[Pages S9427-S9433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

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

[[Page S9428]]

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.

[[Page S9429]]

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

[[Page S9430]]

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:

[From the New York Times, Sept. 20, 2002]

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.

[[Page S9431]]

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,

[[Page S9432]]

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

[[Page S9433]]

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.

____________________