Department of Homeland Seucrity Appropriations Act, 2007

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007 -- (Senate - July 13, 2006)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, my colleague has eloquently described the damage and devastation that he and I visited together last week.

Floods are biblical. They go back as far as human history is recorded. But I never cease to be amazed at the damage they cause. There is something about a flood that is so devastating. It leaves behind places that are destroyed because of mold. It ruins businesses and homes. It leaves a residue of mud and muck and debris. It is a demoralizing, debilitating disaster.

As Senator Schumer and I traveled from Binghamton north, we saw firsthand people coping and trying to figure out what was next--businesses that lost everything and don't know how they will ever get back into business, homes that were washed into rivers and creeks, city halls and fire departments and police departments with records that were obliterated in an afternoon.

Now, if this were a once-in-a-hundred-years phenomenon, maybe I would not be so worried, but time and again we have heard that there have been 3 floods in this area of New York in the last 24 months, 2 of which were classified as 100-year floods, 1 of which was classified as a 300-year flood. We are beginning to see the effects that were predicted by the National Hurricane Center earlier this year. We had even seen our National Archives, which holds our most precious founding documents, like the Constitution and Bill of Rights, fighting back the floodwaters, trying to preserve America's history.

Just last night in the county I live in in New York, tornadoes were spotted. That is very unusual. I lived for a number of years in Arkansas. We saw tornadoes all the time. I have been chased by a tornado. I have seen them on the horizon. I have lived with tornado damage. I visited many devastated communities. But tornadoes were not thought to affect States like New York. New York was hurricane territory, not tornado territory. Last night, we had a tornado.

The strange weather that we are experiencing is out of the usual, and I hope that we can get the help we need and that the amendment that Senator Schumer and I have proposed will be passed so that we can replenish the disaster fund with the amount of money that we know will be needed to take care of the people we represent in New York.

There was similar damage in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and apparently there is more to come. We have had predictions that the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season outlook is expected to be 80 percent above the normal in the number and intensity of hurricanes.

We all know of the damage that occurred along our Gulf coast. But there are predictions of significant storms along the Atlantic coast up to and including New York for the rest of this summer and into the fall.

We need to get ready. That is why this amendment makes such good sense. All that it asks is that we restore the money the President asked for in his budget. That money was cut. We want to add and replenish the disaster relief fund to the tune of $300 million so that there is $1.94 billion in that fund to help us meet the needs of New Yorkers and others who are being afflicted by this unusually severe weather.

Fully funding that disaster relief fund is one way to ensure that people know there is going to be help on the way. It is demoralizing enough--I saw it on the faces of people as I walked the streets of Canajoharie and saw everybody in shorts and flip-flops and T-shirts shoveling out the public library or the boys and girls club across the street or the businesses up and down Main Street or the Beechnut plant.

It is demoralizing enough to try to figure out how you are going to recover from a flood. Let's not add to that sense of despair by sending a message that the Federal Government isn't prepared to help.

We learned a lot from the disasters of our response to Katrina and Rita, and I hope we will have unanimous support to replenish the disaster relief fund.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Lieberman be added as a cosponsor to the Schumer-Clinton amendment.

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. VITTER). Without objection, it is so ordered.

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be set aside for the purpose of calling up another amendment.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

Mr. GREGG. Reserving the right to object.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire is recognized.

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I was assured there would not be an objection. This is for the purpose of bringing up an amendment but not calling for a vote on it at this time.

BREAK N TRANSCRIPT

AMENDMENT NO. 4582

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 4582.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.

The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

The Senator from New York [Mrs. Clinton] proposes an amendment numbered 4582.

Mrs. CLINTON. 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 prohibit the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) from removing any item from the current list of items prohibited from being carried aboard a passenger aircraft)

On page 127, between lines 2 and 3, insert the following:

Sec. 540. The Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) shall not modify the list of items prohibited from being carried aboard a passenger aircraft operated by an air carrier or foreign air carrier in air transportation or intrastate air transportation set forth in section 1540 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, so as to permit any item contained on the list as of December 1, 2005, to be carried aboard a passenger aircraft.

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, this is an amendment which addresses the concerns raised by the Transportation Security Administration lifting the prohibition of passengers carrying onto our passenger aircraft sharp objects, including knives.

There is a considerable debate, led by the airline attendants and pilots, as to the wisdom of this rule being lifted. I ask the Senate to consider whether this is a good idea. We have been so successful in nearly 5 years in avoiding incidents on our airlines, in keeping our people safe on our airlines. If it ain't broke, why fix it?

This rule has worked. People are used to the rule. My goodness, we have had security people take steak knives out of people's handbags and suitcases. We have had them take out huge pen knives and switchblades. Why do we want to go back to that?

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be temporarily set aside.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

AMENDMENT NO. 4600

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I ask that we return to the pending business of the Schumer-Clinton amendment.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The amendment is pending.

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

http://thomas.loc.gov/