Hillary Clinton

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Thank you, Mr. President. Again, I hope that we will respond with equal vigor and expeditious treatment to deal with the problems in New York, as our country always has in previous disasters.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, since the terrible tragedies of September 11, many Americans, both adults and children, have been forced to deal with a level of pain and anxiety that most people have never had to endure before. Art therapy--the process of using art therapeutically to treat victims of trauma, illness, physical disability or other personal challenges--has historically been under recognized as a treatment. However, since September 11, many of us have witnessed its enormous benefits in helping both children and adults alike express their emotions in a very personal, touching way. While nearly every person in our country has been irrevocably changed by that day's events, we know that children are particularly vulnerable to the long-term emotional consequences that often accompany exposure to trauma. One of the ways in which children have coped with the aftermath of September 11 is by reaching for their crayons, pencils, and paintbrushes to express some of what they are feeling. Children all over the country have created images of World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon decorated with hearts, tears, rainbows, and angels. These simple, yet heartfelt, drawings, which do such a wonderful job of expressing the complex emotional terrain that these children are navigating, have moved us all. Adults, too, have used creativity to help cope with the difficult emotions that so many are experiencing. I heard the story of a woman who was one of the last people to be rescued from the World Trade Center rubble after being trapped for more than a day. She drew a picture while in intensive care of herself under the rubble with angels and God hovering above her. Another victim of the disaster drew pictures of flowers and spoke about how grateful she was to be alive. Last June, I had the pleasure of viewing an art exhibit here on Capitol Hill in which all of the art was created by patients who were being treated by art therapists. It was a remarkable feat for people coping with such immense personal pain to be able to produce such works of passion and beauty. Although sometimes the healing qualities of art may be less tangible or obvious than its aesthetic qualities, they may be even more important. I want to thank art therapists, in New York and every community in America, who are assisting survivors, rescuers, and the bereaved. Throughout the country, there are almost 5,000 trained and credentialed art therapists working in hospitals, nursing homes, schools and shelters. They are among the army of mental health professionals who support those suffering from psychological trauma from the attacks, and undoubtedly will continue to serve the needs of individuals coping with subsequent stress disorders. And that is why I rise today to encourage my colleagues in Congress to support the field of art therapy and expand awareness about this creative form of treatment. At this time of heightened awareness about the importance of maintaining mental health, we should recognize art therapy as a way to treat those among us who have experienced trauma.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Madam President, I rise today to offer a helping hand to communities in New York and around the country experiencing fiscal distress as they struggle to respond to the heightened security needs of our country. Although the terrorists responsible for the September 11 attacks targeted two of our cities, communities thousands of miles away from Ground Zero now find themselves on the front lines in the war against terrorism. Since the attacks, towns and cities, both large and small, all across America have been overwhelmed by calls about potential biological or chemical attacks or threats to infrastructure. Along with this new responsibility comes a heavy burden that these communities should not be forced to shoulder alone. That is why today I am introducing legislation to provide relief to State and local governments in their efforts to improve emergency response and public safety locally. This Federal aid will ensure that local communities will not have to bear the burden of a strong homeland defense alone. Tomorrow, mayors from all around New York State will meet in New York City to address these very concerns. The legislation I'm introducing today, along with my colleagues Senators Feinstein, Mikulski, Durbin, and Schumer, will go a long way in helping them and communities across the country meet these needs. Since the unimaginable acts of terrorism against American civilians on U.S. soil that took place a few months ago, we have been forced to reevaluate virtually every aspect of our homeland security. One immediate change to emerge in post-September 11 America has been that local communities are now charged with an enormous responsibility: plugging in the gaps in our public safety system and securing our homeland defense. Our entire country witnessed it on September 11 when hundreds of brave men and women in uniform went rushing towards burning buildings to save peoples' lives. These courageous individuals were public safety officers and emergency response personnel, and, on that day, America and its towns and cities were forever changed. Mayor Joseph Griffo of Rome, New York described this new phenomenon, saying, The mayors have become the leaders, the first responders in this new war on terrorism. The police, the firefighters and the emergency personnel are the first responders. We have a role and a responsibility in being more keenly aware of what potentially could happen to our communities. Already, towns and cities in New York, and municipalities across the country, have seen a glimpse of what homeland security's price tag looks like and they are deeply concerned about how they will pay for it. Rome Mayor Griffo has said, The finances, of providing security, are going to be very difficult. I think it may be tough to recoup all the costs that we've incurred to date. . . . Beyond that, we have to see where we can work in partnership with the feds and the state. Bills from skyrocketing police and fire fighter overtime costs are saddling many local governments with unanticipated costs. Local law enforcement agencies are struggling with expenses from a wide range of security needs, including: properly securing major transportation infrastructure, like tunnels and bridges; stepping up security at facilities that store hazardous materials or drinking water; and providing local health personnel with the resources and training they need to respond to biological and chemical attacks. Mayor Jerry Jennings of Albany, NY, estimates that increased patrols at Alcove Reservoir in Coeymans to ensure that the city's water supply is adequately protected will probably cost taxpayers $1 million. The city of Buffalo, New York, has received 139 terrorist threats since September 11. Buffalo Mayor Tony Masiello estimates these additional threats will cost the city approximately $700 an hour. Although the terrorist attacks of September 11 targeted New York and Washington, DC, every single community in our country has been affected by the attacks, Baltimore, for example, has incurred nearly $4 million in security costs since the September 11 attacks, and city budget officials predict that those costs could grow to $15.8 million for the fiscal year. New Orleans is contending with a $10 million budget gap due to security costs for the city and the New Orleans airport. Dallas, according to some estimates, has already spent $2 million on security and could end up spending $6 million by the end of the year. In Massachusetts, Acting Governor Jane Swift has approved $26 million for homeland defense related spending, which includes state police overtime. According to the National Governors' Association, over the next six months expenses resulting from the September 11 attacks could end up as high as $10 billion in the 50 States, while the National League of Cities projects a 4 percent decline in revenues for cities--a projected $11.4 billion--from the disastrous effects the attacks have had on local employment and tourism. These figures point to what mayors have been saying for some time now and what I repeated on this floor a few weeks ago after meeting with mayors from all over the country: the cost of homeland security is causing our cities to bleed dollars. Of the 214 cities polled in late October, more than half said that they increased spending on security after September 11 and that they would have to dip into surpluses and cut programs as a result. It has even been reported that some states are considering using their state lottery funds to pay for the cost of bolstering local homeland defense efforts. Our homeland security cannot be left to chance and no city or town in America should have to choose between adequately protecting its citizens and funding important programs that benefit our children, the most vulnerable among us. It's the responsibility of the Federal Government to ensure our security and we must not let our cities and towns bear the brunt of homeland defense alone. These additional fiscal demands come at a time when we are already facing a nationwide economic downturn and people are already experiencing the pain of this economic uncertainty. Over the next 18 months, New York State will face an estimated $10 billion shortfall in state revenues. To counter some of these pressures and help communities recover more quickly from this economic slump, we must provide local communities with the resources they need to meet these increased demands. Under the legislation I am introducing, cities, counties, and towns across America will be able to access Federal funds to help make up these anticipated revenue shortfalls. The Homeland Security Block Grant Act provides $3 billion in funding to communities, with 70 percent going directly to more than 1,000 cities and counties across the United States. The remaining 30 percent will be funneled to States to direct to smaller communities to help them improve security and public safety locally. Cities with a population of more than 50,000 and that are within metropolitan areas and counties within metropolitan areas, regardless of the size of the county, will receive funds directly. For example, both Syracuse and Onondaga County will be eligible to receive grant funds. Some of my colleagues have asked whether a small state provision can be included in the bill, one that would guarantee that less-populated states would receive a minimum level funding. I am very much looking forward to working with my colleagues on such a provision to include in this bill. This legislation gives local communities a lot of flexibility to determine how grant funds will be used because local communities are most knowledgeable about their security needs. For example, funds can be used for overtime expenses for law enforcement, fire, and emergency personnel incurred as a result of terrorist threats or to purchase personal protective equipment for fire, police, and emergency personnel. Communities could also use these federal funds to acquire state-of- the-art technology to improve communication between the first responders, based at myriad local agencies, so that they can work together closely and efficiently while responding to attacks. In addition, funds could also be used to improve security or water treatment plants, nuclear power plants, tunnels and bridges, and chemical plants. Towns and cities may also decide to use the funds to improve the communication system used to provide information to the public in a timely manner about the facts of any threat and the precautions the public should take. Finally, to encourage communities to use the homeland security block grants effectively, communities will be required to match by 10 percent the funds received from the Federal Government. Financially distressed communities, however, will receive a waiver from the matching requirement. I'm proud that this legislation has the support of the International Association of Firefighters, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Association of Police Organizations, the National League of Cities, and U.S. Conference of Mayors. Just as our Federal Government pays for defense overseas, it is our duty to fund our defense at home. Our homeland defense can only be as strong as the weakest link at the State and local level. By providing our communities with the resources and tools they need to bolster emergency response efforts and provide for other homeland security initiatives, we will have a better-prepared home front and a stronger America.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Madam President, I rise today, as I did yesterday, to speak again about the destruction and devastation that took place on September 11 in New York City and with which we are still living, 11 weeks and 2 days later. Madam President, 79 days after the attacks on our Nation, thousands of businesses and residents who were physically displaced by the destruction, who suffered from the loss of power and telephone access, who have been overwhelmed and hindered by the debris removal efforts, who have breathed the poor air, who have tried to cope with the crime scene designation, who are worried about returning to their homes in and near ground zero, who have lost their jobs, who are worrying whether they can keep the doors of their businesses open, thousands upon thousands of New Yorkers are still awaiting some help, any help from the Federal Government. As I said yesterday, the U.S. Constitution guarantees to protect every State against invasion. The President said in his joint address to Congress just 10 days after the attacks ``we will rebuild New York City.'' That same day, my colleague, Senator Lott, said while visiting New York, ``We are here to commit to the people'' of New York City, ``that we will stand with you.'' Congressman Gephardt, the House minority leader, said in his weekly radio address: ``We will work to make the broken places right again. We will rebuild New York.'' They were in good company. As this chart shows, so many of our leaders who spoke out made tremendous commitments of help and related to the suffering that was going on and still persists to this day. Madam President, 79 days have passed since the terrorist attacks on our Nation took over 3,500 innocent lives. Those are lives that, tragically, we cannot get back. But the attacks also took livelihoods. We can do something about that. Not only were 15 to 20 million square feet of office space, nearly one-third of all space in Lower Manhattan, either completely destroyed or damaged, but thousands of more smaller businesses remain without physical or telephone access, without power or with limited access to their places of business--and through no fault of their own. On September 10, they were running thriving businesses; on September 12, they were no longer open, and in too many instances still all these days later they are not. This is a before-and-after comparison. This is what the World Trade Center area looked like when we woke up on the morning of September 11--on that glorious, beautiful, late summer day. This is what it looked like after the terrorists wreaked their evil plot on our country. I show these pictures to remind everyone what happened on that morning--the lives that were lost; the heroic firefighters, police officers, and emergency workers who ran toward danger, not away from it; the thousands and thousands of inhabitants of the buildings that were destroyed and damaged, who, thankfully, made it to safety, and the thousands more who did not. We know, as I have said before, the damage that has been done is difficult to express in words. We are not even quite sure of the full impact, but we do know from a study completed by the New York City Partnership and Chamber of Commerce that small businesses directly affected by the attacks have seen their sales decline by up to 80 percent. New York City is likely to lose 125,000 jobs in the fourth quarter of this year. We have already lost an unprecedented 79,000 jobs in October alone. A total of 270,000 jobs are at risk in Lower Manhattan. In the 45 days following the attack, because of the inaccessibility--the crime scene designation, the streets blocked off, the debris trucks moving up and down doing their job--small businesses lost nearly $795 million. Up to 55,000 small business jobs are expected to be lost during the first quarter of next year. These are staggering numbers. Sadly, 79 days after the attacks, not nearly enough help has arrived for the businesses and workers who were directly victimized by these attacks. There is a reason that our President and our leaders in the House and the Senate committed to rebuild New York and to make the broken pieces right again. It is because we need New York. We need New York's energy, dynamism; it is the center of global commerce. But even beyond that, it is because we, the Federal Government, the Government of our country, which represents all Americans, have a responsibility, not only as outlined in the Constitution but one that I think we feel as our duty. It is the same duty we felt after the Midwest floods devastated so many acres up and down the Mississippi; after the North Ridge earthquake in California destroyed bridges and highways and buildings and made people run for their lives in the middle of the night; after Hurricanes Hugo and Andrew and all the others; after tornadoes; after the Oklahoma City bombing; after the New Mexico fires. After every disaster, natural or manmade, one of the unique attributes of our Nation is that we rally around. It is sometimes remarked that as Americans we find our best selves in the face of tragedy. Whether it is people along the levee who are filling sandbags or rescue workers going into the teeth of a tornado to make sure everyone is safe, whether it is the heroic rescuers who carry out the injured and dying from the Oklahoma City bombing, we pull together. We take care of our own. In the case, for example, of the New Mexico fires, just 62 days after the President declared the disaster, the Cerro Grande Fire Claims Office was created at FEMA for businesses and others to seek immediate assistance. By the 120th day, the first claim was approved. So the office was set up, the claims were begun, and they were in the pipeline and being approved. As of today, $240 million has been paid out, including $20 million in relief going to businesses, $116 million to individuals. If you go back and look at how New Mexico responded, you can see there is a real difference between the headlines from New York and the headlines from New Mexico. Headlines from ground zero: ``New York Needs Help Now to Rise From the Ashes,'' ``New York Financial Core Wobbles From Attack's Economic Hit,'' ``Since September 11, Vacant Offices and Lost Vigor,'' ``Terror Attacks Have Left Chinatown's Economy Battered,'' ``A Nation Challenged: Small Shops Feel Lost In Aid Effort.'' Compare those headlines that appeared on November 19, November 21, the 25th, the 26th--within the last days--with the headlines that came out of New Mexico. Headlines from New Mexico read: ``Los Alamos Welcomes Federal Aid.'' That's right, the headline was ``Los Alamos Welcomes Federal Aid.'' Not: Where is it? Why are we having to wait so long? Who will help us rise from the ashes? We have so many New Yorkers displaced by these attacks who are still awaiting help. I have talked with a number of my colleagues about this. It seemed the New Mexico model was a very good one. It made so much sense because here was an instance when the Federal Government itself caused the disaster by setting the fires, and the Federal Government took responsibility and came forth with the assistance to aid businesses and individuals who, through no fault of their own, were in the path of that fire. They didn't start it; they didn't see it coming; it just happened. Some of my colleagues say: Yes, that is right. We immediately responded. We got the job done. But, after all, the Federal Government set the fires. That strikes me as a strange way of setting one disaster against another. When I think about all the lives that were lost in the World Trade Center, when I think about all the businesses that are struggling, and all the people who have lost their jobs, I have to reflect that this attack on our country is in some ways even worse than setting a fire to stop a fire. The Federal Government made a mistake in New Mexico. They followed a fire policy that got out of hand and did not work, and they stepped up and took responsibility, representing Americans' willingness to take responsibility. Here we have the same kind of challenge. Through no fault of the people on the ground in New York, we were attacked. I hope my colleagues in the Senate, on both sides of the aisle, our colleagues in the House, the administration, will have the same sense of responsibility to help our businesses and workers who have been displaced by terrorist attacks as they had in assisting our fellow citizens in New Mexico. I and Senator Schumer have introduced a bill that builds on the lessons we have learned from the Cerro Grande Claims Office. There are other ways of providing the funding that is needed. My plea is that we get about the business of doing that. The victims of the fires in New Mexico were not told to go through a lengthy process with the Small Business Administration. They weren't told if you don't have any collateral and you can't get customers because you have a crime scene designation and therefore you are not eligible or you cannot pledge your assets for a small business loan, you are out of luck. We used our ingenuity. We were creative in solving the problems that our friends and fellow citizens in New Mexico faced. That is what we are asking on behalf of New Yorkers. We are asking that all of these promises from the President; the Speaker; the majority leader; Senator Lott, the minority leader; the OMB Director; and countless others--that these promises be realized as quickly and with the kind of dispatch that we saw when it came to New Mexico. I hope we can address this issue in the remaining days of this year because our people cannot wait. They could not wait in New Mexico, and they were assisted. They cannot wait in New York either because this is unlike any disaster. This is not a disaster such as a terrible fire or a hurricane. This is a crime scene. This has the kind of significance that has burned itself into our consciousness. The fires are still burning. I met earlier today with some residents who live in the buildings that weren't destroyed. They are like pioneers. They are like people on the frontier. They have gone back to their homes. It is not easy. There are no services. The work goes on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The smell from the burning fires permeate the air. They want to stay and be part of rebuilding New York. They want to make real the words of all of our leaders. All they need is a little bit of help. I hope our colleagues will provide that. Thank you, Madam President. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Madam President, I rise today to offer a helping hand to communities in New York and around the country experiencing fiscal distress as they struggle to respond to the heightened security needs of our country. Although the terrorists responsible for the September 11 attacks targeted two of our cities, communities thousands of miles away from Ground Zero now find themselves on the front lines in the war against terrorism. Since the attacks, towns and cities, both large and small, all across America have been overwhelmed by calls about potential biological or chemical attacks or threats to infrastructure. Along with this new responsibility comes a heavy burden that these communities should not be forced to shoulder alone. That is why today I am introducing legislation to provide relief to State and local governments in their efforts to improve emergency response and public safety locally. This Federal aid will ensure that local communities will not have to bear the burden of a strong homeland defense alone. Tomorrow, mayors from all around New York State will meet in New York City to address these very concerns. The legislation I'm introducing today, along with my colleagues Senators Feinstein, Mikulski, Durbin, and Schumer, will go a long way in helping them and communities across the country meet these needs. Since the unimaginable acts of terrorism against American civilians on U.S. soil that took place a few months ago, we have been forced to reevaluate virtually every aspect of our homeland security. One immediate change to emerge in post-September 11 America has been that local communities are now charged with an enormous responsibility: plugging in the gaps in our public safety system and securing our homeland defense. Our entire country witnessed it on September 11 when hundreds of brave men and women in uniform went rushing towards burning buildings to save peoples' lives. These courageous individuals were public safety officers and emergency response personnel, and, on that day, America and its towns and cities were forever changed. Mayor Joseph Griffo of Rome, New York described this new phenomenon, saying, The mayors have become the leaders, the first responders in this new war on terrorism. The police, the firefighters and the emergency personnel are the first responders. We have a role and a responsibility in being more keenly aware of what potentially could happen to our communities. Already, towns and cities in New York, and municipalities across the country, have seen a glimpse of what homeland security's price tag looks like and they are deeply concerned about how they will pay for it. Rome Mayor Griffo has said, The finances, of providing security, are going to be very difficult. I think it may be tough to recoup all the costs that we've incurred to date. . . . Beyond that, we have to see where we can work in partnership with the feds and the state. Bills from skyrocketing police and fire fighter overtime costs are saddling many local governments with unanticipated costs. Local law enforcement agencies are struggling with expenses from a wide range of security needs, including: properly securing major transportation infrastructure, like tunnels and bridges; stepping up security at facilities that store hazardous materials or drinking water; and providing local health personnel with the resources and training they need to respond to biological and chemical attacks. Mayor Jerry Jennings of Albany, NY, estimates that increased patrols at Alcove Reservoir in Coeymans to ensure that the city's water supply is adequately protected will probably cost taxpayers $1 million. The city of Buffalo, New York, has received 139 terrorist threats since September 11. Buffalo Mayor Tony Masiello estimates these additional threats will cost the city approximately $700 an hour. Although the terrorist attacks of September 11 targeted New York and Washington, DC, every single community in our country has been affected by the attacks, Baltimore, for example, has incurred nearly $4 million in security costs since the September 11 attacks, and city budget officials predict that those costs could grow to $15.8 million for the fiscal year. New Orleans is contending with a $10 million budget gap due to security costs for the city and the New Orleans airport. Dallas, according to some estimates, has already spent $2 million on security and could end up spending $6 million by the end of the year. In Massachusetts, Acting Governor Jane Swift has approved $26 million for homeland defense related spending, which includes state police overtime. According to the National Governors' Association, over the next six months expenses resulting from the September 11 attacks could end up as high as $10 billion in the 50 States, while the National League of Cities projects a 4 percent decline in revenues for cities--a projected $11.4 billion--from the disastrous effects the attacks have had on local employment and tourism. These figures point to what mayors have been saying for some time now and what I repeated on this floor a few weeks ago after meeting with mayors from all over the country: the cost of homeland security is causing our cities to bleed dollars. Of the 214 cities polled in late October, more than half said that they increased spending on security after September 11 and that they would have to dip into surpluses and cut programs as a result. It has even been reported that some states are considering using their state lottery funds to pay for the cost of bolstering local homeland defense efforts. Our homeland security cannot be left to chance and no city or town in America should have to choose between adequately protecting its citizens and funding important programs that benefit our children, the most vulnerable among us. It's the responsibility of the Federal Government to ensure our security and we must not let our cities and towns bear the brunt of homeland defense alone. These additional fiscal demands come at a time when we are already facing a nationwide economic downturn and people are already experiencing the pain of this economic uncertainty. Over the next 18 months, New York State will face an estimated $10 billion shortfall in state revenues. To counter some of these pressures and help communities recover more quickly from this economic slump, we must provide local communities with the resources they need to meet these increased demands. Under the legislation I am introducing, cities, counties, and towns across America will be able to access Federal funds to help make up these anticipated revenue shortfalls. The Homeland Security Block Grant Act provides $3 billion in funding to communities, with 70 percent going directly to more than 1,000 cities and counties across the United States. The remaining 30 percent will be funneled to States to direct to smaller communities to help them improve security and public safety locally. Cities with a population of more than 50,000 and that are within metropolitan areas and counties within metropolitan areas, regardless of the size of the county, will receive funds directly. For example, both Syracuse and Onondaga County will be eligible to receive grant funds. Some of my colleagues have asked whether a small state provision can be included in the bill, one that would guarantee that less-populated states would receive a minimum level funding. I am very much looking forward to working with my colleagues on such a provision to include in this bill. This legislation gives local communities a lot of flexibility to determine how grant funds will be used because local communities are most knowledgeable about their security needs. For example, funds can be used for overtime expenses for law enforcement, fire, and emergency personnel incurred as a result of terrorist threats or to purchase personal protective equipment for fire, police, and emergency personnel. Communities could also use these federal funds to acquire state-of- the-art technology to improve communication between the first responders, based at myriad local agencies, so that they can work together closely and efficiently while responding to attacks. In addition, funds could also be used to improve security or water treatment plants, nuclear power plants, tunnels and bridges, and chemical plants. Towns and cities may also decide to use the funds to improve the communication system used to provide information to the public in a timely manner about the facts of any threat and the precautions the public should take. Finally, to encourage communities to use the homeland security block grants effectively, communities will be required to match by 10 percent the funds received from the Federal Government. Financially distressed communities, however, will receive a waiver from the matching requirement. I'm proud that this legislation has the support of the International Association of Firefighters, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Association of Police Organizations, the National League of Cities, and U.S. Conference of Mayors. Just as our Federal Government pays for defense overseas, it is our duty to fund our defense at home. Our homeland defense can only be as strong as the weakest link at the State and local level. By providing our communities with the resources and tools they need to bolster emergency response efforts and provide for other homeland security initiatives, we will have a better-prepared home front and a stronger America.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Madam President, exactly 11 weeks ago today, we as a nation suffered the most horrific and tragic attack in our long history on our shores. It is almost impossible to reconstruct the feelings, the emotions, the reactions that have swept through our Nation in the wake of the events of September 11. Certainly our Nation has responded both abroad, under the President's leadership, through the extraordinary efforts of our men and women in uniform, to root out the terrorists responsible for this attack. Here at home we have faced continuing challenges in the aftermath of September 11, including the use of anthrax to bring about death and injury and create an atmosphere of fear. But I want to bring our attention back to that part of our Nation that suffered the most grievous attack. That was in New York City in Lower Manhattan. I don't think it was any accident that the terrorists chose this particular place in America to launch their attack. New York City is the global city, not only the capital of global finance but of global media, of entertainment, of intellectual ferment. It is a beacon, a magnet for immigrants from throughout the world. So the attack was well planned, not only to destroy buildings and kill innocent people but to send a signal to America that the terrorists were aiming to undermine our way of life. Clearly, we have responded with such strength and resolution that the effort undertaken by those who thought they would destroy us has clearly been repudiated. We are, I believe, stronger and more unified today than we were on September 10. For that I am grateful. But I do not want our country, as we turn our television sets and our eyes toward Afghanistan, as we worry about tracking down whoever sent anthrax-laden envelopes to innocent people, including our colleagues, I do not want anyone to forget what happened on September 11 in New York City. This is an aerial view of Lower Manhattan. It gives you some sense of the destruction--acres and acres of destroyed buildings, fires that are still burning below ground. Looking at this today brings back the memories that I will always have of flying over this site on September 12 and looking down and not only seeing that the towers and neighboring buildings were gone but looking into what appeared to be the jaws of hell. But beyond this picture of destruction there are so many lives that have been impacted forever, not only those who are no longer with us but their family members, their colleagues, their friends, and their neighbors have been affected, not only those who lost their lives but so many whose livelihoods were turned upside down. In New York City alone, as a result of the World Trade Center attacks, we lost over 3,500 innocent people. We are still reading their profiles and learning a little bit about each one because of the extraordinary series that the New York Times runs every day. For that I thank the Times. Some 20,000 families who called Lower Manhattan home were rendered homeless. Think of it; 20,000 families couldn't go home, not only because of the destruction but because of the air quality. It was reported yesterday that 8,000 have still not returned home. Madam President, 15 or 20 million square feet of office space was damaged or destroyed resulting in the loss of nearly 125,000 jobs. And because the scene--not just the immediate area of destruction known as Ground Zero but reaching far beyond--is a crime scene, and because the removal of the debris ties up streets, we have an area that is called the frozen zone. That makes it very difficult for businesses and residents to be able to resume anything resembling normal life. The New York City Partnership estimates we lost nearly 125,000 jobs, and that a total of 270,000 are at risk. The Partnership expects over 50,000 small businesses to close their doors during the first quarter of the coming year. In the 45 days following the attack, 3,400 small businesses rendered inaccessible because of the damage and the crime scene designation lost an estimated $795 million in revenues. We know the specific cases of the losses are not just in the private sector, because the public sector was also impacted in a way from which it will take years to recover. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Port Authority of New York suffered millions of dollars to subway stations, to the PATH train station and infrastructure that ran underground, under the river, bringing thousands and thousands of people to work every day. Hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses lost electricity and telephone capacity. Many remain without telephones all these weeks later. Verizon, which provides our phone service, and serves 300,000 voice lines and 3.5 million data circuits out of its building at 140 West Street, was severely impacted because the building was destroyed. Con Ed lost two substations that supplied power for nearly 400,000 homes and businesses and suffered destruction of 11,000 feet of gas distribution lines. Con Ed continues to provide electricity through what are effectively 35 miles of extension cords. I have seen these big extension cords lying on top of the streets, and I know this is something that needs to be tended to so they are cared for and covered up before the winter comes. Many of New York's hospitals which cleared their beds in order to be ready for the injured, many of whom never came because they lost their lives instead, suffered millions of dollars in losses. The estimates for the economic loss, for the cost of debris removal, for infrastructure repair and rebuilding, are in the range of $100 billion. During those days after the attacks we received a tremendous amount of support. Indeed, many people, many of my colleagues as well as colleagues in the House, made the trip to Ground Zero because they understood what our Constitution says, which is that the United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion. When we were invaded by those hijacked airplanes on September 11, our country responded, not only out of the goodness of our hearts, out of a sense of empathy and sympathy, but because as a United States that is what is called for in our Constitution. Many who came, including the President with whom I went to Ground Zero, made a clear commitment. As the President said in the joint session of Congress on September 21: We will rebuild New York City. The Speaker of the House made a wonderful commitment to see New York ``rise from the ashes that we saw today.'' Our leaders, Senator Daschle, Senator Lott, Congressman Gephardt, all made that commitment. And OMB Director Mitch Daniels said the President's pledge of $20 billion is an absolute guarantee and it is likely to be more. Of course, it will be more because the damage is so much more. In those first days we had tremendous support, not only from our majority leader but from the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Byrd. Senator Schumer and I went to Senator Daschle and Senator Byrd and to the President, told them what we had seen, made clear we were going to face tremendous needs that we could not carry on our own, and secured a commitment for $20 billion to address those needs. We all acknowledge that that $20 billion was a first installment. With the invoices beginning to come in, it is quite clear that the cost will be considerably higher. That is not something new for our Nation. In natural disasters, and in terrorist attacks in the past, the Federal Government, which represents all of us, has stepped up to the plate to take care of Americans. The charts here illustrate the loss of life and damage from just a sampling of past disasters--Hurricane Hugo in 1989, the Northridge earthquake in California in 1994, the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, and the World Trade Center attack. If you look at the loss of life in this first chart, you can see how the World Trade Center compares--the terrible, terrible commentary, to think that with all of the natural disasters to which we are subject in our Nation that take the lives of innocent people caught in a hurricane, or a tornado, or caught in an earthquake, or a flood, what happened at the World Trade Center is so much greater. The enormity of it, even today with the count at 3,553, is almost impossible for us to take in. If you look at the estimated economic impact from major disasters-- again looking at Hurricane Hugo, Northridge, Oklahoma City, World Trade Center--Hurricane Hugo resulted in losses exceeding $10 billion; the Northridge earthquake had a total cost of $25 billion; in Oklahoma City, the cost totaled $650 million; and, again, if we look at the World Trade Center with costs in excess of $100 billion, it is so much greater than any tragedy, natural or man-caused tragedy, that we have ever encountered. The Federal Government has always come to our rescue. If you look at these examples--we could have taken others, but these are representative--the return to the impacted area, the city or the State, has always been in the range of 30 percent to 40 percent of economic loss. With the money so far allocated by the White House from the $40 billion emergency package enacted following the attacks, combined with amounts earmarked for New York in the House appropriations bill, the financial capital of the world, a place that has so much meaning in our Nation's history and the home of 8 million fellow Americans, is receiving just 11 percent of the estimated losses suffered. Hurricane Hugo received 38 percent; the Northridge earthquake in California, 39 percent; Oklahoma City, 41 percent; and, so far, even including the House appropriations, 11 percent for what New York has suffered. Even with the full $20 billion committed by the President following the attacks, the Federal response would only be in the 20-percent range. Sadly, while I, along with many of my colleagues, acknowledge that this $20 billion would be just a first installment, even that money has been slow to come. If we look at where we stand with respect to the summaries of loss of life, the economic impact, and the estimated percentage of Federal response, we can see that New York is not getting the help that we not only should expect but must count on. New York needs that $20 billion which has been promised--not next year but this year. The resources allocated thus far by the White House and the House appropriations bill leave so many immediate needs unmet. If you look at what has already been provided, we are grateful indeed for this help because already provided is $2 billion through FEMA for emergency response and debris removal; $500 million for SBA loans, medical services, and dislocated worker assistance; $700 million to go into a community development block grant; the House added to the money that the administration had already provided an additional $8 billion desperately needed, to increase the amount for debris removal by $4.4 billion; to increase the amount for the community development block grant by $1.8 billion; to put some money into workers compensation, which is desperately needed, of $175 million; and then creating an emergency employment clearinghouse to help all of the dislocated workers who have, through no fault of their own, lost their jobs in the aftermath of September 11. The total is $11.2 billion, far short of the $20 billion that New York was promised and that many of my colleagues and colleagues in the House and people in the administration certainly committed. Let's look at what is left out. New York City agency costs, MTA infrastructure damages, Port Authority costs, the utilities and exchange costs, hospital costs, university facilities that were impacted, unemployment assistance, health care coverage for our displaced residents and businesses--all of those are zero. If you look at where New York's $20 billion should be for ground zero, unfortunately, too many of our needs are on zero ground. All of these needs that have been specified are not being taken into account by either the administration or the House appropriations process. I commend my House colleagues from New York who fought hard, especially the five members of the Appropriations Committee. They waged a valiant battle, which actually resulted in increasing what the administration was going to give us this year by $8 billion. It was against a tremendous amount of pressure that was placed on them. There was lobbying against New York getting this necessary money from the highest places in the administration, which I just for the life of me don't understand. I do not recall there being any argument for any lobbying against the needs of our residents and citizens who were impacted by Oklahoma City or by the Northridge earthquake or by the hurricanes or floods or tornados that we have suffered. Yet the damage here is so much greater. People say, well, you know you can't use that money right now. That is just not true. We have specific requests that have been backed up by each of these particular items. We know we can sure use the unemployment assistance and the COBRA premium assistance because of all of our unemployed workers. We know the utilities have already spent over $1 billion getting telephone service and electricity reconnected. We could go down each of these. We are particularly concerned about our hospitals because so many of them spent millions and millions of dollars and turned away revenues in order to be ready for injured victims who never came. The Senate will begin its work on the appropriations for New York as well as the stimulus package which includes some incentives that will help us to keep businesses and provide some assistance for residents so they will go back downtown despite the fact that the fires are still burning. The air quality is subject to question. We will be able to provide some additional help to our hospitals, we hope, as well as to businesses to stay in Manhattan and New York City. The Senate is about to begin our process. But I wanted to take a few minutes on this day of commemoration as to what happened to New York and America 11 weeks ago to remind all of us about the cost of these attacks. New York City is a place noted for resilience. I think the country and the world have certainly seen that. It is a place that bounces back and keeps going. But one only has to be reminded of the tremendous damage that was inflicted to know we need some help. We are more than willing to pick ourselves up and rebuild and do what needs to be done to make this an even greater city in the 21st century than it has been for 400 years, but now New York needs America's help. For decade after decade after decade, New York has sent billions and billions and billions of dollars right here to Washington. We run a balance of payment deficit between New York and Washington that is $15 to $18 billion a year. But New York has a lot of wealthy people. Fifteen percent of the State's revenues came right out of Ground Zero. So we have paid for a lot of what needed to be paid for in our country that did not directly affect New York. We pay for commodities support systems so we have a good, safe food supply, and our farmers are well prepared to produce the food we need. We pay for our military even though we only have one major base left in our State. We pay for so many of the needs that people have all over America. So as far as we are concerned, that is one of the prices we pay for being so successful. But now New York needs America's help. After having done so much for so long to make sure our country was strong and prepared for the future, we need some help to put New York back into business so that it will continue as the capital of the global markets, as the capital of the global entertainment and media world. And so, Madam President, I ask that the administration reconsider its position and be willing to provide us with the additional money that so many of our people need and so many of our agencies require to get back on their feet. I hope that everyone will remember that disparity of damage and economic cost compared to the amount that has been provided for us and make good on the President's promise of $20 billion. That was one of the most emotional moments that I can certainly remember. To have such a quick, open response from the President to meet the needs of New York was a shot in the arm and a great confidence booster when we needed to hear it. What a shame it would be if that promise isn't fulfilled and if it isn't fulfilled in a timely manner this year so people can put that money to work to rebuild their lives, to reclaim their jobs, to keep their businesses going, to repair the infrastructure, and to make clear that New York is back and better than ever. I appreciate the opportunity to take a few minutes to talk about where we are 11 weeks after this attack and to remind all of us that it was an attack on America, and New York is counting on America's help. Thank you very much. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent I be given up to 15 minutes as in morning business.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I would like to draw my colleagues' attention to an editorial, which appeared in the New York Daily News on September 25, 2001. In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, this editorial proposes that Congress should convene for a special session in New York City. Daily News rightly points out that a convening of Congress in New York City would reaffirm the American people's steadfast resolve against the cowardly perpetrators of terrorism--and that the attack on New York represented an attack on our Nation. I am pleased to report that a bill, H. Con. Res. 249, calling for a special session of Congress to meet in New York City, has been introduced in the House of Representatives and that yesterday Senator Schumer and myself introduced a corresponding bill here in the Senate. I urge my colleagues to support this measure, which calls for a special 1-day joint session of Congress to be held in New York City as a symbol of the Nation's solidarity with New Yorkers who epitomize the human spirit of courage, resilience, and strength. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Schumer and myself, I ask unanimous consent that the editorial be printed in the Record.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I strongly support the amendment of the distinguished senior Senator from West Virginia, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Byrd. The chairman has put together this very well conceived $15 billion package of appropriations to address the Homeland security needs as quickly as humanly possible. I call to the attention of the distinguished Senator from West Virginia the devastating impact that the tragic events of September 11, 2001 had upon the software/information technology industry in and around New York City. Eighty-five percent of these software/information technology companies employ less than 100 persons. The survival of this industry is vital to the recovery efforts of New York City and to the national interest. Accordingly, it would be my hope that, in their administration of the programs for which funding is provided herein, all agencies are strongly encouraged to develop proposals which, to the maximum extent possible, take into account the dire circumstances faced by these companies. Would the chairman agree?

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I rise today to express profound sorrow for the loss of life caused by the tragic crash of American Airlines flight 587 in the residential community of Belle Harbor, Rockaway, Queens, and the loss of 246 passengers and 9 crewmembers who were traveling to the Dominican Republic, as well as the loss of life on the ground where the plane crashed. It has added to the immeasurable sadness that New York and America have been forced to bear since the horrific events of September 11. It is impossible to speak about the destruction that happened yesterday without recognizing the overwhelming sacrifices of the residents of the Rockaways. They have already contributed greatly to the defense of our city and our Nation. The families in this part of Queens have had to attend more funerals in the past 2 months than anyone should have to bear. They have lost many people who worked at the World Trade Center, as well as the numerous firefighters and police officers who make up this close-knit community. The courage and the values of these New Yorkers, these Americans, these public servants, have brought comfort to so many and have stood as a shining example of what is best of America. I think it is fair to say that our entire country stands in awe of their acts of bravery and self-sacrifice. It was doubly tragic to see the loss of life in this accident and to know that it happened in an area where lives were just beginning to resume some sense of normalcy and then were so horribly disrupted again. As I walked around the crash area with FEMA Director Joe Allbaugh yesterday, I was able to show him a neighborhood that I think came as a bit of a surprise. Joe has done a very good job, just a terrific job as our FEMA Director, in the time he has been in that position. He responded with just great dispatch and compassion to the World Trade Center attacks. I think being in Lower Manhattan and seeing the community there was one view of New York. But being in Belle Harbor, seeing the single- family homes that could be found in so many other communities around our country, was a reminder of the diversity that is New York. We have so many different kinds of neighborhoods. Yet in every one of them we will find people who are stalwart, steadfast, and willing to work hard and play by the rules, and who oftentimes have contributed to the greatness of that city and, in turn, our State and country. Senator Schumer, Congressman Weiner, and I will be asking FEMA to include this tragedy in Queens as part of the presidentially declared disaster. We believe the members of these affected communities, including the Dominican community in Washington Heights, Brooklyn, and elsewhere, and the Rockaway neighborhood where the plane fell to Earth, should have access to the disaster services they need and deserve. Although all of us in New York and America experienced a terrible shock yesterday upon learning of the crash, we know there was one particular segment of our community that was very hard hit. Initial estimates indicate that anywhere from 150 to 175 of the passengers on board flight 587 were Dominican-Americans, or Dominicans. New York's Dominican community, which is centered in Washington Heights, is a strong and vibrant cultural sector tucked into northern Manhattan, almost on the opposite end of where the World Trade Center once stood. Our Dominican community, with all of its excitement, its energy, its culture, and colorful history, has contributed greatly to the soul of New York City. Dominican-Americans have made many contributions to business and the arts, to labor and politics, and their contributions are really just beginning. They have also maintained strong ties with the Dominican Republic and the people who live there. Although it is growing rapidly, New York City's Dominican community is renowned for its smalltown feeling in a city obviously famous for its huge size. But a tragedy such as the one that happened yesterday reverberated across the entire community because virtually everyone knows someone who has lost a loved one. The community's response to this latest tragedy has been an outpouring of relief. We have seen that a crisis center for families has been already set up in Washington Heights. We have seen Dominican- American elected officials rallying around, serving their constituents. We know the kind of efforts that will be undertaken by the Dominican-American community will bring great comfort and support to those who have lost loved ones. Now we have to do whatever we can as the larger New York and American community to stand with and support these families. I spent some time last night at the Ramada Inn, that was set up at JFK Airport for the families to come seeking information and help. It was a grueling and wrenching experience. Many of the families there lost not just one member but several. I met one young man who lost his wife, his daughter, and his mother-in-law because they were going to the Dominican Republic to attend the funeral of a relative. I met another young man who proudly held the picture of his brother who had just gotten back from his tour of duty on the U.S.S. Enterprise in support of our efforts in Afghanistan. He had just come back home and was going down to see friends and relatives. His family was so proud of this young man who had served our country. There are many stories such as that which we will hear over the days and weeks ahead. Of course, all that any of us can do is to promise our support and whatever assistance is needed; to offer our thoughts and our prayers; to stand with the government and the people of the Dominican Republic for whom this is a profound and unsettling tragic occurrence; to demonstrate clearly in all that we do that we will stand in the face of whatever comes; that New Yorkers are neither daunted nor beaten down by the continuation of tragedy and challenge; and that our determined spirit as Americans remains undiminished. I look forward to working with the administration and my colleagues in ensuring that these New Yorkers, like those who were affected on September 11, know that our country stands behind them and with them. Thank you, Madam President.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. We have not made the commitment of resources we need to our public health system, to our fight against bioterrorism, to the kind of security we need in our powerplants, our chemical plants. I think we have a lot more to do. I commend Senator Byrd for his leadership. Finally, a special word of appreciation to the Finance Committee for their recognition and support of New York. We know this was an attack on America. The epicenter of the attack was on New York City. It was New York City firefighters who went up those towers when people were coming down. It is the firefighters and the police officers and the emergency responders who have been going to countless funerals. It is the people who worked in those buildings who have scrambled to try to make sense of their lives, to restart their jobs, and many of them are no longer employed. The estimate is about 100,000 have been dislocated. The ripple effect through the city and the State has been even greater. Because of those 100,000 who directly lost their jobs in lower Manhattan, many of them work for companies that bought from smaller companies, that did work with banks and law firms and advertising agencies that had catering and restaurant business to give out. They no longer do that. We are now looking at a loss of about 250,000 individuals in New York alone by the end of this year. We have seen unemployment go up around the Nation, but it has gone up even more in New York City. We are not sure the end has been reached. We know this has had a ripple effect through the entire State, not just through the city. In Syracuse we lost 400 employees of USAir when they decided to close a call center after losing so much business. In Buffalo, with the loss of tax revenues--because 15 percent of all the State's tax revenues came from Ground Zero; those are gone--we are looking at laying off up to 500 teachers in Buffalo, which is at the opposite end of the State. The package coming out of the Finance Committee will help enormously. I am particularly grateful for the tax incentives that will help us rebuild Lower Manhattan, will help us recover some of that lost office space to get back into the business of being the global financial capital of the entire world. It will take a long time. New York will need a lot of help. This is a very welcome start. The tax credits for employers to keep their offices in Manhattan will help tip the balance in favor of doing just that. Tax-exempt bonding authority for construction will give an extra boost to rebuilding, and reinvesting insurance proceeds will enable people to make that decision. We are still working on something to keep residents downtown, which is a very big challenge, and to provide additional relief for advance refunding for the port authority and the metropolitan transportation authority and for their infrastructure projects. We lost our subway lines. We lost the PATH Train from New Jersey. We will have a lot of work ahead. I thank and commend the Finance Committee, particularly the chairman, Senator Baucus, for a job well done.

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I thank my distinguished colleague, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee and a great leader of this body and our country, for that courtesy. I thank my colleague from North Dakota for very thoughtful and thought-provoking remarks. I join those remarks, and I ask that as we do move toward this debate on how we stimulate our economy and how we take care of our people, we put it in a broader context. I sometimes worry that talk about economic stimulus, talk about Tax Code provisions, talk about a lot of the issues that come before the Finance Committee and then come before the Senate may not be communicating directly and effectively with the public who need to follow this debate closely because what we will be or will not be deciding over the course of the next several weeks will have profound effects on our daily lives, on our quality of life, on our national security at home and abroad, and on the future of our economic growth and opportunities. The Finance Committee came out with a package that should deserve the support of Senators on both sides of the aisle. I am well aware there is a very different point of view on behalf of my colleagues on the other side, so we are going to have a debate. I agree with my colleague from North Dakota; it is an important debate. But we cannot look at what is being proposed today without recognizing several very important factors. First, we are now moving into deficits. We thought we had deficits tamed. We thought the struggle, sacrifice--economic, personal, political, and public--of the last 8 years meant that we were on strong fiscal footing, that we did have a policy for economic growth that would demonstrate fiscal responsibility, pay down the debt, free up investment capital, and keep this great engine of economic prosperity going. We did not repeal the law of business cycles, so understandably there will be ups and downs, but we moved the economic plain to a higher level and had a consensus in the country that the smart fiscal policy was the responsible one; that trying to continue to pay down our debt in order to relieve the burdens not only from future generations but from ourselves, not to crowd out investment capital so that businesses could come into the market and have long-term interest rates at an affordable level, meant we knew the direction in which the economy should go. Now it will not surprise anyone in this Chamber that I ascribe to the Clinton-Rubin economic policies. I happen to think they make sense. I believe in a global economy, fiscal responsibility, investment policies. Making it possible for people to pursue their own futures by creating economic opportunities goes hand in hand with keeping deficits down, in fact keeping surpluses growing and giving us a chance to know we are going to have for the foreseeable future strong economic times. That is not the philosophy of the other side, and I respect their right to hold that contrary philosophy. So we stand here now in November, having passed a very large tax cut in the spring which undermines our long-term economic future, which demonstrates clearly we are going to have some very hard choices to make even had September 11 never occurred because we had already seen that we were going into deficits, that we were taking from the Medicare and Social Security surplus dollars that hard-working people believed would be there for Medicare and Social Security, and as a result we now are facing much more difficult choices which, had we been more fiscally responsible, we could have avoided. That is water under the bridge. There is nothing we can do about it. A majority of our colleagues in both Houses voted for a U-turn away from fiscal responsibility. So here we are. What do we do now? Again, I do not think we can look at this stimulus debate in some kind of vacuum. We were attacked on September 11. We are at war. We have men and women from Fort Drum in northern New York over in central Asia. We have Special Forces. We have carriers. We have people who wear the uniform of our country who are in full-time service defending us because this is an act of self-defense, attempting to uproot and destroy the terrorist networks. We have many from the National Guard and the Reserves called to duty, disrupting their lives. We know we are at war. If we go back and look at history, we know when we are at war we have to think differently about our priorities than when we are not at war. So what are those priorities? First, to do everything we possibly can to support the President, to support our military leadership, in waging this war successfully and victoriously. I do not think there is one dissenting voice in this body to that proposition. We also know this is a war that has been brought home tragically to us, that those on the front lines are not just our men and women in uniform, they are also our firefighters, our police officers, our emergency responders, our doctors and our nurses, our postal workers, men and women who got up on September 11 and in the weeks since to do their job as part of the great American mosaic where people, through their individual efforts, create this extraordinary democracy we so treasure. We know we have to do more to protect ourselves at home. That is why the President has named Governor Ridge the Director of Homeland Security. So we have to take a very close look at what it is we need, both for our men and women in uniform and on the homeland front to protect ourselves. We did not have to think about that when this big old tax cut was voted on last spring. Maybe people should have, but nobody really stopped and said, well, we cannot take all this revenue away because Heaven knows we might have anthrax attacks that will cause the Postal Service and the Federal Government and local communities across our country to spend literally millions and billions of dollars to protect themselves and us. We did not imagine that, but now we not only imagine it, we have lived with it. That raises a whole new set of responsibilities that we ignore at our peril. So part of what we have to figure out how to do is provide enough resources to protect us, to wage the war on both fronts that we are waging, and to create economic opportunities by getting our economy moving again. I have listened very closely to what my colleagues have said, and I have consulted with people in the business world, people who run big companies, people who are economists, some of whom sit in ivory towers, others of whom actually get out and talk to people on the street about what is happening. The real core of our challenge is, how do we inspire confidence? How do we get consumer confidence, citizen confidence up? How do we get people back into the normal give and take of their lives? When I first joined the Senate last January, and all through the spring and summer, I could not walk through these halls. They were crowded with people, especially school groups. I used to be so thrilled to think I was honored to serve in a body of the greatest democracy in the history of the world that was open, where people could come, like those who are here today but in far smaller numbers than they ever have been. Now, of course, we can walk through the halls and not see anybody. I do not have young people coming up to me and saying, oh, Senator, what are you doing today? Or, I am from New York. Or, how are you? They are not here. Why? Because schools do not want children to travel. Parents understandably are concerned. We have not done what we should do to take care of airline security. That is still being debated. So we have to inspire confidence. How do we inspire confidence? I think there really are several ways we should address it. Some of it does go directly to the points the Senator from North Dakota was making. We have to have a balance. We have to have a balance between what we believe will work for business and what we believe we should do for workers and citizens who themselves deserve both help and motivation to go on with their lives, to be productive. I think the Finance Committee has struck the right balance. Spending money on unemployment insurance is not only the right thing to do--a lot of people are out of work not because they were sloughing off on the job, not because they did not show up on time, but because we were attacked--we owe an obligation to these people. I think unemployment insurance will enable people to get back on their feet, and if there is any dollar that will be spent immediately to stimulate the economy, it is a dollar in unemployment insurance. There is not an economist in the world who disagrees with that, unless they are blinded by some ideological prejudice. That is what they all tell us. Health care is increasingly a problematic issue. My colleagues know I have had a few things to say about that in the past, and I am still very concerned about it. I am especially concerned because I see the price of health care going back up. I see employers pushing down on employees and making it more difficult for people to afford health care. We are going to have to address that issue. What we are worried about right now are all of those people who have lost their health care because it came through employment they no longer have. They cannot afford the COBRA extension. They need help. We also are stimulating the economy in the Finance Committee package by trying to do in a targeted way what we have been advised will work in business, not these big, irresponsible giveaways in which the House engaged. I do not understand how with a straight face they can put a provision into their package which pays people back for taxes they paid all the way back to 1985 without a promise that it is going to create a new job, without a promise that it will be invested in a new plant and equipment right now. As Senator Dorgan rightly pointed out, they actually give an incentive to businesses to move American jobs overseas. What on Earth are they thinking about? That is just unbelievable to me. So I think the Finance Committee, with their vote last night, really struck the right balance. I hope we go forward with that. I also hope we recognize the additional program that Senator Byrd and Senator Reid have advocated is essential. We have not made the commitment of resources. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for an additional 5 minutes.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Then we should vote, Mr. President.

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, one of the greatest comforts to me personally in the terrible aftermath of September 11 has been the immediate and overwhelming generosity of the American people in providing relief to the thousands who have been directly and indirectly affected. Our first priority must be to ensure that the victims and the families of the victims of the September 11 attack receive the financial relief they have been promised. There is a tremendous amount of work going on in New York to ensure that families get their assistance. Many families have expressed their gratitude to me, to my staff, to FEMA, to the city, and the centralized support that was established at Pier 94. The fund that the mayor created to aid families, the Twin Towers Fund, has announced that it will get aid to families prior to Thanksgiving. I am particularly grateful to the attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, who has led in trying to eliminate the bureaucratic redtape that can delay or prevent families from receiving the help they need in a timely manner. Working with the attorney general as he tries to create centralized databases of charitable organizations and families in need of services, I have joined him in calling for all charities to establish a uniform application that will help achieve the goal of simplifying the process of applying for necessary assistance. I am sure many in this Chamber have seen the reports or perhaps seen on television some of the victims' family members who have been overwhelmed trying to work their way through the myriad of services available and who have to spend hours going from one place to the next until they could get some kind of answer, who say that not only have they be victimized but they have been made to feel like beggars. That is just unacceptable. Like so many New Yorkers, we are concerned about those families who may not have the time to go stand in line and fill out endless application forms, who may not have the experience to permit them to navigate this maze, who do not have the stamina, and who, frankly, are sill suffering. I have met and talked with a number of people who lost loved ones, particularly widows who are having a very difficult time being able to do what is required to take care of their children and go about their daily business. They need help going through this charitable and governmental process. Recently, the senior Senator from Massachusetts, Mr. Kennedy, called to my attention the work he is doing in Massachusetts.

Mrs. CLINTON

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

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I rise today to bring to our attention two distinct problems facing our States and particularly our communities in New York as a result of the attacks on September 11. I have just come from a meeting with a number of mayors from cities all over the country, including mayors who joined us by conference phone, Democrats, Republicans, large cities, medium- and small-sized cities. They all have said with a single voice that the impact on our public safety infrastructure of the attacks is such that they are bleeding dollars. They are paying overtime constantly to our police officers, our firefighters, our first responders. They do not have the funds to provide the protection and the quick response our citizens deserve and expect. I can speak specifically about New York. We have an economic situation where we face a $10 billion shortfall in State revenues over the next 18 months. In addition, our New York State comptroller, Carl McCall, has identified $940 million in potential State and local government costs due to the current congruence of events. This means that city governments, county governments, far away from Ground Zero, are faced with hundreds of calls about potential biological or chemical materials, particularly anthrax, to which they are responding as we expect them to. They are faced with threats coming in--both credible and, frankly, not, but we have to follow each one up--potential threats to our infrastructure, our powerplants, our bridges, our ports, our airports. As a result, we have a tremendous pressure buildup on our local governments. As I heard today, it is something that is being faced by governments across our country. That is why I strongly support the plan with which Senators Byrd and Reid are coming forward, to provide additional funding for public safety needs. I am calling on our colleagues and the Federal Government to create a public safety block grant program to help communities plan, strictly for our emergencies, and to be ready no matter what happens in their communities. Why is a public safety block grant so necessary? First, September 11 changed everything. Anybody who wants to pretend it didn't is sending a false message to the people we represent. Our cities and our counties are on the front lines in the war against terrorism. When a threat is called in to our local fire department or our local mayor's office, they cannot wait for some kind of Federal response. They have to send out those first responders. They are on a heightened state of alert as they have been told by our President, by Governor Ridge, and by Attorney General Ashcroft. A public safety block grant would help our communities provide these additional resources for police, fire, ambulance, emergency, airports, waterways, public transit infrastructure, chemical, and nuclear plants. I think we should reinvigorate the concept of civil defense, using more volunteers to supplement our first line responders. Some of our colleagues, including Senators McCain, Bayh, and Lieberman, have recently spoken out about the importance of encouraging Americans to become involved in civil defense. I believe a public safety block grant could use funds to further that idea and help us prepare better and involve so many of the citizens who want to participate in protecting our homeland front. If we are at war, which we are told we are, which we believe we are--we are fighting two wars. We are fighting a war abroad in Afghanistan against the terrorist networks, and we are fighting a war right here at home, and we need to be prepared on both fronts. The eligibility criteria would be based on several factors. Certainly, communities would have to be ready to use those funds for post-September 11 needs, not because they didn't budget well before the date of the attacks but because of the additional burdens they now face. I believe medium- and larger-sized cities and counties should receive direct assistance. Smaller communities could go through the State, based on the CDBG program. I hope communities would have to submit a plan explaining how they would use the funds, but that they would be given broad discretion because they are best able to defend their own communities. They should be given that opportunity. I think we need this legislation now because our homeland defense will only be as strong as the weakest link at the State and local level. We need our citizens more involved in civil defense to supplement those of our people on the front line in the uniformed services. I think we recognize this now is an absolute necessity. I certainly support the efforts of Senator Byrd and Senator Reid, combined with Senator Baucus, to have a homeland recovery and security package, but I do not think it will work unless we provide funds directly to our cities and counties, unless we recognize that they have to be the front line defense in the war against terrorism here at home.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to two men who lost their lives while serving their country, and to express the profound sorrow that our entire country feels as a result of this loss. I want to extend my deepest sympathies to the families of Joseph Curseen, Jr. of Clinton, MD and Thomas Morris, Jr. of Suitland, MD. I commend their service to our country, which combined totals nearly 50 years, and pay tribute to the honorable lives they lived. The sudden deaths of two District of Columbia postal employees a few weeks ago shook our nation. We have come to realize that in our battle against terrorism at home, our postal workers, men and women in uniform, are on the front lines. Joseph Curseen, Jr., 47, an employee of the United States Postal Service for 15 years, never missed a day of work--a truly commendable feat. He worked evenings at the Brentwood Road mail facility in Northeast Washington, D.C. where he supervised bar coding machines that handled government mail. Mr. Curseen was dedicated to his community and served as president of the homeowners' association. He helped institute a neighborhood watch and, although he did not have children of his own, he helped build the neighborhood playground. Shortly before his death, Mr. Curseen, concerned about speeding traffic, went door to door to urge his neighbors to sign a petition to install speed bumps in their neighborhood. One of his neighbors has pledged to carry on Mr. Curseen's petition drive for the speed bumps. A religious man, who led a bible study group at work and was often the first one at church on Saturdays, Mr. Curseen never forgot the Washington, D.C. neighborhood where he was raised and often returned to visit his old church and school. The Reverend Lowell Chase of Our Lady of Perpetual Help church in Washington said of Mr. Curseen, He was just a good and honorable man who did his duty in a very simple and responsible way. The account of Mr. Curseen's illness and sudden death is tragic. On a Tuesday, he started feeling ill, but assumed it was just a cold. Despite his worsening pain in the following days, he insisted on going to work, and was upset on Friday when he had to leave work early because he was so ill. Mr. Curseen did not suspect that his illness might be something more dangerous than a cold. He was not worried that he might have contracted anthrax, according to his wife Celestine, because the Postmaster- General had told the workers that there was little risk of infection from sealed envelopes at mail sorting facilities. Still, Mr. Curseen took some precautions and purchased rubber gloves and shared them with seven co-workers. In church that Saturday, he fainted. The medics who came to revive him asked if he wanted to go the hospital. Replying that it would not be necessary, Mr. Curseen went to work instead. At work, he felt worse and decided to go to the hospital. There, he was treated for flu-like symptoms and released only to faint again on Sunday, this time at home. His family rushed him to the hospital where he died six hours later. His sister, Joan Jackson, has remarked, And I just feel that my brother did not die in vain; that he is an example, he is a saint, he's a martyr for this country. He's every man, and . . . He's an example to us of how this affects home, how it affects us in all of our lifestyles. Thomas Morris, Jr., 55, fondly called ``Moe'' by those who knew him, had 32 years of service with the Postal Service. His strong work ethic--he often worked overtime on the night shift--was well known. He had a passion for bowling and served as president of the ``Tuesday Morning Mixed League'' at the Parkland Bowl in Silver Hill, Maryland. Mr. Morris was dedicated to his family. He leaves behind his wife, Mary, a son, two stepchildren and three grandchildren. Mr. Morris was an intensely private man and, in keeping with this, his family requested that people who knew him not share their memories of him with the media. Washington Mayor Anthony Williams, who attended Morris' funeral, said of him, ``He was a man who worked in the Post Office, a God-fearing man, a diligent man trying to support his family.'' Our nation's postal employees are mothers and fathers, grandparents, sons and daughters and neighbors who, just like other Americans, go to work and earn a living. Unlike our men and women in uniform overseas, they did not sign up for this new battle. However, like their own predecessors in years gone by, they are serving our country with courage and distinction. Mr. Curseen and Mr. Morris, two men who were dedicated to their jobs and never sidestepped their responsibilities even when there were risks, have inspired us all to live up to our responsibilities and face with determination and courage the obstacles that are placed before us. Their lives have become an inextricable part of our nation's history and their spirits live on.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I rise to express my dismay that a very important program to address the health care needs of the uninsured was not included in the Labor-HHS appropriations bill which we passed today. Now, when our public health infrastructure must be stronger than ever before, it is crucial that we find ways to provide care for Americans who lack health insurance. The Health Community Access Program, or H-CAP, would build on the successful Community Access Program, CAP, demonstration program that congress funded last year. CAP has successfully provided grants to communities to encourage integration among safety net providers of care to the uninsured. More then 135 communities have taken advantage of CAP to improve health care for Americans who lack health insurance. H-CAP allows communities themselves to design solutions for their unique safety-net needs, thus ensuring that the billions of dollars that Congress has already invested in different safety net providers, community health centers, family planning clinics, Ryan White AIDS providers, are spent as effectively as possible. By promoting the integration of health care services, H-CAP allow for more preventive care, and good disease management practices that improve overall health in the long-run and may reduce the incidence of serious and expensive health problems among H-CAP recipients later. And because grant recipients must demonstrate that their project will be sustainable without Federal funding, many communities have successfully found support through public and private matching donations, in-kind contributions, thus ensuring a relatively small Federal investment. I have worked hard this year with several of my colleagues to permanently authorize CAP so that it will receive regular funding and support from the Federal Government. I also offered an amendment during committee markup to ensure that this program would be authorized at an adequate level. Unfortunately, funding for H-CAP was left out of this bill. I am pleased that the House did include H-CAP in their bill, which they funded at $105 million, with an additional $15 million for State planning grants. It is my hope that the Senate will include H-CAP in the managers' package, or that this will be resolved during conference in the House's favor. I strongly urge my colleagues to make this program a priority this year.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Madam President, I rise today both to applaud the chair and minority ranking member of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Committee for supporting needed investments in school construction-- $925 million for States to make emergency renovations and repairs--and to raise my concerns about the two amendments currently being debated. I applaud the Senators from New Hampshire and Louisiana for focusing the education debate on targeting title I funds to the highest poverty states and school districts. I, however, cannot support my colleagues' amendments. Senator Gregg's amendment is a false choice. It takes needed money away from school construction, adds these funds to the new funds allocated to title I and ensures that they are distributed through the targeted formula. I agree that new title I funds should be distributed to states and school districts through the title I targeted formula, which provides more funding to those States and school districts with the highest child poverty rates and highest number of poor school-age children. But, we cannot support targeting at the expense of repairing our schools in the most urgent need of renovation. You may have heard me tell the story of a fourth grade teacher at the 82-year-old Mechanicville Elementary School, just north of Albany, who was struck in the head by concrete from the ceiling as she was teaching because the school was in such disrepair. In New York, children are attending schools in New York City built 100 years ago, and many students in Upstate New York are attending schools that were built 50 or 60 years ago. As Senator Harkin so simply, yet so aptly, phrased it in this debate in opposition to Senator Gregg's amendment: ``It is unfair to put poor kids in poor schools.'' It is imperative that as a body we place a national priority on making the most urgent repairs to our school and that we target as much of the education funding as possible to our highest-need school districts. We cannot choose one over the other. We must do both. Senator Landrieu's effort amendment focuses on the second issue: How we can best target title I funds to our highest poverty schools? I applaud her for her effort to try to both send more money to States through the targeted formula and to reward States for their effort and equity of targeting funding within States. I cannot support Senator Landrieu, however, as it would result in New York State receiving $17 million less than what is currently in the chairman's mark. I would like to take a moment to explain to this body the situation that New York schools and school children face in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks and a suffering economy. It has been estimated that as a result of the economic situation in New York the State will face a $10 billion shortfall in State revenues over the next 18 months. In addition, Comptroller Carl McCall has identified $940 million in potential State and local government costs due to the current confluence of negative events. Local governments outside of New York City could experience reductions in tax revenues of up to $300 million. Already, the comptroller lists 36 units of local government that are experiencing some level of fiscal distress. It is expected that the uncertainty of State assistance and the declining economy will only add to the current distress of these communities and will add more communities to this list. This shortfall and the weakening economy are already adversely impacting our largest schools districts. In a recent survey conducted by the New York State School Boards Association, 31 percent of school districts indicated that they will be forced to borrow and incur additional costs if more aid is not forthcoming and 70 percent of school districts revealed that they had tapped reserve funds that they will need to replenish. In Buffalo, the schools have a $28.3 million shortfall, which could mean 400-500 teachers and other school personnel cut at a time when the district is already struggling to find certified teachers to teach students. In New York City, the school board is short $400 million; they are already cutting afterschool programs and guidance counselors at a time when students in the city most need extra attention and assistance. In Rochester, they are short $21.7 million; in Yonkers, they are short $57 million; and, in Syracuse, they are short $8 million. And I could go on and on. This adverse impact on our schools is happening at a time when we are debating an education bill that would put new Federal mandates on schools--and, I would argue, needed accountability. But how can we ask our schools to incur new costs to implement testing for all students in grades 3 through 8? How can we expect our schools to hire only certified teachers when they are laying off teachers left and right and raising class sizes because they don't have resources to support new teachers? This appropriations bill begins to make a difference. It invests in emergency school repairs and renovations for our schools that are most urgently in need of repair; it significantly increase funding for teacher quality and teacher recruitment; and it invests an additional $1 billion in special education. But it is just not enough. I believe that there are three things that we need to do. We need to fully fund IDEA. This body passed the Harkin-Hagel amendment on ESEA, which would move special education funding to the mandatory side and would increase special education funding by $2.5 billion each year for the next 10 years. Why will this make a difference in towns across New York, in the Buffalos and New York Cities, but also in the smaller cities and towns from Oswego, to Utica, to Massena to Roosevelt? Due to the failure of the Federal Government to live up to its promise of funding 40 percent of special education funding and the decrease in State shares of special education over time, the burden on local communities has increased from 39 to 45 percent of the share of special education funding. If we fully fund IDEA, New York's share of special education funding would rise from $430.2 million, which we received in fiscal year 2001, to $595.4 million in fiscal year 2002--a $165.2 million increase in the first year. This increase would begin to make good on the Federal Government's commitment to fully fund IDEA and, most importantly, it would help our communities by freeing up local funds for other necessary education investments. I will fight my heart out to ensure that this amendment is part of the final education bill that Congress will consider in the weeks ahead. We need to better target title I funding. To date, the Congress has never appropriated funds through the title I targeted formula. This formula provides needed money for States with the highest percentage of children in poverty and the highest number of poor school age children. New York is a State that would benefit tremendously from distributing new title I funds through this formula. In fact, if we distributed all title I funds above the fiscal year 2001 level through the targeted formula, New York would receive approximately 39 percent more in title I funding than it received last year. I will be fighting hard in the education conference to ensure that we do more to distribute funds through the targeted formula to help those states with the highest percentage and highest number of poor school age children. And I believe that we need to provide a bail-out for schools across the country that are suffering as a result of the September 11 terrorist attacks and economic downturn. We cannot turn a blind eye to our schools and allow them to take the hit of a downturned economy that has resulted from the terrorist attacks of September 11th. I will be working with my colleagues to develop an education assistance package as part of the economic stimulus bill that this body will soon consider.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, yesterday, we received tragic news: Kathy Nguyen, a 61-year old Bronx woman who worked at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital on East 64th Street, passed away from inhalation anthrax. Her death, she is the fourth person in our country to die from anthrax, has saddened New York, and our entire country. Ms. Nguyen, who worked at the hospital since 1991, was a clerk in the stockroom in the basement of the hospital. Ms. Nguyen came to America from Vietnam in 1977 with the help of a New York City police officer. Like many refugees from Vietnam, she left without any money, and started a new life for herself in America. She settled in the Bronx' Crotona Park East area near the Bronx River. She married an American, but later divorced. They had a son, who tragically died in a car accident years ago. Ms. Nguyen's friends and neighbors have spoken kindly about the tiny, generous woman who had no family of her own, but always inquired about their families. She enjoyed cooking meals for her neighbors and their families, even sharing Thanksgiving dinner, and was known for her fondness for offering coworkers food. Working afternoons and evenings at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, Ms. Nguyen was responsible for stocking the emergency room and operating rooms with medicine and instruments. She sometimes returned home as late as 11pm. Her neighbors noted her late working hours and said that she was planning on retiring. Although she did not handle mail, it has been reported that the supply room where she worked was adjacent to the hospital's mailroom. Last Thursday night, Ms. Nguyen complained to her neighbors that she was feeling ill, but she brushed it off as a cold. She went to work as usual on Friday, but by Sunday night, she felt worse and the superintendent of her building brought her to the emergency room at the Lennox Hill Hospital. She was in critical condition in the intensive care unit with pneumonia and was placed on a respirator. Initial tests showed anthrax and additional tests confirmed the diagnosis on Tuesday afternoon. Although she fought hard to battle this terrible infection, she passed away. Ms. Nguyen was too ill to aid investigators who sought to retrace her movements before she became sick to determine the source of the anthrax and it remains a mystery. Federal and local health officials are vigorously pursuing all avenues to uncover the source of the anthrax that sickened Ms. Nguyen. I know that Ms. Nguyen's friends and neighbors will miss her greatly. Her kindness and concern for her neighbors were a special part of the Bronx neighborhood where she lived. Her everyday courtesies, in a city that is known for its anonymity and incredible size, made the world a little smaller, and a little nicer, for her neighbors.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I am proud to introduce today the Nurse Retention and Quality Care Act of 2001 and to speak about the importance of nurses and the work they do. On September 11, nurses were among those who were on the front lines of the battle against terrorism. With courage, skill and determination, they were on the job, treating the injured, helping to save lives. To this day, nurses are defending America. In clinics, hospitals and offices around the country, they are working to detect and treat actual or suspected cases of anthrax. Should our Nation face other biological threats or terrorist attacks, nurses will be there for us. Today's news that a woman who works in the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital is in critical condition with possible inhalation anthrax is a reminder of the hazards faced by health care workers. And it is a reminder of how important it is that our public health system be fully staffed with trained health care professionals. Sadly, America is facing a nursing shortage at a time when the need for more nurses is so clear. Our nurses are facing an emergency of their own and they need our help. The nursing shortage imposes increasing hardship on hospitals and nurses alike, and threatens the ability of our health care system to provide basic patient care, much less respond to health crises and terrorism. Not only is the number of individuals entering the nursing profession falling, but hospitals are also facing difficulty retaining the nurses already on staff. Fifty percent of nurses say they have recently considered leaving their jobs for reasons other than retirement, and approximately half a million licensed nurses are not currently practicing nursing. Many of the nurses who have considered leaving the profession cite their low level of overall job satisfaction. While we must do more to improve the number of nurses in training, we must also take steps to enhance the workplace to retain current nurses, and that is what the bill that Senator Gordon Smith and I will be introducing today would address. One way to retain nurses is to follow the example of those hospitals that have become nursing ``magnets.'' They are successful because they involve nurses in decision-making, encourage collaboration among health professionals, give nurses the opportunity to pursue continuing education and advancement, and they organize care to improve patient outcome. Our bill is designed to encourage more hospitals to follow these leads. And I am pleased that hospitals and nurses support this bill. It has been endorsed by the American Nurses Association and the American Hospitals Association. It is also a good bill for patients and their quality of care as well. Research has shown that magnet hospitals have lower mortality rates, shorter lengths of stay, higher patient satisfaction and cost- efficiency. As our Nation faces increasing threats of terrorist and biological attack, our health system must be stronger than ever before. One of the best ways we can do this is by taking steps to reverse the nursing shortage, and ensure that nurses on the front lines are well-prepared to respond to emergencies. Our bill does both. First, it creates demonstration programs to encourage states to adopt magnet hospital practices, which will help attract and retain the nursing staff our hospitals need so they can cope with surges in patient volume. And, second, our bill encourages nurses to pursue continued education. That is so important today, when we need more health care professionals who can detect the early signs of a bioterrorist attack. This legislation will promote the kind of training that the New York State Nurses Association, Bellevue Hospital and New York College provide for nurses in my state.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I am proud to introduce today the Nurse Retention and Quality Care Act of 2001 and to speak about the importance of nurses and the work they do. On September 11, nurses were among those who were on the front lines of the battle against terrorism. With courage, skill and determination, they were on the job, treating the injured, helping to save lives. To this day, nurses are defending America. In clinics, hospitals and offices around the country, they are working to detect and treat actual or suspected cases of anthrax. Should our Nation face other biological threats or terrorist attacks, nurses will be there for us. Today's news that a woman who works in the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital is in critical condition with possible inhalation anthrax is a reminder of the hazards faced by health care workers. And it is a reminder of how important it is that our public health system be fully staffed with trained health care professionals. Sadly, America is facing a nursing shortage at a time when the need for more nurses is so clear. Our nurses are facing an emergency of their own and they need our help. The nursing shortage imposes increasing hardship on hospitals and nurses alike, and threatens the ability of our health care system to provide basic patient care, much less respond to health crises and terrorism. Not only is the number of individuals entering the nursing profession falling, but hospitals are also facing difficulty retaining the nurses already on staff. Fifty percent of nurses say they have recently considered leaving their jobs for reasons other than retirement, and approximately half a million licensed nurses are not currently practicing nursing. Many of the nurses who have considered leaving the profession cite their low level of overall job satisfaction. While we must do more to improve the number of nurses in training, we must also take steps to enhance the workplace to retain current nurses, and that is what the bill that Senator Gordon Smith and I will be introducing today would address. One way to retain nurses is to follow the example of those hospitals that have become nursing ``magnets.'' They are successful because they involve nurses in decision-making, encourage collaboration among health professionals, give nurses the opportunity to pursue continuing education and advancement, and they organize care to improve patient outcome. Our bill is designed to encourage more hospitals to follow these leads. And I am pleased that hospitals and nurses support this bill. It has been endorsed by the American Nurses Association and the American Hospitals Association. It is also a good bill for patients and their quality of care as well. Research has shown that magnet hospitals have lower mortality rates, shorter lengths of stay, higher patient satisfaction and cost- efficiency. As our Nation faces increasing threats of terrorist and biological attack, our health system must be stronger than ever before. One of the best ways we can do this is by taking steps to reverse the nursing shortage, and ensure that nurses on the front lines are well-prepared to respond to emergencies. Our bill does both. First, it creates demonstration programs to encourage states to adopt magnet hospital practices, which will help attract and retain the nursing staff our hospitals need so they can cope with surges in patient volume. And, second, our bill encourages nurses to pursue continued education. That is so important today, when we need more health care professionals who can detect the early signs of a bioterrorist attack. This legislation will promote the kind of training that the New York State Nurses Association, Bellevue Hospital and New York College provide for nurses in my state.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, recent events have demonstrated that we must reexamine our ability to respond to terrorism--including biological and chemical attacks. One area we must safeguard against such an attack is our food supply, which is woefully underprotected. For instance FDA is so short of inspectors that it currently inspects less than 1 percent of imports. That is why this spring, even before the recent attacks, the Senate passed an amendment that I offered to increase the fiscal year 2002 budget allocation to expand the number of food safety inspectors. While the House stripped this provision out in conference, the need for such an increase has only become more urgent, not less. That is why I filed this amendment, to add $100 million for food safety inspection. FDA presently has only about 700 to 800 inspectors to oversee food imports and investigate the 57,000 sites within its jurisdiction across the country. They are so understaffed that they currently are only able to inspect commercial food sites about once every decade on average. An increase of $100 million for food inspection activities at FDA, factored into the baseline over 5 years, would allow FDA to increase import inspections from less than 1 percent to roughly 20 percent. I understand that this needed increase in FDA inspection resources is being resolved in other contexts, in the bioterrorism package that is being worked out, or even in the debate about resources available in the stimulus package. On that understanding, I withdraw my amendment today seeking to add $100 million to FDA's food inspection authorities, and look forward to confirming food safety inspection resources in those other contexts. Terrorists aim to strike terror among civilians, in their homes, in their everyday lives, and that is why we must protect the security of our dinner tables and our families through increased inspection and greater vigilance. And since this is the Agriculture appropriations bill, I just want to once again remind my colleagues that agriculture is the number one industry in New York--and we plan to keep it that way. Our farmers--like so many others around the country--are some of the most dedicated, most decent, most hard-working people in this country. Our farmers are an integral part of our heritage. And they are out there every day, working to put fresh, healthy, and safe food on our tables. Our farmers are also some of the finest stewards of our natural resources. They help to preserve open space, and they work to properly manage and protect our land and our water. And our farmers are some of our most innovative, resourceful small business people. But our farmers need our help--at least I know they do in New York. As I travel around New York, I meet so many farmers who are struggling just to get by, just to make ends meet. And that is why I want to thank Chairman Kohl, Senator Levin, Senator Snowe, and my other colleagues for working to help provide much needed assistance for our apple growers. I was pleased to hear Chairman Kohl's words earlier today about working this out in conference. And I hope that I can continue to work with my colleagues to increase assistance for specialty crops and for conservation programs like the Farmland Protection Program. These conservation programs are important programs not just for our environment, but for our farmers--particularly for those farmers that are under-served by the more traditional payment programs. And these conservation programs are all over-subscribed, meaning there are more farmers that want to participate in these programs than there are resources available to accommodate. And, or course, we want to assist our dairy farmers by reinstituting the dairy compact. So, I want to again express my strong support for our Nation's farmers, and reiterate my commitment to ensuring that New York's farmers have the support they need and deserves.

Mrs. CLINTON

Mrs. CLINTON. Madam President: I would like to begin by commending my friend from Vermont, Senator Leahy, for his tremendous work in putting this foreign operations appropriations bill together. I also want to applaud the efforts of USAID for its support of child health programs over the last 25 years, and, particularly, for intensifying its efforts in 1985 with the child survival initiative. Today more than 4 million infant and child deaths are prevented annually due to the critical life-saving health services provided by USAID and its partners. It has been estimated that in Central and South America over one million children are afflicted with primary immunodeficiency. Individuals with undiagnosed primary immunodeficiency are a source of viral and bacterial infection. When left undiagnosed and unprotected this population harbors serious viruses, bacteria, fungi and deep- seated infections. I am aware that an immunology infrastructure is in place in several Central and South American countries to conduct early diagnosis and treatment. However, funds are needed to further enhance and develop appropriate treatment. The Jeffrey Modell Foundation has developed a successful model for combating primary immuno-deficiencies in the United States and around the world. I am hopeful that USAID, in collaboration with the foundation, will consider this model in Latin America. The components of this program would include physician education and public awareness, prevention, diagnosis and treatment. I would be grateful if the chairman would join me in urging USAID to consider supporting the establishment of such programs in Latin America.