Floor Statements

Mr. President, how much time is remaining?

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for 30 seconds, please, and to have the same amount of time added to the other side.

Mr. President, this is the right compromise on the estate tax at the right time. It is going to bring order to this tax that should be paid. It is about what Kent Conrad has done, by generating a budget that generates surpluses, enabling us to give tax relief, so we can give tax relief to small businesses and farms and people who have built their businesses. That is what this amendment does: a $5 million exemption, a 35-percent rate, and we will continue to take it down as the money comes forward to do so.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, though I am not sure if that motion has gone through, I wanted to ask the leaders, who have managed this bill so well, if they are familiar with amendment Nos. 295 and 296, relative to very urgent requests by the Gulf Coast States, one for loan forgiveness and one for the 10-percent waiver? Are the two leaders willing to say they are both supportive of these amendments and will continue to try over the weekend to get both these amendments up by unanimous consent?

I thank the Senator for his support.

I yield.

I thank the Senator.

Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the majority leader for those words and for him restating publicly and unequivocally his commitment to getting this job done, not just for the people of Louisiana but for the people of the gulf coast. We have spent a lot of time on the floor, as the majority leader knows, talking about rebuilding other places in the world. The leader is correct, and the Democratic caucus is

leading to try to redirect some of that attention to right here at home.

We have over 30 million people who live on the gulf coast right now, today, this Friday. The work of rebuilding is being thwarted, is being hampered, is being delayed by outmoded, unrealistic Federal regulations and bureaucratic redtape that is choking this recovery.

Now, normally this redtape is a nuisance. We work through it. It is inconvenient. It is a nuisance. But we just sort of move through the redtape of Government. But in this case, it is literally a noose that is around the necks of people, of business owners, large and small, family members--strangling their efforts to recover their communities that were devastated.

Just to put some pieces in the picture I am trying to paint, I would like to just share some details about Cameron Parish. You do not hear much about Cameron Parish because there are only 9,658 people who live there. We hear a lot about New Orleans. We hear a lot about Jefferson Parish. We hear a lot about even St. Bernard Parish. But little Cameron Parish, down on the southwest border, that was directly hit by Rita, the ``forgotten storm.'' We have not. The legislative delegation from Louisiana has not forgotten it, but many others fail to remember it.

Cameron Parish lost five fire stations, four community recreation centers, four public libraries, three maintenance barns, two parish multipurpose buildings, Courthouse Circle; Cameron Parish Police Jury Annex Building--destroyed; Cameron Parish Sheriff's Department Investigative Office--destroyed. The health unit was destroyed. The school board office was destroyed. The mosquito control barn was destroyed. And the waterworks district No. 10 office was destroyed. Virtually every public building was destroyed, except the courthouse, which was built in the early part of the century. It is several stories high, and it sort of shines white on the coast. If you flew over it, you could actually see it. It is quite large, and many people's lives have actually been saved by going to the courthouse during storms, where they have been kept from the high water. But everything else in the parish is gone. This little parish can no more put up a 10-percent match to rebuild four libraries, all their schools, than the man in the moon.

Now, normally, if the hurricane was not so bad, the State of Louisiana, which is a big State--not huge, but we are not small, we are medium-sized--would be strong enough to step up, give Cameron Parish the 10 percent of each of these very important public works for the 10,000 people or so who live there. But the problem is, Katrina and Rita were so devastating to the whole State that our State is not strong enough.

That is why we have a Federal Government. When the State is not strong enough, because of the storms, the Nation steps up. I am asking the President of the United States to step up and use his authority to waive this 10-percent match so the people of Cameron and the people right next door to them on the Texas line who were equally hard hit and the people to the right of them on the map--the good people of Mississippi--there are towns in Mississippi that lost every school, every library. The State of Mississippi will have a difficult time as well. But the State of Louisiana is having an unusually difficult time because of the devastation.

I want to say again--because I think numbers can paint a picture or tell a story better than even words can--the per capita damage to Florida from Hurricane Andrew was $139. The per capita damage to the State of New York was $390 from the attacks on the World Trade Center. These two events were unprecedented and unheard of. Most storms are like $20 per capita, $50 per capita. They hardly ever go over $50 per capita.

When Hurricane Andrew came through, it really woke us up to the poor people of Florida. It wrecked Homestead, FL, and was a great weight for the State of Florida. But we all pitched in and helped, and this match was waived.

When 9/11 hit, it shook the foundations of this Nation. It also shook the great city of New York. But it was waived, and we all pitched in and helped.

Here we have Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and we sit here wondering: Where is the Government? Where is the President? Where is the minority's thinking on this subject? Our per capita damage is $6,700. It defies anything we have ever seen.

Our State has been asking for this 10 percent reduction for 18 months. Do we have to keep asking for it? Do we have to keep supplying data like this? What is it going to take to get them to understand if there was ever a situation where the 10 percent should be waived, if there was ever an example like Cameron Parish, this is it.

So this amendment is pending. It is being opposed by an undisclosed person. But the minority is opposing it. I will meet the minority more than halfway. I am asking the administration, please, over the weekend, to reconsider. Let us get this done on this bill. Every day, every week counts. If we cannot, the majority leader has said--and I, of course, will support the effort, and many of the members of this caucus are supporting it--we will do it on the supplemental. The problem is, it will take us weeks. Perhaps the supplemental will run into a veto threat. Who knows? Because there are lots of issues that are going to come up on that supplemental. But this issue is clear. It could be easily fixed on this bill. I am going to work through the weekend to see if we can find any kind of compromise that could give a green light to the people of Cameron Parish. Let me say that even without that light, we visited Cameron Parish several times. Their little girls' softball team that was in contention when the storm hit went on to win the championship. Without a cafeteria, without a school, without a gym to practice, with most of their teachers' homes underwater and their own homes underwater, and most of them living in trailers or in tents, this team went on to win the championship. So when people say that people in Louisiana don't have resilience, we are being as resilient as we possibly can be under these circumstances. All we are asking is to please look at the data, please consider our case and allow us to get this 10 percent waiver so that the public works can move forward on fire stations, police stations, libraries, and infrastructure, most certainly essential to communities rebuilding. As we rebuild, we are rebuilding on higher ground. We are rebuilding with better building materials. We are mitigating against future storms. We are not building in the old-fashioned ways. But if this 10 percent doesn't get waived, we are not going to be building new or old or otherwise. We won't be building.

As I said, we may not be a fancy coast, but we are America's energy coast. We are proud of the fish that we bring in right off of Cameron Parish. We are proud of the shipping industry. We are proud of the ship channel that brings liquefied natural gas to keep the lights on in this Chamber and sends gas to New York and Philadelphia and California every day.

This is Cameron Parish. They are not sunbathing down in Cameron Parish. Yet we can't find it out of the goodwill of our hearts--we are spending all of this money to rebuild Iraq, and I have 10,000 people down on the coast. Does anybody remember they are Americans, taxpaying Americans with no libraries, no schools, and no possible way to put up their 10 percent match because they lost everything? I would think that somewhere in this trillion-dollar budget and maybe in the heart of the minority they could find some room for the people of Cameron Parish. Please consider our request over this weekend to get this 10 percent waived.

I thank the Chair.

I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I rise for the purpose of speaking about two amendments. I wish to say that I really appreciate the efforts of the Senator from Connecticut and the Senator from Maine, who have literally been on this floor all day. As you can tell, the Senator from Maine has been struggling with a cold through the week. She has been as brave as she can, trying to get this important bill passed even though she doesn't feel at her best. The Senator from Connecticut has been working hard.

For some reason, we just can't seem to get a vote on two amendments that are very important to Louisiana. These amendments have been cosponsored by Senator Vitter, of course, from the State of Louisiana, and myself. Both of these amendments have been cleared on the Democratic side now for some time. We continue to have opposition, and we are not even sure where the opposition is coming from because the person who is holding it or the reasons cannot be made clear publicly, so I am not exactly sure what the opposition is to these two amendments.

I thought, while we were pondering about what to do, I would just talk again about what these amendments do and why they are so important.

Amendment No. 295

The first amendment is amendment No. 295, which has been pending for 2 weeks. I understand some colleagues may want to vote no. That most certainly is their prerogative. I bring this amendment to the floor with many cosponsors, Democrats and Republicans, but it is being held up on the Republican side tonight. It has been cleared on the Democratic side.

This amendment is to allow a waiver of the 10-percent match that has been required of Katrina and Rita recovery efforts. The reason we are asking that, as this board very dramatically shows, is the scale of this disaster is so far above any disaster, natural or otherwise, that we have experienced in this country that without this relief, the recovery is in jeopardy. That is not just because of the amount of money that has to be put up by local governments that are struggling to literally barely keep the lights on but also because of the redtape involved in this required match.

I understand the principle of a match. In principle, I agree that when you have a disaster, the local area and the State should put up some money and the Federal Government should

pick up the bulk of it. That is normally what is done. But as you can see here, for Hurricane Andrew, which was the most expensive storm prior to Katrina and Rita, the per capita impact was $139. The per capita impact was $139 for Hurricane Andrew. In the World Trade Center attacks, which, of course, were not a natural disaster but a terrorist attack, it was $390 per capita. But for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the first and third most costly storms in the history of the Nation, the per capita hit to Louisiana is $6,700. That is to say that, literally, this storm is off the chart. We have never attempted to recover from a disaster such as this, and the tools we have are insufficient. They were insufficient the day before the storms hit. They were insufficient the day after the storm hit. Eighteen months later, they are still insufficient.

We have made some progress but not nearly enough progress. It is not just the amount of money, which is a staggering amount--$110 billion-- but most of that money, because it was sent through poorly designed bureaucracies, never reached the end. Part of it was siphoned off by contractors who made huge profits at the expense of the victims of the storm. I can go on and on. There have been well-documented failures.

The bottom line is the recovery is still underway, and it is being hampered tonight--today--because this 10 percent match is being required. It is our State's No. 1 request of this Congress, and it is justified. It has been done in the past. It was done for Hurricane Andrew. It was done for the World Trade Center attacks. Why would anyone on the Republican side of this Senate tonight hold up an amendment that would give us the same coverage or same treatment? Not any more. We are not asking for anything more than what has been done-- for Louisiana and for Mississippi and for Florida, which were extremely hard hit in the last hurricane seasons.

We have over 23,000 project work orders pending. Every one of those project work orders in all of the parishes and counties that were hard hit--23,000 is a lot of requests--every single one needs to have a 10- percent match, which requires certain reviews. Sometimes they are done by one Federal agency. Sometimes they are done by another Federal agency. It is slowing down the recovery. Every day this recovery is slowed down, every day this redtape persists--it is normally a nuisance. Normally, redtape is a nuisance in normal, regular life in America. In the gulf, it is a noose. It is strangling people. It is sucking the life out of them.

We cannot rebuild under these conditions. The storm was too great. The disaster was too big. The damage was too broad. We are not saying we can't rebuild and are not willing to use some of our own money, but we cannot come up with this 10 percent match, particularly under the conditions which the current law requires. It must be changed. As I said, the tools that were given to us are insufficient. I promise, as sure as I am standing here, when this 10 percent is waived and these projects go forward and the gulf coast rebuilds, the taxes generated from this region will more than pay back the money that has come to us over time.

This storm, hopefully, will not hit again for another hundred years or 50 years. There are 50 years of good work and a hundred years of good work. By that time, we will have a lot of our wetlands and levees rebuilt. So it is in some ways like a temporary loan, if you will, to over 30 million people who live in the gulf coast, to say: We believe in you, we know you can rebuild, we know you can create these jobs, so get about the business of doing it, and the country will benefit in the long run.

That is what one of the amendments does. For some reason--I want to make it perfectly clear tonight, this amendment has been cleared on the Democratic side--It is being held up. I don't know why or by whom.

I thank Senator Coburn publicly because he had some concerns about this amendment but, with a very appropriate modification to the amendment which says that this loan forgiveness will sunset 2 years after it goes into effect-- he had some objection to it going on indefinitely. Senator Vitter and I accepted that amendment to this amendment. So his objections have been met.

Senator Sessions had some concerns. His objections have been met.

There is some other hold on it. I just wanted to speak publicly, again, about the importance of getting this 10 percent waived. Again, it was done for Hurricane Andrew and it was done for the World Trade Center towers. You can see the scope of this disaster for the people of the gulf coast.

Amendment No. 296

The second amendment, briefly, which is an amendment I offered with Senator Vitter and others--and we have Republican and Democratic colleagues on this amendment--is a loan forgiveness amendment. This is a very touchy point for us on the gulf coast. I wish I had this list blown up. I do not. Of course no one can read it because it is too small to be seen, but we will get it blown up as soon as we can.

What I am holding here is a list of loans that have been taken out. This is just for Louisiana, but there is a Mississippi list just like this. There are community disaster loans that are taken out, like for the city of Harahan, the city of New Orleans, St. Bernard Parish, St. Bernard Parish School, Cameron Parish, which was almost totally destroyed. Of course, when these parishes are almost totally destroyed, they cannot go to banks to borrow money. No bank will lend it to them. The only people they can borrow from is themselves--the Federal Government. We lend money to communities all the time, and we lend money to them under longstanding practices. This has been going on way before I got to the Senate--for decades. Sometimes those loans are forgiven, and sometimes they are not forgiven. It is up to the administration, the agency, to evaluate. If you can repay the loans, then you repay them. If you can't, you do not.

Last year, or 18 months ago, when we had this tragedy happen to us, under the last Congress we had many Republicans who supported our effort but not quite enough because there was a group in the House, led by sort of a conservative caucus over there, that said this: We will lend you money, but we are taking away your right to have repayment waived even if you deserve to have it waived. Even if your situation is worse than that of anybody else we have ever seen, we are removing that right.

I objected then; I did not think it was right. But we were voted down. So we have lived under this new rule, which was made only for Mississippi and Louisiana, because when the act was passed 18 months ago, over my strenuous objection, everything in the future could be forgiven, everything in the past had the option to be forgiven, but for the good people of Mississippi and Louisiana, for some reason we were carved out, to say: We will lend you the money, but you will pay it back no matter what. I objected to it then, and I object to it tonight.

The amendment Senator Vitter and I have submitted is to just put us back where everybody else is--not any more, not any less. Just give us the option to have these loans forgiven. Many of these loans will be paid back. They are substantial loans. Some of them are $120 million, some of them are $2 million, some of them are $22 million. Some are just $100,000 loans, depending on what a sheriff or school board needed. But, again, this disaster was unprecedented in American history. Many of these loans will be paid back, but that is for the administration to decide. If they believe these entities in Mississippi and Louisiana cannot repay these loans, then they will waive them. But under the current laws, as passed in the last Congress--particularly driven by a group on the House side--that forgiveness option was removed.

The two amendments are to waive the 10 percent, which we think is justified--more than justified--by this chart and many other facts that have been submitted to the record--and to go back to the regular routine law that says: If you borrow money you, of course, must pay it back. But if you cannot, we retain the option to forgive you. That is all we are asking for Gulfport, for Biloxi, for Pascagoula, for New Orleans, for Cameron, for Creole, for little cities--Thibodaux and Houma and cities that have borrowed money that might be able to pay it back, but then again they might not.

For the millions of people who live on the gulf coast, we may not be a fancy coast like the east coast or the west coast, but we are a working coast, and we are proud of it. We are fighting hard to come back, and we are contributing as much money as we can to the effort. People are working hard--wealthy, middle-income, and poor people, Black and White, Hispanic and Asian are working hard to come back.

We cannot come back if the rules keep changing for us. If the hurdles get higher, we cannot jump them. Leave them the same as everyone else, and we will be happy to rebuild our communities. We are building them stronger and smarter than ever before.

But when you have had most of your schools destroyed, most of your libraries destroyed, most of your universities damaged, it is an unbelievable situation to have to come back from. I know we have some work to do on many items. But at least the Federal Government can keep the rule book the same for everybody. We are happy to play by those rules.

On behalf of the people I represent, I strongly object to these new rules that are placed on us, for taking away options that others have enjoyed and used for their benefit. I am reminded of the disaster in North Dakota, Grand Forks. I did not visit North Dakota, but I have heard a lot about it. I have read about it.

That town of 50,000 was just about destroyed by the water that came through. Because there was a little different attitude in Washington, Grand Forks has been rebuilt. It is bigger than it was. It is stronger than it was. The people have their jobs back. That is what the Federal Government is about. The Federal Government should have the same attitude with the people in Louisiana and Mississippi in our time of need.

We most certainly can afford this after spending $400 billion helping 23 million people who live in Iraq achieve democracy. We most certainly can support 30 million people to keep the democracy they have and have had for 226 years.

I hope tomorrow morning, when I come back to this floor, these amendments have been cleared on the Republican side of the aisle. If not, at least the person who is holding it up will have the guts to come to the floor and debate me on it and let us have a vote. I am happy to have a vote. I am happy to debate. If my colleagues, after hearing this, say: Senator, you are just wrong, the facts are not on your side, then I am fine. I would lose the vote.

But please let the people of Louisiana and Mississippi have a chance. That is why I guess we are stopped, because we cannot get a vote on these two amendments. They are not that complicated. I think people understand them. I hope we can get these two amendments passed. If someone has strong objections, I am happy to stay here tonight to debate. I will come early in the morning. I will stay all weekend. I do not have to go anywhere this weekend. I am happy to stay and talk about it for as long as I need to.

I tried to speak about it privately with my colleagues. Now I am doing it rather publicly. I wanted to express that and let people know all the facts as I know them. I hope we can get these amendments voted on sometime tomorrow.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, as my State and the rest of the Gulf Coast work to get back on their feet and rebuild their lives and their communities, we look to the future. We look forward to stronger levees, a more responsive FEMA, a better medical system, and a better school system. We look to our children--because they are the future--and we are striving to build the best school system in the country. We are in the middle of a remarkable period in Louisiana--and our schools are at the center. Our schools are re-opening and developing in new and innovative ways. There is a wonderful partnership with our institutions of higher learning, who are throwing themselves into not only rebuilding themselves but into standing up this new school system.

But key to this new school system are the people who make it work day after day--our teachers, our principals, our aides--and it is vital that we recruit, retain, and maintain all of the excellent individuals who are dedicated to our children and the future.

That is why, today, I am so very proud to introduce the Landrieu- Kennedy-Reid RENEWAAL Act of 2007.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita not only damaged or destroyed 840 schools in Louisiana, but dozens more throughout the Gulf Coast. As the 176,000 displaced elementary and secondary school students and their families begin to return, what was a need to rebuild these schools and bring in new teachers has become an emergency. The RENEWAAL Act will help solve a significant crisis in New Orleans--there are simply not enough talented teachers in the city to educate the 29,000 children the system must serve. In January, the New Orleans Recovery School District was forced to ``wait-list'' 300 students, in large part because they simply could not find or encourage enough teachers to come to the region to teach them.

As the region continues to struggle and to grow, so will the need to bring more teachers to the Gulf Coast. The Louisiana Recovery Authority estimates that 12,000 teachers were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Public

schools in New Orleans will need an additional 750 teachers by fall 2007 to accommodate the daily surge in enrollment. Some of the district's high schools have student-to-teacher ratios surpassing 36 to 1. Jefferson Parish currently has a shortage of about 60 teachers. Parishes like St. Bernard and Cameron have managed to hold down student-to-teacher ratios only because they've increased the local tax burden on an already stretched population to the breaking point, even though just a small portion of their schools have reopened. The future of the Gulf Coast lies in the rebuilding of its middle class; the future of the middle class in any community is in its schools.

The RENEWAAL Act provides up to $254 million over 5 years in salary supplements, housing assistance and loan forgiveness for certified elementary and secondary school teachers and leaders who commit to serving the Hurricane Katrina and Rita affected areas for a minimum of 3 years. The Act provides annual salary bonuses starting at $7,000 per year for teachers and leaders, increasing with experience, a proven track record of success in an urban district or use the opportunity to return to their home district to help. RENEWAAL also provides student loan forgiveness of up to $7000 per year and housing assistance of up to $750 per month.

These incentives are necessary to help offset the dramatic cost of living increases that are a reality in the Gulf region right now. The starting salary for a Recovery School District teacher is $35,400 per year, slightly below the state's median income of $37,400. The average rent in New Orleans parish has increased more than 40 percent in 1 year--so much so that, currently, a Recovery School District teacher in New Orleans would spend 40-50 percent of his or her monthly pre-tax income on rent. The average student loan debt of the 60 percent of Louisiana students who graduate with student loan debt is over $17,000. The combination of these financial burdens and the increased cost of living make it impossible for some young people to put their considerable time and energy into rebuilding the Gulf Coast, even if they once called it home. The incentives provided in the RENEWAAL Act would give them the support they need to serve.

The bill also recognizes the unique role and the unique challenges Hurricane Katrina and Rita impacted colleges and universities have in rebuilding our Gulf communities. Over 84,000 students were displaced in Louisiana as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. RENEWAAL provides $500 million of funds to attract additional students to and retain faculty at Louisiana's institutions of higher education. Colleges and universities suffering significant revenue gaps from decreased enrollment and repair costs would receive the help they need continue their missions. Our higher education system has long been the creative and professional life blood of New Orleans and the region, as the institutions directly impacted by the storms have trained hundreds of thousands of young professionals and entrepreneurs who use their skills to strengthen cities and towns along the Gulf Coast and nationwide.

I'd like to thank Congressman Charles Melancon and Congressman George Miller and their staffs for their hard work with us on this bill, culminating in its introduction as companion legislation in the House of Representatives. This bill is the latest example of their tireless dedication to supporting the children, families and students of the Gulf Coast as we continue to work together to bring the people of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas home.

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

Mr. President, as my State and the rest of the Gulf Coast work to get back on their feet and rebuild their lives and their communities, we look to the future. We look forward to stronger levees, a more responsive FEMA, a better medical system, and a better school system. We look to our children--because they are the future--and we are striving to build the best school system in the country. We are in the middle of a remarkable period in Louisiana--and our schools are at the center. Our schools are re-opening and developing in new and innovative ways. There is a wonderful partnership with our institutions of higher learning, who are throwing themselves into not only rebuilding themselves but into standing up this new school system.

But key to this new school system are the people who make it work day after day--our teachers, our principals, our aides--and it is vital that we recruit, retain, and maintain all of the excellent individuals who are dedicated to our children and the future.

That is why, today, I am so very proud to introduce the Landrieu- Kennedy-Reid RENEWAAL Act of 2007.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita not only damaged or destroyed 840 schools in Louisiana, but dozens more throughout the Gulf Coast. As the 176,000 displaced elementary and secondary school students and their families begin to return, what was a need to rebuild these schools and bring in new teachers has become an emergency. The RENEWAAL Act will help solve a significant crisis in New Orleans--there are simply not enough talented teachers in the city to educate the 29,000 children the system must serve. In January, the New Orleans Recovery School District was forced to ``wait-list'' 300 students, in large part because they simply could not find or encourage enough teachers to come to the region to teach them.

As the region continues to struggle and to grow, so will the need to bring more teachers to the Gulf Coast. The Louisiana Recovery Authority estimates that 12,000 teachers were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Public

schools in New Orleans will need an additional 750 teachers by fall 2007 to accommodate the daily surge in enrollment. Some of the district's high schools have student-to-teacher ratios surpassing 36 to 1. Jefferson Parish currently has a shortage of about 60 teachers. Parishes like St. Bernard and Cameron have managed to hold down student-to-teacher ratios only because they've increased the local tax burden on an already stretched population to the breaking point, even though just a small portion of their schools have reopened. The future of the Gulf Coast lies in the rebuilding of its middle class; the future of the middle class in any community is in its schools.

The RENEWAAL Act provides up to $254 million over 5 years in salary supplements, housing assistance and loan forgiveness for certified elementary and secondary school teachers and leaders who commit to serving the Hurricane Katrina and Rita affected areas for a minimum of 3 years. The Act provides annual salary bonuses starting at $7,000 per year for teachers and leaders, increasing with experience, a proven track record of success in an urban district or use the opportunity to return to their home district to help. RENEWAAL also provides student loan forgiveness of up to $7000 per year and housing assistance of up to $750 per month.

These incentives are necessary to help offset the dramatic cost of living increases that are a reality in the Gulf region right now. The starting salary for a Recovery School District teacher is $35,400 per year, slightly below the state's median income of $37,400. The average rent in New Orleans parish has increased more than 40 percent in 1 year--so much so that, currently, a Recovery School District teacher in New Orleans would spend 40-50 percent of his or her monthly pre-tax income on rent. The average student loan debt of the 60 percent of Louisiana students who graduate with student loan debt is over $17,000. The combination of these financial burdens and the increased cost of living make it impossible for some young people to put their considerable time and energy into rebuilding the Gulf Coast, even if they once called it home. The incentives provided in the RENEWAAL Act would give them the support they need to serve.

The bill also recognizes the unique role and the unique challenges Hurricane Katrina and Rita impacted colleges and universities have in rebuilding our Gulf communities. Over 84,000 students were displaced in Louisiana as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. RENEWAAL provides $500 million of funds to attract additional students to and retain faculty at Louisiana's institutions of higher education. Colleges and universities suffering significant revenue gaps from decreased enrollment and repair costs would receive the help they need continue their missions. Our higher education system has long been the creative and professional life blood of New Orleans and the region, as the institutions directly impacted by the storms have trained hundreds of thousands of young professionals and entrepreneurs who use their skills to strengthen cities and towns along the Gulf Coast and nationwide.

I'd like to thank Congressman Charles Melancon and Congressman George Miller and their staffs for their hard work with us on this bill, culminating in its introduction as companion legislation in the House of Representatives. This bill is the latest example of their tireless dedication to supporting the children, families and students of the Gulf Coast as we continue to work together to bring the people of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas home.

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

I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

While the Senator from Alaska is checking on the other amendment, I ask unanimous consent to speak on another amendment.

Mr. President, I understand the Senator from Alaska is working out a vote on the amendment that was just discussed. I wished to come to the floor to talk about the Landrieu amendment that is pending on this bill and to also say I have been joined in this amendment by Senators Stevens, Lieberman, Kennedy, Obama, Martinez, and Vitter, and others may join as we push forward on this amendment to the underlying bill.

This amendment has to do with a waiver provision, to waive the 10- percent match that is normally required when a disaster strikes a community--and for good reason. We have required in the past for the local governments, based on their capacity to pay for part of the recovery, to put up anywhere from 25 percent to 10 percent. But on occasion, we have waived the 10-percent or the 25-percent requirement when it becomes apparent that the disaster is so overwhelming, the ability for these communities to repay is virtually impossible. That has been done over 38 times in the past. Most recently, it was done with Hurricane Andrew. That was a terrible storm. It doesn't look like it on this graph, but Hurricane Andrew, believe me, for the people in Homestead, FL, was the end of the world. Literally, their town was crushed.

Prior to Katrina and Rita, that storm was the costliest storm, causing $40 billion in damage to parts of Florida. Unfortunately for Florida, they have been hard hit ever since. But for discussion purposes, this is $139 per capita--a terrible storm but not a lot of money per capita. The World Trade Tower attack was a terrible tragedy in our Nation, which is why this bill is being discussed; the damage was $390 per capita. Mr. President, look and see what the Katrina and Rita double whammy and subsequent breaking of the levees cost per capita in Louisiana--$6,700. It is literally off the chart.

This has been part of the problem in Washington--not you, Mr. President, because you came down and Senator Lieberman came down and the Senator from Alaska came down and walked the neighborhoods, so you understand it. But this is literally off the chart--what is happening in terms of the amount of disaster recovery going on in Louisiana and Mississippi, along the gulf coast.

The Landrieu amendment seeks to waive the 10-percent match so that the billion dollars would then be available to go to infrastructure projects. But almost as important as the extra money that could be applied to the disaster recovery itself, 95 percent of the red tape would be eliminated because, under the current program, there are three or four different reviews, different regulations between HUD and FEMA. All of the administrative efforts we have made to date have been for naught because nothing has been waived. So the solution is this amendment.

I am going to ask this body to vote on this amendment, on this waiver. The amazing thing about this is that because the President has the option to do this now, there is no cost to this amendment; it scores at a zero. I know it is counterintuitive, but the score on this amendment is zero. There can be no point of order raised against it. It doesn't technically cost anything. Because of that and the obvious merits of the waiver, which were done in this case and done 38 other times, we are asking for it to be done for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, for Mississippi and Louisiana, and also for Hurricane Wilma, which is caught up in this general disaster as well.

I thank those who have cosponsored this amendment with me. I thank Senator Stevens for being able to let me speak as he decides on votes for the pending amendment. I am going to ask the leadership to schedule a vote because it is most certainly justified and could be done administratively but has not been. Congress has a responsibility to act, to do what is right, fair and helpful and to eliminate the red tape in our communities, in my case, from St. Bernard Parish to Cameron Parish, from Biloxi and Pascagoula, all the way over to places in south Texas that are still hurting and deserve to have this waiver so they can spend money not on red tape but on roads, bridges, houses, and schools that need to be rebuilt so America's energy coast can get back to work.

Katrina and Rita were the first and third costliest disasters in American history, but Louisiana and other states impacted by these storms have not received a similar waiver.

Unfortunately for State and local governments in Louisiana, 10 percent translates into more than $1 billion dollars that must be sent back to Washington.

Louisiana has over 23,000 Project Worksheets pending, and Mississippi has over 10,000.

Some people have suggested that the States provide this matching funding on behalf of the local governments.

Let me explain why that will not work.

All of the State's money for assistance to local governments exists in the form of Community Development Block Grants.

FEMA's Public Assistance Program and HUD's CDBG Program have separate accounting requirements and separate environmental assessment requirements.

For the State to apply funding from this source for every single project would require approximately $20,000 per project. That translates into nearly half-a-billion dollars wasted on administrative paperwork.

The State has asked for a single set of standards, but FEMA would not agree to this.

The State has asked permission to provide a single payment to cover the 10 percent match, after adding its share of all the pending projects, but FEMA would not allow this either.

This Global Match would save thousands of man-hours and hundreds of millions of dollars.

Louisiana has not been able to cut through the red tape though, and has been told it must waste this money on duplicative bureaucratic procedures.

This money could be reinvested into housing, infrastructure, and economic development, in order to bring families, communities, and businesses back to life in the Gulf region.

Gulf coast States lost their tax base after properties were destroyed all over the region. The hurricanes claimed over 275,000 homes and 20,000 businesses.

Progress is being made but many challenges remain.

In communities where the damage was most severe, the struggle continues to rebuild economic infrastructure and restore vitality. Local governments have had to lay off thousands of employees, and pay those who remain with money they receive from Federal loans.

I would like to briefly talk about the situation in several of these communities.

Cameron Parish in Southwest Louisiana is home to 9,681 people.

It was the site of landfall for Hurricane Rita on September 24, 2005, and the eye of the storm passed directly over it.

Winds exceeding 110 miles per hour pounded the parish for more than 24 hours, and storm surges 15 to 20 feet high submerged it completely.

The Cameron Parish School Board has reported that 100 percent of its facilities need repairs, and 62 percent were totally destroyed.

Only two public buildings, the Parish courthouse and the District Attorney's office were left standing. Both are in need of extensive repairs.

Other buildings destroyed include: 5 fire stations, 4 community recreation centers, 4 public libraries, 3 parish maintenance barns, 2 parish multi-purpose buildings, ``Courthouse Circle,'' Cameron Parish Police Jury Annex Building, Cameron Parish Sheriff's Department Investigative Office, The Cameron Parish Health Unit, Cameron Parish School Board Office, Cameron Parish Mosquito Control Barn, and the Waterworks district 10 office.

Katrina produced a category 5 surge and winds in excess of 125 miles per hour when it made landfall in St. Bernard Parish.

As the storm surge traveled across Lake Borgne and up the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, MRGO, it overtopped the levee along the northern edge of the urbanized area of St. Bernard Parish, and broke through the levee on the Industrial Canal in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward.

Water from both levee breaks flooded most of the parish inside to depths of up to 14 feet. Flood waters remained for approximately 3 weeks.

Most structures outside the hurricane levee protection systems have been entirely destroyed and removed by the storm surge, estimated to be between 20 and 30 feet.

A flood-related breach of a nearby refinery's oil tank released about 1 million gallons of crude oil, further damaging approximately 1,800 homes and polluting area canals.

Fishing communities in the eastern areas of the parish were destroyed.

Less than a month after Katrina, an 8-foot storm surge from Hurricane Rita breached recently repaired levees, and again caused widespread flooding in the parish.

In all, 127 St. Bernard citizens died, about 68,000 people were displaced, and 100 percent of the parish housing stock, over 25,000 units, was either destroyed or damaged so severely that it became uninhabitable.

All parish businesses and government buildings, and most utility systems, were also destroyed. Damaged levees, decimated wetlands, and the still-open MRGO have left the parish vulnerable to future storms.

Prior to Katrina, there were approximately 25,123 occupied housing units in St. Bernard Parish, consisting mostly of single family homes and apartments.

After the storms, the entire housing stock of the parish was submerged under storm water, for nearly 3 weeks in many areas. Many homes in the parish are damaged beyond repair and may need to be demolished.

By the time the waters receded, more than 80 percent of the housing stock had been damaged.

It makes very little sense to require communities to put up this match in their current financial condition. Doing so will only serve to delay rebuilding across the region.

If we fail to act, we abandon Federal precedent, and we allow FEMA to continue wasting hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on duplication and waste.

I remind my colleagues that these hurricanes caused the greatest natural disaster in the history of this country. I ask only that we offer the same treatment to victims along the Gulf coast that we have offered victims on 32 other occasion.

Unfortunately for the State and local governments in Louisiana, 10 percent translates into more than $1 billion that must be sent back to Washington. Louisiana has over 23,000 project worksheets pending, and Mississippi has over 10,000. Some people have suggested that the States provide this matching funding on behalf of the local governments. There are several reasons why that will not work.

All of the State's money for assistance to local governments exists in the form of Community Development Block Grants.

FEMA's Public Assistance Program and HUD's CDBG Program have separate accounting requirements, separate non-discrimination requirements, and separate environmental assessment requirements.

For the State to apply funding from CDBG for every single project, would require approximately $20,000 per project. That translates into nearly half-a-billion dollars wasted on administrative paperwork.

The State has asked for a single set of standards, but FEMA would not agree to this. The State has asked permission to provide a single payment to cover 10 percent match, after adding its share of all the pending projects, but FEMA would not allow this either. This Global Match would have saved thousands of man-hours and hundreds of millions of dollars, Louisiana has not been able to cut through the red tape though, and has been told it must waste this money on duplicative bureaucratic procedures.

This money could be reinvested into housing, infrastructure, and economic development, in order to bring families, communities, and businesses back to life in the Gulf region. It makes very little sense to require communities to put up this match in their current financial condition. Doing so will only serve to delay rebuilding across the region. These hurricanes caused the greatest natural disaster in the history of this country.

This amendment offers the same treatment to victims along the Gulf coast, that we have offered disaster victims on 32 other occasions. If we fail to act, we will have abandoned federal precedent in the midst of our county's worst disaster, and we will allow FEMA to continue wasting hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on unnecessary duplication and waste.

I ask unanimous consent that a letter to the President be printed in the Record.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, I send to the desk a modification to my amendment.

Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to a staff member who is, unfortunately, leaving to go back to Louisiana. I want to spend a few minutes talking about his wonderful service.

Herman Joseph Gesser came to work in Washington for 1 year. He is an attorney and a very able architect and thought he would come and work here for the Louisiana delegation to contribute to our State and to learn the ways of Washington in public service. Ten years later, he is still here. We are sad to see him return to Louisiana, but family responsibilities and duties call him home.

He has been projects director and general counsel of my office now for 9 years. He has served with diligence and dedication, honesty, integrity, and creativity. He is truly one of the most sought after and popular members of the Senate staff. He has worked on transportation projects. He has been an expert on Corps of Engineers projects, someone whom both Republican and Democratic staffers trust to give them just the facts, give it to them straight, and give it to them quickly.

I laugh and say everybody in Louisiana needs a Bubba on their staff. I sure have had a very special Bubba on my staff for all these many years, as he is called and referred to kindly and in a very friendly way.

Bubba has served the people of his home parish, New Iberia Parish, with distinction. He has done some extraordinary work, as I said, in the area of transportation. He is going to be missed.

He really is a true example of selfless service. He could be, Mr. President--as you know, many of our staff could make a great deal more money, particularly in his case with the double degrees he has as a lawyer and an architect. But yet for 10 years, he has chosen to serve and stay through the challenges of Katrina and Rita where his talents and abilities were called on literally daily and was one of the go-to people I counted on to give me facts, to give them to me quickly so I could advocate more effectively on behalf of the 4.5 million people in Louisiana and the millions of people who live in the gulf coast area.

I wanted to publicly recognize Herman Joseph Gesser, a citizen of Louisiana and a great servant to the people of our State in such a time of need.

I know his father is very proud of him. I know his mother, who just passed away last year, still continues to give him blessings from Heaven, and that his extended family and many friends are very grateful to him for the support he has given to us all these many years.

His homecoming in south Louisiana will be greeted with fanfare by his hometown, but it will be a great loss to the Landrieu staff in Washington, DC.

Mr. President, I come before the Senate today to re- introduce--with some changes--a bill that I first introduced on April 6, 2004, in the 108th Congress and which I reintroduced in the 109th Congress. This bill will transfer 3,083 acres of Federal land to the Barataria Preserve Unit of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, and authorize the Park to purchase up to 821 acres of neighboring private lands from willing sellers. The lands in question contain important freshwater wetlands, and would allow the park boundary to conform to existing waterways and levee corridors.

As of today, the Senate has twice passed--once in the 108th Congress and once in the 109th Congress--a form of this bill by unanimous consent. I trust that few will find anything too objectionable about these provisions in the 110th Congress either. After all, it simply places lands that are already under Federal control under the management authority of the National Park Service, which already manages neighboring lands and helps protect their environmental, cultural and historic integrity.

The first major tract in question is the Bayou aux Carpes wetlands, which were acquired by the Justice Department in 1996 as a result of the settlement of a lawsuit. Although the National Park Service has constructive possession of the deeds, it lacks legal management authority. The area has exemplary natural resource values and has been designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as a wetland of significant value. Most importantly, because of the hydrologic connection between the two areas, the environmental health of the Jean Lafitte Park's Barataria Preserve is dependent on the continued health of the Bayou aux Carpes.

The second major tract is the Bayou Segnette wetlands, which are presently managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. The inclusion of this area in the Barataria Unit will allow for better control over water entering the park from outside sources.

My bill also authorizes the acquisition, from willing sellers, of approximately 821 acres of privately owned lands which are adjacent to the park. Approximately half of this area is designated as jurisdictional wetlands, with limited access and no potential for development. All of this land has been included within the boundary at the request of the owners. This provision was also included in the earlier versions of this bill that were passed in the 108th and 109th Congresses.

Lastly, allow me to explain what is new about this bill: this bill also authorizes the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve to acquire the Fleming-Berthoud Plantation--previously known as the Mavis Grove Plantation. This plantation is one of the southernmost early sugar plantations and surrounds a prehistoric Indian mound and historic cemetery on the edge of the bayou, which is one of the most scenic and most photographed cemeteries around New Orleans. Recently, it was highlighted in the recent Cabildo exhibition and book on historic cemeteries of New Orleans.

The original plantation contained more than 10,000 acres and was a large sugar plantation. After floods destroyed area sugar plantations in the 19th century, this was turned into one of the larger cypress tree lumbering plantations. The Berthoud family bought it in the late 19th century and the Fleming family bought it in the early 20th century.

The 1,000-year-old prehistoric Indian mound and historic above-ground tombstone cemetery are relatively well preserved and have been twice declared eligible for the National Register of Historic Places by state officials; though no action has yet been taken on that designation.

Currently, many of the historic plantation structures are unrestored, vacant and in poor condition. But the main plantation house remains in good condition. I have been told that it was photographed for the cover of National Geographic Magazine in the 1930s and has been the setting for close to 10 Hollywood movies.

The other buildings include a 75-foot, 175-year-old brick sugar refining chimney, in relatively good condition; an overseer's Creole style cottage from the mid 1800s cited by historians as a fine early example of island architecture; a 19th Century annex building connected to the original plantation house, now in poor condition; a 1920s house built on the original sugar refinery foundations; an early blacksmith shop and several other barns and buildings, most in poor condition.

My bill will authorize the National Park Service to acquire this land from the family, who I am told support the transaction and the restoration of the land and buildings. I am also told that historic preservation organizations may step forward to provide private funding in support of the National Park Service's acquisition of the land.

In all, I think that this bill marks an important day for Louisiana. We are authorizing the management and preservation of several ecological, cultural and historic gems. I hope that my colleagues will fully support this endeavor as they have in the past.

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

Mr. President, I come before the Senate today to re- introduce--with some changes--a bill that I first introduced on April 6, 2004, in the 108th Congress and which I reintroduced in the 109th Congress. This bill will transfer 3,083 acres of Federal land to the Barataria Preserve Unit of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, and authorize the Park to purchase up to 821 acres of neighboring private lands from willing sellers. The lands in question contain important freshwater wetlands, and would allow the park boundary to conform to existing waterways and levee corridors.

As of today, the Senate has twice passed--once in the 108th Congress and once in the 109th Congress--a form of this bill by unanimous consent. I trust that few will find anything too objectionable about these provisions in the 110th Congress either. After all, it simply places lands that are already under Federal control under the management authority of the National Park Service, which already manages neighboring lands and helps protect their environmental, cultural and historic integrity.

The first major tract in question is the Bayou aux Carpes wetlands, which were acquired by the Justice Department in 1996 as a result of the settlement of a lawsuit. Although the National Park Service has constructive possession of the deeds, it lacks legal management authority. The area has exemplary natural resource values and has been designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as a wetland of significant value. Most importantly, because of the hydrologic connection between the two areas, the environmental health of the Jean Lafitte Park's Barataria Preserve is dependent on the continued health of the Bayou aux Carpes.

The second major tract is the Bayou Segnette wetlands, which are presently managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. The inclusion of this area in the Barataria Unit will allow for better control over water entering the park from outside sources.

My bill also authorizes the acquisition, from willing sellers, of approximately 821 acres of privately owned lands which are adjacent to the park. Approximately half of this area is designated as jurisdictional wetlands, with limited access and no potential for development. All of this land has been included within the boundary at the request of the owners. This provision was also included in the earlier versions of this bill that were passed in the 108th and 109th Congresses.

Lastly, allow me to explain what is new about this bill: this bill also authorizes the Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve to acquire the Fleming-Berthoud Plantation--previously known as the Mavis Grove Plantation. This plantation is one of the southernmost early sugar plantations and surrounds a prehistoric Indian mound and historic cemetery on the edge of the bayou, which is one of the most scenic and most photographed cemeteries around New Orleans. Recently, it was highlighted in the recent Cabildo exhibition and book on historic cemeteries of New Orleans.

The original plantation contained more than 10,000 acres and was a large sugar plantation. After floods destroyed area sugar plantations in the 19th century, this was turned into one of the larger cypress tree lumbering plantations. The Berthoud family bought it in the late 19th century and the Fleming family bought it in the early 20th century.

The 1,000-year-old prehistoric Indian mound and historic above-ground tombstone cemetery are relatively well preserved and have been twice declared eligible for the National Register of Historic Places by state officials; though no action has yet been taken on that designation.

Currently, many of the historic plantation structures are unrestored, vacant and in poor condition. But the main plantation house remains in good condition. I have been told that it was photographed for the cover of National Geographic Magazine in the 1930s and has been the setting for close to 10 Hollywood movies.

The other buildings include a 75-foot, 175-year-old brick sugar refining chimney, in relatively good condition; an overseer's Creole style cottage from the mid 1800s cited by historians as a fine early example of island architecture; a 19th Century annex building connected to the original plantation house, now in poor condition; a 1920s house built on the original sugar refinery foundations; an early blacksmith shop and several other barns and buildings, most in poor condition.

My bill will authorize the National Park Service to acquire this land from the family, who I am told support the transaction and the restoration of the land and buildings. I am also told that historic preservation organizations may step forward to provide private funding in support of the National Park Service's acquisition of the land.

In all, I think that this bill marks an important day for Louisiana. We are authorizing the management and preservation of several ecological, cultural and historic gems. I hope that my colleagues will fully support this endeavor as they have in the past.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for 5 minutes to send a new amendment to the desk and to call up three amendments and for a very brief discussion.

I was under the impression I was going to be recognized first.

Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk.

I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. President, I call up amendments Nos. 295 and 296.

Mr. President, I appreciate my colleague allowing me a few minutes this morning to present this amendment. Whenever the managers of the bill believe we can vote on this amendment, I would most certainly follow their lead. It is a very important amendment, not just for the State of Louisiana but for Mississippi as well and for the gulf coast.

There seems to be some misunderstanding about the scope of the damage of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the first and third worst storms in the history of the Nation. As we can see, Hurricane Andrew, the most expensive storm prior to these, had a per capita impact on the State of Florida of $139. The World Trade Center attacks, as vicious and terrible and heart-wrenching as they were, had a more substantial impact to the State of New York. But Katrina and Rita have had an extraordinarily horrific impact on the States of Louisiana and Mississippi.

This amendment asks the Congress to waive the 10-percent match which was done in this case and in this case. It most certainly should be done in this case. That is the essence of this amendment.

It would not only mean fairness and parity and equity for the survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, in line with what we have done, but it would also substantially expedite the rebuilding work that is underway and is tied up in redtape--in mindless redtape--because of this requirement. So I am asking for the Congress to act swiftly on this bill to get that done.

Amendment No. 321

In addition, we also are asking for the critical infrastructure of the levees to be included in the list of critical infrastructure being debated on this bill. We have to review the infrastructure of the Nation and set priorities about where we are going to spend our money. That is what the second amendment does.

Amendment No. 296

Then, finally, the third amendment will put back into the law the Community Disaster Loan Act the way it was before Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck. For every other disaster in the past, and amazingly for every one in the future, communities at least have received the option of having their loans forgiven. But under the last Congress, the law was changed not for the future, which I could have accepted, but for only the survivors in Mississippi and Louisiana. The law was changed to not even allow for a possible forgiveness. So, again, it was grossly unfair, unprecedented.

That, basically, is what these three amendments do.

Mr. President, I thank my colleagues for allowing me to speak about the amendments briefly this morning.

I yield whatever time I have remaining.

Mr. President, as I come to the floor today to speak, there are countless small businesses in the Gulf Coast, right this moment, that are open for business. The fact that they are open at all is a testament to the hard work and resolve of their owners, along with the focus and commitment of community leaders, state and local officials, as well as Congress and the White House. This is because, as you know, the Gulf Coast was devastated in 2005 by two of the most powerful storms to ever hit the United States in recorded history-- Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

I strongly believe that we cannot rebuild the Gulf Coast without our small businesses. Small businesses not only create jobs and pay taxes-- they provide the innovation and energy that drives our economy. In fact, before Katrina and Rita hit, there were more than 95,000 small businesses in Louisiana, employing about 850,000 people--more than half of my State's workforce. About 39,000 of these businesses have yet to resume normal operations so I intend to do everything I can in the coming months to get them back up and running.

That is why today I am introducing legislation to first help small businesses in the Gulf recover, as well as to provide assistance to businesses in other parts of the country. In particular, this legislation is focused on promoting exports by U.S. small businesses. Small businesses are important players in international trade, which is reflected in the fact that small businesses represent that 96 percent of all exporters of goods and services. In Louisiana, we have about 2,000 declared exporters. However, there are many more businesses in my State who conduct Internet sales overseas, as well as those who focus operations on domestic sales but have some international buyers as well. These businesses are exporters but in many cases they do not even realize it!

Given the importance of these exporters to my state and to the rest of the country, I would like to improve their competitive edge in the international market and give them every resource they need to succeed. Certainly my first priority is to provide additional assistance to affected Gulf Coast small businesses. As they continue to recover, one of the main issues being faced by our small business is accessing capital. Our exporters are no different. They need help accessing export financing to cover export-related costs such as purchasing equipment, purchasing inventory, or financing production costs. This legislation would help strengthen the SBA International Finance Specialist program to help these small businesses access export financing.

Today I am introducing the Small Business International Trade Enhancements Act of 2007 to give all small businesses the opportunity to expand their operations into international markets. I am pleased to have Senator Kerry, the Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, as well as Senator Snowe, the Ranking Member, and my colleague Senator Coleman, as cosponsors.

As I mentioned we have 2,000 exporters in Louisiana. However, there are many other businesses who are exporters, but they do not even realize it. They may have overseas Internet sales, or they focus operations on domestic sales, but have some international buyers as well. In fact, the Small Business Administration has stated that over 96 percent of all exporters of goods and services are small businesses.

Given the importance of these exporters to my State and to the rest of the Gulf Coast, I would like to improve their competitive edge in the international market and give them every resource they need to succeed. As they continue to recover, one of the main issues being faced by our small business is accessing capital. Our exporters are no different. They need help accessing export financing to cover export- related costs such as purchasing equipment, purchasing inventory, or financing production costs.

To assist these businesses, fifteen SBA Finance Specialists operate out of 100 U.S. Export Assistance Centers administered by the Department of Commerce around the country. That is a record staffing low for this program, down from a peak of 22 Finance Specialists in 2000. To ensure that all smaller exporters nationwide will continue to have access to export financing, this bill establishes a floor of 18 International Finance Specialists. I believe this will send a signal to our exporters that, despite current budget

deficits, we are committed to our exporters and want to provide them with the necessary resources to compete internationally.

I realize that the need for export financing is not just limited to the Gulf Coast. There are small businesses nationwide that are looking to find markets overseas. One tool that they can use is the SBA's International Trade Loan (ITL) program. International Trade Loans can help exporters develop and expand overseas markets; upgrade equipment or facilities; and assist exporters that are being hurt by import competition. Exporters can borrow up to $2 million, with $1,750,000 guaranteed by SBA.

However, as currently structured these loans are not user-friendly to lenders or borrowers and, as a result, are underutilized. Let me explain what I mean. First, the $250,000 difference between the loan cap and the guarantee requires borrowers to take out a second SBA loan to take full advantage of the $2 million guarantee. ITLs can only be used to acquire fixed assets and not working capital, a common need for exporters. Furthermore, ITLs do not have the same collateral or refinancing requirements as SBA 7(a) loans. Because of these issues, lenders do not use these loans.

This legislation will also reduce the paperwork by increasing the maximum loan guarantee to $2,750,000 and the loan cap to $3,670,000 to bring it more in line with the 7(a) program. The bill also creates a more flexible ITL by setting out that working capital is an eligible use for loan proceeds, in addition to making the ITL consistent with regular 7(a) loans by allowing the same collateral and refinancing terms as with 7(a).

The SBA International Trade and Export Loans are valuable tools for exporters but they are useless if there is no one to assist borrowers with identifying which loans are right for them. Local lending institutions that specialize in export financing can help but at a cost over less than $2 million per year, the current group of Finance Specialists has obtained bank financing for more than $10 billion in U.S. exports since 1999. The $10 billion in export sales financed by these specialists helped to create over 140,000 new, high-paying U.S. jobs.

The Small Business International Trade Enhancements Act of 2007 is an important first step, not just for exporters in the Gulf Coast, but also for small businesses nationwide who are looking to open markets overseas. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation since it will help our exporters in the Gulf Coast recover and also give small businesses nationwide more options when they are seeking export financing.

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

Mr. President, as I come to the floor today to speak, there are countless small businesses in the Gulf Coast, right this moment, that are open for business. The fact that they are open at all is a testament to the hard work and resolve of their owners, along with the focus and commitment of community leaders, state and local officials, as well as Congress and the White House. This is because, as you know, the Gulf Coast was devastated in 2005 by two of the most powerful storms to ever hit the United States in recorded history-- Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

I strongly believe that we cannot rebuild the Gulf Coast without our small businesses. Small businesses not only create jobs and pay taxes-- they provide the innovation and energy that drives our economy. In fact, before Katrina and Rita hit, there were more than 95,000 small businesses in Louisiana, employing about 850,000 people--more than half of my State's workforce. About 39,000 of these businesses have yet to resume normal operations so I intend to do everything I can in the coming months to get them back up and running.

That is why today I am introducing legislation to help provide the necessary staff to help our small businesses in the Gulf recover from the devastating storms of 2005. In particular, this legislation is focused on promoting exports by small businesses Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Small businesses are important players in international trade, which is reflected in the fact that small businesses represent that 96 percent of all exporters of goods and services In Louisiana, we have about 2,000 declared exporters. However, there are many more businesses in my state who conduct Internet sales overseas, as well as those who focus operations on domestic sales but have some international buyers as well. These businesses are exporters but in many cases they do not even realize it!

Given the importance of these exporters to my State and to the rest of the country, I would like to improve their competitive edge in the international market and give them every resource they need to succeed. As our businesses continue to recover, one of the main issues being faced by our small businesses is accessing capital. They need help accessing export financing to cover export-related costs such as purchasing equipment, purchasing inventory, or financing production costs.

To assist businesses with obtaining export financing, fifteen SBA Finance Specialists operate out of 100 U.S. Export Assistance Centers administered by the Department of Commerce around the country. However, despite the increased need for export financing in the Gulf Coast, there is currently no International Finance Specialist located in any of the hardest hit States of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. Instead there is one specialist in Texas with responsibility for Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana and one specialist in Georgia responsible for Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Due to the extensive territories they cover and limited travel budgets of the staff, these specialists must divide their time and cannot focus on the needs of Gulf Coast small businesses.

With this in mind, this legislation would provide an SBA International Finance Specialist to the New Orleans U.S. Export Assistance Center with responsibility for Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. I believe this is a commonsense approach, since this position in New Orleans has remained vacant since 2003 due to retirement and budget issues. So this is not a new position or a new hire, it is simply filling a position that has sat open for far too long.

The Gulf Coast Export Recovery Act of 2007 would also address Commerce staffing issues for our New Orleans U.S. Export Assistance Center. In this office, there is currently four full-time export assistance staff, along with one Foreign Service Officer. This office has had two staffers leave the office since Katrina and I am concerned that when this Foreign Service Officer leaves this fall, that there will be no replacement. This understaffed office is struggling to keep up with the increasing demands from businesses for technical assistance on finding overseas markets for local products, particularly businesses near Baton Rouge and the River parishes. Staff in New Orleans cover south Louisiana as well as the coastal counties in Mississippi. With such a wide area to cover, and so few staff, they are doing a great job in providing services but obviously need additional help to fully service our local businesses. The Small Business International Trade Enhancements Act of 2007 would provide one additional full-time staffer to this office to assist our businesses in the parishes of East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, St. Martin, St. Landry and Iberia. Many of our businesses from the New Orleans area are relocating to these parishes so we need adequate staff to keep up with increasing export needs in the area.

In closing, I should note that both of these provisions were included in the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill that was reported out of committee last Fall. Unfortunately, since that bill was not enacted, these provisions did not become law and our small business exporters have waited an additional 7 months for increased export assistance resources. I do not want them to have to wait another 7 months for this vital assistance. We are only asking for two full-time staffers for an office, but these two staffers would make a world of difference for the businesses, as well as for the understaffed office down there. I believe both the Department of Commerce and the Small Business Administration are supportive of these staffing increases so I look forward to working with them in the coming months to address these staffing needs in New Orleans. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation since it will help our exporters in the Gulf Coast fully recover and will help the country as a whole by increasing exports from the Gulf Coast states.

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

Mr. President, as I come to the floor today to speak, there are countless small businesses in the Gulf Coast, right this moment, that are open for business. The fact that they are open at all is a testament to the hard work and resolve of their owners, along with the focus and commitment of community leaders, state and local officials, as well as Congress and the White House. This is because, as you know, the Gulf Coast was devastated in 2005 by two of the most powerful storms to ever hit the United States in recorded history-- Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

I strongly believe that we cannot rebuild the Gulf Coast without our small businesses. Small businesses not only create jobs and pay taxes-- they provide the innovation and energy that drives our economy. In fact, before Katrina and Rita hit, there were more than 95,000 small businesses in Louisiana, employing about 850,000 people--more than half of my State's workforce. About 39,000 of these businesses have yet to resume normal operations so I intend to do everything I can in the coming months to get them back up and running.

That is why today I am introducing legislation to first help small businesses in the Gulf recover, as well as to provide assistance to businesses in other parts of the country. In particular, this legislation is focused on promoting exports by U.S. small businesses. Small businesses are important players in international trade, which is reflected in the fact that small businesses represent that 96 percent of all exporters of goods and services. In Louisiana, we have about 2,000 declared exporters. However, there are many more businesses in my State who conduct Internet sales overseas, as well as those who focus operations on domestic sales but have some international buyers as well. These businesses are exporters but in many cases they do not even realize it!

Given the importance of these exporters to my state and to the rest of the country, I would like to improve their competitive edge in the international market and give them every resource they need to succeed. Certainly my first priority is to provide additional assistance to affected Gulf Coast small businesses. As they continue to recover, one of the main issues being faced by our small business is accessing capital. Our exporters are no different. They need help accessing export financing to cover export-related costs such as purchasing equipment, purchasing inventory, or financing production costs. This legislation would help strengthen the SBA International Finance Specialist program to help these small businesses access export financing.

Today I am introducing the Small Business International Trade Enhancements Act of 2007 to give all small businesses the opportunity to expand their operations into international markets. I am pleased to have Senator Kerry, the Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, as well as Senator Snowe, the Ranking Member, and my colleague Senator Coleman, as cosponsors.

As I mentioned we have 2,000 exporters in Louisiana. However, there are many other businesses who are exporters, but they do not even realize it. They may have overseas Internet sales, or they focus operations on domestic sales, but have some international buyers as well. In fact, the Small Business Administration has stated that over 96 percent of all exporters of goods and services are small businesses.

Given the importance of these exporters to my State and to the rest of the Gulf Coast, I would like to improve their competitive edge in the international market and give them every resource they need to succeed. As they continue to recover, one of the main issues being faced by our small business is accessing capital. Our exporters are no different. They need help accessing export financing to cover export- related costs such as purchasing equipment, purchasing inventory, or financing production costs.

To assist these businesses, fifteen SBA Finance Specialists operate out of 100 U.S. Export Assistance Centers administered by the Department of Commerce around the country. That is a record staffing low for this program, down from a peak of 22 Finance Specialists in 2000. To ensure that all smaller exporters nationwide will continue to have access to export financing, this bill establishes a floor of 18 International Finance Specialists. I believe this will send a signal to our exporters that, despite current budget

deficits, we are committed to our exporters and want to provide them with the necessary resources to compete internationally.

I realize that the need for export financing is not just limited to the Gulf Coast. There are small businesses nationwide that are looking to find markets overseas. One tool that they can use is the SBA's International Trade Loan (ITL) program. International Trade Loans can help exporters develop and expand overseas markets; upgrade equipment or facilities; and assist exporters that are being hurt by import competition. Exporters can borrow up to $2 million, with $1,750,000 guaranteed by SBA.

However, as currently structured these loans are not user-friendly to lenders or borrowers and, as a result, are underutilized. Let me explain what I mean. First, the $250,000 difference between the loan cap and the guarantee requires borrowers to take out a second SBA loan to take full advantage of the $2 million guarantee. ITLs can only be used to acquire fixed assets and not working capital, a common need for exporters. Furthermore, ITLs do not have the same collateral or refinancing requirements as SBA 7(a) loans. Because of these issues, lenders do not use these loans.

This legislation will also reduce the paperwork by increasing the maximum loan guarantee to $2,750,000 and the loan cap to $3,670,000 to bring it more in line with the 7(a) program. The bill also creates a more flexible ITL by setting out that working capital is an eligible use for loan proceeds, in addition to making the ITL consistent with regular 7(a) loans by allowing the same collateral and refinancing terms as with 7(a).

The SBA International Trade and Export Loans are valuable tools for exporters but they are useless if there is no one to assist borrowers with identifying which loans are right for them. Local lending institutions that specialize in export financing can help but at a cost over less than $2 million per year, the current group of Finance Specialists has obtained bank financing for more than $10 billion in U.S. exports since 1999. The $10 billion in export sales financed by these specialists helped to create over 140,000 new, high-paying U.S. jobs.

The Small Business International Trade Enhancements Act of 2007 is an important first step, not just for exporters in the Gulf Coast, but also for small businesses nationwide who are looking to open markets overseas. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation since it will help our exporters in the Gulf Coast recover and also give small businesses nationwide more options when they are seeking export financing.

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

Mr. President, as I come to the floor today to speak, there are countless small businesses in the Gulf Coast, right this moment, that are open for business. The fact that they are open at all is a testament to the hard work and resolve of their owners, along with the focus and commitment of community leaders, state and local officials, as well as Congress and the White House. This is because, as you know, the Gulf Coast was devastated in 2005 by two of the most powerful storms to ever hit the United States in recorded history-- Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

I strongly believe that we cannot rebuild the Gulf Coast without our small businesses. Small businesses not only create jobs and pay taxes-- they provide the innovation and energy that drives our economy. In fact, before Katrina and Rita hit, there were more than 95,000 small businesses in Louisiana, employing about 850,000 people--more than half of my State's workforce. About 39,000 of these businesses have yet to resume normal operations so I intend to do everything I can in the coming months to get them back up and running.

That is why today I am introducing legislation to help provide the necessary staff to help our small businesses in the Gulf recover from the devastating storms of 2005. In particular, this legislation is focused on promoting exports by small businesses Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Small businesses are important players in international trade, which is reflected in the fact that small businesses represent that 96 percent of all exporters of goods and services In Louisiana, we have about 2,000 declared exporters. However, there are many more businesses in my state who conduct Internet sales overseas, as well as those who focus operations on domestic sales but have some international buyers as well. These businesses are exporters but in many cases they do not even realize it!

Given the importance of these exporters to my State and to the rest of the country, I would like to improve their competitive edge in the international market and give them every resource they need to succeed. As our businesses continue to recover, one of the main issues being faced by our small businesses is accessing capital. They need help accessing export financing to cover export-related costs such as purchasing equipment, purchasing inventory, or financing production costs.

To assist businesses with obtaining export financing, fifteen SBA Finance Specialists operate out of 100 U.S. Export Assistance Centers administered by the Department of Commerce around the country. However, despite the increased need for export financing in the Gulf Coast, there is currently no International Finance Specialist located in any of the hardest hit States of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. Instead there is one specialist in Texas with responsibility for Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana and one specialist in Georgia responsible for Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Due to the extensive territories they cover and limited travel budgets of the staff, these specialists must divide their time and cannot focus on the needs of Gulf Coast small businesses.

With this in mind, this legislation would provide an SBA International Finance Specialist to the New Orleans U.S. Export Assistance Center with responsibility for Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. I believe this is a commonsense approach, since this position in New Orleans has remained vacant since 2003 due to retirement and budget issues. So this is not a new position or a new hire, it is simply filling a position that has sat open for far too long.

The Gulf Coast Export Recovery Act of 2007 would also address Commerce staffing issues for our New Orleans U.S. Export Assistance Center. In this office, there is currently four full-time export assistance staff, along with one Foreign Service Officer. This office has had two staffers leave the office since Katrina and I am concerned that when this Foreign Service Officer leaves this fall, that there will be no replacement. This understaffed office is struggling to keep up with the increasing demands from businesses for technical assistance on finding overseas markets for local products, particularly businesses near Baton Rouge and the River parishes. Staff in New Orleans cover south Louisiana as well as the coastal counties in Mississippi. With such a wide area to cover, and so few staff, they are doing a great job in providing services but obviously need additional help to fully service our local businesses. The Small Business International Trade Enhancements Act of 2007 would provide one additional full-time staffer to this office to assist our businesses in the parishes of East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, St. Martin, St. Landry and Iberia. Many of our businesses from the New Orleans area are relocating to these parishes so we need adequate staff to keep up with increasing export needs in the area.

In closing, I should note that both of these provisions were included in the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill that was reported out of committee last Fall. Unfortunately, since that bill was not enacted, these provisions did not become law and our small business exporters have waited an additional 7 months for increased export assistance resources. I do not want them to have to wait another 7 months for this vital assistance. We are only asking for two full-time staffers for an office, but these two staffers would make a world of difference for the businesses, as well as for the understaffed office down there. I believe both the Department of Commerce and the Small Business Administration are supportive of these staffing increases so I look forward to working with them in the coming months to address these staffing needs in New Orleans. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation since it will help our exporters in the Gulf Coast fully recover and will help the country as a whole by increasing exports from the Gulf Coast states.

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

Mr. President, as we all know, there was a tremendous amount of criticism of the Federal Government's response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita last year. Things are better now and the region is slowly recovering. But, having luckily survived the 2006 hurricane season with no major storms, and with the 2007 season a few months away, we must be sure that if we have another disaster, the Federal Government's response will be better this time around. Disaster response agencies have to be better organized, more efficient, and more responsive in order to avoid the problems, the delays, mismanagement, and the seeming incompetence that occurred in 2005.

Today, I am proud to sponsor legislation to improve the disaster response of one agency that had a great deal of problems last year, the Small Business Administration (SBA). This bill, the ``Small Business Disaster Recovery Improvement Act,'' makes a major improvement to the SBA's disaster response and provides them with an essential tool to ensure that they are more efficient and better prepared for future disasters--big and small. I should note that this bill is a result of intensive bipartisan work over the past couple of months on a larger SBA Disaster Reforms bill, S. 137, the ``Small Business Disaster Response and Loan Improvements Act,'' which was introduced early in the 110th Congress. I feel strongly that this provision, an Expedited Disaster Assistance Loan Program for businesses, should be passed during this session of Congress, therefore I wanted to also introduce it in separate legislation for the 110th Congress. That said, I will continue to work with my colleagues on the Small Business Committee, Senators Kerry and Snowe, respectively Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee, as well as with my colleague Senator Vitter to include this provision along with more comprehensive SBA Disaster Assistance reforms that we hope to enact in the coming months.

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit, our businesses and homeowners had to wait months for loan approvals. I do not know how many businesses we lost because help did not come in time. What these businesses needed was immediate, short-term assistance to hold them over until SBA was ready to process the tens of thousands of loan applications it received.

That is why this legislation provides the SBA Administrator with the ability to set up an expedited disaster assistance business loan program to make short-term, low- interest loans to keep them afloat. These loans will allow businesses to make payroll, begin making repairs, and address other immediate needs while they are awaiting insurance payouts or regular SBA Disaster Loans. However, I realize that every disaster is different and could range from a disaster on the scale of Hurricanes Katrina or Rita or 9-11, to an ice storm or drought. This legislation gives the SBA additional options and flexibility in the kinds of relief they can offer a community. When a tornado destroys 20 businesses in a small town in the Midwest, SBA can get the regular disaster program up and running fairly quickly. You may not need short-term loans in this instance. But if you know that SBA's resources would be overwhelmed by a storm--just as they were initially with the storms of 2005--these expedited business loans would be very helpful.

The Small Business Disaster Recovery Improvement Act will provide an

essential tool to make the SBA more proactive, flexible, and most important, more efficient during future disasters. If SBA is not in the business of short-term assistance for future disasters, I feel that we will again see businesses fail while waiting for SBA to get its act together. The agency has implemented some major changes to its Disaster Assistance Program but, if the storms of 2005 taught us anything it was that the best laid plans can fail. This Expedited Disaster Assistance Loan Program would ensure that SBA has a backup tool to provide immediate assistance to impacted businesses. Again, I look forward to working with both Senator Snowe and Senator Kerry during the coming weeks to ensure that the SBA has everything it needs to respond to future disasters.

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

Mr. President, as we all know, there was a tremendous amount of criticism of the Federal Government's response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita last year. Things are better now and the region is slowly recovering. But, having luckily survived the 2006 hurricane season with no major storms, and with the 2007 season a few months away, we must be sure that if we have another disaster, the Federal Government's response will be better this time around. Disaster response agencies have to be better organized, more efficient, and more responsive in order to avoid the problems, the delays, mismanagement, and the seeming incompetence that occurred in 2005.

Today, I am proud to sponsor legislation to improve the disaster response of one agency that had a great deal of problems last year, the Small Business Administration (SBA). This bill, the ``Small Business Disaster Recovery Improvement Act,'' makes a major improvement to the SBA's disaster response and provides them with an essential tool to ensure that they are more efficient and better prepared for future disasters--big and small. I should note that this bill is a result of intensive bipartisan work over the past couple of months on a larger SBA Disaster Reforms bill, S. 137, the ``Small Business Disaster Response and Loan Improvements Act,'' which was introduced early in the 110th Congress. I feel strongly that this provision, an Expedited Disaster Assistance Loan Program for businesses, should be passed during this session of Congress, therefore I wanted to also introduce it in separate legislation for the 110th Congress. That said, I will continue to work with my colleagues on the Small Business Committee, Senators Kerry and Snowe, respectively Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee, as well as with my colleague Senator Vitter to include this provision along with more comprehensive SBA Disaster Assistance reforms that we hope to enact in the coming months.

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit, our businesses and homeowners had to wait months for loan approvals. I do not know how many businesses we lost because help did not come in time. What these businesses needed was immediate, short-term assistance to hold them over until SBA was ready to process the tens of thousands of loan applications it received.

That is why this legislation provides the SBA Administrator with the ability to set up an expedited disaster assistance business loan program to make short-term, low- interest loans to keep them afloat. These loans will allow businesses to make payroll, begin making repairs, and address other immediate needs while they are awaiting insurance payouts or regular SBA Disaster Loans. However, I realize that every disaster is different and could range from a disaster on the scale of Hurricanes Katrina or Rita or 9-11, to an ice storm or drought. This legislation gives the SBA additional options and flexibility in the kinds of relief they can offer a community. When a tornado destroys 20 businesses in a small town in the Midwest, SBA can get the regular disaster program up and running fairly quickly. You may not need short-term loans in this instance. But if you know that SBA's resources would be overwhelmed by a storm--just as they were initially with the storms of 2005--these expedited business loans would be very helpful.

The Small Business Disaster Recovery Improvement Act will provide an

essential tool to make the SBA more proactive, flexible, and most important, more efficient during future disasters. If SBA is not in the business of short-term assistance for future disasters, I feel that we will again see businesses fail while waiting for SBA to get its act together. The agency has implemented some major changes to its Disaster Assistance Program but, if the storms of 2005 taught us anything it was that the best laid plans can fail. This Expedited Disaster Assistance Loan Program would ensure that SBA has a backup tool to provide immediate assistance to impacted businesses. Again, I look forward to working with both Senator Snowe and Senator Kerry during the coming weeks to ensure that the SBA has everything it needs to respond to future disasters.

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