Fairness For Breastfeeding Mothers Act of 2017

Mr. President, today I am introducing the State Flood Mitigation Revolving Fund Act of 2017 along with Senators Kennedy and Menendez.

The purpose of this bill is to reduce flood risk and the costs associated with flooding by establishing a State revolving loan program to fund mitigation projects for homeowners, businesses, and communities. This includes activities such as home elevations, flood proofing, acquisitions, and environmental restoration. By funding projects that reduce risk, the bill also provides an avenue to help middle-income and low-income property owners reduce their flood insurance premiums.

Mr. President, flooding is the most common and costly hazard facing American property owners. Every year, we are reminded of this when we see catastrophic flooding in communities across the country. Since 2010, my home State of Rhode Island has experienced two Presidentially- declared flooding disasters, which have cost the Federal government over $86 million in payments from the National Flood Insurance Program. Nationally, disasters like these have caused FEMA to pay out an average of nearly $3 billion a year in flood insurance claims over the last five years--not to mention the billions in disaster payments for uninsured damage.

Almost universally, experts remind us that the best way to reduce the cost of flooding is to engage in proactive, not reactive, flood mitigation. This is what the State Flood Mitigation Revolving Fund Act seeks to do.

Modeled on the successful Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, this bill creates a straightforward and easily accessible program through which States can offer low-interest loans to homeowners, businesses, and communities who want to mitigate their flood risk. By creating a revolving fund, the bill will allow States to design and more efficiently implement their own flood mitigation strategies provided that they help achieve Federal objectives such as reducing disaster payments.

Within this construct, the bill gives States the flexibility to undertake flood mitigation projects without the red tape associated with other Federal disaster mitigation programs. The bill requires state to provide a match of 20 percent, but they would have an incentive to further leverage Federal dollars, as many already do under the drinking water and clean water SRFs.

Additionally, the bill ensures mitigation assistance is focused on where the flood risk is greatest and where people are most vulnerable. The bill requires States to prioritize mitigation assistance for low- income homeowners and geographic areas, pre-FIRM buildings, and severe repetitive loss and repetitive loss buildings. Finally, it gives States the option of providing additional subsidization for low-income property-owners and-communities that simply do not have the wherewithal to assume additional debt.

Mr. President, as we talk about appropriate investments in infrastructure, mitigation is one place where we should be putting our money. FEMA reports that every $1 we spend on mitigation generates $4 in future savings. Not only will this legislation lead to a healthy return on investment, it will

also create jobs through the work it funds

I invite my colleagues to join me, Senator Kennedy, and Senator Menendez in supporting this legislation.

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

Mr. President, as a father of four and a traveling family, I know how important and challenging it is for nursing mothers to find a space to care for and feed their children. As our society and economy becomes ever more transient, we need to provide spaces for mothers on the go and ease their return to the workforce. Last Congress, I helped ensure the Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Act became law, which eased the burden traveling mothers experienced. We need to continue easing this burden and expand facilities in public buildings.

Federal agencies, under current law, are required to provide space for nursing mothers to pump breastmilk for their newborns. Additionally, General Services Administration requires installation of these spaces for all newly constructed federal buildings, as well as those undergoing modernizations. These rooms are a simple hygienic place, other than a bathroom, that are shielded from view, free from intrusion, contain a chair, a table surface, and an electrical outlet. This is good policy and should be extended to the public when visiting Federal facilities for business or other purposes.

That is why I am introducing the Fairness For Breastfeeding Mothers Act. This legislation would simply extend the use of these facilities in public buildings to visitors, ensuring all mothers can continue to care for their children.

I want to thank Senator Merkley for being the Democrat lead as well as Congresswoman Norton's lead in the House of Representatives. I ask my Senate colleagues to join us in support of this important legislation.

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

Mr. President, as a father of four and a traveling family, I know how important and challenging it is for nursing mothers to find a space to care for and feed their children. As our society and economy becomes ever more transient, we need to provide spaces for mothers on the go and ease their return to the workforce. Last Congress, I helped ensure the Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Act became law, which eased the burden traveling mothers experienced. We need to continue easing this burden and expand facilities in public buildings.

Federal agencies, under current law, are required to provide space for nursing mothers to pump breastmilk for their newborns. Additionally, General Services Administration requires installation of these spaces for all newly constructed federal buildings, as well as those undergoing modernizations. These rooms are a simple hygienic place, other than a bathroom, that are shielded from view, free from intrusion, contain a chair, a table surface, and an electrical outlet. This is good policy and should be extended to the public when visiting Federal facilities for business or other purposes.

That is why I am introducing the Fairness For Breastfeeding Mothers Act. This legislation would simply extend the use of these facilities in public buildings to visitors, ensuring all mothers can continue to care for their children.

I want to thank Senator Merkley for being the Democrat lead as well as Congresswoman Norton's lead in the House of Representatives. I ask my Senate colleagues to join us in support of this important legislation.

Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce, along with the senior Senator from California, Senator Feinstein, the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Act. This bill would establish an American women's history museum in our Nation's capital.

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