Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Extension Act of 2007

Mr. President, energy is once again one of the top two or three domestic issues facing the Congress this year.

Prices for gasoline, heating oil, electricity, and natural gas have soared in recent years, hitting working families hard. Our energy security has been threatened on many fronts: We have seen a terrorist attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities, oil workers kidnapped in Nigeria, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened to cut off our supply of oil from his country, and some question whether Iran's role as an oil supplier keeps other countries from properly addressing Iran's nuclear proliferation threat. Recently we learned that Russia and Iran are talking about creating an OPEC-like organization for natural gas--a cartel that could put even more pressure on natural gas prices.

Energy provides one of America's greatest challenges for the 21st century. Our economy has been dependent on oil and coal for about 100 years. And since World War II, natural gas has become part of the equation. Will we continue to rely on these energy sources for the next 100 years?

The cost of energy will profoundly affect the future competitiveness of the American economy. As the Chinese and Indian economies grow, so will their demand for energy. And that will add further upward pressure to energy prices.

Global climate change is another issue that demands that we take a fresh look at our energy future. While we address the issue of energy security, we must also keep an eye on the effect that new energy development will have on carbon dioxide emissions and global warming.

We are essentially trapped in an energy box. It is a box characterized by high imports, wildly fluctuating prices for oil and natural gas, and environmental danger. As a Nation, we must experiment with ways to break out of that box. To break out, we need an energy research effort modeled after the Manhattan project, or the Apollo mission to the moon.

America has a brilliant record of gathering the best minds. We have consistently met challenges that at first seemed to be impossible. During World War II, the Manhattan project brought together brilliant physicists and engineers to build an atomic bomb in 3 short years. And after President Kennedy described his vision to a joint session of Congress in May of 1961, the Apollo space program put a man on the moon in just 8 years.

Looking back, these achievements look stunning. Both projects started out with no guarantee of success. Each could have ended in utter failure. Yet because of the talent, ingenuity, and focus of creative minds, they both succeeded.

Breaking out of the energy box poses a similar challenge. Success is not guaranteed. But we have got to give it our best shot.

Today I am reintroducing legislation to create an ARPA-E, Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy. My legislation would create a new energy research agency to help our nation face the challenges of a newly competitive global economy. It will help us to move into a new energy future.

We have the greatest research scientists on the planet. We have the most technically-talented workforce in

the world. But we do not have the vigor that we need in energy research. Energy research is a backwater, compared to other research efforts in biotechnology, medicine, computers, and defense-oriented projects.

With the Manhattan project and the Apollo space program, America proved that we can gather the best talent for a focused mission and succeed. It is time that we began a similar effort on energy.

We need to create a new agency to initiate cutting-edge, innovative energy research and development aimed at taking us to a new energy future. Doing so is essential to our effort to improve our economic competitiveness.

The new agency is modeled on DARPA--the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency--in the Department of Defense. Among the revolutionary technologies that DARPA has developed are the internet and stealth technology for aircraft. DARPA has been a tremendous success.

The National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine joined to form the Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of the 21st Century. Norm Augustine chaired the committee. Based on DARPA's achievements, the committee recommended the creation of an ARPA-E: Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy.

This was one of a number of recommendations that the committee made in its impressive 2005 report on the future competitive challenges that America faces. The committee recommended that ARPA-E be designed to conduct transformative, out-of-the-box energy research.

My bill proposes that ARPA-E be a small agency with a total of 250 people. A minimum of 180 of them would be technical staff. A director of the agency and four deputies would lead ARPA-E. I propose that ARPA- E be funded at $300 million in fiscal year 2008, $600 million in 2009, $1.1 billion in 2010, $1.5 billion in 2011, and $2.0 billion in 2012.

We would require that the staff have a technical background. The agency would use the Experimental Personnel Authority designed for DARPA. That authority authorizes higher salaries than for typical Federal employees, and faster hiring, so that the agency could get to work quickly.

To keep the intense, innovative focus that we want, technical staff would be limited to 3 to 4 years at the agency. Managers would be limited to 4 to 6 years. The director could give both groups extended terms of employment if the director so chose.

For contracts, the agency would use the DARPA procedure. That procedure allows more flexible contracting arrangements than are normally possible under the Federal Acquisition Regulations. To ensure that ARPA-E would conduct innovative research, 75 percent of research projects initiated by ARPA-E would not be peer reviewed.

The ARPA-E would be authorized to award cash prizes to encourage and accelerate energy research accomplishments.

Finally, the bill would require a report by the end of fiscal year 2008 on whether ARPA-E would need its own energy research lab.

Congress enacted an important companion piece to ARPA-E last December in the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006. That law extended the credit for electricity from renewable resources, added $400 million to the Clean Renewable Energy Bond program, extended the deduction for energy efficient buildings and the credit for energy efficient homes, and provided incentives for cellulosic biomass ethanol facilities.

On the energy agenda this year is consideration of President Bush's proposal to increase Federal targets for use of renewable and alternative fuels. And additional tax incentives to encourage the development and use of alternative energy are being contemplated.

We are seeing exciting new efforts in America to strengthen our energy competitiveness. We need to build on this foundation by creating an aggressive energy research agency that will push the limits of new technology and discover alternative energy sources.

America has massive coal reserves. So coal gasification is receiving greater attention. Gasification involves breaking down coal under heat and pressure to create synthetic natural gas. We must address the environmental issues. But if this technology can be improved, then America will be able to take a huge step toward energy independence.

There are exciting developments in wind energy. In Montana, the Judith Gap Wind Farm has been generating power at full capacity, using 90 wind turbines. Each turbine can produce enough electricity for roughly 400 homes. The entire farm can produce the electricity needed to supply 300,000 customers. And my State ranks in the top 15 States in the Nation for wind power capacity. Nationwide, wind power generating capacity increased 27 percent in 2006.

Fusion is another possible area where aggressive research could lead to huge payoffs. Continuing research will help us to determine whether energy production through fusion is a practical option.

Ethanol is also gaining as an alternative energy option. The Nation's first cellulosic ethanol pilot facility has opened in Jennings, Louisiana. This 1.4 million gallons-per-year, demonstration-scale facility will produce cellulosic ethanol from sugarcane plant residue and specially-bred energy cane by the end of 2007.

There are also exciting developments in nanotechnology, solar power, energy-efficient materials, biomass, and green buildings.

All of these are examples of possible directions for our Nation's energy future. But we need a more aggressive and focused research and development effort to push these alternatives. And we need an effort to create scientific breakthroughs to supplement existing technologies.

We have got to give it our best shot. As President Franklin Roosevelt said, we must conduct ``bold, persistent experimentation.''

Our economic security is at stake. Our ability to compete in the new world economy is at stake.

ARPA-E will help us to move forward on existing technologies. It will help us to find new technologies that are not even imaginable today.

I urge my Colleagues to look closely at this legislation.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, today I am pleased to be joined by the Senator from Maine, Ms. Collins, in introducing the reauthorization of the Automated Defibrillators in Adam's Memory Act, or the ADAM Act. This bill is modeled after the successful Project ADAM that originally began in Wisconsin, and will reauthorize a program to establish a national clearing house to provide schools with the ``how-to'' and technical advice to set up a public access defibrillation program.

Sudden cardiac death from coronary heart disease occurs over 900 times per

day in the United States. By improving access to automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, we can improve the survival rates of cardiac arrest in our communities.

In my home State of Wisconsin, as in many other States, heart disease is the number one killer. In 2004, 35.4 percent of all deaths in Wisconsin were caused by heart disease and stroke. Overall, heart disease kills more Americans than AIDS, cancer and accidents combined.

Cardiac arrest can strike anyone. Cardiac victims are in a race against time, and unfortunately, for too many of those in rural areas, Emergency Medical Services are unable to reach people in need, and time runs out. It's simply not possible to have EMS units next to every farm and small town across the Nation.

Fortunately, recent technological advances have made the newest generation of AEDs inexpensive and simple to operate. Because of these advancements in AED technology, it is now practical to train and equip police officers, teachers, and members of other community organizations.

An estimated 164,600 Americans experience out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests each year. Immediate CPR and early defibrillation using an AED can more than double a victim's chance of survival. By taking some relatively simple steps, we can give victims of cardiac arrest a better chance of survival.

Over the past 6 years, I have worked with Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, on a number of initiatives to empower communities to improve cardiac arrest survival rates. We have pushed Congress to support rural first responders--local police and fire and rescue services--in their efforts to provide early defibrillation. Congress heard our call, and responded by enacting two of our bills, the Rural Access to Emergency Devices Act and the ADAM Act.

The Rural Access to Emergency Devices program allows community partnerships across the country to receive a grant enabling them to purchase defibrillators, and receive the training needed to use these devices. I'm pleased to say that grants have already put defibrillators in rural communities in 49 States, helping those communities be better prepared when cardiac arrest strikes.

Approximately 95 percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital. Every minute that passes before a cardiac arrest victim is defibrillated, the chance of survival falls by as much as 10 percent. After only 8 minutes, the victim's survival rate drops by 60 percent. This is why early intervention is essential--a combination of CPR and use of AEDs can save lives.

Heart disease is not only a problem among adults. A few years ago I learned the story of Adam Lemel, a 17-year-old high school student and a star basketball and tennis player in Wisconsin. Tragically, during a timeout while playing basketball at a neighboring Milwaukee high school, Adam suffered sudden cardiac arrest, and died before the paramedics arrived.

This story is incredibly sad. Adam had his whole life ahead of him, and could quite possibly have been saved with appropriate early intervention. In fact, we have seen a number of examples in Wisconsin where early CPR and access to defibrillation have saved lives.

Seventy miles away from Milwaukee, a 14-year-old boy collapsed while playing basketball. Within 3 minutes, the emergency team arrived and began CPR. Within 5 minutes of his collapse, the paramedics used an AED to jump start his heart. Not only has this young man survived, doctors have identified his father and brother as having the same heart condition and have begun preventative treatments.

These stories help to underscore some important issues. First, although cardiac arrest is most common among adults, it can occur at any age--even in apparently healthy children and adolescents. Second, early intervention is essential--a combination of CPR and the use of AEDs can save lives. Third, some individuals who are at risk for sudden cardiac arrest can be identified to prevent cardiac arrest.

After Adam Lemel suffered his cardiac arrest, his friend David Ellis joined forces with Children's Hospital of Wisconsin to initiate Project ADAM to bring CPR training and public access defibrillation into schools, educate communities about preventing sudden cardiac deaths and save lives.

Today, Project ADAM has introduced AEDs into several Wisconsin schools, and has been a model for programs in Washington, Florida, Michigan and elsewhere. Project ADAM provides a model for the Nation, and now, with the enactment of this new law, more schools will have access to the information they seek to launch similar programs.

The ADAM Act was passed into law in 2003, but has yet to be funded. Should funding be enacted, the program will help to put life-saving defibrillators in the hands of people in schools around the country. I have been very proud to play a part in having this bill signed into law, and it is my hope that the reauthorization of the Act will quickly pass through the Congress and into law, and that funding will follow. It would not take much money to fund this program and save lives across the country.

The ADAM Act is one way we can honor the life of children like Adam Lemel, and give tomorrow's pediatric cardiac arrest victims a fighting chance at life.

This act exists because a family that experienced the tragic loss of their son was determined to spare other families that same loss. I thank Adam's parents, Joe and Patty, for their courageous efforts and I thank them for everything they have done to help the ADAM Act become law. Their actions take incredible bravery, and I commend them for their efforts.

By making sure that AEDs are available in our Nation's rural areas, schools and throughout our communities we can help those in a race against time have a fighting chance of survival when they fall victim to cardiac arrest. I urge Congress to pass this reauthorization, and to fund this Act. We have the power to prevent death--all we must do is act.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I come to the floor today to highlight the ongoing needs of our small businesses and homeowners in the gulf coast who were devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In Louisiana alone, these disasters claimed 1,464 lives, destroyed more than 200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses and inflicted $25 billion in uninsured losses. Many of my colleagues here in the Senate have been down to Louisiana and have seen firsthand the size and scope of the destruction. The Congress has been very generous in providing billions of Federal recovery dollars as well as valuable Gulf Opportunity, GO, Zone tax incentives to help spur recovery in the region. These resources will be key in the recovery of the region but there are additional needs on the ground that still must be addressed. That is why I am proud to introduce a bill today, the Catastrophic Disaster Recovery Improvements Act of 2007, which I believe, addresses a specific problem which is impacting homeowners throughout the gulf coast.

Katrina was the most destructive hurricane ever to hit the United States. The next month, in September, Hurricane Rita hit the Louisiana and Texas coast. It was the second most powerful hurricane ever to hit the United States, wreaking havoc on the southwestern part of my State and the east Texas coast. This one-two punch devastated Louisiana lives, communities and jobs, stretching from Cameron Parish in the west to Plaquemines Parish in the east.

We are now rebuilding our State and the wide variety of communities that were devastated by Rita and Katrina, areas representing a diverse mix of population, income and cultures. We hope to restore the region's uniqueness and its greatness. To do that, we need to rebuild our local economies now and far into the future. We cannot succeed, however, if our homeowners are being buried under Federal red tape and regulations.

The people who work for the Small Business Administration and FEMA are dedicated and interested to help in the recovery of our region. However, these individuals are operating under a system which is inadequate and, in some cases, unresponsive to needs on the ground.

I come to the floor today to introduce a bill which provides a commonsense solution to get the Federal assistance to our struggling homeowners. If we don't help them now, building a strong gulf coast will be all the more difficult if residents cannot rebuild their homes and businesses cannot open their doors.

For homeowners in Louisiana, the State is doing its part by setting up the Louisiana Road Home program, to provide homeowners with up to $150,000 in grant proceeds for uninsured losses on their properties. This program is State-administered, but supplemental CDBG-funded. However, many applicants are concerned because under the Stafford and Small Business Acts, the SBA is required to ensure there are no ``duplication of benefits'' provided to disaster victims. This means that SBA must review every file which received an SBA Disaster Loan, and if there is deemed to be duplication, deduct the

duplication amount from the grant proceeds. As I said, I want the SBA to ensure taxpayers funds are used wisely, but at the same time, I want to ensure that all residents are able to get the funds they need to rebuild their homes.

Under the current scenario, some residents who have additional uninsured losses, are being required to still pay back these grant proceeds. This is because many SBA loss inspections were done right after the storms in 2005, but since then building/labor costs have increased dramatically, and this is not reflected in the SBA verified loss. Borrowers are able to request a loan modification from SBA, but many residents who waited months and months for SBA to respond are wary to go through the process again, especially if there is a prospect they will be declined for the increased loan amount. I can't blame them because there is enough uncertainty down there right now. Personally, I would also be hesitant to go through the SBA loan process again if I had to fill out as much paperwork as my constituents have had to fill out, and to receive constant requests for more information once they think they are done with submitting information.

For this reason, this bill provides the SBA administrator the flexibility to waive, partially or fully at the discretion of the administrator, this ``duplication of benefits'' rule. This provides borrowers with additional funds for rebuilding while retaining the Federal Government's financial responsibility to taxpayers. I believe this commonsense fix for major disasters corrects a major problem occurring in Louisiana right now and gives SBA some flexibility for future major disasters. The current SBA interpretation of these regulations overlooks the fact that a grant, with no repayment, has a different value to homeowners than loans, which require repayment. In effect, disaster victims are being penalized for getting an SBA loan before they received their Road Home grant and that is not how the Federal Government should respond to victims, who in many cases, lost everything. We should not allow victims to ``double-dip'' or benefit from the disaster, but the Federal Government should be responsive to needs on the ground and adjust as necessary to allow disaster victims to fully recover.

In introducing this bill today, I am hopeful it sends the signal to gulf coast residents that Congress has not forgotten about them and that we are doing our part to reduce red tape and bureaucracy. Congress did a great deal during the 109th Congress to help victims of the 2005 storms, but that does not mean we should just write off recurring problems to the responsibility of States or disaster victims themselves. I believe that both the leadership on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship as well as the new SBA administrator, Steve Preston, are receptive to addressing ongoing needs in the gulf coast. I look forward to working closely with them in the coming weeks to provide substantive and lasting solutions for our small businesses and homeowners.

I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation and ask unanimous consent that the text of the legislation be printed in the record.

Mr. President, I have sought recognition to introduce legislation along with my colleague from Pennsylvania, Senator Casey, that will honor the importance of the steel industry in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Nation by creating the ``Steel Industry National Historic Site'' to be operated by the National Park Service in southwestern Pennsylvania.

The importance of the steel industry to the development of the United States cannot be overstated. A national historic site devoted to the history of the steel industry will afford all Americans the opportunity to celebrate this rich heritage, which is symbolic of the work ethic endemic to this great nation. The National Park Service has reported that Congress should make remnants of the U.S. Steel Homestead Works an affiliate of the national park system, rather than a full national park, an option which had been considered in years prior, and which I proposed in the 107th Congress. Due to the backlog of maintenance projects at national parks, the legislation offered today instead creates a national historic site that would be affiliated with the National Park Service. There is no better place for such a site than in southwestern Pennsylvania, which played a significant role in early industrial America and continues today.

I have long supported efforts to preserve and enhance the historical steel-related heritage through the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area, which includes the city of Pittsburgh, and seven southwestern Pennsylvania counties: Allegheny; Armstrong, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland. I have sought and been very pleased with congressional support for the important work within the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area expressed through appropriations levels of roughly $1 million annually since fiscal year 1998. I am hopeful that this support will continue. However, more than just resources are necessary to ensure the historical recognition needed for this important heritage. That is why I am introducing this legislation today.

It is important to note why Pennsylvania should be the home of the national site that my legislation authorizes. The combination of a strong workforce, valuable natural resources, and Pennsylvania's strategic location in the heavily populated northeastern United States allowed the steel industry to thrive. Today, the remaining buildings and sites devoted to steel production are threatened with further deterioration. Many of these sites are nationally significant and perfectly suited for the study and interpretation of this crucial period in our Nation's development. Some of these sites include the Carrie Furnace Complex, the Hot Metal Bridge, and the United States Steel Homestead Works, which would all become a part of the Steel Industry National Historic Site under my legislation. As testimony of the area's historic significance, on September 20, 2006, the Carrie Furnaces were designated as a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior.

Highlights of such a national historic site would commemorate a wide range of accomplishments and topics for historical preservation and interpretation from industrial process advancements to labor-management relations. It is important to note that the site I seek to become a national site under this bill includes the location of the Battle of the Homestead, waged in 1892 between steelworkers and Pinkerton guards. The Battle of the Homestead marked a crucial period in our nation's workers' rights movement. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, individuals, and public and private entities have attempted to protect and preserve resources such as the Homestead battleground the Hot Metal Bridge. For the benefit and inspiration of present and future generations, it is time for the Federal Government to join this effort to recognize their importance with the additional protection I provide in this bill.

I would like to commend my colleague, Representative Doyle, who has been a longstanding leader in this preservation effort and who has consistently sponsored identical legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. I look forward to working with southwestern Pennsylvania officials and Mr.

August Carlino, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Steel Industry Heritage Corporation, in order to bring this national historic site to fruition. We came very close to passing this bill in the 108th Congress with its passage in various forms in the House and the Senate. However, Congress adjourned prior to final passage of the same bill in both chambers during the 108th and l09th Congresses. Therefore, today we reintroduce this legislation and urge its swift passage.

Mr. President, on behalf of myself and Senator Lincoln, I rise today to introduce the ``Good Samaritan Hunger Relief Tax Incentive Extension Act of 2007''. This important legislation extends and expands the food bank donation provisions that were included in the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-280). The Pension Protection Act allows farmers and small business owners to receive a tax deduction for donation of food products contributed to food banks, pantries and homeless shelters for 2006 and 2007.

The new law permits businesses a deduction from their taxes for a donation equal to either (1) twice cost basis; or (2) the difference of cost basis plus one half the difference between cost basis and fair market value. Food donations of all sizes from all businesses can qualify for this type of donation. The bill that I am introducing today increases the valuation to full market value of the donation and makes this provision a permanent part of the Internal Revenue Code.

Demand on food banks has been rising, and these tax deductions would be an important step in increasing private donations to the non-profit hunger relief charities playing a critical role in meeting America's nutrition needs. It is estimated that food banks provide meals to more than 23 million Americans and that 13 million children are hungry or at risk of hunger.

As I have traveled around Indiana, I have visited many food banks in our State. They have confirmed the results of a study by the U.S. Conference of Mayors that showed demand for food at food banks has risen one hundred percent. Forty-eight percent of the people requesting emergency food assistance are either children or their parents. The number of elderly persons requesting food assistance has increased by ninety-two percent. The success of welfare reform legislation has moved many recipients off welfare and into jobs. In many States, welfare roles have been reduced by more than half. But we need to recognize that these individuals and their families are living on modest wages. As unemployment rates have risen, as with the fluctuation of the price of gas and heating oil, the demand placed on the food banks and soup kitchens has also increased.

Private food banks provide a key safety net against hunger. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 31 million Americans are living on the edge of hunger. USDA statistics show that up to 96 billion pounds of food go to waste each year in the United States. If a small percentage of this wasted food could be redirected to food banks, we could make important strides in our fight against hunger.

I have been especially impressed by the remarkable work of food banks in Indiana. In many cases, they are partnered with churches and faith- based organizations and are making a tremendous difference in our communities. We should support this private sector activity, which not only feeds people, but also strengthens community bonds and demonstrates the power of faith, charity, and civic involvement.

Each citizen can make an important contribution to the fight against hunger at a local level. It is important to make sure that none of us forget those who find themselves having to utilize the services of the food banks. In order to ensure that hunger relief organizations are meeting the greater demand they are seeing, we must make food drives a part of everyday activities. People should get in the habit of buying extra cans or boxes of food on every trip to the grocery store, not just around the holiday season.

I am committed to work with Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member Grassley to find an offset to pay for this change to the tax code. I would like to thank them for their past support of this initiative and commend them on their efforts in helping America's charities meet their funding goals, and assist those individuals who take advantage of the services provided by these groups.

I believe the enactment of this legislation would be a great incentive in redirecting this food from being discarded to being distributed to hungry families.