Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan Security and Reconstruction Act, 2004-Continued

EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN SECURITY AND RECONSTRUCTION ACT, 2004—CONTINUED

Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, I am proud to support the amendment offered by the Senator from Michigan to provide funding for important domestic priorities. This amendment is called "A Month for America."

Each month, the U.S. is spending roughly $5 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan at a time when important priorities here at home go unmet. This amendment would take $5 billion of the reconstruction money earmarked for Iraq and allocates it in the following way: $1 billion for school construction, $1.8 billion for health programs for our veterans, $103 million for community health centers, and $2.1 billion for highways and public transit.

These domestic priorities are an emergency now. Surely we can delay $5 billion in Iraqi reconstruction funds until the fiscal year 2005 when even the World Bank says that only $5.8 billion can be absorbed by Iraq next year to rebuild its
infrastructure.

I want to talk about the need for new Federal spending to help rebuild and rehabilitate schools in California. These are the current conditions: 87 percent of schools report a need to upgrade or repair building to good overall condition; 71 percent of schools report at least one inadequate building feature, such as the roof, plumbing, electrical systems, windows, or heating and air conditioning; and 87 percent of schools report at least one unsatisfactory environmental factor, such as air quality, ventilation, heating, or lighting.

This is an emergency. Yet when an amendment was offered by Senators Clinton and Harkin to the fiscal year 2004 Labor-HHS bill to increase funding for school reconstruction by $1 billion for the entire year, it was defeated on a party-line vote with only one Republican supporting the increased funding.

It is a shame that this supplemental bill will spend in excess of $100 million for education in Iraq but not one penny for
education in California.

The Bush administration wants to spend $10,000 per month for business school in Iraq—more than double the monthly cost of Harvard Business School—but there is no funding for the children in California.

This amendment also provides $1.8 billion for health care to our veterans so that we can fulfill the commitment made to them for their sacrifices.

President Bush submitted a fiscal year 2004 budget request for VA health that is $1.8 billion below the Independent Budget produced by AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. It would be a great comfort for those fighting now to know that the U.S. Congress is serious about meeting the needs of those who fought before them.

On healthcare, the supplemental provides $850 million for Iraq to construct a new hospital and replace medical equipment.
And while we should help those in need throughout the world, we should also provide for those at home. That is why the Stabenow amendment provides $103 million for federally qualified community health centers that have been shown to reduce inpatient admission rates for their patients by anywhere from 22 percent to 67 percent, and have reduced the number of patients admitted per year and the length of stay among those who were admitted.

Finally, this amendment would provide $2.1 billion for highway and public transit programs. Transit is so important for my State. We have so much congestion that we must improve our highways and roads and build public transportation.

According to the Texas Transportation Institute, Los Angeles and the San Francisco-Oakland region are ranking No. 1 and 2 for the worst roadway congestion in this country. California has two more cities in the top 5 with San Jose ranked 4 and San Diego ranked 5.

The Inland Empire of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties is ranked 12 and Sacramento is ranked 13.

What does this congestion translate to? Delays. In the Los Angeles area: 136 hours per year, on average per driver, in peak hours. San Francisco-Oakland drivers put up with 92 hours of delays, and San Jose drivers endure 74 hours of delays. Inland Empire drivers are delayed by 64 hours, and San Diego drivers are delayed by 51 hours a year.

Californians are trying to reduce congestion. More Californians are using alternative forms of transportation. Public transit carries over 1.2 billion passengers a year in California.

Transit ridership is up in California. The number of miles traveled annually by transit passengers grew by 20 percent between 1997 and 2001. The number of annual passenger trips was up 14 percent. In the San Francisco Bay Bridge corridor, 38 percent of all trips are on transit. And, 30 percent of all trips into central Los Angeles are on transit.

Like the other domestic priorities outlined in the Stabenow amendment, we need to fund transit so we can improve our infrastructure in this country. I thank the Senator from Michigan for her amendment and urge its adoption.