[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18367-18368]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I am pleased that on Friday, December 28, 
the Senate passed H.R. 1. I would like to outline some of the goals 
that I and many of my colleagues from New York have for this 
legislation. As you know, the Senate Appropriations Committee under the 
leadership of the late Chairman Inouye and now Chairman Mikulski, has 
put together a very robust and flexible bill that will help many 
victims of our damaged States, from housing to small business to 
transportation. The depth of the devastation to New York was 
significant--some estimate nearly $100 billion in damage.
  When I saw whole neighborhoods in my State washed away, it was clear 
that significant Federal disaster funding was necessary. Although it 
has been 2 months since Hurricane Sandy ravaged New York, I am pleased 
the Senate has passed H.R. 1, with more than $60 billion in Federal 
funding to aid homeowners, small businesses, hospitals, and New York's 
critical public infrastructure.
  I spent hours with New Yorkers after the storm, and I thank my Senate 
colleagues for hearing their pleas and ensuring that the Federal 
Government has stepped up to help them in this terrible time.
  I hope that our colleagues in the other body will swiftly pass H.R. 
1. New Yorkers have already been waiting too long.
  I would like to describe how H.R. 1 will provide Federal relief to 
the victims of Hurricane Sandy.
  Shortly after the storm subsided, some claimed that the FEMA disaster 
relief fund had enough funds and that a supplemental appropriation 
could wait. I could not disagree more and fought hard to ensure that 
the bill we have today was brought to the Senate floor. H.R. 1 includes 
$11.5 billion for the disaster relief fund to support disaster response 
and recovery needs of our local governments and first responders.
  H.R. 1 includes $17 billion for the community development block grant 
for victims of Hurricane Sandy who have lost their homes or businesses. 
FEMA will provide repair funding of $31,900, but for many of the 
300,000 New York homeowners with significant damage, the CDBG funds are 
essential to cover their uninsured losses. These funds can also be used 
for the critical mitigation projects, such as flood proofing so that 
these same homeowners will be safe when the next storm comes.
  H.R. 1 provides $5.4 billion in Federal funds to the Army Corps to 
fortify our New York coastline. From Staten Island to Montauk, the 
coast of New York is vulnerable to future storms. The following 
projects were never fully constructed due to a lack of funding and will 
now be eligible: South Shore of Staten Island; city of Long Beach; 
Rockaway beach; Coney Island; Fire Island to Montauk Point; Gilgo and 
Robert Moses beaches; and Asharoken Village.
  As was said throughout debate on H.R. 1, disaster funding is also 
about prevention. It is essential that the Army Corps conduct a 
comprehensive flood protection study of the New York Harbor region. I 
hope they will get to work immediately once the bill becomes law.

[[Page 18368]]

  H.R. 1 will also build a bridge back to profitability for our small 
businesses. Thousands of small business owners were inundated by 
Hurricane Sandy endured total destruction or interruption of commerce 
for days and weeks. Like we have in other storms, the community 
development block grant funding provided in H.R. 1 should be used for a 
small business relief program to boost the region's ailing 
posthurricane economy. I will be watching to make sure that New York 
small businesses who need assistance receive it.
  H.R. 1 will allow for the hardening of New York's Electric Grid. I 
believe it is critical that drastic rate increases are prevented. The 
Long Island Power Authority and Con Edison need help elevating 
substations, installing smart grid sensors, and building stormproof 
poles. The duration of power outages in New York was one of the worst 
catastrophes of Hurricane Sandy, and we hope that these funds will mean 
New Yorkers never have to experience that again.
  H.R. 1 also will protect and improve the gasoline infrastructure in 
New York Harbor. Hurricane Sandy's wrath destroyed unprotected gas 
terminals and pipelines in New York harbor and gas shortages brought 
whole communities to their knees. Federal mitigation funding should and 
must be used to protect our gasoline infrastructure from the next storm 
by providing backup power and booster systems for facilities like the 
Buckeye pipeline.
  H.R. 1 includes $10.8 billion for public transportation. New York has 
one of the largest public transit systems in the country and suffered 
over $5 billion in damage from the storm. Experts have said that much 
of this damage could be prevented in the future with new mitigation 
techniques H.R. 1 provides to ensure that our transit systems build 
subway seals, erect flood gates in tunnels, and establish advanced 
drainage systems.
  H.R. 1 also includes $200 million for the Department of Health and 
Human Services. I hope that at least $150 million will be provided to 
the National Institutes of Health for repair and recovery of New York 
University's medical research program. The Smilow Research Center is 
one of NYU's three animal research facilities, and because of Hurricane 
Sandy, an untold amount of medical discovery and hard work has been 
lost. According to NYU, an estimated 10 million gallons of water poured 
into the ground and the basement of the institution, bending 3-inch 
steel doors in half, washing away walls as well as sandbags, and 
destroying everything in its wake.
  Because of a power outage, the animal labs went dark where the best 
and brightest researchers search for cures and treatments. The center 
held specimens critical to NYU scientists' research in heart disease, 
cancer, and neurodegeneration. Dr. Francis Collins, the head of the 
NIH, said this: ``The damage is truly appalling. The infrastructure has 
been essentially obliterated.'' I appreciate how much assistance the 
NIH has already provided to NYU's researchers, and I will continue to 
ensure that NYU can be rebuilt.
  H.R. 1 also includes Federal funds through FEMA and through the HHS 
social services block grant to help New York's hospitals. Hurricane 
Sandy caused 36 health care facilities to be closed completely, 
including 4 hospitals, 17 nursing homes, and 4 health clinics. It is 
essential that FEMA and New York State do everything they can to help 
our health care facilities get back on their feet.
  In the blink of an eye, the Atlantic Ocean turned from our greatest 
natural resource into a nightmarish monster, but with the Senate 
passage of H.R. 1, New York is on its way to recovery.

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