a 4-to-1 margin, Colorado officials feel unprepared to handle a weapon 
of mass destruction. That is 4 to 1 of people on the ground in my State 
feel they are unprepared to handle a weapon-of-mass-destruction attack 
within my State.
  By a 3-to-1 margin, responders feel that antiterrorism information 
they receive from the Federal Government is insufficient or not 
actionable. That is a 3-to-1 margin. So my survey at the bottom line 
says that we must do better in preparing our homeland to be more 
secure.
  Senator Collins and Senator Lieberman have sponsored, and we in this 
Senate last night adopted, a thoughtful and comprehensive piece of 
legislation that will make Americans safer. It will significantly 
increase the amount of Federal money targeted to high-risk States and 
cities while assuring that first responders in all States receive the 
necessary equipment and training to prevent and to be prepared for 
potential terrorist acts. That is an important balance.
  We obviously have to focus money where there has historically been a 
greater threat. New York and Washington in the past have been targets, 
and there are other areas of the Nation that have been impacted. 
Likewise, in California, an attack on the ports of Los Angeles could 
cost the Nation's economy billions of dollars. We clearly need to step 
up security efforts in America's largest cities and in the port cities 
of our Nation.
  However, in the past, we also have seen that the terrorists are 
constantly looking for targets of opportunity no matter where they lie. 
Whether it was the bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen or the Oklahoma 
City bombing or the hostage takeover in the Russian schoolhouse in 
Beslan or the bombing of hotels in Bali, the terrorists struck, and 
they will strike where they can. We cannot, therefore, make any 
assumptions about where the enemy will strike. If we can make New York 
a fortress, the terrorists may hit Philadelphia or Seattle or Denver or 
any of the rural communities which span the countryside of America. Our 
national security is only as strong as our weakest link.
  This amendment, which I was proud to cosponsor, succeeds in 
maintaining that critical balance between assuring that our Nation's 
top cities are protected and that the entire Nation has the resources 
and infrastructure to keep us safe.
  The amendment also takes huge steps toward reducing waste in Federal 
homeland security spending and giving State and local officials 
guidance and resources needed to improve long-term planning and grant 
administration. Its focus on essential capabilities and coordination of 
homeland security grants across the Federal agencies will help make 
sure we get the most bang for our homeland security bucks.
  I was proud to work with Senator Collins and Senator Lieberman to 
improve their already good amendment. My proposals included in this 
amendment would ensure that State and local officials have a seat at 
the table when Federal officials review the Homeland Security Grant 
Program. We task the Department of Homeland Security to make grant 
applications as user-friendly as possible, especially for the smaller 
police and fire departments of our Nation. My changes would also 
stiffen requirements on States that they do proper long-term planning 
and administration.
  Together these changes will make it much easier for State and local 
officials to work with the Department of Homeland Security. They should 
ease the burdens on local first responders and help make America safer.
  My amendments to the underlying appropriations bill build on the 
spirit of Collins-Lieberman and on the knowledge I have gained from 
Colorado's first responders.

[[Page 15818]]

  My first amendment would improve the Department of Homeland 
Security's long-term planning. Every 4 years, the Department of Defense 
conducts a Quadrennial Defense Review. This invaluable document paints 
a detailed picture of the threats our country faces and a comprehensive 
plan for how to confront those threats in the future. My amendment 
would simply require the Department of Homeland Security to do the 
same.
  The Homeland Security Secretary would work with the Director of 
National Intelligence to identify the greatest threats to our homeland 
security. The Secretary also would consult with the Department of 
Defense and other Federal agencies on how best to work together.
  This is not just another reporting requirement. It is a move toward 
rational, strategic, long-term planning that will empower the 
Department of Homeland Security and Congress to make better decisions 
to protect the American people.
  My second amendment would build on the knowledge I gained from the 
recent survey in Colorado. It would require the Department of Homeland 
Security to conduct a nationwide survey of police, fire, medical, and 
emergency management officials about the problems they are experiencing 
with Federal grants, intelligence sharing, infrastructure protection, 
and regional coordination. The Department of Homeland Security would 
have to report the results to Congress and come up with a plan on how 
to address the problems the locals have identified. This survey would 
help ensure that our significant investments in homeland security are 
going to the right priorities and that local officials are getting 
better direction to guide their efforts.
  This sounds like a simple task, and it is, but I promise you that 
when we get this survey back, we will all learn something new that will 
help us improve America's security.
  My last amendment is a sense of the Senate in support of research on 
tunnel rail safety. We have known for some time that subway and rail 
tunnels are particularly tempting terrorist targets. For the cost of a 
subway fare, a would-be bomber has access to thousands of people 
crammed into a very small space. A relatively small amount of 
explosives can cause many deaths and bring an entire city to a halt, as 
we have recently seen in London. That carnage in London last week 
showed that a handful of terrorists can strike subway tunnels and cause 
grave havoc for a city. Our prayers go out to the more than 50 people 
who perished during that cowardly attack. America has known the 
terrible pain of terrorism, and last week, Americans were all 
Londoners.
  In America, there are more than 898 miles of rail tunnels and transit 
systems across the country. Many of our rail tunnels have structural 
deficiencies, ventilation problems, lack of communications equipment, 
and insufficient emergency access and exits. Detection systems, 
dispersal control, and decontamination techniques can greatly mitigate 
the effects of an attack, as can adequate training for emergency 
responders.
  The Department of Transportation has long recognized the need to 
improve rail safety and has invested millions of dollars in researching 
new technologies and training first responders. The Department of 
Transportation's Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, CO, is one 
of the largest and most advanced safety centers in the world. The 
Transportation Technology Center offers full-scale testing, dynamic 
modeling, performance monitoring, technical analyses, feasibility and 
economic studies, as well as training classes to prepare first 
responders and test new safety technologies. The center features 48 
miles of test track and a variety of freight, passenger, and hazardous 
material cars, as well as other test vehicles. What the center does not 
yet have is the capability to simulate rail tunnel accidents. That is 
why the Transportation Technology Center's backers are now hoping to 
build a facility for underground rail security testing. This proposed 
complex of 1.5 miles of aboveground tunnels would simulate every major 
rail tunnel system in the country.
  My amendment would not single out this or any particular facility. It 
simply encourages investment in research to promote tunnel rail safety 
as well as training to ensure first responders are prepared to respond 
to rail tunnel emergencies. It would put the Senate on record for 
taking a small step forward in protecting the millions of Americans who 
depend on subways and passenger trains all across the country.
  I urge my colleagues to support these three amendments, and I urge my 
colleagues to move forward in working on what is our most important 
agenda, and that is making sure we are doing everything we can to 
protect America's homeland from the kinds of attacks we saw on 9/11 or 
the attacks we saw last week in London.
  I thank the Chair, and I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan is recognized.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, first, I congratulate my friend and 
colleague from Colorado for his excellent statement and his leadership 
on this issue and so many other issues. Since coming to the Senate 6 
months ago, the Senator from Colorado has demonstrated his compassion, 
intelligence, and ability to speak to the issues that people in this 
country desperately care about and desperately need. I congratulate 
him, once again, on having amendments that are very important for the 
families of our country.


                           Amendment No. 1217

  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending 
amendments be set aside and call up my amendment No. 1217.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The 
amendment is pending.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I ask further unanimous consent that 
Senators Levin, Corzine, Akaka, Dodd, and Lautenberg be added as 
cosponsors.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, one of the most important appropriations 
bills is before us now, and that is our Homeland Security bill. 
Certainly we are reminded again, because of what happened in London 
last week, that we on our soil are vulnerable and are looking to stop 
terrorists overseas.
  Our goal, certainly the goal of our caucus, our goal as Democrats, 
has been to make sure Americans are prepared and protected both at home 
and abroad. That is what this bill is really all about. It is not a 
partisan issue. This is an American issue. All of us I know care about 
this issue, and we need to make sure this budget reflects the goals of 
making sure that our first responders are prepared, that all Americans 
are prepared, and that we are protected from terrorism in America. My 
amendment addresses a very important piece of that. We have come 
together in a bipartisan way to make sure that soldiers in America and 
Afghanistan have the most sophisticated technology so that they can be 
prepared to protect themselves and fight successfully abroad. 
Unfortunately, the same is not true at home for our police officers, 
our firefighters, and our emergency responders. Too many of them rely 
on outdated technology and equipment that is not integrated with our 
State departments, our transportation departments and our homeland 
security departments.
  Even if we are defeating terrorists in Iraq, we are not providing the 
resources and the equipment at home to make sure that we are fully 
prepared to fight, succeed and, most importantly, protect our families 
and communities at home.
  Too many of our police officers, our firefighters, our emergency 
medical services personnel and transportation officials are not able to 
communicate with each other. They have the basics. That is what my 
amendment speaks to, the ability to make sure that every part of our 
emergency preparedness system has the ability to communicate with each 
other. Interoperability is the term often used.
  Right now, they are not able to communicate with each other. How much

[[Page 15819]]

more basic can we get than creating a way for everyone to be able to 
talk to each other, to literally be on the same wavelength as well as 
figuratively. Too many first responders, whom I have spoken to as I 
have moved around Michigan in the last 4 years, have said to me that 
their communications, alerts going up or down, often come from CNN. The 
communications are received from CNN before they actually receive them 
directly to their departments. This does not make any sense.
  A June 2004 survey by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found that 80 
percent of the cities that responded do not have communications 
equipment and the ability to communicate with the Department of 
Homeland Security or the Justice Department. My guess is that the 
people we represent in our States assume something very different, as 
they should. After September 11, 2001, everyone assumes that these 
things have been addressed, and yet they have not been addressed.
  The survey also found that 94 percent of cities do not have 
interoperable capability between their rail facilities, their police, 
their fire, and their emergency responders. This is especially 
troubling, given what just happened and the tragic attacks on London's 
subway system last week.
  Their survey also said almost half of the cities said that a lack of 
interoperable communications had made a response to an incident within 
the last year very difficult. Sixty percent of the cities said they do 
not have the communications capability within the State emergency 
operations center. I have spoken with police and fire chiefs across my 
State, and overwhelmingly they have expressed concern about this issue, 
as well as the fact that they actually have fewer police and 
firefighters in their departments now than they did before 9/11.
  I believe we find ourselves in a very vulnerable situation for a 
number of reasons as it relates to homeland security, but a basic area 
that needs improvement, in terms of infrastructure, is our ability to 
have our communications systems connected so that our emergency 
responders can talk to each other and can respond quickly, both before 
something happens and during an emergency, and do it effectively.
  This is a crisis now, not just a nagging inconvenience. Our lack of 
interoperable communications is a crisis in this country.
  The September 11 attacks highlighted this crisis when New York police 
and fire personnel were on different radio systems and could not 
communicate. Over 50 different public safety organizations from 
Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia reported to the 
Pentagon that they could not talk to each other.
  On more than one occasion now, we have had circumstances where we 
have been on the Senate floor, and there has come an alert to evacuate 
this very Chamber. We have been asked to move out away from the Capital 
complex over to Union Station or to other places around the city. We 
assume that folks are able to talk to each other, are able to 
communicate what is going on. Yet, unfortunately, the communication 
systems that need to be in place are not in place for full 
interoperable communications.
  Nearly 4 years after September 11, 2001, the No. 1 request for 
appropriations that I receive each year from communities is on 
communication systems. This year, Michigan communities made over 41 
requests. They requested over $75 million for interoperable 
communications in this bill and in the CJS appropriations bill alone. 
My guess is, if I went to every community, they would gladly have a 
request for help to be able to be connected. We can do something about 
it, and that is what this amendment does.
  Most estimates place the cost of equipping America's first responders 
with interoperable communications in excess of $15 billion. In November 
2003, the Congressional Budget Office testified before Congress that 
there is insufficient funding in place to solve our Nation's 
communications problems, and it would cost over $15 billion to begin to 
fix the problem.
  So my amendment begins that process by suggesting a 3-year funding 
stream. My amendment would provide the first year funding for that, $5 
billion for interoperable communications grants for America's first 
responders to provide a strong Federal commitment to the safety of our 
citizens. I might add, while that is a substantial sum of dollars, that 
is approximately what we are investing in Iraq each month. So my 
amendment would ask that we commit 1 month for America; 1 month for 
America's preparedness to protect the people of America; 1 month to be 
able to say that we have provided the resources, we have begun to make 
sure that we are prepared, that we are protected, that our 
communications systems are connected, and that we are doing all we can 
do to keep our families safe.
  I urge the support of the Stabenow amendment on communications.
  I see my colleague standing, I assume to make a motion, but I want to 
speak to one other amendment, briefly.
  Mr. GREGG. Will the Senator from Michigan yield?
  Ms. STABENOW. I would be happy to yield while retaining the floor, 
yes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. GREGG. My hope is that we can accept the amendments of the 
Senator from Colorado, then we will have further discussion of the 
pending amendment of the Senator from Michigan, probably with a point 
of order being made at that point, and then we would turn to the 
Senator from Massachusetts for up to 15 minutes. That is the game plan, 
hopefully. So when the Senator from Michigan completes her statement, I 
will proceed with that proposal.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I rise to speak to an amendment that 
Senator Dodd will be offering on his and my behalf in the next hour, I 
am sure. This relates to the other piece of what needs to happen to 
make sure that we are thoroughly prepared and protected. Again, that is 
our goal, to be prepared and protected. That is what we are fighting 
for. That is what we are working toward. That is what we need to do 
together.
  My amendment would invest in the interoperable communication so that 
everyone could speak to each other and be able to respond.
  There is another amendment that Senator Dodd and I are introducing 
that speaks to the larger question of whether we are providing all that 
we need to, to invest at home in our first responders and what they 
need to be successful. We know that right now, based on a report that 
was done back in the spring of 2003, there was a blue ribbon panel of 
experts, led by former Republican Senator Warren Rudman, that found the 
United States is drastically underfunding local emergency responders 
and, in their words, remains dangerously unprepared to handle a 
catastrophic attack on American soil. They recommended at that time a 
major investment over a 5-year period to fully prepare us so that our 
families and communities are protected.
  After that report was given to us, Senator Dodd and I came to the 
Senate floor 2 years ago and offered an amendment for the first year of 
that 5-year funding.
  It was not passed. We came last year and offered it again. We stand 
today asking our colleagues, with an even greater sense of urgency, to 
finally pass this amendment so that we can begin that 5-year process of 
fully preparing our first responders and supporting them so that our 
families are protected. It is a major investment of $15 billion this 
year. But when we look at what we are spending abroad, we cannot be 
just concerned about fighting terrorism in somebody else's country. We 
know we have to be prepared to fight it here. Yet we see hundreds of 
billions being spent in Iraq, being spent overseas. I supported those 
dollars so our troops are successful, so they have what they need, but 
that is not enough. If the troops on the ground in America--our police 
officers, our firefighters, our emergency responders--do not have the 
same commitment from us, why would we say we are going to make sure our 
troops have what they need overseas and then dramatically underfund 
what they need at home? It makes absolutely no sense.

[[Page 15820]]

  This is way beyond anything that is viewed as a partisan issue 
because it does not matter, Democrat or Republican, when we look at the 
vulner-
abilities for our families and communities for us right now, this is 
something we should all be rallying around. I hope that we are not in a 
situation looking back at some point and saying we should have done 
this but, rather, aren't we glad that we did.
  The Rudman report that was given to us in the spring of 2003 found 
that, on average, our fire departments have only half the number of 
radios they need, and I spoke to that in my other amendment, only 
enough breathing apparatus for one-third of their firefighters. So one 
out of three gets breathing equipment. Police departments across 
America do not have the protective gear to respond to a WMD attack. Our 
public health laboratories lack the basic equipment to respond to a 
chemical or biological attack and most report that they are overwhelmed 
with testing requests.
  Finally, our first responders do not have the equipment they need to 
determine what kind of hazardous material they may be facing. The 
administration's support for first responders has been on a steady 
decline. It is less in this budget than it was in last year's budget. 
That makes no sense.
  For example, last year's funding for Michigan State homeland security 
grants dropped from $47 million to $29.7 million. In this budget, the 
administration eliminates the law enforcement terrorism training 
program, cutting another $400 million from our first responders.
  Last week's tragedy in London has again shown how important it is to 
be able to respond quickly and effectively, for them to be able to 
speak to each other, for us to be able to have enough personnel who can 
respond. Michigan has three of the busiest commercial crossings in the 
United States--approximately 3,200 miles of coastline, three nuclear 
powerplants, ports, and other numerous critical infrastructure that we 
must protect. Our homeland security needs are somewhere between $1.4 
billion and $2.7 billion that we need to invest in every year, yet the 
allocation in this budget is less than $30 million--again, down from 
$47 million. That is not even close to what we need to be prepared and 
protected--not even close.
  I have also spoken with police and fire chiefs across the State. 
Again, it is amazing to me. I do not believe the average person would 
believe what is happening until they talk to local law enforcement 
officials. When I talk to them, there are fewer police officers on the 
beat today than 9/11/2001. It is shocking. It is truly shocking, and I 
believe it is truly irresponsible.
  Last month we spent about $5 billion in Iraq and Afghanistan. We need 
to put this in perspective. If we take 3 months of what we are spending 
there, we can fully fund what the Rudman report says is necessary for 
our first responders. I believe we cannot afford another day without 
acting on this and other critical areas of infrastructure need. This is 
about whether we are going to be committed to protect the people of 
America.
  The two amendments about which I have spoken today address and would 
make sure that we begin to invest in being fully prepared in case of a 
terrorist attack here at home, and that our families are truly 
protected.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Graham). The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I wish to respond to the Senator from 
Michigan, but prior to doing that, I yield to the Senator from Colorado 
so we can straighten out his amendments.


               Amendments Nos. 1209 and 1210, As Modified

  Mr. SALAZAR. I ask unanimous consent amendments Nos. 1209 and 1210 be 
modified with the changes I now send to the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendments are as follows:


                    AMENDMENT NO. 1209, AS MODIFIED

       On page 100, between lines 11 and 12, insert the following:

     SEC. 519. QUADRENNIAL HOMELAND DEFENSE REVIEW.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Frequency and scope.--Beginning in fiscal year 2008, 
     and every 4 years thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security shall conduct every 4 years, during a year following 
     a year evenly divisible by 4, a comprehensive examination of 
     the national homeland defense strategy, inter-agency 
     cooperation, preparedness of Federal response assets, 
     infrastructure, budget plan, and other elements of the 
     homeland defense program and policies of the United States 
     with a view toward determining and expressing the homeland 
     defense strategy of the United States and establishing a 
     homeland defense program for the next 20 years. Each review 
     under this paragraph shall be known as the ``quadrennial 
     homeland defense review''.
       (2) Consultation.--Each quadrennial homeland defense review 
     under paragraph (1) shall be conducted in consultation with 
     the Attorney General of the United States and the Secretaries 
     of State, Defense, Health and Human Services, and the 
     Treasury.
       (b) Contents of Review.--Each quadrennial homeland defense 
     review shall--
       (1) delineate a national homeland defense strategy 
     consistent with the most recent National Response Plan 
     prepared under Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 or 
     any directive meant to replace or augment that directive;
       (2) describe the inter-agency cooperation, preparedness of 
     Federal response assets, infrastructure, budget plan, and 
     other elements of the homeland defense program and policies 
     of the United States associated with that national homeland 
     defense strategy required to execute successfully the full 
     range of missions called for in the national homeland defense 
     strategy delineated under paragraph (1); and
       (3) identify--
       (A) the budget plan required to provide sufficient 
     resources to successfully execute the full range of missions 
     called for in that national homeland defense strategy at a 
     low-to-moderate level of risk, and
       (B) any additional resources required to achieve such a 
     level of risk.
       (c) Level of Risk.--The assessment of the level of risk for 
     purposes of subsection (b)(3) shall be conducted by the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security in consultation with the 
     Director of National Intelligence.
       (d) Reporting.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
     submit a report regarding each quadrennial homeland defense 
     review to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security 
     of the House of Representatives. The report shall be 
     submitted not later than September 30 of the year in which 
     the review is conducted.
       (2) Contents of report.--The report submitted under 
     paragraph (1) shall include--
       (A) the results of the quadrennial homeland defense review;
       (B) the threats to the assumed or defined national homeland 
     security interests of the United States that were examined 
     for the purposes of the review and the scenarios developed in 
     the examination of those threats;
       (C) the status of cooperation among Federal agencies in the 
     effort to promote national homeland security;
       (D) the status of cooperation between the Federal 
     Government and State governments in preparing for emergency 
     response to threats to national homeland security, and
       (E) any other matter the Secretary of Homeland Security 
     considers appropriate.


                    AMENDMENT NO. 1210, AS MODIFIED

       On page 100, between lines 11 and 12, insert the following:

     SEC. 519. RAIL TUNNEL SECURITY RESEARCH.

       (a) Findings.--The Senate finds that--
       (1) railroad tunnels, and underground stations have been 
     identified as particularly high risk terrorist targets 
     because of the potential for large passenger volumes, 
     confined spaces, relatively unrestricted access, and the 
     potential for network disruptions and significant economic, 
     political and social impact;
       (2) many rail tunnels have safety problems including 
     structural deficiencies, ventilation problems, lack of 
     communications equipment and insufficient emergency access 
     and exits;
       (3) there are more than 898 miles of rail tunnels in 
     transit systems across the country;
       (4)(A) security experts have identified a number of 
     technology and training needs to prevent attacks on tunnels 
     and to mitigate and remediate the impact of such attacks;
       (B) technological needs include detection systems, 
     dispersal control, and decontamination techniques; and
       (C) training for emergency response to a variety of 
     scenarios is also needed; and
       (b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate 
     that--
       (1) the Department of Homeland Security is urged to invest 
     in research to promote tunnel rail safety as well as training 
     to ensure first responders are prepared to respond to rail 
     tunnel emergencies; and
       (2) employing existing Federal facilities in this effort 
     can result in efficiencies and permit this important research 
     to proceed at decreased cost to the taxpayer and with minimal 
     interference with ongoing passenger and freight rail traffic.


[[Page 15821]]

  Mr. GREGG. I ask unanimous consent the three amendments which are 
pending, by the Senator from Colorado, 1207, 1209, and 1210 be agreed 
to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendments (No. 1207); (No. 1209), as modified; and (No. 1210), 
as modified, were agreed to.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, the Senator from Michigan has offered one 
amendment and intends to offer another amendment. The first amendment 
that is pending is her amendment relative to interoperability which 
would increase spending in this account by $5 billion next year. The 
entire budget for homeland security, of course, is $30 billion, so this 
would be a 20-percent plus-up in her amendment for the entire budget in 
one line item which line item does not exist. Interoperability is 
obviously a major issue of concern.
  It should be noted, however, that the purchasing of communication 
equipment has traditionally fallen to the responsibility of and to the 
decisionmaking process of the local departments, whether they be fire, 
police, or first responders in the area of health. Equipment purchasing 
has been done by those departments over the years, city by city, town 
by town, State by State. The failure to have interoperability is not so 
much a Federal failure, it is a decision made at the local level for 
local reasons not to have interoperability. If a local police 
department wants to buy a type of communications equipment and the 
local fire department in the same town wants to buy a type of 
communications equipment and they decide to buy communications 
equipment that does not communicate with each other, that is a local 
decision. That equipment is physically in place. It is not as if these 
departments don't have the equipment. They purchased the equipment.
  It is not the Federal role to come in and rebuy equipment for every 
police, fire, and health first responder in this country. That still 
remains a local responsibility to a large degree. However, we do as a 
Federal Government request that States put forward what is known as a 
plan of action relative to first responder coordination.
  As part of their plan of action, a State can decide to fund 
interoperability grants to local communities. As part of the first 
responder initiative, that has occurred and is occurring across the 
country. In fact, within the first responder grants that have gone out 
so far, approximately $1.8 or $1.9 billion of that has been spent on 
interoperability activity by States deciding they wanted to pursue 
interoperability or communities deciding they wanted to pursue 
interoperability.
  However, the concept that we should increase funding in this 
interoperability initiative by $5 billion in 1 year is essentially an 
extraordinary statement as to what the priorities should be for the 
Federal Government in fighting terrorism. The Department of Homeland 
Security has a lot of issues of responsibility. The Federal Government 
has priority responsibility, for example, for protecting our borders. 
It has priority responsibility, for example, for protecting our 
airlines and air travel. It has priority responsibility for making sure 
we are ready to fight and address the threat of weapons of mass 
destruction.
  It does not necessarily have, as a first responsibility, making sure 
that every police department and fire department in this country buys 
new radio equipment that can communicate with every other police and 
fire department. In fact, this effort is, and always has been, a State 
and local effort. In fact, there is still no consensus as to how 
interoperability should occur. There has been an attempt to reach a 
standard agreement on interoperability going on for 25 years, called 
the P-25 standards, and those standards simply have not been reached. I 
know from my experience in New Hampshire we had a problem in Vermont. 
The New Hampshire police couldn't talk to the Vermont police and our 
State police couldn't talk to our local police and our Fish and Game 
people couldn't talk to our State Police and our Customs officers along 
the borders couldn't talk to anybody other than the other Customs 
officers, so we sat down in a room and figured out how to do it and we 
got everybody on the same page. But that was a State decision on the 
issue of interoperability. Then the State decided to take funds and use 
them to fund interoperability coming through the State grants.
  That is the way you approach this problem. But by taking the Homeland 
Security budget and increasing it 20 percent for a line item that 
doesn't exist to fund interoperability grants is, in my opinion, not 
the best way to spend dollars in this present context. It should be put 
in the fuller context, which is this: These funds would go into a pot 
of money which presently exists, first responder money, of which $7 
billion still has not been spent. Seven billion dollars is still 
sitting here in the Federal Treasury waiting to be spent because the 
plans are not in place for how to efficiently spend it at the State and 
local level. So to put another $5 billion on top of that, and then I 
understand Senator Dodd and the Senator from Michigan are going to come 
forward with another $15 billion or $20 billion plus-up of State and 
local grants for next year when we still have $7 billion in the 
pipeline that hasn't been spent is, to say the least, I think not good 
management of our dollars in the area of how we protect our Nation.
  Much higher priorities exist. To the extent we can find additional 
resources, those high priorities such as the borders, such as fighting 
weapons of mass destruction, such as hardening our systems in the area 
of chemical plants, in the area of nuclear plants, in the area of 
intelligence gathering--which is the key to this whole exercise--are 
priorities.
  Yesterday Secretary Chertoff outlined how he intends to refocus the 
priorities of the Homeland Security agency and, yes, first responders 
are a key part of this. But a 20-percent plus-up makes no sense.
  This amendment has, as part of its elements, an emergency 
designation. Under the Budget Act an emergency is something that is 
sudden, urgent, and unforeseen. The failure of the police department to 
be able to talk to the fire department in Epping, NH, has been 
occurring for a long time. It is not a sudden, urgent, unforeseen 
event. It is actually something that should have been planned for. I am 
not picking Epping out, because I suspect Epping actually has everybody 
speaking to each other, knowing it is a very well-run town. But 
interoperability is not a sudden, unforeseen, urgent event. It is an 
event that needs to be addressed, it needs to be managed, and needs to 
be managed within the context of the plans the States have for 
developing their first responder response.
  We know it is a big issue. Each State is hopefully grappling with 
this and coming forward with their plans. But clearly it does not fall 
within the context of an emergency designation as the budget perceives 
emergency designations. So this amendment as proposed is clearly 
outside the emergency designation qualification and it does represent a 
$5 billion plus-up, which would be an addition to our deficit of $5 
billion were it to pass, and therefore is subject to a point of order 
and is not, in my humble opinion, good policy to pursue at this time.
  Therefore, pursuant to section 401(b)(5) of H. Con. Res. 95 for the 
fiscal year 2006 Budget Resolution, I raise a point of order against 
the emergency designation provisions contained in this amendment and 
make that point of order.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I move to waive the applicable sections 
of the Congressional Budget Act for purposes of considering my 
amendment.
  I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, at a later time today we will set up this 
motion to waive the Budget Act vote. It looks as if we are not going to 
have votes until quite late this evening, probably not starting until 
7:30 or 8 o'clock. This will obviously be one of those votes, should 
the leader decide he wants to

[[Page 15822]]

hold votes at that time, and I appreciate the courtesy of the Senator 
from Michigan.
  Pursuant to the prior discussion, I yield the floor to the Senator 
from Massachusetts.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.
  (The remarks of the Senator from Massachusetts, Mr. Kennedy, are 
printed in today's Record under ``Morning Business.'')
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence 
of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I will speak for a few minutes and 
highlight some of the important provisions of this appropriations bill, 
specifically as they pertain to the issue of border security. The 
Senator from New Hampshire, the chairman of the Subcommittee on 
Homeland Security, along with the entire Appropriations Committee, have 
done much good that should be heralded. But those steps should also be 
seen as just a first step toward getting us in the right direction, 
which is to obtain operational security of our Nation's borders, 
something we do not have now and something which represents a clear 
threat to our national security.
  As the Senate Committee on Appropriations recognized, these resources 
are just a first step toward true reform of our immigration system. 
Additional enforcement resources along the border will be needed. In 
that connection, Senator Kyl, the junior Senator from Arizona, and I 
will be filing a bill within the next couple of weeks that will 
authorize additional resources to secure our border.
  Our Nation's immigration and border security system is badly broken. 
It leaves our borders unprotected and threatens our national security. 
It makes a mockery of the rule of law. This system unfortunately has 
suffered from years of neglect. But in a post-September 11 world we 
simply cannot tolerate this situation any longer. We stand here today 
almost 4 years from that terrible date, and we are reminded as recently 
as just last week--with the attacks in London--that terrorism is a real 
and tangible threat to the free world.
  National security demands a comprehensive solution to our immigration 
system. That means both stronger enforcement and reasonable reform of 
our immigration laws. We have to confess that we have not devoted the 
funds, the resources, and the manpower necessary to enforce our 
immigration laws and protect our borders.
  Representing a border State with about 1,600 miles of border with 
Mexico, I can state that for too long Washington has simply taken the 
attitude that this is a local or State problem. If it is not the duty 
of the Federal Government to deal with the security of our borders, 
whose responsibility is it? It is a Federal responsibility, and it is 
one that has simply been abdicated for far too long.
  No discussion of comprehensive immigration reform, however, is 
possible without a clear commitment to and a substantial and dramatic 
escalation of our efforts to enforce the law. In my capacity as the 
chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and 
Citizenship of the Senate Judiciary Committee, we have held a number of 
hearings on this issue of border security and immigration enforcement. 
They have been quite revealing. I will share some of the information 
with our colleagues because it supports the direction in which this 
Homeland Security appropriations bill takes us, and puts us one step 
closer to the final goal: control of our borders and a secure, orderly 
immigration process.
  The Department of Homeland Security has testified recently that they 
do not have operational control over parts of the southern border. That 
is obvious to those who live and work along that border and represent 
those States.
  My constituents have told me as recently as last week when I traveled 
to south Texas, to Laredo, TX, when I traveled to McAllen, TX, and the 
Rio Grande Valley that the nature of the immigrants coming across our 
southern border is vastly different from what it has historically been. 
For example, over the last 3 years, the number of apprehensions of 
those designated as ``OTM,''--other than Mexican--has doubled from 
37,316 in 2002 to 75,000-plus in 2004. This year, it is currently 
96,000. It is likely that the number will be twice this year what is 
was last year.
  The vast majority of these individuals who are apprehended as they 
come across the border are from countries that you would expect: Mexico 
and countries in Central and South America. However, the Border Patrol 
chief, Chief Aguilar, has testified at one of our hearings that 400 
aliens from special-interest countries had been apprehended last year. 
Some come from countries that support international terrorism. That 
ought to be a grave concern to all of us. We need to expend additional 
resources, both to ensure we are apprehending aliens who are trying to 
enter our country illegally, and to make sure we detain them and remove 
them in an expedited fashion.
  Let me bring to the attention of our colleagues some of the facts 
because they may not be aware of them. I think they will be shocked to 
find out how unsuccessful we are, despite the best efforts of the 
Department of Homeland Security.
  Last year alone, the Border Patrol detained roughly 1.1 million 
people coming across our borders. Now, my information, from those who 
are on the ground who deal with this on a day-in-and-day-out basis, is 
that they think they probably are capturing between one out of every 
three or one out of every four. Yet last year alone they captured 
approximately 1.1 million and detained them.
  But the concern is that we only have roughly 20,000 detention beds. 
So what the Border Patrol does is, after doing a background check, 
after which they run these aliens' names against a terrorist watch list 
and various criminal justice data bases, they engage in what can only 
be called a catch-and-release program. In other words, they release 
them on their own recognizance based on their promise to return for 
further proceedings later on. It should come as no surprise that the 
overwhelming number of these detainees do not reappear for their 
hearing, and they simply melt into the landscape.
  As a result of this flawed policy, we know we have approximately 10 
million people living in our country outside of our laws. And those 
numbers are getting bigger, not smaller.
  I do not know how we can stand here, particularly in the face of the 
threat of international terrorism, and tell the American people we are 
doing the job they sent us here to do. Because we know that organized 
crime groups, which are only interested in making money, do not care 
whether they deal with human beings who want to come here to work, 
whether they engage in human trafficking, whether they engage in 
illegal drug transactions, illegal arms transactions, or any one of a 
number of other activities that are designed to generate money. We know 
in these organized smuggling activities, many of which originate from 
Asia and the Middle East, people are literally brought across the ocean 
to South America, or to Mexico, or Central America, and then they take 
advantage of our porous southern border and potentially threaten our 
national security.
  I hope, and indeed I believe, that most of the people who come to 
this country across our border outside of our laws are coming here for 
the same reason they have always come here; and that is, to find work 
and the ability to support their families because they cannot do so 
where they live. But we have to acknowledge this porous border we have 
and our failure to obtain operational security of our borders is a 
national security threat because the same avenues of entry into the 
country by which construction workers and others might come are 
available

[[Page 15823]]

for exploitation by international terrorists.
  We have no idea, and no agency of the Federal Government can tell us, 
whether or not we have sleeper cells of terrorists who have exploited 
that border to come here. But we know they continue to come, that 
vulnerability continues to exist, as long as the Federal Government 
fails to live up to its responsibility to secure our border.
  This bill, to the great credit of the subcommittee and its chairman, 
the Senator from New Hampshire, recommends a total of about $6 billion 
for securing the Nation's borders, including $1.7 billion for border 
staffing between the ports of entry.
  Separately, the bill includes $81 million for construction 
requirements associated with 1,000 new Border Patrol agents. I 
mentioned the issue of detention beds. There are only 20,000 beds right 
now, which is woefully inadequate. Given our failure to implement 
nationwide expedited removal processes for people who come to our 
country illegally, the Border Patrol and the Federal agencies are 
simply left with this unworkable and inexcusable system of catch-and-
release, which merely exacerbates the problem we have in this country 
with illegal immigration.
  This bill moves us in the right direction by funding an additional 
2,240 detention beds, with a $77 million increase, bringing the total 
up to almost 23,000 beds. It is still not enough, but clearly this 
moves us in the right direction.
  The Intelligence Reform Act authorizes 8,000 beds per year, and the 
Iraq war supplemental funded almost 2,000 beds.
  The bill I alluded to earlier that Senator Kyl and I intend to file 
shortly calls for an additional 10,000 detention beds to be constructed 
each year, at an estimated cost of $330 million, which is an increase 
of 2,000 beds per year over what was authorized in the Intelligence 
Reform Act.
  The recent surge of people coming illegally into our country outside 
of just our immediate neighbor of Mexico demonstrates this catch-and-
release policy must be changed. It is only through the commitment of 
resources, such as being done in this bill, that we are going to get to 
where we need to be.
  I am pleased to see the recommendations that are made as to 
additional resources in this bill, but I remind my colleagues there is 
still much that needs to be done when it comes to ensuring our security 
and our safety by enforcement of our laws.
  I hope at another time to be able to come back and address my 
colleagues on the details of the bill Senator Kyl and I intend to 
introduce which is composed of four main provisions.
  One provision has to do with enhanced border security, which I have 
already alluded to here. The second provision has to do with interior 
enforcement. In other words, once people get past the border, then they 
are simply lost to our Federal law enforcement agencies. We simply, as 
the Federal Government, do not provide them the additional resources 
they need in order to be partners in our law enforcement effort when it 
comes to border security and immigration law enforcement.
  Last week, I visited with a group of sheriffs in Victoria and Goliad 
Counties. They are about 200 miles inland. But you may recall, Mr. 
President, and my colleagues may recall, it was about 2 years ago when 
19 immigrants, who had been smuggled illegally into the country, were 
left to die in a trailer because the human smuggler--a coyote, as they 
are called in our part of the country--cared nothing about them and 
left them to die in over 100-degree temperatures inside a cattle 
trailer.
  These local law enforcement officials are willing to help and willing 
to be of assistance, but they want the training and they need 
additional resources so they can hire the personnel. We must meet our 
obligations to provide the additional resources they need so we can 
work as partners with local law enforcement and State law enforcement 
to enforce the law.
  So the first component is enhanced border security, and the second 
component is enhanced interior enforcement.
  The third component of the bill Senator Kyl and I will file has to do 
with employer accountability. It may come as a shock to the people of 
America to know we currently do not have in place an effective way for 
employers to authoritatively determine whether the person standing in 
front of them, who wants to be hired, is in fact authorized to work in 
the United States of America or whether they happen to be an illegal 
immigrant who cannot legally be hired by American employers.
  What our bill will do is remedy that deficiency and provide employers 
with a reliable means to document the fact that indeed this perspective 
employee is authorized to work in the United States, and to do so in a 
reliable fashion.
  We will also at the same time insist that employers, once we give 
them the tools they need, enforce the law and make sure they document 
that, in fact, this perspective employee is authorized to work in the 
United States.
  The fourth and last component has to do with a temporary worker 
program. The President talked about this a couple of years ago. I think 
he is exactly right. But the problem is, it has to be combined with 
enhanced border security, enhanced interior enforcement, and tools that 
employers need in order to determine the legal status of the 
perspective employees that stand in front of them. But we also have to 
acknowledge the facts: America's economy is strong, and we have a 
demand for the labor many immigrants provide, but we simply need to 
provide a legal means for people to work and perform those jobs that 
American citizens do not want or are not available to do.
  Then we need to provide a means to return those individuals who come 
here on a temporary basis and work in the United States under this 
legal regime, to return them to their home, with the skills and the 
savings they have acquired working in the United States. Because unless 
we deal also with the economic aspects of this problem that affects our 
national security, we will never have any hope of solving it.
  I will speak more on that later. But I did want to give our 
colleagues a preview of what is being worked on as a comprehensive 
solution. And I did want to come to the floor and express my great 
appreciation to the Senator from New Hampshire, the chairman of the 
subcommittee, and all of those who have made it possible for us to 
focus our efforts on enhanced border security, and to explain why I 
believe it is absolutely critical to the safety and security of the 
American people that we obtain operational security of our border. It 
is something we cannot claim now and which, indeed, law enforcement 
officials of the U.S. Government admit we do not currently have.
  With that, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                 Launch Of Space Shuttle ``Discovery''

  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I would like to take about a minute more 
of our colleagues' time. I neglected to make some additional brief 
comments that I would like to make on the space shuttle launch that is 
occurring today.
  It was my very first speech on the Senate floor, sadly, when I paid 
tribute to the astronauts who lost their lives in the Columbia disaster 
in February of 2003. The thoughts and admiration of the Nation are with 
the brave astronauts aboard Discovery today as they make their journey 
into space. It is the first one this Nation has attempted since that 
terrible tragedy in February 2003.
  I believe the robust manned space program is critical to both 
America's proud tradition of exploration and its commercial and 
military preeminence in space.
  NASA's missions foster technological and scientific advances and help 
ensure our national security as well as create jobs for thousands of 
Texans and thousands of Americans.

[[Page 15824]]

  I believe the mission of NASA, together with the President's vision 
for future space exploration, will also encourage young people to study 
math and science and prepare for space-related careers. As so many 
young children have done in the past, they are inspired by the feats of 
daring and accomplishment by these brave astronauts who are launching 
into space again today. These goals are set not just for our current 
benefit, but also for future generations of leaders and innovators in 
Texas and across America.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Murkowski). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to proceed as 
in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (The remarks of Mr. McConnell are printed in today's Record under 
``Morning Business.'')
  Mr. McCONNELL. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DODD. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                           Amendment No. 1202

  Mr. DODD. Madam President, I call up amendment No. 1202 and ask for 
its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the pending amendment is 
set aside.
  The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Connecticut [Mr. Dodd], for himself, Ms. 
     Stabenow, Mr. Lautenberg, and Mr. Corzine, proposes an 
     amendment numbered 1202.

  Mr. DODD. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that reading of 
the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To fund urgent priorities for our Nation's firefighters, law 
 enforcement personnel, emergency medical personnel, and all Americans 
   by reducing the tax breaks for individuals with annual incomes in 
                         excess of $1 million)

       On page 77, line 22, strike $425,000,000 and insert 
     $2,058,178,673.
       On page 78, line 13, strike $365,000,000 and insert 
     $1,878,088,040.
       On page 78, line 16, strike $200,000,000 and insert 
     $1,029,089,337.
       On page 78, line 22, strike $5,000,000 and insert 
     $25,727,233.
       On page 78, line 24, strike $10,000,000 and insert 
     $51,454,467.
       On page 77, line 18, strike $2,694,000,000 and insert 
     $13,863,377,000.
       On page 77, line 20, strike $1,518,000,000 and insert 
     $7,810,788,066.
       On page 79, line 1, strike $100,000,000 and insert 
     $514,544,668.
       On page 79, line 5, strike $50,000,000 and insert 
     $257,272,334.
       On page 79, line 7, strike $50,000,000 and insert 
     $257,272,334.
       On page 79, line 9, strike $40,000,000 and insert 
     $205,817,867.
       On page 79, line 21, strike $321,300,000 and insert 
     $1,653,232,019.
       On page 81, line 24, strike $615,000,000 and insert 
     $3,164,802,000.
       On page 81, line 24, strike $550,000,000 and insert 
     $2,830,311,000.
       On page 81, line 26, strike $65,000,000 and insert 
     $334,491,000.
       On page 82, line 12, strike $180,000,000 and insert 
     $926,284,000.
       On page 83, line 12, strike $203,499,000 and insert 
     $1,047,210,000.
       On Page 89, line 3, strike $194,000,000 and insert 
     $998,327,800.

  Mr. DODD. Madam President, I offer this amendment on behalf of myself 
and my colleague from Michigan, Senator Stabenow, along with Senators 
Corzine and Lautenberg of New Jersey.
  The purpose of this amendment is very simple, although the amount I 
am asking for here is rather large. The purpose is to fund sufficiently 
the urgent priorities of our Nation's firefighters, law enforcement 
personnel, emergency medical personnel, transportation systems, and 
other critical infrastructure such as our ports and chemical plants. 
The amendment's language suggests paying for these vital priorities by 
limiting some of the tax breaks for individuals with annual incomes in 
excess of $1 million. I assume that at an appropriate time my colleague 
from New Hampshire or others will make a point of order against this 
amendment. I will then move to waive that point of order. In the 
meantime, let me explain the amendment.
  It is one I initially offered two years ago during a similar debate 
regarding homeland security. I was not successful in having the 
amendment adopted then. I am hopeful that I will be successful today, 
especially in light of events during the last several days in London. 
But I understand, given the size of the amount I am requesting, that 
the chances of this amendment being adopted are not great.
  Nevertheless, it is important to offer this measure anyway because it 
isn't an amendment I crafted per se, although I offer it here 
legislatively. The language and request of this amendment were a result 
of two task forces conducted by the Council on Foreign Relations that 
examined America's needs in the wake of the attacks on September 11, 
2001, and laid out, by our former colleagues Senators Warren Rudman and 
Gary Hart, along with members of their task force, the vital importance 
of sufficiently preparing for the inevitable events that are occurring 
at the hands of terrorist organizations. I don't know how many more 
events it is going to take for us to respond with the kinds of 
resources we need to have in place.
  I was a Member of this body when the Marine barracks in Lebanon were 
hit, the Lockerbie incident happened, the World Trade Center was first 
bombed, the USS Cole was attacked, the embassies in Africa were bombed, 
and then, of course, when the World Trade Center was attacked for the 
second time. We have seen in Tokyo the subway attacks in 1996, the 
Madrid train bombing in March of 2004 and, of course, the London 
Underground attacks only a few days ago. These are just a few of the 
hundreds of terrorist attacks that have taken place around our world 
over the last couple of decades.
  Let me outline the Rudman report and why this amendment is important.
  Two years ago the Council on Foreign Relations convened an 
independent task force to identify the challenges faced by our Nation 
in preventing and responding to acts of terrorism. This task force was 
chaired by our former colleague Senator Rudman. In June 2003, the task 
force issued a comprehensive report entitled ``Emergency Responders: 
Dramatically Underfunded, Dangerously Unprepared.''
  Former Senator Rudman was joined on this task force by a very 
distinguished group of our fellow American citizens. I ask unanimous 
consent to print in the Record the entire list of those people who 
prepared the report.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:


                           TASK FORCE MEMBERS

       Charles G. Boyd is currently Chief Executive Officer and 
     President of Business Executives for National Security 
     (BENS). Before retiring from the U.S. Air Force in August 
     1995, General Boyd served as Deputy Commander in Chief for 
     the U.S. European Command.
       Richard A. Clarke is Senior Adviser to the Council on 
     Foreign Relations and is currently Chairman of Good Harbor 
     Consulting, LLC. Previously Mr. Clarke served under the last 
     three presidents as a senior White House adviser.
       William J. Crowe is Senior Adviser at Global Options. 
     Previously, Admiral Crowe served as Chairman of the Joint 
     Chiefs of Staff under President Ronald Reagan.
       Margaret A. Hamburg is Vice President for Biological 
     Weapons at the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Before coming to 
     NTI, Dr. Hamburg was Assistant Secretary for Planning and 
     Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
     Services.
       James Kallstrom is Senior Executive Vice President at MBNA 
     America Bank. After September 11, 2001, Mr. Kallstrom took a 
     leave of absence from MBNA America and served as Director of 
     the Office of Public Security for the State of New York.
       Joshua Lederberg is a Nobel Laureate and currently serves 
     as President Emeritus and

[[Page 15825]]

     Sackler Foundation Scholar at Rockefeller University.
       Donald B. Marron is Chairman of UBS America as well as 
     Lightyear Capital. Previously, he served for twenty years as 
     Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paine Webber Group, 
     Inc., until its merger with UBS in 2000.
       Jamie F. Metzl is Senior Fellow and Coordinator for 
     Homeland Security Programs at the Council on Foreign 
     Relations. He has served on the National Security Council at 
     the White House, in the Department of State, and as Deputy 
     Staff Director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
       Philip Odeen is former Chairman of TRW Inc. Previously, Mr. 
     Odeen was President of BDM International, Inc., and a Vice 
     Chairman at Coopers & Lybrand LLP.
       Norman J. Ornstein is a Resident Scholar at the American 
     Enterprise Institute, and Senior Counselor to the Continuity 
     of Government Commission.
       Dennis Reimer is Director of the National Memorial 
     Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism in Oklahoma City. 
     Prior to that, General Reimer served in the U.S. Army in a 
     variety of joint and combined assignments, retiring after 37 
     years as the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army in 1999.
       Warren B. Rudman is Chairman of the Independent Task Force 
     on Emergency Responders. He is currently a partner in the 
     international law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and 
     Garrison and formerly Chairman of the President's Foreign 
     Intelligence Advisory Board under President Clinton. 
     Previously, he represented New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate 
     from 1980 to 1992.
       George P. Shultz is the Thomas W. and Susan B. Ford 
     Distinguished Fellow at the Hoover Institution. He has served 
     as Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary 
     of Labor, and director of the Office of Management and 
     Budget.
       Anne-Marie Slaughter is Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School 
     of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. 
     Prior to her appointment at Princeton, she was the J. 
     Sinclair Armstrong Professor of International, Foreign and 
     Comparative Law at Harvard Law School.
       David Stern has been Commissioner of the National 
     Basketball Association since 1984. He joined the NBA in 1978 
     as General Counsel and became the league's Executive Vice 
     President in 1980.
       Paul Tagliabue is Commissioner of the National Football 
     League. Prior to becoming NFL Commissioner in 1990, he served 
     as Chief Legal Counsel to his predecessor.
       Harold E. Varmus is President and Chief Executive Officer 
     of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Previously, he 
     served as Director of the National Institutes of Health.
       John W. Vessey is Chairman of the Council on Foreign 
     Relations' Center for Preventive Action and previously served 
     as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as Vice 
     Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army.
       William H. Webster is a Partner at the law firm of Milbank, 
     Tweed, Hadley & McCloy. He previously served as Director of 
     the Central Intelligence Agency from 1987 to 1991 and 
     Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1978 to 
     1987.
       Steven Weinberg is Director of the Theory Group of the 
     University of Texas. He is a Nobel Laureate in Physics, and a 
     recipient of the National Medal of Science.
       Mary Jo White is Chair of the 192 lawyer litigation group 
     of Debevoise & Plimpton. She also served as U.S. Attorney for 
     the Southern District of New York from 1993 until 2002.

  Mr. DODD. Let me mention several of them because they are important. 
What I am offering as an amendment were suggestions made by this panel 
to the Department of Homeland Security and to the Congress as a way of 
bolstering our security needs across the Nation.
  The membership of this distinguished panel included George Shultz, 
former Secretary of State, Treasury, and Labor; William Webster, former 
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency; Charles Boyd, chief 
executive officer and president of the Business Executives for National 
Security; Margaret Hamburg, vice president for biological weapons at 
the Nuclear Threat Initiative and former Assistant Secretary for 
planning and evaluation at the Department of Health and Human Services; 
Don Marron, former chairman of UBS America; James Metzl, former staff 
member of the NSC, the Department of State, and former staff director 
of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Norman Ornstein, resident 
scholar at the American Enterprise Institute; Anne-Marie Slaughter, 
dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs 
at Princeton University; and Harold Varmus, president and chief 
executive officer of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute.
  The list goes on. These are the people who ``prepared,'' in a sense, 
the amendment I am offering. The suggestions I am offering are ones 
suggested as a result of the task force's recommendations.
  Let me say that I have great respect for Senator Gregg and Senator 
Byrd who have dealt with these issues in their capacities as Chairman 
and Ranking Member on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee 
respectively. It is not easy to put together these bills under budget 
caps. I understand that, and I have respect for it. I understand the 
constraints under which my colleagues operate. Certainly, they are 
trying to provide adequate resources for our emergency responders and 
critical infrastructure needs in this country.
  If the tragic events in London and the events I mentioned at the 
outset say anything to us as a people, it is that we must renew and 
redouble our efforts to prevent and respond to terrorism at home. The 
Rudman report only underscores the sense of urgency that we ought to 
have about protecting our country from the risk of terrorism.
  I appreciate that the managers of the bill are seeking to have $100 
million of added resources for transit security. They are working 
within very tight budget constraints. Nevertheless, the security needs 
of our country far exceed what the managers are able to provide with 
the limited resources they have been given under this bill.
  The Rudman report says our Nation should immediately spend--and this 
was 2 years ago--$20 billion per year for 5 years to hire, equip, and 
train first responders and to better protect our critical 
infrastructure from attack. This bill spends roughly $3.9 billion--less 
than one-fifth of what the Rudman report called for 2 years ago. That, 
I might add, is close to $700 million less than was spent 2 years ago. 
So it appears we are headed in the wrong direction and doing less than 
what we should be doing.
  I would like to read various passages of the Rudman report to try to 
persuade Members of the sense of urgency that Senator Rudman and the 
Commission certainly had 2 years ago, and to shed light, if you will, 
on a survey and study done by those who are very knowledgeable about 
the challenges posed by international terrorism and about the needs and 
steps that need to be taken to make our Nation more prepared to meet 
those challenges.
  I will read the conclusion of the report prepared by Senator Rudman:

       The terrible events of September 11 have shown the American 
     people how vulnerable they are because attacks on that scale 
     had never been carried out on United States soil. The United 
     States and the American people were caught underprotected and 
     unaware of the magnitude of the threat facing them.

  In the wake of September 11, ignorance of the nature of the threat or 
of what the United States must do to prepare for future attacks can no 
longer explain America's continuing failure to allocate sufficient 
resources in preparing local emergency responders. It would be a 
terrible tragedy indeed if it took another catastrophic attack to drive 
the point home.
  I do not think any words can express the problem before us more 
clearly than those of Senator Rudman.
  I will quote from the foreword written by Les Gelb, the former 
President of the Council on Foreign Relations:

       As I sit to write this forward, it is likely that a 
     terrorist group somewhere in the world is developing plans to 
     attack the United States and/or American interests abroad 
     using chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or 
     catastrophic conventional means. At the very same time, 
     diplomats, legislators, military, and intelligence officers, 
     police, fire, and emergency medical personnel, and others in 
     the U.S. and across the globe are working feverishly to 
     prevent or prepare for such attacks. These two groups of 
     people are ultimately in a race with one another. This is a 
     race we cannot afford to lose.

  Several months prior to the issuance of the Rudman report, in October 
2002, the Council on Foreign Relations convened another task force, the 
Independent Task Force on Homeland Security, which issued the report, 
``America: Still Unprepared, Still in Danger.'' The task force, co-
chaired by Senators Rudman and Hart, came to the general conclusion 
that:


[[Page 15826]]

       America remains dangerously unprepared to prevent and 
     respond to a catastrophic terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

  The report further warned that:

       America's own ill-prepared response could hurt its people 
     to a much greater extent than any single attack by a 
     terrorist, and the risk of self-inflicted harm to America's 
     liberties and the way of life is greatest during and 
     immediately following a national trauma.

  So here you have two seminal reports, issued within 8 months of one 
another, prepared by some of the most respected individuals in this 
country, who have longstanding experience in the matters of diplomacy 
and national security. These are not lightweights who made these 
recommendations I am offering as part of this amendment. They are top 
experts and they have sounded the alarm to us. They sounded it after 9/
11; they sounded it before Madrid and London. How many more events 
before we put the kind of resources in place that allows this Nation to 
have a much higher sense of security, as we ought to have in light of 
the attacks presently being prepared and focused against us?
  The funding level that Senator Stabenow and I are proposing in this 
amendment is over $16 billion. It is huge; I understand that. It 
supplements the approximately $4 billion that the underlying measure 
devotes to emergency responders and infrastructure security. Together 
the bill and the amendment provide $20 billion in emergency responder 
funding over the next year.
  This is the recommendation of the Rudman report. This is the 
recommendation of the individuals who helped prepare that report. It is 
a recommendation made by respected experts and leaders in the fields of 
national security, intelligence, foreign relations, military affairs, 
bio-terrorism, business, public health, and budget analysis. These 
distinguished men and women spent significant time analyzing the 
problems facing our first responders and our Nation's security. They 
gave us their best professional judgment of what we need to do. 
Regrettably, we are falling woefully short of what needs to be done in 
this country.
  I understand the need for a budget resolution that sets caps on 
appropriations bills. Effective budget resolutions in the Senate are 
those that achieve balance. They curb reckless spending while providing 
a sound investment in our domestic and foreign priorities. 
Unfortunately, I don't find the current budget resolution and the caps 
it has imposed very balanced at all. While constraining our ability to 
invest adequately in our emergency responders and domestic security, 
this resolution causes, in my view, the national deficit to increase by 
at least $130 billion over the next 5 years, principally through tax 
cuts that only benefit the most affluent of our citizens.
  I represent if not the most affluent State, one of the most affluent 
States in the country. I have no doubt that the people of Connecticut 
would certainly be prepared--when asked whether they could do with a 
little less in order to provide the Nation with more security--to 
agree. They understand this issue. I believe that given the choice, 
they would rather see the tax cut they are receiving go to this kind of 
investment.
  The report before us represents an uncomfortable reality that we have 
to face as a nation. I certainly applaud the hard and groundbreaking 
work done so far to reduce the threat of terrorism in this Nation. A 
lot of good people are working hard at this. Yet as the tragedy in 
London vividly showed us last week, no nation, including ours, is 
invulnerable. We still possess weaknesses in our domestic security and 
our infrastructure that must be strengthened.
  For over 2 years now, we have possessed in the form of the Rudman and 
Hart reports a clear message from the most qualified experts in our 
Nation that we need to do more to prepare ourselves. While I apologize 
for offering an amendment that costs over $16 billion, I ask my 
colleagues why we should not offer an amendment that encompasses what 
the Rudman report recommends and what is dearly needed. Why not offer 
an amendment that meets the needs of our emergency responders while 
doing significantly more to boost security measures along our rails, on 
our trucks, and in our seaports and harbors? In my view, we should 
decide whether we think the recommendations made by these distinguished 
Americans deserve our support and whether we have the will to do what 
is needed to be done to put our country on a more sound and secure 
footing.
  The Rudman report makes several comprehensive recommendations to 
increase our investment in emergency responders and domestic security. 
Among these recommendations are: One, developing a standard for 
emergency responder minimum essential capabilities in fields such as 
training, interoperable communications systems, and response equipment; 
two, developing a standard for determining the nature of cost sharing 
between Federal, State, and municipal governments for homeland security 
activities; three, guaranteeing multiyear Federal funding for homeland 
security activities funded jointly by Federal municipal resources; 
four, reforming congressional oversight; five, allowing for greater 
flexibility in using Federal homeland security resources; six, 
developing a standard for evaluating best practices; and seven, 
developing a standard to ensure more effective coordination between 
Federal, State, and municipal governments.
  While the Department of Homeland Security has started to address some 
of these recommendations--and I note that this morning Secretary 
Chertoff announced some significant administrative changes to the 
Department of Homeland Security, and I applaud him for that--I think 
many more changes and resources must be implemented and provided 
respectively to meet the Rudman report recommendations fully. I think 
we ought to be doing more by supporting the financial needs that are 
going to provide for the various gaps that occur in the security of our 
various infrastructure systems.
  Finally, we all know that the cost of this amendment is large. I want 
to put this figure in perspective. We are spending roughly $5 billion 
every month in Iraq and Afghanistan--$1 billion a week in Iraq and $1 
billion a month in Afghanistan. That is $15 billion in vital spending 
and funding every 3 months to ensure that our men and women in uniform 
can deal with the threats in those foreign lands. Senator Stabenow, the 
other cosponsors of this amendment, and I are asking for $16 billion 
for a whole year to make us more secure at home. I understand the needs 
and I have supported the funding for our troops in the field. We know 
as a result of the Rudman report that we are woefully short in what 
needs to be done at home to keep our Nation more secure.
  As I mentioned a moment ago at the outset of these remarks, how many 
more incidents need to occur before we do what the Rudman report has 
called for? How many more times do we have to be attacked to realize 
what major steps need to be taken to be better prepared?
  I believe that if we have the will, we can find the resources that we 
know are needed to make sure we have the infrastructure security in 
place and the personnel support in place to give our fellow citizenry 
the greater sense of security that they ought to have.
  With that, at the appropriate time, I will ask for the yeas and nays 
on this amendment.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire is recognized.
  Mr. GREGG. Madam President, it is my intention to respond to the 
amendment proposed by the Senator from Connecticut and make a point of 
order relative to it. Prior to doing that, I will yield to the Senator 
from Arkansas for 5 minutes so he may offer an amendment and get it in 
the queue. Then we can agree to it.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas is recognized.
  Mr. PRYOR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending 
amendment be set aside.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[[Page 15827]]




                           Amendment No. 1125

  Mr. PRYOR. Madam President, I ask that amendment No. 1125 be called 
up.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Arkansas [Mr. Pryor] proposes an amendment 
     numbered 1125.

  Mr. PRYOR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that further 
reading of the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

  (Purpose: To encourage the acquisition by the Secretary of Homeland 
            Security of an integrated mobile medical system)

       On page 83, line 26, before the period, insert the 
     following: ``: Provided further, That of the total amount 
     made available under this heading for the support and 
     acquisition of mobile medical units to be used by the Federal 
     Emergency Management Agency, Directorate of Emergency 
     Preparedness and Response, in response to domestic disasters, 
     the Secretary of Homeland Security is encouarged to acquire 
     an integrated mobile medical system for testing and 
     evaluation in accordance with subchapter V of chapter 35 of 
     title 31, United States Code (commonly known as the 
     `Competition in Contracting Act')''.

  Mr. PRYOR. Madam President, my amendment simply encourages the 
Secretary of Homeland Security to consider an integrated mobile medical 
system as part of the Department's requirement for mobile medical 
systems.
  The DOD is currently evaluating a fully integrated mobile medical 
system, and it appears that this system holds very promising results to 
provide quality medical treatment for emergency situations.
  My amendment encourages the Department of Homeland Security to look 
at this issue and maybe allocate some resources for it.
  I thank the majority staff, as well as the minority staff, and the 
two bill managers for their assistance on this amendment. The amendment 
has been agreed to. I thank my staff as well for all the hard work and 
diligence they put into it. The amendment has been cleared on both 
sides. I thank specifically Chairman Gregg and Senator Byrd for their 
support and assistance.
  Madam President, I ask for the immediate consideration of amendment 
No. 1125.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the amendment is agreed to.
  The amendment (No. 1125) was agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.


                           Amendment No. 1202

  Mr. GREGG. Madam President, the Senator from Connecticut, joined by 
the Senator from Michigan, as I understand it, has offered an amendment 
which would increase the funding for first responder activity by $16 
billion. I note, as an initial comment, that this represents a 50-
percent increase in funding for this bill in toto. In other words, the 
entire funding of the Homeland Security agency is about $31 billion, 
and $15 billion on top of that would be a dramatic increase, to say the 
least.
  The logic for the approach is that there is a representation that the 
Rudman Commission and other people who have looked at this issue say 
first responders need more money. It is hard to argue with the fact 
that first responders do need more money, but the question becomes, in 
a world where we do not have unlimited resources, where should we put 
the resources to get the best results in this fight on the war on 
terrorism?
  An additional logic for their position is because we are spending 
significant dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan on a monthly basis, $5 
billion is the number suggested by both Senators that we should be able 
to simply, easily afford and $15 billion of additional spending for the 
Homeland Security agency in the area of first responder activity.
  I suggest, at the beginning, that type of logic could lead to 
basically there being no end of spending on all sorts of programs. If 
we are going to use the example of the amount of dollars it takes to 
keep our service people properly equipped and properly armed and 
properly taken care of when they are in a field of battle, when they 
are engaged with an enemy on a daily basis, if we are going to use that 
number as the number which defines what we should spend, whether it is 
fire departments in New Hampshire or education departments in 
Connecticut or libraries in Michigan or colleges in West Virginia, we 
are going to end up with amendment after amendment which spends 
billions upon billions of dollars on the representation that, gee, we 
are spending all this money in fighting this war to try to make sure 
our troops are properly supported so, therefore, why can't we spend a 
lot of money somewhere else? I do not think there is a lot of 
consistency to that logic.
  We know we have a limited amount of money as a Federal Government to 
spend--at least we should. We did pass a budget to try to put in place 
the context of how much money we have to spend. And in the context of 
that budget, we did fund the war, we did fund the Defense Department, 
and we did fund the other functions of Government at a certain level. 
We dramatically increased the funding, for example, in education, we 
dramatically increased the funding in the area of homeland security, 
and we dramatically increased the funding for first responders, but 
within the context of a budget.
  So when you bring an amendment to the floor that essentially says, 
Ignore the budget and spend $15 billion next year on first responders 
and then spend another $5 billion on top of that, which would be the 
Stabenow amendment on providing communications equipment, you are 
essentially saying we have no fiscal discipline and our purposes are 
not controlled by any sort of logic as to the relationship of the 
amount of money which the Federal Government takes in versus the amount 
of money the Federal Government spends.
  The representation from the Senator from Connecticut is, if we were 
simply to repeal some of these permanent taxes that were extended in 
the budget, we could pay for this. I note for the Senator from 
Connecticut that he may not have noted this because he did not vote for 
the budget, and I understand he may not have focused a lot of time on 
it. But the budget, as passed by the Congress, did not have any 
permanent tax extensions in it relative to general income tax.
  The only permanent extensions in the budget are for tuition tax 
credits for kids going to school, tax deductions for teachers who spend 
money to pay for school supplies in their classrooms, and a couple of 
other lesser tax deductions within the Code. So maybe he wants to 
repeal those extensions. I think those extensions are good policy. If 
that is his position, that will recover maybe--I don't know, I am not 
sure how much it would recover off the top of my head, but it would not 
be a great deal of money, and it certainly would not be enough money to 
cover this $16 billion which is being proposed.
  The budget did not, and it is a misrepresentation to come to the 
floor and represent that it did, extend permanently any rate tax cuts 
at all.
  So this argument that, well, we can just do it by changing the 
budget, by changing the terms as to the way it applies to tax policy is 
incorrect on its face because there were no permanent extensions.
  The issue really is this: Within the context of a reasonable budget 
for national defense and for homeland security, where should the 
dollars go first? What are the priorities? We made a conscious decision 
in this bill to focus the dollars on what we saw as the primary 
threats. I believe, and I was joined by the Senator from West Virginia 
and I think he agrees, that we should have a threat-based funding 
approach to the whole issue of homeland security. If one listened to 
Secretary Chertoff yesterday, that is what he plans to do.
  What are the priority threats? No. 1, right at the top of the list, 
unquestionably the most significant threat is the question of weapons 
of mass destruction. So we have put a significant amount of dollars 
into trying to increase our capacity to address, first, the detection 
and, second, a response capability in the area of weapons of mass 
destruction.
  No. 2, the second largest threat which we have, in our opinion, is 
the

[[Page 15828]]

fact that we have borders which are extraordinarily porous. Madam 
President, 3 million a year is the estimate of how many people come 
into this country illegally; 500 million people come into this country 
legally, and we really do not know a great deal about what their 
purpose is or what they are doing coming in and out of the country. In 
fact, we do not know if they are criminals because our databases are 
not capable of analyzing their entry documentation to determine whether 
they are some sort of threat or whether they are just citizens from 
another country who are coming here to enjoy our great Nation.
  We have committed significant resources in this bill. We have moved 
more than $600 million from various accounts into border security, 
specifically putting more feet on the border in the sense of adding 
many more Border Patrol personnel, giving those Border Patrol personnel 
the capital structure they need to support themselves, physical 
infrastructure, adding more detention beds, focusing on upgrading our 
computer and IT systems relative to entry-exit activity, especially the 
US-VISIT Program. That is because that is a huge threat.
  Those are the two huge priority threats on which we focused.
  The issue of first responders is a priority for us as a nation, but 
is it the No. 1 item that should be focused on in this bill? No. Is it 
Homeland Security's first line of activity? Quite honestly, it is not. 
It is a major line of activity, but the first lines of activity are the 
ones for which Federal Government is primarily responsible, such as 
airline safety, border safety, making sure we are ready to deal with 
weapons of mass destruction. That is why we mention those issues. But 
in the specific area of first responder accounts, this proposal, which 
would up the funding in first responders by $16 billion and the 
proposal of the Senator from Michigan which would up the funding for a 
new line item, it would create a new line item in first responders of 
$5 billion for communications assistance, truly is a misallocation of 
resources.
  Even if we could afford it, we would not want to put that money into 
those accounts at that level. Why? Because these groups involved in 
developing first responder capability are not capable of spending that 
amount of money. How do we know that? Because we have $7 billion--$3 
billion from the year 2004 and $4 billion from the year 2005--sitting 
in Washington, in the Federal Treasury, which has not gone out yet for 
first responder funding activity. Why is that? It is because, first, 
the Department of Homeland Security has some problems, and we are 
trying to address those in this bill, and we put in specific language 
to try to change that, and I know Secretary Chertoff has addressed it, 
but it is larger than that. It is not just the homeland security issue, 
it is the fact that one of the points the Rudman Commission made, and 
was even more aggressively made by the Gilmore Commission, which was 
another high-quality group of people who got together to study this 
issue, was that until you have a plan for how you are going to spend 
this money, if you just send it back to the States and to the 
communities without a plan which they have to follow, all you are doing 
is revenue sharing. It is going to end up being a plus-up for local 
agencies. Some will buy new cruisers or buy bomb dogs or just buy dogs, 
and they will buy whatever they want to buy without any plan or 
organization.
  The reason the $7 billion is still in the Treasury instead of out 
there on the streets helping out the fire, police, and local agencies 
is that the assessment plans, which are critical to the effort of 
getting in place a thoughtful approach to first responder funding and 
how they use these dollars, have not yet been completed. States are 
still working on assessment plans so they can come forward with these 
plans, and then the money will go out, and it will be spent in an 
orderly way instead of a haphazard way.
  We do not want to get back into the situation we had in the 1970s, 
where essentially we were sending out hundreds of millions of dollars--
not billions of dollars as we are today--to various groups across the 
country in the name of better law enforcement. A great deal of it ended 
up buying equipment and items that turned out to be not only not 
productive but counterproductive because a lot of interoperability 
communications was bought with that money when there was no plan 
overlying that LEA money to require interoperability. So the police 
department would get a grant for $20,000, $30,000 and go out and buy 
their system of communications, and then the fire department in the 
same town would get their $20,000 or $30,000, and they would go out and 
buy theirs, and neither could talk to each other because there was no 
plan.
  The whole concept behind the assessment approach is so we can have a 
plan so that the civil defense centers in the States--fire in the 
States, police in the States, first responder health care communities 
in the States--are all coordinated and the money goes out in a 
coordinated way, that when it is completed, we actually have a 
situation where, if there is an incident and these folks who are so 
committed to making their communities stronger and better have to 
respond to it, it will be done in a focused and coordinated way 
pursuant to a plan which has been funded and focused in a coordinated 
way.
  First off, the theory behind this, that we can spend another $21 
billion because we are spending $30 billion in Iraq is--I think that 
theory totally disconnects.
  Secondly, the concept that this may be paid for some day by repealing 
the budget point on permanent extension of tax cuts is purely incorrect 
because there were no permanent extensions in the budget.
  Thirdly, if we are going to spend money on national security in the 
homeland area, we should spend it on threat-based activity, which is 
what this bill does. And the threats, in order of priority, put the 
issue of first responders lower than some of the first responsibilities 
of Homeland Security, such as border security, airline security, 
weapons of mass destruction protection, and intelligence-gathering 
agencies. That is absolutely critical.
  Fourth, as a practical matter, we can appropriate all this money, but 
it cannot be spent, so there is no point in appropriating it at this 
time. Maybe a year from now, maybe 2 years from now, after that $7 
billion has come down a little bit. Remember, we are adding another $4 
billion to it this year anyway. This bill is not cheap on the side of 
first responders. We are putting another $4 billion on top of the $7 
billion that still has not been spent.
  When these assessment plans get in place and we start to generate 
some proper activity that allows this money to be spent in an orderly 
way and does not get wasted, then we might want to significantly 
increase this funding because we know it will be effectively used. But 
right now, to increase this funding just means it is going to sit at 
the Treasury, instead of being used where it really needs to be used, 
which is on threats which exist today and which we have to address 
today, which brings me to the underlying issue of threat because we are 
going to hear about this again and again. There is going to be an 
attempt to spend another $1 billion, $2 billion, or $3 billion--I do 
not know what the final number will be--on mass transit.
  The key to our capacity to defend ourselves from these terrorists is 
our capacity to stop them before they get here, and that means we have 
to have better intelligence and we have to have better border security. 
When they do get here, the key is to make sure they do not have the 
opportunity to use their hate and their commitment to trying to kill 
Americans in a vast way versus in a confined way by stopping them from 
having weapons of mass destruction or using a vehicle that would allow 
them to plus up their heinous crimes such as they did on 9/11 when they 
used airplanes as weapons, as missiles essentially.
  So it all becomes a matter of order of threat, where the dollars 
should be. And the No. 1 issue we have to address is better gathering 
of intelligence, in which Homeland Security has a limited role, but 
Secretary Chertoff is going to expand that effort; followed by the 
issue of weapons of mass destruction;

[[Page 15829]]

followed by border security; followed by the first responsibilities of 
the Federal Government which are things such as air traffic control and 
air management; followed by, of course, funding and helping out first 
responders, which we have done, which is why there is still $7 billion 
sitting in the bank because we have done it, but the system is not yet 
ready to effectively handle that money. It will be soon, hopefully. A 
lot of pressure is being put on both the Department of Homeland 
Security in this bill and on the State assessment plans to accomplish 
that.
  This proposal is maybe well intentioned, but it is misguided at all 
sorts of different levels. Therefore, I cannot support it. Obviously, 
even if it were within the budget I would not support it because this 
is not where we need to allocate resources at this time at this level 
of activity.
  I make my point of order at this time that under section 302(f) of 
the Congressional Budget Act the amendment provides spending in excess 
of the subcommittee's 302(b) allocation.
  Mr. DODD. Madam President, I move to waive the budget point of order 
and ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Mr. GREGG. I simply note that we will be voting on this, hopefully, 
later today when we have more of a contingency available to 
participate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut.
  Mr. DODD. I know my colleague from Hawaii is in the Chamber, but I 
want to respond to comments made by my friend from New Hampshire. He 
gave a good response to this amendment. It is a good bureaucratic 
response. As I said during my remarks, I apologize for offering an 
amendment of this magnitude. The Senator from New Hampshire is 
absolutely correct, the entire budget we are talking about for homeland 
security is around $31 billion. This amendment is 50 percent of that 
budget.
  I was fully aware, when I came to the floor to offer this amendment, 
of the reaction it would receive, but I also happen to believe the 
Rudman report, written by a group of people who are serious about these 
matters, has laid out for us very clearly what needs to be done.
  Whether our domestic security is funded by reducing millionaire tax 
cuts or by some other mechanism, I am willing to listen. I just tried 
to offer one idea of where these resources could come from. Obviously, 
when an amendment like this is offered, I do not have the right to 
offer necessarily an offset so large. Tax cuts provided to the most 
affluent Americans was simply a suggestion as to where the resources 
could come from.
  The underlying point needs to be made that we are not doing enough in 
the areas where we are terribly vulnerable. I will state how we are 
spending this money and lay it out. First, we are spending actually 
less this year than we have in the previous 2 years. In the Office of 
State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness, which covers 
port security, truck security, rail security, training, technical 
assistance and development, we are going to spend just under $2.7 
billion. Last year, it was in excess of $3 billion. The numbers are 
coming down, and yet almost everyone now knows in this country that our 
ports across the Nation are entirely vulnerable.
  Less than 5 percent of containers have any screening done on them. 
Our rail and freight systems are virtually wide open. Stories get 
written every single day about the vulnerabilities that exist. We take 
the bulk of the funding proposed by this amendment--in excess of $11 
billion--and put it into these critical areas.
  Again, I know it is a lot of money, but let another attack occur in 
this country, as I believe it will, and then look back and say: I 
wonder if we might have done a little more in the areas where we were 
vulnerable to prevent the attack, or I wonder whether or not the 
Senator from Connecticut was asking for too much.
  I merely cited Iraq and Afghanistan to give a sense of 
proportionality. I have strongly supported the resources that ensure 
our troops receive the adequate funding they need.
  And by the way, in certain areas like equipment, they are not even 
getting what they ought to be getting.
  I make the point that there we are spending roughly $15 billion every 
3 months. This amendment costs roughly the same amount over a full 
year.
  I have a pretty good sense, after a number of years here, as to what 
is going to happen with this amendment. It is probably going to fail. 
But I want the American public to know there are those of us who 
believe that if one has the will, one can find a way to do this. 
Whether one likes my proposed offset or not, if one believes that we 
ought to be doing more to make our ports, our rail systems, our truck 
security, and other infrastructure far better prepared than they are 
today, then they ought to support this amendment.
  If they think we are doing enough already, then vote against it. I 
believe we are not doing enough, and I think many people in this 
country believe that as well. That is why I offer this amendment.
  In conclusion, I would like to add a summary of the conclusions and 
recommendations of the Rudman report. The full report is some 70 or 80 
pages and that is too long to include in the Record. It is available to 
Members who would care to have a full copy of it. This is approximately 
12 pages. I ask unanimous consent that the conclusions and 
recommendations of the Rudman Report on Homeland Security be printed in 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

 Report Prepared by the Council on Foreign Relations--Conclusions and 
                            Recommendations


        1. Define and Provide for Minimum Essential Capabilities

       The Task Force found that there is no systematic national 
     standard that defines the essential minimum capabilities for 
     emergency responders that every jurisdiction of a given 
     population size should possess or be able to access. Because 
     of this, there are currently no comprehensive, systematic, 
     and consolidated principles or measures against which the 
     degree and quality of preparedness can be tracked nationwide. 
     Current efforts to develop such standards are inconsistent 
     and dispersed among various government agencies and 
     nongovernmental organizations. Additionally, existing 
     standards for minimum capabilities for emergency responders 
     are a patchwork with many missing pieces that lacks 
     systematic integration, are insufficient to address many 
     major challenges--inc1uding that of catastrophic terrorism 
     involving WMD--and are not harmonized across the many types 
     of emergency responders. While existing standards provide a 
     useful starting point, they do not constitute ``national 
     standards for emergency response training and preparedness,'' 
     as called for in the National Strategy for Homeland Security. 
     (A selection from this document is included in Appendix B.) 
     At the end of five years of federal funding, therefore, some 
     metropolitan areas may still lack fundamental emergency 
     responder capabilities.
       Congress should require DHS and HHS to work with other 
     federal agencies, state and local emergency responder 
     agencies and officials, and standard-setting bodies from the 
     emergency responder community to establish clearly defined 
     standards and guidelines for federal, state, and local 
     government emergency preparedness and response in such areas 
     as training, interoperable communication systems, and 
     response equipment. These standards must be sufficiently 
     flexible to allow local officials to set priorities based on 
     their needs, provided that they reach nationally determined 
     preparedness levels within a fixed time period. These 
     capabilities must be measurable and subject to federal audit.
       Congress should require that the FY05 budget request for 
     DHS be accompanied by a minimum essential emergency responder 
     capability standard of WMD--and terrorism-related disaster 
     equipment and training per 100,000 persons in a metropolitan 
     region, and by separate standards for rural areas. Each 
     recipient state and metropolitan area should then be required 
     to submit a plan detailing how it intends to achieve that 
     standard, to incorporate it into all appropriate training 
     programs, and to regularly test its effectiveness.
       National performance standards could be implemented through 
     an incentive grant system making federal funding conditional 
     and available to those localities that adopt federally 
     approved standards of preparedness.

[[Page 15830]]




                  2. develop requirements methodology

       National capability standards for levels of preparedness 
     must drive an emergency preparedness requirements process. 
     This process must evolve into one similar to that currently 
     used by the U.S. military. Threats must be identified, 
     capabilities for addressing threats determined, and 
     requirements generated for establishing or otherwise gaining 
     access to necessary capabilities. The Task Force found that 
     the administration and Congress were funding emergency 
     preparedness without any agreement on methodology to 
     determine how much is enough or what the requirements are. It 
     is therefore extremely difficult, if not impossible, to 
     measure how well prepared the United States is.
       Congress should include in the FY04 appropriations for DHS 
     and HHS a provision calling on each agency to accompany the 
     FY05 budget request with a detailed methodology for 
     determining the national requirements for emergency responder 
     capability and assistance.
       Congress should require that DHS and HHS submit a 
     coordinated plan for meeting national preparedness standards 
     by the end of FY07.
       Congress should require DHS and HHS to report annually on 
     the status of emergency preparedness across the United 
     States. This report should indicate the levels of federal, 
     state, and local expenditures for emergency preparedness, 
     evaluate how effectively that funding is being used, and 
     assess the status of preparedness in each state based on 
     national preparedness standards.


                   3. accept necessary burden-sharing

       The Task Force found that there were no accepted national 
     guidelines for determining the nature of burden-sharing 
     between the federal government and state and local 
     jurisdictions. Although state and local jurisdictions should 
     maintain primary responsibility for funding normal levels of 
     public health and safety readiness, the Task Force found that 
     the federal government should be responsible for providing 
     the funds necessary to cover the incremental costs of 
     achieving essential standards in responding to the additional 
     national security threat posed by terrorism. In some 
     outstanding cases, federal funds may be required to enhance 
     state and local emergency responder infrastructure that has 
     been starved of resources if the deterioration of 
     capabilities is such that it poses a threat to national 
     security and state and local resources are not reasonably 
     sufficient for addressing this shortfall.


                4. guarantee sustained multiyear funding

       The Task Force found that many state and local governments 
     are unwilling or unable to accept federal funding for 
     programs that will generate long-term costs in the absence of 
     guarantees that the federal government will make funds 
     available for sustaining such programs. Stable and long-term 
     funding is critical for encouraging state and local 
     governments to develop the necessary emergency response 
     capabilities and, most critically, to sustain them over time.
       Congress should accompany all authorizations for emergency 
     responder assistance grants in FY04 and thereafter with 
     budget authority for sustaining those grants through the 
     following two fiscal years.


                     5. refocus funding priorities

       The Task Force found existing systems for determining the 
     distribution of appropriated funds to states to be badly in 
     need of reform. The federal government currently determines 
     levels for emergency preparedness funding to states primarily 
     on a formula that guarantees minimum funding levels to all 
     states and then determines additional funding based on each 
     state's population. All citizens of the United States deserve 
     a base level of protection regardless of where they live. 
     Nevertheless, the state and population-drive approach has led 
     to highly uneven funding outcomes. Wyoming, for example, 
     receives $10.00 per capita from DHS for emergency 
     preparedness while New York State receives only $1.40 per 
     capita. While this approach may have political appeal, it 
     unnecessarily diverts funding from areas of highest priority. 
     In addition, decision by state officials regarding the 
     allocation of funds in their states have not sufficiently 
     taken into account the multitude of necessary factors.
       Congress should establish a system for allocating scarce 
     resources based less on dividing the spoils and more on 
     addressing identified threats and vulnerabilities. To do 
     this, the federal government should consider such factors as 
     population, population density, vulnerability assessment, and 
     presence of critical infrastructure within each state. State 
     governments should be required to use the same criteria for 
     distributing funds within each state.
       Congress should also require each state receiving federal 
     emergency preparedness funds to provide an analysis based on 
     the same criteria to justify the distribution of funds in 
     that state.


                 6. RATIONALIZE CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT

       The Task Force found that the proliferation of committees 
     and subcommittees in Congress makes it hard to devise a 
     coherent homeland security policy and a focused homeland 
     defense system. Congress needs to have a lead committee, or 
     an effective joint committee, to shape overall policy. 
     Otherwise the system is likely to be fragmented and plagued 
     with pork.
       The U.S. House of Representatives should transform the 
     House Select Committee on Homeland Security into a standing 
     committee and give it a formal, leading role in the 
     authorization of all emergency responder expenditures in 
     order to streamline the federal budgetary process.
       The U.S. Senate should consolidate emergency preparedness 
     and response oversight into the Senate Government Affairs 
     Committee.


                  7. ACCELERATE DELIVERY OF ASSISTANCE

       The Task Force found that many metropolitan areas and 
     states had actually received and spent only a small portion 
     of the funds for emergency responders that have been 
     appropriated by Congress since September 11. The current 
     inflexible structure of homeland security funding, along with 
     shifting federal requirements and increased amounts of 
     paperwork, places unnecessary burdens on state and local 
     governments as they attempt to provide badly needed funds to 
     emergency responders. While a balance should be maintained 
     between the need for the rapid allocation of emergency 
     preparedness funds and the maintenance of appropriate 
     oversight to ensure that such funds are well spent, the 
     current danger is too great to allow for business as usual. 
     According to the National Emergency Managers Association, 
     ``appropriation cycles have been erratic causing extreme 
     burdens on state and local governments to continue 
     preparedness activities when there is no federal funding, and 
     then forcing them to thoughtfully and strategically apply 
     several years of federal funds and millions of dollars at one 
     time.'' (NEMA, State Spending and Homeland Security Funds, 
     April 2, 2003) As a first step toward addressing this 
     problem, Congress instructed the DHS Office of Domestic 
     Preparedness in the FY03 consolidated appropriations measure 
     (P.L. 108-7) to distribute grant funds to states within 60 
     days of the enactment of the bill and required states to 
     distribute at least 80 percent of those funds to localities 
     within 45 days of receipt.
       Congress should ensure that all future appropriations bills 
     funding emergency response include strict distribution time-
     frames as exemplified by the FY03 consolidated appropriations 
     measure.
       Congress should require states to submit data regarding the 
     speed of distribution of the federal funds for emergency 
     responders appropriated to states.
       Congress should grant DHS the authority to allow states 
     greater flexibility in using past homeland security funding. 
     As a first step in this direction, Congress should authorize 
     greater flexibility in the federal guidelines laid out in the 
     FY03 Omnibus Appropriations Bill for the percentages of funds 
     that can be used for various emergency response activities 
     (e.g., 70 percent for equipment, 18 percent for exercises, 7 
     percent for planning, 5 percent for training) to make it 
     possible for states to better allocate resources according to 
     their most urgent needs. This authority should be granted on 
     a case by case basis by means of a waiver from the Secretary 
     of the Department of Homeland Security.


                       8. FIX FUNDING MECHANISMS

       Many states have been mandated to develop more than five 
     separate homeland security plans. While the information 
     requested by each homeland security plan is similar, states 
     and communities are often required to reinvent the wheel from 
     one emergency plan to the next.
       DHS should move the Office of Domestic Preparedness from 
     the Bureau of Border and Transportation Security to the 
     Office of State and Local Government Coordination in order to 
     consolidate oversight of grants to emergency responders 
     within the Office of the Secretary.
       States should develop a prioritized list of requirements in 
     order to ensure that federal funding is allocated to achieve 
     the best return on investments.
       Congress should require DHS to work with other federal 
     agencies to streamline homeland security grant programs in a 
     way that reduces unnecessary duplication and establishes 
     coordinated ``one-stop shopping'' for state and local 
     authorities seeking grant funds. Efforts to streamline the 
     grants process should not, however, be used as a 
     justification for eliminating existing block grant programs 
     that support day-to-day operations of emergency responder 
     entities. In many cases, such grants must be expanded.
       Congress should create an interagency committee to 
     eliminate duplication in homeland security grants 
     requirements and simplify the application process for federal 
     grants.


                     9. DISSEMINATE BEST PRACTICES

       Although emergency responders have consistently identified 
     as a high priority the need to systematically share best 
     practices and lessons learned, the Task Force found 
     insufficient national coordination of efforts to 
     systematically capture and disseminate best practices for 
     emergency responders. While various federal agencies, 
     professional associations, and educational institutions have 
     begun initiatives to develop and promulgate best practices 
     and lessons learned, these disparate efforts generally are 
     narrow and

[[Page 15831]]

     unsystematic and have not sufficiently reached potential 
     beneficiaries. Such information-sharing could be one of the 
     most effective ways to extract the greatest amount of 
     preparedness from a finite resource pool. Once centralized 
     and catalogued, such data will allow all emergency responders 
     to learn from past experiences and improve the quality of 
     their efforts, thereby assuring taxpayers the maximum return 
     on their investment in homeland security. Access to this 
     resource will provide the analytical foundation for future 
     decisions regarding priorities, planning, training, and 
     equipment.
       Congress should establish within DHS a National Institute 
     for Best Practices in Emergency Preparedness to work with 
     state and local governments, emergency preparedness 
     professional associations, and other partners to establish 
     and promote a universal best practices/lessons learned 
     knowledge base. The National Institute should establish a 
     website for emergency preparedness information and should 
     coordinate closely with HHS to ensure that best practices for 
     responding to biological attack are sufficiently incorporated 
     into the knowledge base.


                 10. ENHANCE COORDINATION AND PLANNING

       The Task Force found that although effective coordination 
     and planning are among the most important elements of 
     preparedness, jurisdictions across the country are neither 
     sufficiently coordinating emergency response disciplines 
     within their jurisdictions nor adequately reaching across 
     jurisdictional lines to coordinate their efforts with 
     neighboring communities. Although Title VI of the Stafford 
     Act (P.L. 106-390) authorizes the Director of FEMA to 
     coordinate federal and state emergency preparedness plans, 
     this authority has not been applied sufficiently to ensure 
     adequate levels of coordination and planning between and 
     among federal, state, and local jurisdictions. In addition, 
     state and local emergency management agencies lack the 
     resources to develop and maintain critical emergency 
     management capabilities. More also needs to be done to 
     encourage and facilitate mutual aid and other cross-
     jurisdictional agreements that pool resources, minimize 
     costs, and enhance national preparedness.
       DHS should require that all states and territories submit 
     statewide mutual assistance plans, including cross-border 
     plans for all cities and counties adjoining state or 
     territorial borders. Reference to such plans should be 
     required in all homeland security grant applications for 
     federal funding. Wherever possible, grants should be 
     structured to reward the pooling of assets across 
     jurisdictional lines.
       DHS should develop a comprehensive national program for 
     exercises that coordinates exercise activities involving 
     federal agencies, state and local governments, and 
     representatives from appropriate private sector entities 
     including hospitals, the media, telecommunications providers, 
     and others. These exercises should prepare emergency 
     responders for all types of hazards, with a specific focus on 
     WMD detection and response. When necessary, funds should be 
     provided to ensure that exercises do not interfere with the 
     day-to-day activities of emergency responders.
       Congress should work with DHS to expand the capacity of 
     existing training facilities involved in the National 
     Domestic Preparedness Consortium and to identify any new 
     training facilities for emergency responders that may be 
     required.

  Mr. DODD. Again, I have great respect for my colleague from New 
Hampshire. He has a very difficult job, and there are constraints, but 
I also have been around long enough to know that when faced with 
emergencies that we have a way of getting around those constraints and 
doing what needs to be done. We have certainly done that in Iraq. We 
have done it in Afghanistan. I believe we ought to do it at home as 
well.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Hawaii.
  Mr. AKAKA. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (The remarks of Mr. Akaka are printed in today's Record under 
``Morning Business.'')
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Chafee.) The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I send three modifications of my 
amendments Nos. 1171, No. 1150, and No. 1151, to the desk and ask 
unanimous consent those modifications be in order.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I have now three pending amendments that 
have been modified, is that correct?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Senator wish to make those amendments 
pending?
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I believe they are not pending.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The amendments have been filed for future 
consideration.
  Mr. McCAIN. Yes. That is fine. The modifications to the filed 
amendments have been agreed to.
  I would like to make a statement about rail security legislation and 
then, after conversations with Senator Gregg, bring up an amendment on 
UAVs, which is filed, and then have two additional amendments pending, 
because I am afraid I may need up-or-down votes.
  I am pleased the Senate continues to make progress on the Department 
of Homeland Security appropriations bill. It is important that we 
adequately fund this Department and its essential programs which are 
critical to our Nation's efforts to secure our homeland as we fight the 
war on terrorism.
  In addition to this funding measure, legislation authorizing security 
efforts is equally important. I am particularly concerned about an 
authorizing bill the Senate passed by unanimous consent in the 108th 
Congress, but which has not yet been enacted. Earlier this week I 
introduced the Rail Security Act of 2005, legislation that is nearly 
identical to the rail security bill that passed the Senate last year, 
as I say, unanimously. I sincerely hope we once again pass this 
important legislation and, given current events, the sooner we act, the 
better. Rail security must be made a top priority in this Congress.
  I would like to mention the Rail Security Act we passed in the 108th 
Congress was the product of numerous hearings in the Commerce 
Committee, with expert witnesses and with administration support. So 
that is why I believe it should have relatively little controversy 
associated with it.
  We are all deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life caused by the 
terrorist attacks in London last week. Those instances are a painful 
reminder of the cruel nature of our enemies in this war and of what we 
must do to fight and win against those who wish to eradicate our way of 
life. I have said on many occasions that we cannot just play defense in 
this war, that instead we must take the fight to the enemy. Still, we 
must do what is possible to protect Americans at home. The London 
bombings and the attacks on Madrid's commuter rail system last year 
demonstrate all too vividly the continuing need for this legislation.
  We have taken considerable action to address aviation security and 
devoted significant resources to that mode. I think all would agree 
aviation is safer now than before 9/11. However, since the terrorist 
attacks nearly 4 years ago, only relatively modest resources have been 
dedicated to rail security. Our Nation's transit system, Amtrak, and 
the freight railroads, I am sad to say, remain vulnerable to terrorist 
attacks, this despite the fact that the Department of Homeland Security 
has identified as potential terrorist targets the freight and rail 
passenger networks, which are critical to the Nation's transportation 
system and national defense.
  The 9/11 Commission, in its report on the facts and circumstances 
surrounding the 9/11 attacks, called for improved security in all modes 
of transportation, noting that ``terrorists may turn their attention to 
other modes.''
  The Rail Security Act would authorize a total of almost $1.2 billion 
for rail security. More than half of this funding would be authorized 
to complete tunnel safety and security improvements at New York's Penn 
Station, which is used by over 500,000 transit, commuter, and inner 
city passengers each workday. The legislation would also establish a 
grant program authorized at $350 million to encourage security 
enhancements by the freight railroads, Amtrak shippers of hazardous 
materials, and local governments with security responsibility for 
passenger stations not owned by Amtrak.
  Further, DHS would be required to complete a vulnerability assessment 
of the rail network to terrorist attack, and make recommendations to 
Congress for addressing security weaknesses. Importantly, to protect 
the taxpayers' interests, all Amtrak authorizations would be managed by 
the Department of Transportation through formal grant agreements.

[[Page 15832]]

  We face a dedicated, focused, intelligent foe in the war on 
terrorism. This enemy will probe to find our weaknesses and move 
against them. We have seen the vulnerability of rail to terrorism in 
other countries and the devastating consequences of such an attack. It 
is essential we move expeditiously to protect all the modes of 
transportation from potential attack.
  Also, at this time I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from 
Delaware, Mr. Biden, be listed as a cosponsor of the Rail Security Act.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. McCAIN. I thank the Senator for his cosponsorship of this 
legislation, particularly given that Mr. Biden travels daily on the 
rails, back and forth to his home in Delaware.
  I trust the Senate will move quickly to once again pass this 
essential legislation. We owe at least that much to the American people 
as we continue our struggle against an enemy that wants nothing less 
than to destroy everything we stand for and believe in.


                    Amendment No. 1151, As Modified

  Mr. McCAIN. I ask unanimous consent to set aside pending legislation 
and take up amendment 1151 as modified, UAVs at the southwestern 
border.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:
  The Senator from Arizona [Mr. McCain] proposes an amendment numbered 
1151, as modified.
  The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To specify how certain vehicles are to be deployed to enhance 
                            border security)

       On page 61, line 26, insert ``which may be deployed between 
     ports of entry along the southwestern border of the United 
     States, taking into consideration the particular security 
     risks in the area and the need for constant surveillance of 
     such border,'' after ``unmanned aerial vehicles,''.

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, despite the worthy efforts that have been 
made to secure our homeland, much remains to be done. I, for one, do 
not believe we can ever expect to fully secure our Nation until we 
enact comprehensive immigration reform that includes strong and 
effective enforcement requirements. We cannot accomplish that in this 
pending bill, but in the meantime we can still take additional measures 
to better secure our border.
  I commend the chairman, subcommittee chairman, and the ranking 
members for putting forward an appropriations bill that includes a 
number of sound border security funding provisions. One area I would 
like to see strengthened, as is proposed by this amendment, is to 
ensure we are more fully monitoring the southwestern border where most 
of the illegal crossing and needless deaths occur annually.
  Let me cite a few of the more alarming statistics about what is going 
on in the southwestern border region. Over 300 people died in the 
desert last year trying to cross the border. About 200 of those deaths 
occurred in the Arizona desert. The Border Patrol is currently 
apprehending approximately 1,300 undocumented immigrants a day in 
Arizona. This number is expected to rise. An estimated 3,000 people 
enter the United States illegally from Mexico every single day. Last 
year, 1.1 million illegal immigrants were caught by the Border Patrol 
and more than half of those were in the State of Arizona. The Border 
Patrol releases more than 90 percent of the people they catch through 
voluntary repatriation, because the system is simply overwhelmed.
  I want to repeat that, Mr. President. Anybody who has visited our 
border and seen those wonderful men and women who serve there in the 
Border Patrol and Immigration will agree they are simply overwhelmed.
  We have our work cut out for us. We need more manpower and better 
focused technology. This legislation provides some needed funding for 
both, but I hope by the time it passes the Senate that we redirect some 
of the $31.8 billion in this bill to allow us to fulfill a commitment 
we made just 7 months ago as part of the intelligence reform 
legislation. In that law we authorize for the coming year 2,000 more 
Border Patrol agents, twice as many as would be provided for in the 
underlying bill, and 8,000 detention beds, 5,790 more than provided for 
in the bill before us.
  I filed amendments to fulfill these authorized levels and would like 
to work with the bill managers to address these important security 
issues.
  Another area of particular concern along the southwestern border, 
particularly to Arizonans, since our State is now the leading gateway 
to illegal entry, is the Federal Government's use of technologies that 
are already available to strengthen our security efforts.
  Manpower alone is not the answer when we are dealing with a 6,000-
mile border area. The February grounding of the unmanned aerial 
vehicles, UAVs, in southern Arizona sent the absolute wrong message to 
those seeking to illegally enter our country. They are a helpful and 
needed deterrent to illegal entry and have been very useful in helping 
to monitor and better secure our southern border. Halting this program 
even temporarily needlessly jeopardizes our citizens and Nation.
  The temperature today on the border between Arizona and Mexico is 
probably, in the middle of the day, 120 degrees. It is awfully hard on 
Border Patrol people, and there is no way we can patrol these hundreds 
of miles of border simply with ground vehicles. UAVs have proved 
extremely effective in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other places in the 
world. Clearly it would have tremendous utility in monitoring what is 
happening along our borders, not only to prevent illegal crossings but 
also, once those crossings are made, to track down and arrest those who 
are doing so. And as is well known, not everyone who is crossing the 
border is simply coming for a job. We have significant drug 
trafficking, and the Director of the FBI has stated that we are 
apprehending more and more citizens of ``countries of interest'' that 
are crossing our borders as well.
  In our efforts to counter terrorism and promote national security, it 
is essential that we use all appropriate assets available to ensure the 
safety of our citizens and the security of our borders. As we learned 
through extensive military operations, UAVs have proven to be a highly 
effective aerial surveillance system that can be used as a force 
multiplier in coordination with other air and ground surveillance 
technologies. Of course, we should work to ensure the most effective 
UAV technologies are employed over the border, but it is important that 
some form of UAV be deployed in the short term to augment ongoing 
enforcement efforts. Grounding the UAVs also creates a perception in an 
already volatile border region that the Federal Government is 
abandoning its responsibilities.
  We are now into our fifth month with grounded UAVs at the southern 
border, and I find this inexcusable and unacceptable. A UAV program not 
only helps to deter illegal immigrants but also maximizes the 
effectiveness of our law enforcement agents on the ground.
  I commend the bill managers for recognizing the need for UAVs and 
hope they can agree to support my amendment that will make clear to DHS 
that the funding provided in this bill is not to support grounded 
technologies but, rather, is provided to support a robust UAV program 
that best meets the area's security risks while recognizing the need 
for constant surveillance along the southwestern border.
  I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to ensure UAV 
surveillance at the Nation's borders and maximize our law enforcement 
efforts.
  Mr. President, it is my understanding that the managers of the bill 
would agree to this amendment by voice vote at the appropriate time, 
but I would clearly await the presence of the managers before 
proceeding.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending 
amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                    Amendment No. 1150, as Modified

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 1150 and ask for 
its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Arizona [Mr. McCain] proposes an amendment 
     numbered 1150, as modified.


[[Page 15833]]

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that further 
reading of the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

       On page 100, between lines 11 and 12, insert the following:
       Sec. 519. (a) The amount appropriated for salaries and 
     expenses by title II under the heading ``Customs and Border 
     Protection'' is increased by $367,552,000, all of which may 
     be made available to hire an additional 1,000 border patrol 
     agents.
       (b) The amount appropriated by title III for State and 
     local grants under the heading ``state and local programs'' 
     is reduced by $367,552,000.

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, despite worthy efforts to secure our 
homeland, much remains to be done, and I do not believe we can expect 
to secure fully our Nation until we enact comprehensive immigration 
reform that includes strong and effective enforcement requirements.
  I commend the chairman and subcommittee chairman and ranking members 
for putting forward an appropriations bill that includes a number of 
important border security funding provisions. Clearly, they do not have 
an easy job. And I know they have worked to fund critical homeland 
security needs.
  One area that I strongly believe should be strengthened, however, 
concerns the number of Border Patrol agents as they play one of the 
most critical roles in securing our homeland.
  To help my colleagues to understand the great need for more manpower, 
let me cite just a few of the more alarming statistics about what is 
going on in the southwestern border region. Over 300 people died last 
year; an estimated 3,000 people enter the United States from Mexico 
every day. A few weeks ago, 79 people were found in a Phoenix alley 
crammed into a commercial horse trailer. The heat was over 100 degrees, 
and they had been there for several days. Of the 79, 11 were children, 
including a 4-month-old baby. At the beginning of the summer, when the 
temperature in the desert rose unexpectedly, 12 people died crossing 
into Arizona in 1 weekend.
  Mr. President, we have our work cut out for us. We need more manpower 
and better focused technology. This legislation provides some needed 
funding for both. But I hope that by the time it passes the Senate, we 
redirect some of the $31.8 billion in this bill to allow us to fulfill 
a commitment we made just 7 months ago as part of the intelligence 
reform legislation.
  Mr. President, a dangerous state of lawlessness exists along the 
southwestern border, and it has become increasingly volatile. The 
Federal Government's inability to stem the illegal traffic flowing 
across the border has shifted substantial financial and social burdens 
to residents of the border region. Recent action by minutemen along the 
Arizona border provided the Nation with an image of the frustration 
felt by many Americans.
  Border States are suffering from the immediate and downstream 
problems associated with illegal immigration. Our hospitals are 
burdened with enormous uncompensated costs, and so are our State and 
local law enforcement agencies. We simply need more manpower to protect 
the border in the near term. While I strongly believe that once we fix 
our broken immigration system, we will see the day that some of our 
border resources can be shifted to other priorities, until then 
Congress must have the will to take the action needed to reform our 
broken immigration system. We need to have a robust Border Patrol force 
hired, trained, and on the job.
  While providing solid resources to state and local officials to 
ensure the readiness of our first responders is imperative, the men and 
women serving in the Border Patrol are literally on the front lines in 
the fight to keep the terrorists out of our country. CIA Director 
Muller has said that more and more people from ``countries of 
interest'' are looking at our southwest border as a possible point of 
entry into the United States. Why shouldn't they. Hundreds of thousands 
and potentially millions of migrants who enter the United States 
illegally each year to work represent the perfect cover for potential 
terrorists. Of course, if others have offsets to suggest, that would be 
preferable. I am open to any and all options that will enable us to 
meet the full level of Border Patrol agents so desperately needed on 
the front lines.
  Mr. President, I am aware that the managers are not in agreement with 
this amendment, and that is why I ask unanimous consent to set aside 
the pending amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                    Amendment No. 1171, as Modified

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 1171 as modified.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Arizona [Mr. McCain] proposes an amendment 
     numbered 1171, as modified.

  The amendment is as follows:

       On page 100, between lines 11 and 12, insert the following:
       Sec. 519. (a) The amount appropriated for salaries and 
     expenses by title II under the heading ``Immigration and 
     Customs Enforcement'' is increased by $198,990,000, all of 
     which may be made available to add an additional 5,760 
     detention beds and additional positions or FTEs in the United 
     States.
       (b) The amount appropriated by title III for State and 
     local grants under the heading ``state and local programs'' 
     is reduced by $198,990,000.

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, the situation on our borders, as I have 
said, has reached a critical juncture. I have given the statistics. The 
Border Patrol releases more than 90 percent of the people they catch. I 
want to repeat that. The Border Patrol releases through voluntary 
repatriation more than 90 percent of the people they catch because the 
system is overwhelmed. That probably sounds unbelievable to most 
Americans. The unfortunate reality is that the Border Patrol simply 
cannot take into custody the vast number of people that are 
apprehended. Because of this, they must prioritize. Due to space 
limitations, our Federal agents rightly give a higher priority to 
aliens who represent potential criminal threats.
  Mexican nationals who are apprehended are usually returned to Mexican 
Government officials, voluntarily taken back across the border, and, in 
the case of a recent pilot program, repatriated to the interior of 
Mexico with the hope they are less likely to risk crossing again.
  However, foreign nationals from other countries often get off much 
easier. Because of the lack of detention space, the fact that their 
home countries are farther away, and limitations in our immigration 
laws, nationals from Guatemala, El Salvador, Brazil, and a number of 
other countries are frequently apprehended by Federal officials, given 
a court summons to report to deportation proceedings, and released.
  Mr. President, let me tell you that again. They are apprehended, they 
find out they are from Brazil, they say, OK, show up in court, show up 
in court inside the United States, and then they are released. How many 
of those do you think we ever see again?
  The reality has become demoralizing to the men and women serving in 
the Border Patrol. Word about this loophole has quickly traveled back 
to Central and South American countries. Summonses to report to 
deportation proceedings are frequently called ``permisos'' or 
permission slips. Smugglers now take migrants as far as they can and 
tell them to approach the first Border Patrol agent they see and turn 
themselves in. After migrants obtain their permiso, they are then free 
to continue their journey to Chicago, New York, or wherever there is a 
job or a family member awaiting them.
  One result of this loophole has been a dramatic increase in the 
number of Brazilians crossing the border illegally.
  Fox News channel, Monday, July 11, 2005. ``Other Than Mexicans? 
Welcome to America.''

       Los Angeles.--For many people around the world, the U.S.-
     Mexico border is a doorway to opportunity--one that's 
     unlocked and wide open.
       Brazilians, Chinese, Pakistanis and many others are joining 
     the tide of Mexicans who sneak across every day.

[[Page 15834]]

       ``OTMs include people from all over the world--South 
     America, the Middle East, the Caribbean,'' explained former 
     Immigration and Naturalization Service Special Agent Michael 
     W. Cutler, currently a fellow at the Center for Immigration 
     Studies. ``Anyone other than Mexican is an OTM.''
       In 2001 5,251 ``OTMs'' were caught crossing over from 
     Mexico. Last year the number was more than 35,000.
       In the first eight months of this fiscal year, it's up to 
     70,000 already--230 people a day--and they're only the ones 
     getting caught.
       ``The vulnerability of a porous border is a security 
     problem, and we always have to be concerned the real bad guys 
     will exploit these vulnerabilities,'' said Frank Sharry, 
     executive director of the National Immigration Forum.
       Critics are concerned at the way OTMs are handled.
       Mexicans are processed and sent back across the border 
     within a few hours but Mexico won't allow the United States 
     to send them citizens from other countries--and under U.S. 
     law they're entitled to a deportation hearing.
       Because the immigration service lacks prison beds to hold 
     them, the vast majority of OTMs are released from custody and 
     asked to voluntarily return for their court date--which the 
     majority of them obviously do not do.
       ``They are given a piece of paper called a notice to 
     appear, which administratively starts the ball rolling for a 
     deportation hearing,'' said Cutler. ``Not surprisingly, fewer 
     than 15 percent show up.
       ``Our bureaucracy is not up to the challenge of protecting 
     this country, our Congress is not dealing with the reality in 
     a 21st Century way, our immigration laws are terribly out of 
     place,'' commented Sharry.

  So what's the answer? While some say more legal immigration is 
needed, others want the borders effectively closed. Both sides seem to 
agree that giving illegal immigrants a free pass is no solution at all.
  I read from another article, ``Loophole to America'':

       In the silvery-blue light of dusk, 20 Brazilians glided 
     across the Rio Grande in rubber rafts propelled by Mexican 
     smugglers who leaned forward and breast-stroked through the 
     gentle current.
       Once on the U.S. side, the Brazilians scrambled ashore and 
     started looking for the Border Patrol. Their quick and well-
     rehearsed surrender was part of a growing trend that is 
     demoralizing the Border Patrol and beckoning a rising number 
     of illegal immigrants from countries beyond Mexico.
       ``We used to chase them; now they're chasing us,'' Border 
     Patrol Agent Gus Balderas said as he frisked the Brazilians 
     and collected their passports late last month.
       What happened next explains the odd reversal.
       The group was detained overnight and given a court summons 
     that allowed them to stay in the United States pending an 
     immigration hearing. Then a Border Patrol agent drove them to 
     the McAllen bus station, where they continued their journey 
     into America.
       The formal term for the court summons is a ``notice to 
     appear.'' Border Patrol agents have another name for it. They 
     call it a ``notice to disappear.''
       Of the 8,908 notices to appear that the immigration court 
     in nearby Harlingen issued last year to non-Mexicans, 8,767 
     failed to show up for their hearings, according to statistics 
     compiled by the Justice Department's Executive Office of 
     Immigration Review. That is a no-show rate of 98 percent.
       The problem is that U.S. immigration authorities are short 
     on detention space. They can send Mexicans back across the 
     border within hours. But international law prohibits them 
     from sending non-Mexicans to Mexico. Instead, they must 
     arrange travel documents and flights directly to the 
     immigrant's country of origin. The process, which the U.S. 
     government pays for, takes weeks or even months.
       The result is an unintended avenue of entry for a rapidly 
     growing class of illegal immigrants from Central and South 
     America who now see the Border Patrol more as a welcome wagon 
     than a barrier.
       It is one example of the tears in the ``seamless web of 
     enforcement'' that immigration authorities vowed to establish 
     along the U.S.-Mexico border during the 1990s, when they 
     spent billions of dollars on strategically placed lights, 
     sensors, roads, fences and agents. It also helps explain why 
     the nation's illegal immigrant population has grown to record 
     levels despite the buildup.
       The morning after Agent Balderas encountered the 20 
     Brazilians, another Border Patrol agent drove them to the 
     McAllen bus station where they headed toward their 
     destinations. They were armed with notices to appear that 
     carried them safely past Border Patrol checkpoints.
       Two days later, Graice De Olveira-Silva and three 
     companions from Brazil were working for her relatives' house-
     cleaning business in Atlanta.
       It is a world turned upside down for the Border Patrol, 
     especially here in South Texas. Back in 1985, things were so 
     different that a woman was convicted on charges that she 
     drove illegal immigrants from El Salvador around the Border 
     Patrol and to the same McAllen bus station.
       Now smugglers operate with impunity. After their loads of 
     immigrants splash ashore, the smugglers slip back across the 
     river.
       As word of this border loophole filters back to Central and 
     South America, the volume of people coming to exploit it is 
     likely to grow, according to Border Patrol agents.
       A Guatemalan arrested late last month in the McAllen sector 
     who gave his name as Hugo said that when word gets back home, 
     ``Anyone who has a little money will be coming.''

  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent both articles be printed in 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                   [From FoxNews.com, July 11, 2005]

                 Other Than Mexican? Welcome to America

       Los Angeles.--For many people around the world, the U.S.-
     Mexico border is a doorway to opportunity--one that's 
     unlocked and wide open.
       Brazilians, Chinese, Pakistanis and many others are joining 
     the tide of Mexicans who sneak across every day.
       ``OTMs include people from all over the world--South 
     America, the Middle East, the Caribbean,'' explained former 
     Immigration and Naturalization Service Special Agent Michael 
     W. Cutler, currently a fellow at the Center for Immigration 
     Studies. ``Anyone other than Mexican is an OTM.''
       In 2001, 5,251 ``OTMs'' were caught crossing over from 
     Mexico. Last year, the number was more than 35,000.
       In the first eight months of this fiscal year, it's up to 
     70,000 already--230 people a day--and they're only the ones 
     getting caught. Hundreds more make it across undetected, 
     experts believe.
       ``The vulnerability of a porous border is a security 
     problem, and we always have to be concerned that the real bad 
     guys will exploit those vulnerabilities,'' said Frank Sharry, 
     executive director of the National Immigration Forum.
       Critics are concerned at the way OTMs are handled.
       Mexicans are processed and sent back across the border 
     within a few hours but Mexico won't allow the United States 
     to send them citizens from other countries--and under U.S. 
     law, they're entitled to a deportation hearing.
       Because the immigration service lacks prison beds to hold 
     them, the vast majority of OTMs are released from custody and 
     asked to voluntarily return for their court date--which the 
     majority of them do not do.
       ``They are given a piece of paper called a notice to 
     appear, which administratively starts the ball rolling for a 
     deportation hearing,'' said Cutler. ``Not surprisingly, fewer 
     than 15 percent show up.''
       ``Our bureaucracy is not up to the challenge of protecting 
     this country, our congress is not dealing with the reality in 
     a 21st-century way, our immigration laws are terribly out of 
     place,'' commented Sharry.
       So what's the answer? While some say more legal immigration 
     is needed, others want the borders effectively closed. Both 
     sides seem to agree that giving illegal immigrants a free 
     pass is no solution at all.
                                  ____


                [From SignOnSanDiego.com, June 4, 2005]

                          Loophole to America

                           (By Jerry Kammer)

       McAllen, TX.--In the silvery-blue light of dusk, 20 
     Brazilians glided across the Rio Grande in rubber rafts 
     propelled by Mexican smugglers who leaned forward and breast-
     stroked through the gentle current.
       Once on the U.S. side, the Brazilians scrambled ashore and 
     started looking for the Border Patrol. Their quick and well-
     rehearsed surrender was part of a growing trend that is 
     demoralizing the Border Patrol and beckoning a rising number 
     of illegal immigrants from countries beyond Mexico.
       ``We used to chase them; now they're chasing us,'' Border 
     Patrol Agent Gus Balderas said as he frisked the Brazilians 
     and collected their passports late last month.
       What happened next explains the odd reversal.
       The group was detained overnight and given a court summons 
     that allowed them to stay in the United States pending an 
     immigration hearing. Then a Border Patrol agent drove them to 
     the McAllen bus station, where they continued their journey 
     into America.
       The formal term for the court summons is a ``notice to 
     appear.'' Border Patrol agents have another name for it. They 
     call it a ``notice to disappear.''
       Of the 8,908 notices to appear that the immigration court 
     in nearby Harlingen issued last year to non-Mexicans, 8,767 
     failed to show up for their hearings, according to statistics 
     compiled by the Justice Department's Executive Office of 
     Immigration Review. That is a no-show rate of 98 percent.
       The problem is that U.S. immigration authorities are short 
     on detention space. They can send Mexicans back across the 
     border within hours. But international law prohibits them 
     from sending non-Mexicans to

[[Page 15835]]

     Mexico. Instead, they must arrange travel documents and 
     flights directly to the immigrant's country of origin. The 
     process, which the U.S. government pays for, takes weeks or 
     even months.
       The result is an unintended avenue of entry for a rapidly 
     growing class of illegal immigrants from Central and South 
     America who now see the Border Patrol more as a welcome wagon 
     than a barrier.
       It is one example of the tears in the ``seamless web of 
     enforcement'' that immigration authorities vowed to establish 
     along the U.S.-Mexico border during the 1990s, when they 
     spent billions of dollars on strategically placed lights, 
     sensors, roads, fences and agents. It also helps explain why 
     the nation's illegal immigrant population has grown to record 
     levels despite the buildup.
       The morning after Agent Balderas encountered the 20 
     Brazilians, another Border Patrol agent drove them to the 
     McAllen bus station where they headed toward their 
     destinations. They were armed with notices to appear that 
     carried them safely past Border Patrol checkpoints.
       Two days later, Graice De Olveira-Silva and three 
     companions from Brazil were working for her relatives' house-
     cleaning business in Atlanta.
       It is a world turned upside down for the Border Patrol, 
     especially here in South Texas. Back in 1985, things were so 
     different that a woman was convicted on charges that she 
     drove illegal immigrants from El Salvador around the Border 
     Patrol and to the same McAllen bus station.
       Now smugglers operate with impunity. After their loads of 
     immigrants splash ashore, the smugglers slip back across the 
     river.
       As word of this border loophole filters back to Central and 
     South America, the volume of people coming to exploit it is 
     likely to grow, according to Border Patrol agents.
       Apprehension statistics bolster their assertion. Arrests of 
     non-Mexicans along the U.S.-Mexico border totaled 14,935 in 
     1995, 28,598 in 2000 and 65,814 last year. In the first eight 
     months of this federal fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, more 
     than 85,000 have been apprehended. Nearly all are no-shows at 
     their court hearings, but comprehensive federal figures are 
     not available.
       Statistics aren't the only evidence. Interviews with 
     immigrants caught sneaking across the border recently suggest 
     the problem will only increase as Central and South American 
     migrants learn of the unintended opportunity.
       ``We thought they were going to deport us,'' said Ceidy 
     Milady Canales Alvarez, a 22-year-old Honduran recently 
     arrested by the Border Patrol in the McAllen sector. She said 
     a cousin in Atlanta had encouraged her to make the trip. So 
     she quit her $50-a-week job sewing shirts and pants that are 
     exported to the United States and crossed the border.
       A Guatemalan arrested late last month in the McAllen sector 
     who gave his name as Hugo said that when word gets back home, 
     ``Anyone who has a little money will be coming.''
       In his office on Capitol Hill, Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-
     Texas., fumed at the news from South Texas and called for 
     emergency measures similar to those he adopted in 1989, when 
     he was the Border Patrol's agent in charge of the McAllen 
     sector.
       ``We need somebody with a stiff spine who can make a 
     decision and say, `We're going to build a temporary detention 
     facility,''' Reyes said. ``We need to send a message that 
     anybody who crosses that border illegally is going to be 
     detained. That message gets back (to the sending countries) 
     instantaneously.''
       Sixteen years ago, Reyes faced a rush of immigrants fleeing 
     the violence of Central American civil wars. Most of their 
     asylum claims were rejected, but only after the migrants had 
     moved far away, armed with notices to appear in court.
       ``They were coming across and flagging my men down,'' Reyes 
     said. ``It was destroying their morale.''
       He got permission from the commissioner of the old 
     Immigration and Naturalization Service to establish a 
     temporary tent city with several thousand beds for detained 
     immigrants. That measure, coupled with an increase in the 
     number of agents at key border crossing points, shut off the 
     flow, Reyes said.
       But the current director of immigration detention and 
     removal operations in South Texas wants nothing to do with 
     such emergency measures.
       ``Anytime you have temporary facilities, you have a 
     degradation of services, you have anxieties,'' said Marc 
     Moore, who administers 1,700 detention spaces.
       Reyes reacted angrily to Moore's remarks. While a temporary 
     facility would be expensive and might not be as tidy as Moore 
     would like, Reyes said, ``All these things are worth it given 
     the alternative of the permiso syndrome.''
       Central and South Americans call the notice to appear their 
     ``permiso,'' which in Spanish means permission slip.
       About 19,450 immigration detention beds are available 
     nationwide under funding levels established by Congress. 
     Although that is twice the number of beds Congress funded a 
     decade ago, it is far less than the number needed.
       With the shortage of beds, immigration authorities must 
     choose between using a bed to hold a migrant with a serious 
     criminal record in the United States or one who has come 
     across the border without a criminal record. It's an easy 
     choice. They release the immigrant without the criminal 
     record.
       Many Border Patrol agents express frustration over the 
     dilemma. They also worry that the high volume of non-Mexicans 
     is taking up much of their time and might be making it easier 
     for potential terrorists to slip past. Some said they spend 
     much of their 10-hour shift processing non-Mexicans.
       One night last month when six agents were processing non-
     Mexicans at the Border Patrol's Rio Grande City station, for 
     example, only seven agents were patrolling the 84 miles of 
     river under their watch.
       Agent Isidro Noyola, who that night detained illegal 
     immigrants from Brazil and Honduras, said, ``Our fear is that 
     when we are processing and not patrolling the border, 
     somebody else is going to be coming through.''
       Another agent expressed astonishment at the cheekiness of 
     some of the migrants.
       ``They come up to you and say, `I want my permiso,''' Agent 
     Larry Alvarez said. ``They want us to hurry up and get them 
     out of here.''
       Others with the Border Patrol complained that they are 
     being reduced to little more than gun-toting travel agents in 
     uniforms.
       In particular, the growth in the number of Brazilians 
     taking advantage of the loophole has been spectacular, 
     largely because of that country's poor economic conditions. 
     In 1995, the Border Patrol detained 260 Brazilians along the 
     Mexican border. Five years later, the number had grown to 
     1,241. But over the past eight months, it has soared to some 
     22,000.
       The number of Brazilians floating north over the Rio Grande 
     might continue to increase because of a prime-time soap opera 
     in Brazil whose central character is smuggled across the 
     Mexican border and finds work as an exotic dancer in Miami.
       Since its first episode aired in March, ``America'' has 
     become Brazil's most popular ``telenovela.'' In a country of 
     178 million, it has an audience of some 60 million.

  Mr. McCAIN. I am not sure this amendment will solve that problem, but 
I do believe a clear case is made for more detention beds. The 
underlying bill adds 2,240 new detention beds for fiscal year 2006. The 
amendment I am offering today further increases the number of detention 
beds by 5,760 beds, bringing the number of new beds to the level we 
authorized 7 months ago in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism 
Prevention Act of 2004.
  Lest there be any mistake made about me authorizing on an 
appropriations bill, this is authorized by the Intelligence Reform and 
Terrorism Prevention Act, as is the previous amendment.
  I look forward to working with the managers of the bill on both of 
these amendments. I am grateful the first amendment I proposed has been 
agreed to.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the pending 
amendment be laid aside.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                      Amendment No. 1183 Withdrawn

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask that amendment 1183 be called up.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from New York [Mr. Schumer] proposes an 
     amendment numbered 1183.

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the reading of 
the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

  (Purpose: To provide additional funding to counter man portable air 
                            defense systems)

       On page 91, line 23, insert before the period ``: Provided 
     further, That of the total funds made available under this 
     heading, not less than $140,000,000 shall be for activities 
     to demonstrate the viability, economic costs, and 
     effectiveness of adapting military technology to protect 
     commercial aircraft against the treat of man portable air 
     defense systems (MANPADS).

  Mr. SCHUMER. I now ask that amendment 1183 be withdrawn.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 1183) was withdrawn.


                    Amendment No. 1184, as Modified

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask that the pending amendment be set 
aside.

[[Page 15836]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I rise to call up amendment 1184, as modified, and ask 
for its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from New York [Mr. Schumer], for himself and 
     Mrs. Boxer, proposes an amendment numbered 1184, as modified.

  Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent the reading of the amendment be 
dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

(Purpose: To encourage the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate 
    an agency within the Department of Homeland Security as having 
responsibility for countermeasures for man portable air defense systems 
                               (MANPADS))

       On page 100, between lines 11 and 12, insert the following:

     Sec. 519. Upon completion of the Department of Homeland 
     Security's operational testing of man portable air defense 
     system (MANPAD) countermeasure systems for commercial 
     aircraft, the Secretary of Homeland Security is encouraged to 
     designate an agency within the Department as having 
     responsibility for managing the procurement and installation 
     of such systems, and may use any unobligated funds provided 
     under title I to establish an office within the designated 
     agency for that purpose.

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, this amendment is about something the 
Senator from California and I have long cared about, arming our planes 
with Stinger missiles.
  It is my understanding the managers of the bill have cleared the 
modified text. I ask unanimous consent the amendment as modified be 
agreed to.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment.
  The amendment (No. 1184), as modified, was agreed to.


                           Amendment No. 1189

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I rise to call up amendment No. 1189.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the pending amendment is 
set aside.
  The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from New York [Mr. Schumer], for himself and 
     Mr. Lieberman, proposes an amendment numbered 1189.

  Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent the reading of the amendment be 
dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

   (Purpose: To provide that certain air cargo security programs are 
                  implemented, and for other purposes)

       On page 69, beginning on line 2, strike $4,452,318,000 and 
     all that follows through ``That'' on line 5, and insert the 
     following: ``$4,754,299,000, to remain available until 
     September 30, 2007, of which not to exceed $3,000 shall be 
     for official reception and representation expenses: Provided, 
     That of the amount made available under this heading, not to 
     exceed $2,000,000 shall be available to carry out section 
     4051 of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act 
     of 2004 (Public Law 10809458; 118 Stat. 3728): Provided 
     further, That of the amount made available under this 
     heading, not to exceed $100,000,000 shall be available to 
     carry out the improvements described in section 4052(b) of 
     the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 
     (Public Law 10809458; 118 Stat. 3728): Provided further, That 
     of the amount made available under this heading, not to 
     exceed $200,000,000 shall be available to carry out the 
     research and development described section 4052(c) of the 
     Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 
     (Public Law 10809458; 118 Stat. 3728): Provided further, 
     That''.

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, my amendment addresses the issues of air 
cargo security and how we need to be doing much more to protect our 
Nation's skies. Right now, TSA security procedures leave a staggering 
95 percent of cargo on passenger and all-cargo flights unscreened. In 
addition, TSA security regulations are voluntary and go unenforced.
  My amendment provides a total of $302 million for fiscal year 2006 to 
improve air cargo security. We all know not only are there planes that 
carry cargo exclusively but most commercial flights have cargo in the 
belly of their plane.
  I ask a rhetorical question: What good does it do to make sure all of 
the passengers onboard the plane are screened so that there are no 
explosives or any other weapons, yet allow cargo that would ride in the 
belly of the plane to not be screened 19 out of 20 times, thus keeping 
every passenger on that plane, as well as the pilots and everyone else, 
at risk? The answer is obvious. It makes no sense.
  For all the money we have put into passenger screening, we are 
leaving a gaping hole alongside, and that is cargo screening. While 
passenger screening has, indeed, improved rather significantly--anyone 
who goes to any airport in this country knows that--cargo security has 
not.
  My amendment gives $200 million to improve the existing air cargo 
security measure and $100 million for a competitive grant program to 
fund private research and development into air cargo security 
technology, and $2 million to fund a pilot program to evaluate the use 
of blast-resistant cargo containers in commercial and all-cargo 
aircraft.
  Last year, I was proud to join our good friend, former Senator 
Hollings from South Carolina, in cosponsoring an amendment included in 
the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act and signed into 
law by the President, authorizing these exact funding levels, totaling 
almost $1 billion over 3 years to improve air cargo security.
  My amendment would fully fund 1 year of the 3 years of authorization. 
This is the second step in something that this body has found very 
necessary; that is, adequately protecting us from terrorists who might 
put bombs, explosives, or whatever in air cargo. The potential threat 
from unchecked air cargo is just as serious, just as dangerous as a 
threat from an actual terrorist boarding a commercial flight.
  It has been reported that TSA considers the likelihood of a terrorist 
bombing a passenger airplane to be between 35 and 65 percent. It is the 
likely primary aviation target for terrorists.
  An analysis done by the RAND Corporation on security measures at Los 
Angeles International Airport determined that a bomb smuggled onto a 
passenger plane by a passenger but through uninspected cargo posed the 
greatest threat relative to other types of attack. RAND determined it 
would be the most likely to succeed and, unfortunately, the most likely 
to kill the most people.
  Twenty-six percent of all air cargo in the United States is not 
carried on cargo planes but rather on passenger flights, and only a 
tiny fraction of that is inspected. Even more cause for alarm is the 
fact that 46 percent of all international air cargo is carried on 
international cargo flights. The best way to protect against 
biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons being smuggled onto a flight 
is to ensure that as much cargo as possible is screened through 
advanced detection systems. However, TSA only screens 5 percent of the 
nearly 3 billion tons of cargo carried on commercial flights each year.
  My amendment does three things. It gives $200 million to improve 
existing air cargo security measures, in addition to the $50 million 
already recommended by the committee for air cargo security activities.
  Right now, TSA's principal means for checking cargo are through known 
shipper programs where so-called ``trusted'' shippers can avoid 
additional screening in exchange for following stricter security 
protocols. However, TSA does little to ensure that shippers are 
trustworthy and have adequate security measures in place. In addition, 
enrollment in a known shipper program is voluntary, with only a third 
of domestic shippers currently participating. Since the TSA screens 
such a small percentage of cargo, it is very likely something could be 
missed.
  It is clear we need an additional line of defense. That is why I am 
proposing such a significant investment in new screening equipment and 
security infrastructure so the TSA can check more cargo and protect 
more flights.
  Second, the amendment adds $100 million for the Secretary of Homeland 
Security to establish and carry out a

[[Page 15837]]

competitive grant program to encourage the development of advanced air 
cargo security technology. The amendment will fund research into new 
cargo screening technology, including the use of x rays, CT scans, and 
chemical trace detection to speed up the screening process and allow 
more cargo to be screened more effectively.
  Third, my amendment would fully fund a pilot program to evaluate the 
use of blast-resistant cargo containers, cargo baggage containers. You 
put the baggage in a container and even if, God forbid, it explodes, it 
cannot damage the plane. The 9/11 Commission recommended every 
passenger aircraft have at least one hardened container in which 
questionable or suspicious cargo can be shipped to reduce or eliminate 
the risk to passengers in the case of an explosion.
  I know there are many competing demands for Homeland Security 
funding, but we are not investing enough time, effort, and resources 
into air cargo security. This amendment will help address this critical 
area. I hope my colleagues will support the amendment.


                           Amendment No. 1190

  Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent the pending amendment be set 
aside.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I call up amendment numbered 1190.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from New York [Mr. Schumer] proposes an 
     amendment numbered 1190.

  Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent the reading of the amendment be 
dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

 (Purpose: To appropriate $70,000,000 to identify and track hazardous 
                          materials shipments)

       On page 71, between lines 10 and 11, insert the following:

     For necessary expenses of the Transportation Security 
     Administration related to developing and implementing a 
     system for identifying and tracking shipments of hazardous 
     materials (as defined in section 385.402 of title 49, Code of 
     Federal Regulations) by truck using global positioning system 
     technology, $70,000,000.

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, this amendment is about truck security 
and how we need to be doing much more to protect our highways and 
communities from the threat of truck bombs and stolen hazardous 
material.
  Madrid was a wake-up call for us. And now London is a second wake-up 
call. Obviously, there is a lot of focus on rail. I support that focus 
and had my amendment which was going to add another $300 million to the 
$100 million already requested in rail security, but I have joined 
efforts with the Senator from Alabama, Mr. Shelby, and the Senator from 
Maryland, Mr. Sarbanes, and the Senator from Rhode Island, Mr. Reed, 
and others to have one mass transit amendment which will have an amount 
far greater than the amount I was going to propose--and we will also 
have a colloquy--so that money can go to more things.
  The MTA, in my area, the leading mass transit agency that runs New 
York City subways, the Long Island railroad, Metro-North, carrying 
millions of passengers every year--billions of passengers every year, 
and millions, I guess, every week--has said they cannot spend the money 
on what they need, such as explosive-detecting dogs, which is one of 
the best types of ways to stop explosives. But that is rail security. 
As I said, that will come for another time in debate, I believe, 
tomorrow.
  But what Madrid also teaches us and London also teaches us is that 
terrorists look for weak pressure points. If we strengthen air, they 
may look to rail. If we strengthen rail, they may look to trucks. If we 
strengthen trucks, they may look to our ports. So it is extremely 
important we have a multifaceted war on terror at home.
  As you know, I support a strong war on terror abroad. And we are 
fighting a strong war on terror abroad, maybe too strong in the eyes of 
some. But we also have to have not only a good offense in the war on 
terror, we have to have a good defense. We have to look across the 
board. It has been a great concern of mine that we are not doing enough 
in various areas. I have tried to put my efforts into the areas where 
there is clearly a great danger compared to meager effort. Truck 
security is one of those areas.
  My amendment gives $70 million--not a large sum in this very large 
budget--to the Transportation Security Administration to develop and 
implement a system for identifying and tracking hazardous material 
shipments using global positioning system technology.
  According to the 1997 Census of Interstate Commerce, 740,000 Hazmat 
shipments travel by truck each day in the United States. Approximately 
50,000 trips are made daily by gasoline tankers, and many of them hold 
as much fuel as a Boeing 757. These trips often end with a late-night 
delivery to a deserted gas station.
  Trucks also cross the country carrying potentially deadly chemicals, 
such as ammonium nitrate, chlorine, and cyanide. An attack with these 
types of chemicals could cause an even greater level of destruction 
because these chemicals can form clouds of deadly fumes which would 
affect individuals miles away from the site of a terrorist incident.
  My amendment simply provides TSA with the financial resources to look 
into how we go about monitoring what has been shown to us as a 
vulnerability within our existing plan to secure our country from 
terrorist threats.
  Have we forgotten the initial attack on the World Trade Center in 
1993 and the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 
Oklahoma City in 1995, both of which were the result of truck bombs? 
While the Nation has completely revamped aviation security since the 
September 11 attacks--we have a longer way to go, but we have come a 
long way--we have done next to nothing to secure our country from the 
danger that can be caused by a truck filled with explosives, chemicals, 
or biological weapons.
  Today, on their own, many of the larger trucking companies have GPS 
systems on their trucks, like an ever-growing percentage of American 
automobiles. Frankly, they have put the GPS systems on often to deal 
with theft as much as to deal with the threat from terrorism. The 
systems allow the companies to know where the trucks in the fleet are. 
If the truck moves off a route, the company knows. If a truck is 
stolen, the company knows.
  I believe it is important the TSA take a similar approach and create 
a nationwide tracking system so that if a terrorist should steal or 
hijack a truck loaded with dangerous materials, we will find them 
quickly. It would be very similar to when a plane goes off track, we 
now know that. F-16s are scrambled. We have learned that here in the 
Capitol over the last year, twice. The same thing can be done with 
trucks, not very expensively.
  My amendment provides TSA with tremendous flexibility and much-needed 
funds to address truck security and have none of the mandates or the 
high costs to industry that the ATA alleges.
  In addition, my amendment specifically limits the type of commercial 
vehicles and content subject to tracking to the most dangerous and 
high-hazard materials. It is not going to affect every truck shipment.
  Both the TSA and DOT are currently working on improving truck-
tracking systems and background checks for commercial driver's licenses 
with a Hazmat endorsement. My amendment would help continue and build 
on those existing efforts, which have been slow, in part, due to lack 
of funding.
  So I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and help close this 
hole in our Nation's homeland security.
  With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, if I can get the attention of the Senator 
from New York, as I understand it, we reached an understanding on your 
amendment No. 1184, as modified. Are you going to send a modification 
to the desk? We can just agree to it now.

[[Page 15838]]


  Mr. SCHUMER. I believe I have sent the modification to the desk.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator's 
amendment No. 1184 be agreed to.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Be?
  Mr. GREGG. Be agreed to, unless the Senator wishes to oppose it.
  Mr. SCHUMER. No. I think I have asked that already. But if you want 
to do it twice, maybe it will increase my legislative batting average.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. It has been agreed to.
  Mr. GREGG. It has been agreed to? OK, we missed that.
  Mr. SCHUMER. If my colleague from New Hampshire would yield, I also 
withdrew amendment No. 1183, as per our agreement.
  Mr. GREGG. All right. Great. So that leaves us with your amendment 
No. 1189, dealing with air cargo, and amendment No. 1190, dealing with 
hazardous materials; is that correct?
  Mr. SCHUMER. Correct.
  Mr. GREGG. We are on the same page. That is good. That is a starting 
point.


                           Amendment No. 1171

  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order to request 
the yeas and nays on amendment No. 1171, Senator McCain's amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. It is in 
order to request the yeas and nays on that amendment.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on amendment 
No. 1171.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  Mr. GREGG. Thank you.


                     Amendments Nos. 1189 and 1190

  Mr. President, as to the two proposals by the Senator from New York, 
I am going to make a point of order that both proposals exceed the 
budget allocation which we received. Obviously, they are well-
intentioned, and they are reasonably confined compared to some of the 
other proposals we have received this morning in the billions of 
dollars. These are in the hundreds of millions--in one case even under 
$100 million.
  The fact is, in both instances, the Department does not believe it is 
necessary to do this at this time. They believe they have proposals in 
the pipeline which will address air cargo, and they have proposals in 
the pipeline which will deal with hazardous material shipments. But as 
of right now, they are not ready to deal with these additional dollars 
in a way that will use them constructively. So the Department opposes 
both of these proposals based essentially on the fact that they are 
pilot programs, and their initiatives in these areas are not ripe 
enough, are not at the level of capacity yet to handle these types of 
dollars.
  As the Senator from New York has noted, this is really a question for 
us, as a Congress, and for the Homeland Security agency, as an agency, 
to allocate resources where they can get the most return and the most 
effective use. And within the limited dollars we have--and they are 
fairly significant dollars; actually, the increase in homeland security 
is significant--the focus has been on areas where we think we can get 
constructive results quickly with the dollars put into the accounts, 
specifically: weapons of mass destruction, water patrol--I have 
mentioned this before a number of times--and other items like that.
  So, Mr. President, these dollars at this time exceed the budget and, 
therefore, I make a point of order against each of these two 
amendments. And so, on each amendment, beginning with 1189, I make a 
point of order that under section 302(f) of the Budget Act that the 
amendment provides spending in excess of the subcommittee's allocation 
under 302(f).
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is making it against 1189?
  Mr. GREGG. Yes, 1189.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I move to waive the Budget Act as 
applicable to 1189 and ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I make a budget point of order against 
amendment No. 1190 by the Senator from New York. It is the same point 
of order I just made against 1189.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New York.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I move to waive the Budget Act and ask 
for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I thank the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President, I would like to spend a few moments talking 
about an issue of great concern, and that is transit security. I know 
my colleagues are working as we speak. I will be working with them--the 
Senator from New Hampshire; the Senator from West Virginia; my 
colleague, Senator Shelby from Alabama--to raise the amount of 
resources devoted to transit security. The sticking point at the moment 
is how much we can raise these funds. I have urged a significant 
increase because of the significant threat.
  We were all shocked last Thursday when we became aware of the news 
that 52 innocent transit riders in London were killed and over 700 
injured in a series of cowardly attacks in the heart of London on their 
transit system, both on their underground system and their aboveground 
bus system. This horrific attack was reminiscent of other attacks in 
Madrid, Moscow, Israel, and elsewhere. All these attacks are 
specifically targeted to public transportation. We know this is a 
target for terrorists. We also understand that our system in the United 
States is still vulnerable to those types of attacks.
  Every workday, 14 million Americans take a train or a bus. To put 
that in perspective, that is roughly 28 times the population of the 
State of Wyoming. Each and every day these 14 million Americans get on 
a bus or take a metro subway to work and to other necessary obligations 
and appointments. We know, quite clearly, that these transit systems 
are the prime target of terrorists. Subways, light rail, buses, and 
ferries are designed for easy access and to move large numbers of 
people efficiently. As a result, they do not have all the panoplies 
today of protection that you see at airline terminals, for example.
  The facts are clear. There have already been numerous attacks on 
transit. We have 6,000 transit systems in the United States, with 14 
million riders every workday. I do not think anyone could disagree with 
those facts or disagree with the fact that we have to do more to harden 
and protect our transit systems.
  Yet the Federal Government's response to these facts has been 
underwhelming at best. In contrast to aviation, where we have invested 
$9 in security improvements per passenger, to date we have invested 
roughly $0.006 per passenger, a little over half a cent, to protect 
transit passengers throughout the country.
  Now, I think we have to do much better. Perhaps we can never reach 
the level of protection for airlines because of the nature of that 
process--we can put screening devices in terminals; we can have 
elaborate followthrough in terms of passenger lists and identifying who 
is getting on which aircraft--but we have to do more in public transit. 
That is a consensus, a conclusion, I hope we all reach. Again, I think 
the debate today and tomorrow will be about how much we can do.
  Now, I will make the case we have to do much more. I am working with 
my colleagues. I hope we can achieve a sufficient level of investment 
in transit security that is commensurate with the threat that has 
materialized just a few days ago, and, unfortunately, is likely to 
materialize again here or across the globe.

[[Page 15839]]

  Now, after September 11, when I was serving as chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Housing and Transportation, I held a hearing on the 
topic of transit security. At that time it was clear that we needed to 
do more than simply rely on the Federal Transit Administration, whose 
expertise is building systems, not essentially making them secure. 
Their efforts were commendable but very limited. They were reviewing 
security procedures. They were trying to disseminate information. But 
they were not able to because of their expertise as well as because of 
the resources needed to go in and start making significant capital 
improvements, supporting operational changes, doing all those things 
that are absolutely key to protecting our security systems, our transit 
systems.
  After the hearing, Senator Sarbanes and I asked the General 
Accounting Office to do a study on transit security. That report was 
completed in 2002. They found that one-third of all terrorist attacks 
throughout the world were directed against transit. Yet we have nowhere 
committed the resources commensurate with that level of activity. And 
even more telling was the GAO's conclusion that, in their words, 
``insufficient funding is the most significant obstacle agencies face 
in trying to make their systems more safe and secure.''
  Typically, in the United States, transit systems are local systems. 
They depend upon riders' fares, local and State subsidies, and all of 
these sources are highly constrained in terms of coming up with the 
extra dollars to ensure protection of the system. Because of these 
conclusions from the GAO report, from our hearings, Senator Sarbanes 
and I have come to the floor on several occasions to argue for 
additional funding. We have done this with respect to supplemental 
appropriations bills. We have done it with respect to other Department 
of Homeland Security appropriations bills. And indeed, we also tried to 
suggest increased funding during the National Intelligence Reform Act 
debate.
  I have been pleased to work with many colleagues, particularly 
Senator Shelby, chairman of the Banking Committee. Last year we were 
able to pass authorizing legislation in the Senate that would have 
created a threat-based transit security policy, along with authorizing 
$3.5 billion to help transit systems deter, detect, and respond to 
terrorist attacks. While the Senate did its part in passing the 
legislation, regrettably it was not passed by the House, nor was it 
supported with the kind of energy and enthusiasm by the administration 
which is so critical to achieving the objective of improved transit 
security. We are here again today on this legislation, in the wake of 
London, arguing for additional resources so that we can meet this 
threat to our transit systems.
  There are some who might oppose these efforts. They might say it is 
too much money. Frankly, when you look at what has to be done--6,000 
transit systems--when you look at the amount of training, the amount of 
capital equipment--just in terms of communications, for example--that 
is a huge number. And when you measure that with the threat--a third of 
all terrorist attacks over the last several decades have been directed 
at transit, and we have seen it in Madrid, in London, in Moscow, in 
Tokyo, where a Japanese fanatical group attempted to disperse a 
chemical agent in the tunnels--the threat is there; the resources are 
not.
  Since 1992, the Federal Government actually has invested $68 billion 
to construct transit systems, but we haven't yet been able to commit 
ourselves to protecting those systems adequately. It has been estimated 
that roughly $6 million is necessary to provide the kind of protection 
that at least provides a minimal level of protection. These investments 
range from fencing to high-tech explosive detection systems, to 
communication upgrades. All of these things could be put in place, 
enhancing significantly the security of our systems.
  In the wake of London, in the wake of Madrid, in the wake of the 
transit attacks in Russia, I don't think it is too much to ask to spend 
12 cents per transit passenger, as some amendments have proposed, to 
protect them.
  I have also heard that we should direct all of our efforts to threat-
based approaches--don't single out transit, don't single out aviation, 
any particular mode of transportation or infrastructure. But frankly, 
the attractive-
ness--and I say this with regret--of transit to terrorists as a target 
is so compelling that this argument also does not hold water.
  I also hope that we can continue to support these efforts, 
understanding that the primary responsibility is local. These systems 
are local or regional. The States and the localities have an 
obligation. But the reality is--and I don't think I have to spend too 
much time saying this--most transit systems are already just scraping 
by in terms of keeping their ridership up, making sure fares are 
affordable, making sure that they can make improvements in their basic 
rolling stock and facilities. These additional resources for security 
properly could be supported by the Federal Government.
  We also authorized and created a few years ago the Department of 
Homeland Security. It is the appropriations for that Department we are 
discussing today. With respect to that Department, there was an 
acknowledgment that the Federal Government was stepping up to the issue 
of protecting all of our vital infrastructure, including transit, that 
we do have an obligation. We have assumed that obligation with the 
creation of the Department of Homeland Security and other steps to 
protect all of our vital infrastructure. Indeed, our situation with 
respect to transit is one that cries out for additional resources.
  The President just ordered, in the wake of London, our transit 
systems to go to alert level orange. The threat is there. I hope our 
efforts over today and tomorrow will not only recognize this threat but 
match it with commensurate resources so that we can begin to seriously 
protect our transit systems and our riders.
  One other point, too. Our transit systems--buses, subways--are 
integral parts of our economy. That is one reason why they are so 
attractive to terrorists. The attack in London was planned so that the 
bombs would go off right in the midst of the financial district, not 
only with the intent to cause the loss of life, the symbolic and 
psychological horror of such a dastardly act, but also to cripple the 
economy. If a successful attack is conducted against a transit system 
in a major city, it will not be measured just in terms of casualties 
but also in potentially huge economic losses. Our efforts today are not 
only sensible because of the threat, sensible because of the need to 
protect Americans in areas where they are vulnerable, but to avoid the 
kind of economic chaos that could result from a successful attack 
against transit.
  I hope in the next few hours we can come together with support for 
these efforts. I know Senators Byrd and Gregg, Shelby and Sarbanes, and 
others, are working toward that end so we can come up with sufficient 
resources to meet this great threat.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sununu). The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                           Amendment No. 1075

  Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I rise today to offer amendment No. 
1075 to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2006.
  First, I acknowledge the hard work of Senators Gregg and Byrd and 
thank them for their diligence in coming to a consensus on this crucial 
legislation. The balance between enhanced security and responsible 
stewardship of the taxpayers' dollars is a fine one. I applaud their 
attention to both, and I support the legislation.
  In an effort to increase the sound management of homeland security 
funds, I offer an amendment that would increase the funding of the 
Emergency Management Performance Grant Program by $10 million. I am 
joined on

[[Page 15840]]

this amendment by Senators Collins and Lieberman, the chair and ranking 
members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, as 
well as 17 other Senators. I thank them all for their support. I 
believe that redirecting funds to the EMPG Program, which has a proven 
track record, is both fiscally responsible and strategically sound.
  The EMPG Program assists the emergency management agencies and 
programs of the States, the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, and 
local and tribal governments to prepare for all hazards and disasters, 
both natural and manmade. The EMPG Program is the only source of 
Federal assistance that supports comprehensive emergency management, 
coordination, and planning.
  Funding for this program is split 50/50 between the Federal and State 
governments. This unique and important program provides States and 
localities with the flexibility to allocate funds according to risk, 
which helps address their most urgent needs in disaster mitigation, 
preparedness, response and recovery. Most importantly, EMPG funds are 
also used to pay for personnel costs, including training and exercises. 
This aspect of the program is important given the tight budget 
constraints and increased counterterrorism responsibilities currently 
faced by State and local governments. States also have the flexibility 
to develop intrastate emergency management systems that encourage the 
building of partnerships which include government, business, volunteer, 
and community organizations.
  As Governor of Ohio, I had first-hand experience with the EMPG 
Program and would note some examples that illustrate its effectiveness.
  Since 2002, Ohio has issued eight major disaster declarations and two 
emergency declarations. The 2005 winter storm was the most widespread 
disaster in Ohio's history, with 59 counties declared disaster areas 
with damage assessments that exceeded $260 million. EMPG funding has 
played a critical role in allowing Ohio State and local emergency 
management agencies to plan for these disasters, respond in a timely 
manner to those areas hit hardest, and pay the salaries of local 
emergency management staff.
  Additionally, Ohio has elected to use a portion of the annual EMPG 
funding for special projects, such as local emergency operations center 
construction. This is one of the few funding streams that allow for 
brick and mortar type projects. At any given time there are several 
counties benefiting from the use of these dollars.
  Ohio is not the only State that has benefited from the EMPG Program. 
For example, EMPG funds play a critical role in helping the State of 
Alabama develop its plans to respond to natural disasters, particularly 
hurricanes. EMPG grants have been used for contingency planning, 
including evacuation plans, debris removal plans, and plans for 
postdisaster distribution of critical aid to those affected by the 
storms.
  The State of Kansas is struck by nearly 50 tornadoes every spring. 
Without local government emergency management staff paid for by EMPG 
funding, there wouldn't be adequate coordination to help respond to 
those tornadoes in a timely manner.
  York County, ME, has had 12 declared disasters in 12 years, including 
coastal flooding and severe ice storms. The York County Office of 
Emergency Management works with 29 towns on the full range of emergency 
management, including preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. 
Without the help of EMPG funds they would have only one full-time 
person; with EMPG support they have three.
  Additionally, during last year's devastating hurricane season, the 
EMPG Program proved its worth. The Emergency Management Assistance 
Compact, which is funded by the EMPG, enabled 38 States to provide $15 
million worth of aid and over 800 personnel to support Florida and the 
other impacted States for over 85 days.
  These are just a few examples of how EMPG funds are used to help 
State and local governments prepare for the worst situations. They 
demonstrate that EMPG funds are the backbone of emergency management 
and disaster response in America.
  Many of the people who have been involved in emergency management in 
the States have been impacted by the budget crisis we are experiencing 
in many States throughout the country. In Ohio, for example, they 
substantially cut back on the State funds for local and State 
government. Again, they are being asked to do the ordinary work that 
they do in emergency management and, at the same time, take on added 
responsibilities to deal with the issue of responding to terrorists.
  I will now address how EMPG funds have been spent relative to other 
grant programs. The Senator from New Hampshire has noted how billions 
of dollars of Department of Homeland Security grant money remains 
unspent by State and local government. However, according to the 
Department of Homeland Security, EMPG funds are spent rapidly compared 
to other programs. In other words, there may be a problem with some of 
these other funds getting through to the folks who need them, but in 
this particular case, these moneys flow very rapidly.
  In other words, if Congress appropriates extra EMPG funding, it will 
not go unused. Although both Congress and President Bush have 
recognized the importance of this program, it still faces a shortfall. 
The disaster relief fund is our Government's rainy day fund, and it is 
robust in comparison to other programs in this bill. Therefore, my 
amendment would take $10 million from this $2 billion account to 
increase EMPG funding. Increased EMPG funding will ensure strong 
management and planning prior to any disaster. In other words, when 
asked about the logic of taking $10 million out of the $2 billion 
account for the disaster relief fund, our arguments would be, as a 
result of this additional money, we can do a lot better job of 
preventing more of these disasters in the long run and make sure the 
dollars that are spent in the disaster relief fund are spent in the 
most efficient and effective way.
  Increased EMPG funding will ensure strong management and planning 
prior to any disaster. In other words, redirecting these funds will 
enhance the effectiveness of every disaster relief fund dollar directed 
toward response and recovery and ensure we get the biggest bang for the 
buck when it comes to Federal disaster relief funding.
  Again, there are some other funds in the Homeland Security 
appropriations. It was our best judgment that going after the disaster 
relief fund was the most logical way to pay and add this $10 million to 
the EMPG program.
  As I mentioned, this amendment is sponsored by both the chairman and 
ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
Committee which has the oversight responsibility for homeland security, 
as well as 17 other Senators, including Senator Grassley, chairman of 
the Finance Committee, which is significant.
  In closing, we must prepare for terrorist attacks in addition to 
natural disasters. The EMPG program is a proven method of doing this. 
It is my strong belief that by enhancing the EMPG funding, we increase 
the capacity of State and local emergency management agencies to get 
the job done when the needs of our citizens are the greatest.
  Once again I applaud the efforts of Senator Gregg and Senator Byrd, 
and I ask my colleagues to support increased funding for the EMPG 
program.
  Mr. President, I was going to ask for the yeas and nays, but the fact 
is, we are negotiating now with Senator Gregg's staff and Senator Gregg 
and perhaps we can find some other language that might be more 
acceptable to them. I am not going to ask for the yeas and nays now. If 
we are unable to reach a compromise, then I will ask for the yeas and 
nays at a later date.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. If the Senator will withhold, does the Senator 
wish to request that the pending amendments be set aside so his 
amendment can be called up?
  Mr. VOINOVICH. Yes, I do request that.

[[Page 15841]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the amendment will be 
considered. The clerk will report the amendment.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Ohio [Mr. Voinovich] proposes an amendment 
     numbered 1075.

  The amendment is as follows:

   (Purpose: To increase funds for emergency management performance 
                        grants, with an offset)

       On page 82, line 12, strike ``$180,000,000'' and insert 
     ``$190,000,000''.
       On page 85, line 17, strike ``$2,000,000,000'' and insert 
     ``$1,990,000,000''.

  Mr. VOINOVICH. 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. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be laid 
aside.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                           Amendment No. 1218

  Mr. REID. Under the authority of the agreement pending before the 
Senate, I send an amendment to the desk on behalf of Senator Byrd.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The bill clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Nevada [Mr. Reid], for Mr. Byrd, proposes 
     an amendment numbered 1218.

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading of 
the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

 (Purpose: To provide additional funding for intercity passenger rail 
            transportation, freight rail, and mass transit)

       On page 77, line 18, strike ``$2,694,300,000'' and insert 
     ``$4,025,300,000''.
       On page 78, line 13, strike ``$365,000,000'' and insert 
     ``$1,696,000,000''.
       On page 79, strike lines 1 through 4 and insert the 
     following:
       (D) $265,000,000 shall be for intercity passenger rail 
     transportation (as defined in section 24102 of title 49, 
     United States Code) and freight rail and $1,166,000,000 for 
     transit security grants; and

  Mr. REID. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the 
quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________