Barbara Boxer

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. I agree with the Senators from Michigan and Ohio that the corps needs to address this dredging backlog. I also agree that the corps should make their budget decisions using all economic data available and not based only on an arbitrary tonnage limit. While the bill managers were not able to reach an agreement on an amendment, I will work with the Senators to ensure that Great Lakes dredging issues are addressed when the bill is in conference.

Mrs. BOXER. I agree that we have a problem here, and I will work with you in conference to address this situation.

Mrs. BOXER. How much time is left on my side, Mr. President?

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I would love to hear from Senator Isakson because he has been a champion in assisting us and working on this. We are fortunate to have him as ranking member on the subcommittee.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, how much time remains?

Mrs. BOXER. I yield 8 minutes to my colleague from Louisiana. She has been such a fighter for her State in all this. There isn't a day that has gone by since the very day of the disaster that struck when she hasn't come up and told me: Senator, you need to come and see and you need to help. I am so fortunate I am in a position to help, along with Senator Inhofe. This is a bill that is so important for her State. I thank Mary Landrieu for all the contributions she has made. I yield to her 8 of the 9 minutes I have left.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, how much time remains?

Mrs. BOXER. All right, in 3 minutes 17 seconds, I want to say again how happy I am. I am smiling from ear to ear because this has been an amazing road. I think it is important to note that when we started out, we had a little surprise from the CBO that both Senator Inhofe and I were surprised about--that our last bill had some open-ended language that we didn't realize. We had to make this fiscally responsible. We did. Senator Inhofe is a man of his word. He said these are criteria I want. We have to make sure these projects have studies; that the local people want them and there will be a local match; that they stand up to the light of day. I agreed with him. Once we were able to agree on those criteria, the rest became easy because we had to tell people no, but we did it not on a whim but on a set of criteria that we agreed to. Our staffs have come to know each other very well while working on this. So between the staff and colleagues coming and telling us what they needed, I think we have a bill that meets everybody's needs. In closing, I thank Senator Landrieu for her comments because I think, as we look at this bill, clearly--and there is a lot of talk about priorities--we get our priorities straight. There are amendments we defeated that said we don't like the priorities. This bill looks at Louisiana and says you are our priority. That is important. We did it. I wish to thank the groups and organizations outside the Chamber that helped us by writing letters of support and encouraging our colleagues to work with us: The American Society of Civil Engineers; the Audubon Society; the Building and Construction Trades; National Waterways Conference; the National Association of Manufacturers; the American Farm Bureau; the National Construction Alliance, made up of the labor union; the National Union of Operating Engineers and Carpenters and Joiners; the Associated General Contractors of America. It is rare that you have a bill that garners the support of so many from across this great country of ours. But it is about making sure that the WRDA infrastructure in this country is up to the task it faces. We have to be ready for whatever hits us by way of floods, hurricanes, disasters. We have to be ready for ecosystem restoration and all the rest. I left out the corn growers, who supported us also, and they sent us a letter. So from the corn growers to the carpenters, this is a bill everybody wants. I hope my colleagues will come over, and I hope we get a huge vote in favor of this bill and we can go into conference, where we will have six Democrats and five Republicans, and we will sit down with our counterparts and bring a product back that everybody can be pleased with. I think we are about ready for the vote; is that correct?

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I just want to say to all of my colleagues that this was a wonderful vote tonight, and I think the country will be very grateful because it has been 7 years since we have had a Water Resources Development Act. We desperately need to keep up the country's infrastructure with our needs, and this bill is a wonderful step in that direction. We are all set to go to conference with the House. I have already had some conversations with Congressman Oberstar. We are looking forward to getting this back and moving forward. Again, to the staffs on both sides, thank you so much. To colleagues on the committee, thank you very much. To, of course, the ranking member, Senator Inhofe, I want to say again that without his partnership we never could have come to this point. I think every State in the Union will be grateful because we worked together across party lines to achieve something that is 7 years in the making, something that we really needed--this water resources bill.

Mrs. BOXER. I thank my colleague very much.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I thank my colleague. I do wish to say, as I mentioned before, not only did the principals work well together, but the staffs did as well. I got to know the staff on the other side of the aisle. I really have enjoyed working with them. They are very fair. They represent their boss very well. One thing about the staff across the aisle here is they have respect for each other. They tell each other the way they feel. It is the only way to work around here. You are only as good as your word. We had some tough moments here. I also wish to thank the floor staff. I don't want to start naming names, but the floor staff on both sides were so helpful, because for me, this is my first major bill I ever managed, so clearly I needed a little direction. I am very fortunate to have all of this support from both sides of the aisle. I will mention Lula and Dave just because I happen to see them in front of me.

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 16, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. to mark up an original bill entitled Foreign Investment and National Security Act of 2007; an original bill to make technical corrections to title III of SAFETEA-LU; H.R. 1675, Preservation Approval Process Improvement Act of 2007; H.R. 1676, Native American Home Ownership Opportunity Act of 2007; S. 254, a bill to award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Constantino Brumidi; an original bill entitled the International Emergency Economic Powers Enforcement Act of 2007; and to vote on the nominations of Mr. David George Nason, of Rhode Island, to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Institutions; Mr. Mario Mancuso, of New York, to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration; Mr. Michael W. Tankersley, of Texas, to be Inspector General of the Export-Import Bank of the United States; Mr. Robert M. Couch, of Alabama, to be General Counsel of the Department of Housing and Urban Development; Ms. Janis Herschkowitz, of Pennsylvania, to be a member of the board of directors of the National Consumer Cooperative Bank; Mr. David George Nason, of Rhode Island, to be a member of the board of directors of the National Consumer Cooperative Bank; and Dr. Nguyen Van Hanh, of California, to be a member of the board of directors of the National Consumer Cooperative Bank. Committee on commerce, Science, and Transportation

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to hold a business meeting during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 16, 2007, at 2:30 p.m., in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building. The purpose of this meeting will be to consider and approve S. 1300, S. 694, the nomination of David James Gribbin, IV, to be General Counsel of the United States Department of Transportation, and nominations for promotion in the United States Coast Guard.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 16, 2007, at 10 a.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to hear testimony on ``U.S. Preference Programs: How well do they work?''

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to conduct a hearing entitled, ``Rogue Online Pharmacies: The Growing Problem of Internet Drug Trafficking'' on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at 10 a.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226. Witness list: Francine H. Haight, Founder of Ryan's Cause, Laguna Niguel, CA; Joseph T. Rannazzisi, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Diversion Control, Drug Enforcement Administration, Arlington, VA; Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Chairman and President, National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, Former Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, New York, NY; Philip B. Heymann, James Barr Ames Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, Former Deputy U.S. Attorney General, Cambridge, MA; Thomas McClellan, Ph.D., Executive Director, Treatment Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate for a markup of S. 1256 ``Small Business Lending Reauthorization and Improvements Act of 2007'' on Wednesday, May 16, 2007, beginning at 2 p.m. in room 428A of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs be auhorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 16, 2007, to hold a hearing on the nomination of Dr. Michael J. Kussman to be Under Secretary for Health of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The hearing will take place in room 562 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building beginning at 10 a.m.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Joint Economic Committee be authorized to conduct a hearing entitled, ``Are the Explosive Costs of Elder Care Hurting Family Finances and Business Competition?, in room 216 of the Hart Senate Office Building, Wednesday, May 16, 2007, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committee on Aging be authorized to meet on Wednesday, May 16, 2007, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Dirksen 106 for the purpose of conducting a hearing regarding Medicare Advantage, Marketing, and Sales.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, May 16, 2007, at 10 a.m. in room 406 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Agenda ``The State of Mercury Regulation, Science, and Technology.''

Mrs. BOXER

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

Mrs. BOXER

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I have a parliamentary inquiry because I don't know when my ranking member will be here. Do I understand the Chair correctly that I would have 15 minutes and he would have 15 minutes, so I should conclude my remarks after such time?

Mrs. BOXER. Will the Presiding Officer please let me know when that time has come?

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am pleased that the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 is on the floor of the Senate and that Members on both sides of the aisle are very supportive of this legislation. This legislation authorizes the projects and policies of the Civil Works Program of the Army Corps of Engineers. Again, it has very strong support across party lines. I think it is important for the Senate to know, as well as the American people, that this bill is long overdue. Seven years ago, we passed the last WRDA bill. What does that mean? It means that very important flood control projects, wetlands restoration, environmental projects, clean water projects--so many of these projects have been delayed. When we are talking about the Nation's economy and public safety and the environment, these are things we all want to address. We address them in this bill. The beauty of it is that although Senator Inhofe and I have some deep differences on issues, this is one bill we both strongly support, and across the board we see support. Every day I have come to the floor to talk about WRDA. I have stressed the strong support in the country for this legislation. I read yesterday from various letters of support. I want to call to Senators' attention--when they arrive to vote on the first amendment, which I hope we will all be opposing, or at least the vast majority of us--on their desks they will find, due to the good work of our pages, the letters of support I referred to yesterday. We have an amazing coalition. We have the National Association of Manufacturers supporting this bill. We have the American Farm Bureau Federation supporting this legislation, with a direct letter. We have a letter from the National Waterways Conference supporting this bill. We have the Audubon Society supporting this legislation. For those who may not be aware, it is a society of more than 1 million members and supporters who work very hard to restore America's natural resources. We have them supporting this bill. We have the American Society of Civil Engineers supporting this bill. We have the National Construction Alliance, which is made up of the Laborers International Union, the International Union of Operating Engineers, and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. This is about as broad a coalition as we can have. It concludes with a letter from the Associated General Contractors of America. We have a bill that, as the National Construction Alliance says, is a $13.9 billion authorization of Corps projects which is a necessary first step in addressing our country's serious backlog of water projects, from harbor improvement, to flood protection, to lock and dam construction, dredging, and environmental infrastructure. That is what we address in this very important bill. We certainly have many contentious debates on the floor of this Senate. We are going to have one again on Iraq. It tugs at the heartstrings. It is very difficult. But this is one piece of legislation which should not be difficult for us. Senator Inhofe and I share a commitment to shoring up our Nation's infrastructure, including our water resources. We have a true partnership on this issue. I hope colleagues will join with us, as we work through the amendments. There will be some amendments we can support, but we have made a pact that even if there are some amendments each of us individually supports, if the four top members of the Environment and Public Works Committee have not agreed on them, we will be forced to vote no. This is not a pleasant situation for either of us. We think it is the way to maintain the delicate balance of the legislation, because the bill is a product of bipartisanship. I mentioned the other two members of the committee who have worked so hard, Senators Baucus and Isakson. I thank them. The whole country is looking to see what we do to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina and what we do to move forward so that we don't see another tragedy as we witnessed recently. About 25 percent of this bill is directed at Louisiana. We have gone very far to meet their needs. We do understand we haven't done 100 percent of what they need, but there will be other WRDAs, and there may well be a couple of amendments on which we can move forward. We don't know at this particular point. We have waited 7 long years for this bill. We are going to be having a vote at a quarter of 12. Before I yield to my good friend and colleague, the ranking member of the committee, for his comments, I hope everyone will join in voting no on the Coburn amendment. What he does in his amendment is, he has decided--and he is here in the Chamber now--that one of the projects in California should wait until another project in California is totally funded. I call this amendment the Russian roulette amendment because the project he wants to delay is an important project in the San Diego area. It is the city of Imperial Beach. There is a very important project the Corps is recommending where the local match will be paid-- the initial stages, 30 percent; the final stages, 50 percent. We are talking about protecting 2,083 businesses. There are 812 nonrental property businesses and 1,271 rental properties. We are talking about 22 retail businesses, 217 businesses located along the beachfront, 195 are rental, and 19 businesses near the shoreline. What we are talking about doing is a project that is so cost-effective, it has met every criteria. It has gone through every phase. We received a letter from the mayor which clearly states they will be picking up their share. This is a project which needs to move forward. You don't say to somebody in the southern part of a State: You don't deserve this flood protection until someone in the northern part of the State gets flood protection. We have to do it all. This is the United States of America. California, if we were a nation, would be the fifth largest economy in the world. All Members have a right to their opinion and a right to offer amendments. I support my colleague's right to do so. But it is absolutely wrong. He will present it as some kind of a beach project. He makes it sound as if what we are doing is protecting a beach. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are using the replenishment in this project as a way to absorb the floodwaters. I will speak for a minute on this later. I hope we will have a resounding ``no'' vote. Every Member has a right to say what he or she thinks belongs in this bill. But this bill has gone through a rigorous process. We don't have anything in here that doesn't meet the criteria. Senator Inhofe was very strong on that. I agreed with him completely. With my time waning, I yield the floor and look forward to a strong ``no'' vote on the Coburn amendment in 15 minutes.

Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, there has been some misinformation. The last flooding and very bad winter storm was in 2004, and we have all that documented--in the hundreds of thousands of dollars--in this area. I understand Senator Coburn wants to substitute his opinion for the opinion of the Corps, but I want to go through, with my colleagues who might be listening to this debate, how many steps this project has already been through, as have all the projects we have agreed to fund. So the WRDA bill is 7 years in the making. Mr. President, will you tell me when I have 1 minute remaining because I want to yield that minute to Senator Inhofe.