The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Senate section on pages S9427-S9433 on Sept. 26, 2002.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. HARKIN (for himself and Mr. Stevens):
S. 3008. A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand the loan forgiveness and loan cancellation programs for teachers, to provide loan forgiveness and loan cancellation programs for nurses, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, today I, along with my good friend from Alaska, Senator Stevens, am introducing legislation that will help bolster two critical components of Iowa's and the Nation's economic future: healthcare and education.
Across Iowa and America, we face a critical and worsening shortage of nurses and teachers. By 2010 there will be a shortage of 725,000 nurses. By 2020, that shortage will increase to 1.2 million as the baby boomers begin to retire and need more care.
It's much the same case for teachers. In Iowa, 40 percent of our teachers will be eligible to retire in the next 10 years. And 17 percent of Iowa first year teachers leave the classroom after only one year. This is almost twice the national average. We'll need more than 2 million teachers nationwide just to replace the teachers that retire or leave the profession.
Clearly, a shortage of nurses or teachers will have a profound impact on the quality of education for our children and the quality of health care for every Iowan. We have to do more to attract young people to these difficult yet rewarding careers.
One reason young people aren't taking on teaching or nursing is because they're buried in college loan debt. According to the ``Burden of Borrowing'', a report by the United States Public Interest Research Group, 64 percent of students graduated in 1999-2000 with Federal education loan debt. Further, the average student loan debt has nearly doubled over the past eight years to $16,928. Young people simply can't pursue careers that are critical to Iowa's and America's future because their college debt causes them to enter into unmanageable repayment plans.
Earlier this year, I spoke with college students from schools across central Iowa. Many of these students will walk away from college with a diploma in one hand and a $20,000 student loan bill in the other. When students loan debt keeps our kids from becoming Iowa's next teachers and nurses there's something very wrong with America's priorities.
That's why I, along with my good friend from Alaska, Senator Stevens, am introducing a plan to offer up to $17,500 of loan forgiveness to students who go into teaching or nursing for at least 5 years. Under our plan, students would get needed relief from loan debt and Iowa and America would get its next generation of nurses and teachers. That's a good investment in education, health care, and our nation's future.
I think we've got a good chance of moving this proposal forward. President Bush has proposed a similar plan aimed just at teachers in a few subject areas. However, I am aware that school districts throughout the United States are faced with problems attracting and retaining teachers in more than just the areas of special education, math and science. Since the White House has embraced the general approach, I am hopeful they'll also support our broader plan for teachers and nurses. It's a common sense proposal that's focused on Iowa and America's future.
I ask unanimous consent that letters of support for our legislation be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the letters were ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
American Nurses Association,
Washington, DC, August 30, 2002.Hon. Tom Harkin,Hart Senate Office Building,Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Harkin: I write on behalf of the American Nurses Association (ANA) to express gratitude and support for your intent to introduce legislation to provide loan forgiveness and loan cancellation programs for registered nurses.
ANA is the only full-service association representing the nation's registered nurses through its 54 constituent member nurse associations. The ANA represents registered nurses of all educational preparation in all practice settings.
ANA supports your legislation because it aims to address the impending nursing shortage. This shortage is projected to soon reach crisis proportions, just as the baby boom population begins to place great demands on the health care system.
A reason for the emerging nurse shortage is a decreasing number of young people entering the nursing profession. As you may well be aware, enrollments in nursing programs have dropped by 17 percent since 1995. Current projections show that the number of nurses per capita will fall 20 percent below requirements by 2020. Your legislation will help reverse the trend and encourage entry into the profession.
As nurses are the largest single group of health care professionals in America, the nurse shortage threatens the very fabric of our health care delivery system. An adequately prepared and supported nursing workforce is essential for the health of our nation.
ANA thanks you for your strong support of nursing issues and for introducing this important legislation.
Sincerely,
Rose Gonzalez,Director, Government Affairs.
____
Americans for Nursing
Shortage Relief,
August 19, 2002.Hon. Tom Harkin,Hart Senate Office Building, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.Hon. Ted Stevens,Hart Senate Office Building, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Senators Harkin and Stevens: The undersigned members of the ANSR Alliance (Americans for Nursing Shortage Relief) strongly support your draft bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 and increase nursing education loan opportunities within the Department of Education. As delineated in the bill, this positive move to bring more individuals into the nursing profession and support the creation of nurse educators will be accomplished through loan cancellation and forgiveness after five years of service in a clinical setting or at an accredited school of nursing. We greatly appreciate your understanding of the need for multiple programs throughout the federal government to alleviate the critical nursing shortage that is facing us today and which will continue to do so unless we stem its growth.
A key issue in ensuring public access to high quality nursing services is the growing faculty shortage and implications for the preparation of new nursing professionals. The median age of nurse faculty is 52 years old, and the impending retirement of seasoned faculty over the next decade will significantly impact the ability of schools and universities to sustain quality nursing educational programs that prepare an adequate supply of nurses to meet the Nation's needs. The educational incentives described in the proposed legislation hold promise as effective tools to insure monies are available to train critically needed nurse faculty.
The ANSR Alliance thanks you for your commitment to advancing an innovative solution to help alleviate the nursing shortage in the United States. We look forward to working with you to ensure passage of this important piece of legislation.
Sincerely yours,
American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing.
American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
American Association of Critical Care Nurses.
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.
American College of Nurse-Midwives.
American College of Nurse Practitioners.
American Nephrology Nurses Association.
American Organization of Nurse Executives.
American Society of Pain Management Nurses.
American Society of Perianesthesia Nurses.
American Society of Plastic Surgical Nurses.
Association of Faculties of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses.
Association of State and Territorial Directors of Nursing.
Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.
Emergency Nurses Association.
National Alaska Native American Indian Nurses Association.
National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists.
National Association of Neonatal Nurses.
National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses.
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners.
National Association of School Nurses.
National Black Nurses Association, Inc.
National Conference of Gerontological Nurse Practitioners.
National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc.
National League for Nursing.
National Nursing Centers Consortium.
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties.
National Student Nurses' Association, Inc.
Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs.
Oncology Nursing Society.
Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates, Inc.
Society of Pediatric Nurses.
____
American Council on Education,
Office of the President,
Washington, DC, September 25, 2002.Re support of the Teacher and Nurse Support Act of 2002.Hon. Tom Harkin,Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Harkin, On behalf of the American Council on Education (ACE) and the organization listed below, I thank you for introducing legislation to expand and extend loan forgiveness and cancellation programs for teachers and nurses. We are grateful to you for working so hard to alleviate the financial burden of America's students, particularly our teachers and nurses. These highly valued but underpaid professionals are educated and prepared in our institutions. We will work with you in building support for these good measures and we will wholeheartedly support your bill when it comes up for consideration.
Providing financial incentives to nursing and teaching students via federal loan programs is one of the best ways to attract and retain talented individuals to pursue academic study and careers in these important fields.
As individuals retire and the vacancies for nurses and teachers grow, the United States will need to replace and supplement these essential vocations with qualified personnel. These types of programs and incentives are especially helpful for individuals who choose to dedicate their time and energy to careers that are rarely financially lucrative.
Thank you again for your leadership on this important issues.
Sincerely,
David Ward,
President.
On behalf of:
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
American Council on Education.
Association of American Universities.
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.
National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education.
National Association of College and University Business Officers.
National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.
The State PIRGs' Higher Education Project.
United States Student Association.
____
National Education Association,
Washington, DC, September 26, 2002.Senator Tom Harkin,U.S. Senate,Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Harkin: On behalf of the National Education Association's (NEA) 2.7 million members, we would like to express our support for the Teacher and Nurse Support Act of 2002.
We are very pleased that your legislation seeks to address the nation's growing teacher shortage by providing student loan forgiveness for individuals who enter the profession. New teacher quality standards coupled with a national teacher shortage make attracting and retaining quality teachers even more important, particilary in high-poverty areas. Unfortunately, too many of today's students rely on loans in order to afford higher education. The resulting debt burden often limits career choices and prevents many talented students from pursuing careers in public service, including as teachers.
By expanding loan forgiveness and targeting it more toward teachers in high poverty schools, rather than toward limited academic disciplines, your bill will help encourage talented individuals to enter the teaching profession and to bring their skills to schools with the greatest need. In addition, by providing for mandatory spending, the bill will ensure that teachers who qualify will receive the loan forgiveness they need.
We thank you for your leadership on this important issue and look forward to continuing to work with you in support of children and public education.
Sincerely,Diane Shust,
Director of Government Relations.Randall Moody,
Manager of Federal Policy and Politics.
______
By Mr. WELLSTONE (for himself, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Kennedy, Ms.
Landrieu, Mrs. Carnahan, Mr. Smith of Oregon, Mr. Bayh, Mr.
Sarbanes, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Torricelli, Mr.
Durbin, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Reed, Ms.
Cantwell, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Biden, Mr. Levin, Mr.
Corzine, Mr. Reid, Mr. Schumer, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Leahy, and
Mr. Lieberman):
S. 3009. A bill to provide econonmic security for America's workers; read the first time.
Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I am proud to introduce, on behalf of myself and a large and bipartisan group of my colleagues, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2002. I want to especially acknowledge the hard, really the relentless work, in particular of Senator Clinton and Senator Kennedy on this issue. They care deeply about the plight of hard-working men and women in their States and around the country, who are struggling, through no fault of their own, to deal with the effects of our flagging economy. I commend their work.
We cannot have a secure Nation if we do not address issues of our economic security as well.
Working men and women around the country and in Minnesota, blue collar and white collar, are hurting.
The economy, battered by corporate accountability scandals, plummeting stock prices, and now flagging consumer confidence, is deteriorating.
And the jobs simply are not there. Minnesota has lost more than 40,000 jobs in the past 18 months. There are currently 123,000 Minnesotans unemployed. In the second quarter of this year, unemployed workers in Minnesota looking for jobs outnumbered unfilled jobs by 2-1.
The national picture is no different. Nationally, more than 2 million jobs have been lost over the last 18 months. We have more than 8 million men and women out of work. This is the only Administration in the past 50 years that has presided over a decline in private sector jobs.
What's more, long term unemployment is up sharply. Nationally, nearly 1 in five of the 8 million unemployed workers have been out of work for 6 months or more. Between May and July of this year, around 900,000 workers exhausted the extended unemployment benefits made available through the unemployment insurance extension in March. By the end of 2002 we expect over 2 million workers to exhaust these benefits.
In Minnesota, through the end of July, over 17,000 workers had exhausted the benefits that we temporarily extended back in March of this year, with thousands more likely to exhaust in the future.
That is why we are announcing today the introduction of the
``Economic Security Act of 2002.'' It does the following: Extends, through July 2003, the temporary extended benefits program, due to expire on December 31st. Provides another 13 weeks of extended benefits for workers running out of benefits in all states and another 20 weeks in high unemployment states.
This mirrors the benefit extensions signed into law by Bush, Sr.
The triggers used to determine ``high unemployment'' are: A 4 percent Adjusted Insured Unemployment Rate (AUIR) or a 6 percent Total Unemployment Rate (TUR).
The AUIR and the TUR are exactly the same triggers used in the early 90's. The levels are different to reflect the new reality of a significantly lower natural unemployment rate. [In the 90's we used a 5 percent AUIR and a 9 percent TUR, virtually no states would trigger at these levels today].
In the 90's we extended benefits 5 times, by large bi-partisan votes. Three of those votes (91-2; 94-2; and 93-3) were during Bush 1.
And the need is even greater now. By year's end we expect 2.2 million workers to have exhausted. In 1992, for a comparable period, there were only 1.4 million workers who exhausted benefits.
The need is urgent--we should pass this measure immediately.
Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, on September 12, 2001, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers woke up to a changed world, thousands had lost family, friends and co-workers to the terrorist attacks of September 11 and hundreds of thousands more New Yorkers had lost their jobs. America watched the scenes of New York and felt pride in the firefighters, the police officers, the emergency workers, and the construction workers who had all fled to Ground Zero to help with recovery.
The images that our Nation did not see as prominently were the faces of the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who were left jobless. There were the workers whose jobs were literally destroyed when the Twin Towers collapsed, the janitors, the doormen, the waiters and waitresses, the secretaries, and messengers. Or, the workers who did not work in lower Manhattan, but who felt the ripple effect of the so-
called frozen zone, primarily the hotel workers and small businesses owners.
In the months following September 11, these individuals streamed into my office and called on the phone pleading for my assistance. At first, New York was able to offer displaced workers needed assistance through regular unemployment insurance, UI. And, for those workers who did not qualify for regular UI, either because they worked for a small business or they were new employees, they were able to receive Disaster Unemployment Assistance, DUA, provided through the Federal Emergency Management Administration, FEMA.
In September 2001, the unemployment rate in New York City was 6.3 percent. And, in the period following September 2001, this rate began to spike up such that we experienced unemployment rates that we had not seen since the recession of the early 1990s. In December 2001, the unemployment rate rose to 7.4 percent, 2.4 percent above the national average for the same period. In March 2002, the unemployment rate climbed to 7.5 percent and in June 2002 it reached 8 percent. New York City lost 150,000 jobs in the aftermath of September 11 and the City is not expected to rebound until 2004. New York City was not alone, New York State saw a climbing unemployment rate for the same period. In September 2001, the unemployment rate in the state was at 5.2 percent; it went up to 5.7 percent in December 2001, to 5.9 percent in March 2002, and to 6.1 percent in June 2002.
Once it became clear that the economy was not going to recover quickly and that it was going to take New York State and New York City years to rebuild the economy, I immediately began to fight for the extension of Unemployment Insurance and Disaster Unemployment Assistance so that New Yorkers could receive a small bit of short-term economic security while they searched for jobs. On November 1, 2001, I introduced a bill to extend Disaster Unemployment Assistance for an additional 13-weeks and, at the same time, I urged the Congressional Leadership to include an extension of regular unemployment insurance in the economic stimulus package.
After sustained work on these bills, I was pleased in March 2002 to join my colleagues in voting for an economic stimulus package that included a 13-week extension of Unemployment Insurance and, in the same month, I was pleased that we passed the bill to extend Disaster Unemployment Assistance for 13 more weeks.
These extensions, however, were short-lived. The economy continued to weaken with corporate scandals and little job growth.
In June, I started to hear from thousands of my constituents who were still out of work and concerned that their extended unemployment benefits would soon run out. They were frightened and unsettled and looking to me to help. I saw that this was a serious problem for many New Yorkers so I introduced a bill on July 19, 2002, to provide for another 13-week extension of unemployment insurance. This bill, S. 2714, garnered eight co-sponsors. I also introduced a companion bill, S. 2715, to extend Disaster Unemployment Assistance. Six of my colleagues joined me in co-sponsoring it. I also worked with my colleagues on the House to introduce a companion bill. Rep. Charlie Rangel, from New York City, introduced H.R. 5089, which received 34 co-
sponsors, including fourteen members of the New York Congressional delegation.
The need to help struggling workers in New York and throughout the Nation, however, was not breaking through. On September 13, 2002, I made my case for the need to extend unemployment insurance through an op-ed in the New York Times, which I would like to submit for the Record today. In this article, I refer to Felix Batista, a father of four who lost his job as a result of September 11 and has not been able to get back on his feet. Felix came to Washington to testify at a HELP Committee hearing on September 12, 2002, and told his story to all the members of the Committee. I was pleased to meet with him and the hundreds of other unemployed New Yorkers who came to town to ask that Congress extend unemployment benefits.
On September 15, 2002, I appeared on Meet the Press with Tim Russert and again mentioned the dramatic rise in long-term unemployment and the need to extend benefits and help those who are suffering as a result of the economy. Last week, I delivered a floor statement on this bill to again reinforce the message that I have been trying to get out to all of my colleagues. And yesterday, I worked with Senator Kennedy to organize a press conference to draw attention to this issue. There, I introduced Vera Matty, a former executive assistant at BMG who lost her job last November as a result of the recession.
Today, 24 of my colleagues and I are introducing a bill to extend Unemployment Insurance for another 13 weeks and 20 weeks for states like New York that are suffering from high unemployment. In addition, today the Environment and Public Works Committee approved my bill to extend Disaster Unemployment Assistance for another 13 weeks. I am pleased that the EPW Committee is taking action on this bill, S. 2715, and I hope that the Senate will move quickly to approve it.
New Yorkers are suffering. We have suffered a double blow as a result of September 11 and the recession. And September 20, 2002 there was an article in the New York Times stating that New York City's poverty rate is growing for the first time in five years.
This economy was in a recession on September 10. It was devastated on September 11 and the people who have exhausted their unemployment benefits need our help now.
Too many Americans are out of work and having a hard time providing for their families. Too many have lost their jobs and watched their pensions and retirement securities disappear because of the illegal and unethical and inexplicable behavior of corporate executives. And despite their steadfast efforts to find work and their overwhelming desire to get back to work, they remain out of work and struggle to make ends meet.
In New York, there are 135,000 New Yorkers who have exhausted their benefits. Across the country, the number of people who have been unemployed for 6 months or longer has almost doubled from 900,000 to 1.5 million in the last year. And that number is expected to increase to 2.2 million by December.
And what has Congress done to ease Americans financial burden during these uncertain times? We have extended benefits only once. Contrast that with the recession of the early 90's when Congress extended temporary benefits five times. This year, even in the wake of massive terrorist attacks on our own soil, we have extended benefits only once, and once is not enough.
Congress must extend unemployment insurance and disaster unemployment assistance, each for an additional 13 weeks. With more people losing their benefits every day, these extensions have to be passed before Congress adjourns.
Extending unemployment insurance is not just the right thing to do; it is also the smart thing. According to a 1999 Department of Labor study, unemployment insurance stimulates the economy. Every dollar spent on unemployment insurance adds $2.5 to the Gross Domestic Product. Unemployment Insurance acts as a stimulus because it puts money into the hands of people who are likely to spend it immediately? They have to buy food. They have to pay rent. They have to pay their car payments. So the money goes right into the economy, and it provides a stimulus.
Today, the outlook for job seekers is grim. When President Bush took office back in January of 2001, there was approximately 1 job seeker for every job. In just a little over a year, those numbers have changed to nearly 1 job opening for every 3 applicants. The number of people who cannot find jobs for six months or longer, has grown by almost 90 percent in the past year.
In fact, the share of the unemployed today who have been without work for more than 26 weeks exceeds that of the recessions of the early 90s and the early 80s. But only looking at the unemployment rate does not paint a complete picture of the economy. My constituents describe an endless job search--the hopeless feeling that comes from looking for a job for months and months without success.
Two years ago, America was on the right track when it came to the economy: 22 million new jobs, budget surpluses, and historic growth. For reasons that escape me, we threw all that good work away. Now we're back into deficits. We're not creating jobs. And we're not taking care of the unemployed.
It's time for us to extend benefits just as we did during the recession in the early 90's, and stimulate the economy. People are hurting and they are running out of benefits and they need Congress to act now. We must not adjourn until we pass these needed extensions of unemployment insurance.
I ask unanimous consent that the New York Times article of September 20, 2002 be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
Helping the Jobless
(By Hillary Rodham Clinton)
For 23 years, Felix Batista rode the elevator up 106 floors to work as a member of the wait staff at the Windows on the World restaurant. On Sept. 11, everything changed. Mr. Batista was on vacation with his family, and that decision saved his life. That day, he lost 73 coworkers and his job.
While the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks has come and gone, in New York the needs born out of that tragedy remain. Each step that we take--whether it is investing $20.9 billion for cleanup and recovery or financing programs to track the health of rescue workers and volunteers at ground zero--will bring New York closer to recovery.
But today, the city's unemployment rate has skyrocketed to 8 percent. Across the state, 553,000 New Yorkers are out of work, with company layoffs and plant closings happening everywhere from Niagara Falls to Rochester. Now 135,000 New Yorkers like Mr. Batista have exhausted their unemployment benefits and are struggling to pay their bills.
At this time last year, 800,000 Americans had been out of work for six months or longer. That number has nearly doubled to 1.5 million and it is expected to increase to more than 2 million by December.
Congress must act quickly to extend unemployment insurance and disaster unemployment assistance, each for an additional 13 weeks. With more people losing their benefits every day, these extensions have to be passed before Congress adjourns.
During the recession of the early 90's, Congress extended temporary benefits five times. This year, even in the wake of massive terrorist attacks on our own soil, we have extended benefits only once, and once is not enough.
The economy was already in a recession on Sept. 1. It was devastated on Sept. 11, and is stalled now. Some forecasters say we are experiencing a ``jobless recovery''--one in which stockbrokers, electricians, insurance agents, computer technicians, textile workers and restaurant workers have formed lines many blocks long to attend job fairs. New revelations about corporate irresponsibility and illegality have added more doubt to an already weakened economy.
Extending unemployment insurance would put money into the hands of the very people who will turn right around and put it back into our economy. In 1999, the Department of Labor found that when unemployment insurance is extended, every dollar in benefits generates $2.15 in gross domestic product. Giving more purchasing power to the more than 8 million Americans who are currently unemployed would be a powerful stimulus for our economy.
After Sept. 11, it was clear we needed a serious push for homeland security. Now we need to restore a measure of economic security to all Americans, and extending unemployment benefits is a responsible and affordable way to do so.
______
By Mr. BAUCUS:
S. 3011. A bill to amend title 23, United States Code, to establish programs to encourage economic growth in the United States, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the MEGA Safe Act. Maximum Economic Growth for America Through Safety Improvements.
Safer roads save lives. Improving traffic and roadway safety is one of the biggest challenges facing the government today. Traffic deaths are consistently one of the top ten causes of deaths each year. Accidents involving motor vehicles affect all of us.
This bill is only a beginning in our Nation's efforts to curb roadway accidents and deaths, in a way that best addresses the needs of our States.
A large cause of accidents is the poor quality of signs in and around crosswalks, school and bicycle crossings. Highway signs marking pedestrian, bicycle, and school zone crossings help to alert motorists to the increased risks associated with these locations.
This bill establishes a grant program to improve safety at pedestrian, school and bicycle crossings by marking them with fluorescent yellow-green, signs. FYG signs are currently the most reflective signs available.
The Secretary of Transportation is directed to set aside $25 million each fiscal year from the Surface Transportation Program to finance these safety improvement grants. The funds may be obligated for eligible projects located on any public road.
I've been hearing from County Commissioners from Montana as well as other States, about how much they need direct funding for local roads. These localities are hard pressed for funds and many of these roads are unsafe. This bill would establish a pilot program, at $200 million annually from fiscal year 2004-2009, to address safety on rural local roads. Funds could be used only on local roads and rural minor collectors, roads that are not Federal-aid highways.
The program does not affect distribution of funds among States, as funds will be distributed to each of the 50 States in accord with their relative formula share under 23 U.S.C. 105. Funds could be used only for projects or activities that have a safety benefit. By January 1, 2009 the Secretary of Transportation is to report on progress under the provision and whether any modifications are recommended.
This bill takes a different approach to the issue of aggressive driving. Rather than sanctioning drivers who display aggressive behavior, this section seeks to lessen that negative behavior by removing some of the frustration that causes that behavior.
This section applies to all Federal interstates. It names the left lane as the ``National Passing Lane.'' It requires all vehicles to use the left lane for passing only. It further requires that all drivers allow other vehicles to pass them in the left lane. I believe that one of the big frustrations of drivers in this country is being held up by someone going slow in the left lane. It contributes to driver aggression and to congestion. The MEGA Safe Act seeks to alleviate that.
An amount of no less than $1 million will be given to each State each year of the bill, 6 years, to educate the driving public about this new law and the proper behavior.
Each State will decide how to best enforce this law, for example, enforcement of ticketable offenses such as if a driver does not allow another to pass or the driver is holding up the left lane with a line of cars behind him.
Additionally, the bill funds a study to make recommendations on instituting measures that will help the federal government and states teach motorists and truck drivers how to effectively share the road with each other.
Recently the American Automobile Association, AAA, unveiled a study that shows that the majority of highway crashes that involved trucks are caused by the car or cars involved.
MEGA Safe would give $1 million to the American Trucking Associations, ATA, and AAA to issue a report making recommendations on how the Federal and State governments can better teach car drivers and more carriers how to share the road.
It requires a preliminary report in a year and the final report a year later.
Finally, the MEGA Safe Act would address Work Zone Safety by ensuring that, for each project that uses Federal funds, a trained and certified person would be given the responsibility for assuring that the traffic control plan is effectively administered. This would help reduce the number of deaths occurring in work zone safety areas.
The MEGA Safe Act is by no means a comprehensive safety proposal, but I believe that these ideas are a good foundation for our safety policies as we embark on the Reauthorization of TEA 21.
______
By Mr. DODD:
S. 3012. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude from income and employment taxes and wage withholding property tax rebates and other benefits provided to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders; to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I am pleased to rise today with my colleague Senator Lieberman to introduce legislation that would amend the Internal Revenue Code to exclude property tax abatements, provided by local governments to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders, from the definition of income and wages. Last week, Congressman John Larson of Connecticut, the chief author of this proposal, introduced identical legislation in the House.
This bill would allow local governments around the country the opportunity to provide incentives, such as property tax abatements, to their volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders. These incentives will help local governments recruit local volunteer firefighters and emergency medical responders in order to ensure their communities are adequately prepared to respond to emergencies.
Police officers, firefighters, and emergency service workers are America's front-line defenders in the face of fires, medical emergencies, terrorist threats, incidents with hazardous materials and other emergencies. Many of them are salaried employees of their respective State or local government. Many of them are volunteers, as well. Many States and localities lack adequate resources to recruit these vital public servants and therefore to fully respond to the full range of possible threats this country faces.
Many small towns cannot afford full-time paid firefighters, therefore a majority of municipalities and counties throughout the country depend on volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency service workers to cover their front lines. Every day, volunteers throughout the country make a commitment, on top of their work schedules, to put their lives on the line for their communities. Volunteer firefighters comprise 75 percent of firefighters in our country. Unfortunately, statistics show that the number of volunteer firefighters and emergency responders have been declining over the years at an alarming rate. The number of volunteer firefighters around the country has declined by 5 to 10 percent since 1983, while the number of emergency calls made has sharply increased.
Many local governments recruit and retain volunteer firefighters and emergency service workers by offering volunteers a property tax abatement that directly reduces their property taxes. For example, Connecticut enacted a law in 1999 allowing municipalities to offer abatements of up to $1,000 per year on local taxes to firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics or ambulance drivers. This abatement has helped local fire department in their volunteer recruitment efforts throughout the state.
Despite these successful recruitment efforts, the IRS recently ruled that property tax abatements to volunteers should be treated as wages and income. This ruling would pose real hardship on firefighters and the communities where they live and work, in Connecticut and in many other States, as well. While State and local governments are working to increase incentives to volunteer, this ruling would undermine those efforts. Some may argue that volunteering for the community should be without any compensation, including abatements. However, the reality is that when both heads of household hold full-time employment, it is often too difficult for them to take time away from their families without some form of compensation. A $1,000 property tax break is not a large request for the great service these men and women provide to our communities. These men and women risk their lives for others. The least we can do is allow states and towns to offer them modest incentives to serve. For some, counting this abatement as income may put them in a higher tax bracket, therefore forcing them to pay substantially more in taxes. Also, because of the extra paperwork required and costs due to the IRS decision, some municipalities are having to reconsider providing abatement programs. For many towns and municipalities it would be entirely too expensive to have to both pay FICA taxes, and lose property tax revenues. Municipalities across the nation have enough trouble recruiting volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel without also having to face obstacles from the IRS.
This ruling undermines the good intentions and creative efforts of many localities. If our municipalities are willing to forgo their local tax revenues in order to ensure they have enough volunteer firefighters and emergency service providers to protect their communities, and if members of the community are doing their part by volunteering, then we, the Federal government, should do our part and support local efforts to ensure that all our communities have adequate protection.
I hope that my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation so that we can ensure that state and local governments have the flexibility to design and implement recruiting and retention programs that benefit not only the volunteer firefighters and emergency medical providers, but also the communities they protect.
______
By Mr. KYL (for himself, Mr. McCain, Mr. Domenici, and Mr.
Bingaman):
S. 3013. A bill to amend the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to extend and modify the reimbursement of State and local funds expended for emergency health services furnished to undocumented aliens; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to once again join my good friend from Arizona, Senator Kyl, in introducing a bill to address a critical issue affecting our State, and other border States. Today we are introducing the Local Emergency Health Services Reimbursement Act of 2002 in order to provide appropriate Federal reimbursement to States and localities whose budgets are disproportionately affected by the emergency health costs associated with illegal immigration.
Arizona and other border States now face a medical and financial crisis. A report released today by the U.S./Mexico Border Counties Coalition found that our Nation's border hospitals spent close to $190 million in 2000 to provide health care to illegal immigrants--$31 million of which was spent by hospitals in Arizona alone. Clearly, the staggering cost of providing medical care to illegal immigrants further burdens an already challenged medical system.
The Federal Government maintains the sole authority to control immigration in this country. Despite that fact, the Federal Government often fails to take financial responsibility for the costs associated with immigration. Much of the financial burden has shifted to State and local governments.
Compounding the problem, Federal law requires hospital emergency rooms to accept and treat all patients in need of medical care, regardless of immigration status. Unfortunately, this mandate does not ensure that these hospitals receive adequate compensation for the care they provide. Recently, this growing problem in the Southwest has been exacerbated by the increasingly desperate measures taken by undocumented aliens to cross our border with Mexico.
The Local Emergency Health Services Reimbursement Act of 2002 would modify and extend federal funding to the States, local governments, and health care providers for medical costs that arise from the uncompensated treatment of illegal immigrants. Such funding previously flowed to all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories. In fiscal year 2000 alone, approximately 360 local jurisdictions across the United States applied for these Federal monies. However these funds expired in 2001, and States and local governments are now suffering as a result.
I have long worked to bolster enforcement against illegal immigration along our Southwest border, and I will continue to do so. However, I believe that States and local communities should not be left to foot the bill for what is a Federal responsibility. Although our bill gives special consideration to States with unusually high concentrations of illegal aliens and States with high concentrations of apprehended undocumented aliens, it would benefit communities across the Nation. As my colleagues know, illegal immigrants who successfully transit our Southwest border rapidly disperse throughout the United States. Although this situation is most critical in our border regions, if left unaddressed, it will surely become a national emergency. I hope the Senate will act expeditiously on this important legislation to alleviate those pressures by compensating State and local governments and health care providers for the costs they incur as unwitting hosts to undocumented aliens.
Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 3013
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Local Emergency Health Services Reimbursement Act of 2002''.
SEC. 2. FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT OF EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES
FURNISHED TO UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS.
Section 4723 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (8 U.S.C. 1611 note) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 4723. FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT OF EMERGENCY HEALTH
SERVICES FURNISHED TO UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS.
``(a) Total Amount Available for Allotment.--There is appropriated, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2003 through 2007, for the purpose of making allotments under this section to States described in paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (b).
``(b) State Allotments.--
``(1) Based on highest number of undocumented aliens.--
``(A) Determination of allotments.--
``(i) In general.--Out of the amount appropriated under subsection (a) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall use
$134,000,000 of such amount to compute an allotment for each such fiscal year for each of the 17 States with the highest number of undocumented aliens.
``(ii) Formula.--The amount of such allotment for each such State for a fiscal year shall bear the same ratio to the total amount available for allotments under this paragraph for the fiscal year as the ratio of the number of undocumented aliens in the State in the fiscal year bears to the total of such numbers for all such States for such fiscal year.
``(iii) Availability of funds.--The amount of an allotment provided to a State under this paragraph for a fiscal year that is not paid out under subsection (c) shall be available for payment during the subsequent fiscal year.
``(B) Data.--For purposes of subparagraph (A), the number of undocumented aliens in a State shall be determined based on estimates of the resident undocumented alien population residing in each State prepared by the Statistics Division of the Immigration and Naturalization Service as of October 1992
(or as of such later date if such date is at least 1 year before the beginning of the fiscal year involved).
``(2) Based on number of undocumented alien apprehension states.--
``(A) In general.--Out of the amount appropriated under subsection (a) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall use
$66,000,000 of such amount to compute an allotment for each such fiscal year for each of the 6 States with the highest number of undocumented alien apprehensions for such fiscal year.
``(B) Determination of allotments.--The amount of such allotment for each such State for a fiscal year shall bear the same ratio to the total amount available for allotments under this paragraph for the fiscal year as the ratio of the number of undocumented alien apprehensions in the State in the fiscal year bears to the total of such numbers for all such States for such fiscal year.
``(C) Data.--For purposes of this paragraph, the highest number of undocumented alien apprehensions for a fiscal year shall be based on the 4 most recent quarterly apprehension rates for undocumented aliens in such States, as reported by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
``(D) Availability of funds.--The amount of an allotment provided to a State under this paragraph for a fiscal year that is not paid out under subsection (c) shall be available for payment during the subsequent fiscal year.
``(3) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting a State that is described in both of paragraphs (1) and (2) from receiving an allotment under both such paragraphs for a fiscal year.
``(c) Use of Funds.--The Secretary shall pay, from the allotments made for a State under paragraphs (1) and, if applicable, (2) of subsection (b) for a fiscal year, to each State and directly to local governments, hospitals, or other providers located in the State (including providers of services received through an Indian Health Service facility whether operated by the Indian Health Service or by an Indian tribe or tribal organization (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act)) that provide uncompensated emergency health services furnished to undocumented aliens during that fiscal year, such amounts
(subject to the total amount available from such allotments) as the State, local governments, hospitals, or providers demonstrate were incurred for the provision of such services during that fiscal year.
``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Hospital.--The term `hospital' has the meaning given such term in section 1861(e) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(e)).
``(2) Provider.--The term `provider' includes a physician, any other health care professional licensed under State law, and any other entity that furnishes emergency health services, including ambulance services.
``(3) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
``(4) State.--The term `State' means the 50 States and the District of Columbia.
``(e) Entitlement.--This section constitutes budget authority in advance of appropriations Acts and represents the obligation of the Federal Government to provide for the payment of amounts provided under this section.''.
______
By Mr. CAMPBELL:
S. 3014. A bill for the relief of Jesus Raul Apodaca-Madrid and certain of his family members; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in Record.
There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 3014
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. PERMANENT RESIDENCE.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for purposes of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), Jesus Raul Apodaca-Madrid and the persons named in section 3, who are members of his family, shall be held and considered to have been lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence as of the date of enactment of this Act upon payment of the required visa fees.
SEC. 2. REDUCTION OF NUMBER OF AVAILABLE VISAS.
Upon the granting of permanent residence to Jesus Raul Apodaca-Madrid and the persons named in section 3, as provided in section 1, the Secretary of State shall instruct the proper officer to reduce by the appropriate number during the current fiscal year the total number of immigrant visas available to natives of the country of the aliens' birth under section 203(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(8 U.S.C. 1153(a)).
SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL BENEFICIARIES FOR RELIEF.
The family members of Jesus Raul Apodaca-Madrid named in this section are the following: Adan Apodaca-Bejarano, Maria de Jesus Madrid-Tarango, Francisco Javier Apodaca-Madrid, Alma Delia Apodaca-Madrid, Maria Isabel Apodaca-Madrid, Laura Apodaca-Madrid, and Luis Bernardo Chavez-Apodaca.
____________________
