SENATE-Monday, July 11, 1994

15778 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE July 11, 1994 SENATE-Monday, July 11, 1994 The Senate met at 1 p.m., and was the Senator from Georgia is recognized and are living in temporary shelters. called to order by the President pro for not to exceed 10 minutes. One out of four Georgians has been af tempore [Mr. BYRD]. .fected by the flood itself. I have just The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The had a report come to me that in Al Senate will be led in prayer by the Sen THE FLOODS IN GEORGIA bany, which is one of the many affected ate Chaplain, the Reverend Dr. Richard Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, I cities, 23 square miles are now under C. Halverson. have just returned from my flood-rav water, 22,800 people have been directly Dr. Halverson. aged State. I suspect that anybody who impacted and 8,500 homes are in· flood has ever witnessed such a national dis waters. PRAYER aster of these proportions cannot but As you travel and look down across The Chaplain, the Reverend Richard be terribly affected in grieving for the these bleak rooftops, I think everybody C. Halverson, D.D., offered the follow ache being experienced and felt by so can empathize to think of all the per ing prayer: many of our fellow citizens. sonal letters, the home effects that are Let us pray: In particular, I know everybody in cherished and gathered over the years our country joins me in offering sym * * * the powers that be are ordained of of a family's life. To see it all washed God.-Romans 13:1. pathy to those families who have lost away just deepens the ache that we Living Father, revive the Senate. In loved ones and those that will lose know these people are experiencing. members of their family in these tragic I am convinced from my review of fuse it with new life. Dissolve the frus circumstances we are confronted with the area that we are going to be con tration, the disappointment, the dis in our region of the State. fronted with-! know this is of particu enchantment. I would like to take just a moment to lar interest to the President pro tem Ignite the fire that burned in the thank my colleagues, in particular, pore--a need for supplemental appro Senators' hearts when first they con from South Carolina and Florida and priations. I think that is almost indis vinced the people to send them here. the midwestern Senators who have putable as we look at the growing Restore the faith, the sense of purpose, called to express their concern and value of the losses. The number I have the enthusiasm, the dream, the vision. worry about the citizens of my State heard offered as a preliminary number Mighty God, from whom comes all and region. I want to thank the Presi is in the range of $200 million. I person authority, the world waits for the Sen dent for being so prompt in declaring a ally think it will be double that. Of ate to be the powerful, intelligent, de national disaster and emergency in course our sympathy goes out to the liberative, legislative leaders so des Georgia. States in the West that are experienc perately needed today in the Nation I also want to take just a moment to ing another kind of disaster with the and the world. Let it be true, dear thank the many heroes and heroines fires ravaging in Colorado and Califor Lord. Let it be true. that none of us will ever know-the nia. I am convinced the national disas In Jesus' name. Amen. person that reached out and grabbed ter list of 31 counties in our State will one person about to be lost in the ma grow by at least another 5 to 10 coun RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME rauding waters; the individuals, name ties before we are through with the as less, that showed up to fill sandbags to sessment. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under protect a critical water plant, a key fa As difficult as the last few days have the previous order, the leadership time cility in one of the many jurisdictions been-and they have been exceedingly is reserved. that have been so ravaged by these difficult-unfortunately we have to floods; and, as most would appreciate, look at local officials or involved citi MORNING BUSINESS that unique American quality, that zens and say to them this is just the neighbor-to-neighbor value of our beginning. Not many have thought The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Also countrymen that causes them to ap about what happens to those in the under the previous order, there will pear from nowhere to help another shelters when the water goes down, now be a period for the transaction of neighbor in trouble. when you go to the home that is routine morning business not to extend It is happening throughout our re pushed off its foundation, the soybean beyond the hour of 2 o'clock p.m., with gion-thousands upon thousands of crop that has been under water for 5 Senators permitted to speak therein people that have stepped forward with days, mud-filled homes, businesses for not to exceed 5 minutes each. no call, no call to arms, on their own, closed, cash registers that have been No Senator seeks recognition. there at the water's edge, trying to shut down for weeks, the loss of the The Chair, in his capacity as a Sen help those that have been so severely water system, the loss of the sewer sys ator from the State of West Virginia, harmed by this disaster. tem, an inability to provide the basic notes the absence of a quorum. I think it worthy of noting the scope necessities of human life. The build The clerk will call the roll. of the damage. Georgia is the largest back is going to be a long and arduous The assistant legislative clerk pro State east of the Mississippi and nearly one. It is going to require the patience ceeded to call the roll. one-third of her land mass has been di of those directly involved. Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, I rectly affected by these floods. It is But more important, it is going to ask unanimous consent that the order just hard to imagine 2 feet of water call for unprecedented coordination for the quorum call be rescinded. dropping from the skies in a 24-hour pe among Federal officials. Again, I want The PRESIDENT pro tempore. With riod. We have at latest count around to compliment the Director of the Fed out objection, it is so ordered. 2,000 roads that have been severed by eral Emergency Management Agency The Senator is recognized for not to the flood; 100 Federal highways; Inter and all Federal agencies and the execu exceed 5 minutes. states I-75 and I-16, vital links north tive branch for their attention to this Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, I and south for our entire Nation, have disaster. They have worked well with ask unanimous consent to speak for 10 been ravaged and severed by the force our Governor's office and local offi minutes. of these unpredicted waters. cials. But now comes the long period I The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is Currently, somewhere between 40,000 have alluded to. We will have many sis there objection? Hearing no objection, and 50,000 people have been evacuated ter counties and sister States that will e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. July 11, 1994 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE 15779 offer support: Clothing, personal ef of a health care policy assisted by tax panied by insurance market reform, fects, housing, trucks, earth-moving credits and/or deductions. In fact, an such as most plans now before us in equipment. But that is going to require individual requirement lies at the clude, is what is referred to as adverse enormous coordination. I have dedi heart of the Clinton health reform risk selection. Most proposals before cated my office and all our energies to package. Every individual would have Congress would eliminate the ability of working with Federal and State offi to have health care coverage for which health care insurers or other providers cials to be a participant in facilitating the individual would be responsible for to refuse to cover preexisting illnesses coordination, making sure the will of at least a portion, or the individual, if and to discriminate against those who the country-which is so enormous and not employed, would have to purchase are sick. If a person could wait until he so encouraging-is not lost, as it tries the health care policy themselves. was very sick to purchase insurance on to move to be of assistance to these The so-called employer mandate his way to the hospital, then the cost citizens. alone in the Clinton plan does not of insurance could be driven further Already we can see the signs of achieve universal coverage without the out of reach of many citizens who strain-strain because we are dealing requirement that the individual par would be faced with the high premiums with public officials who have not slept ticipate and, if self-employed, buy that for health insurance policies purchased in 72 hours. We are dealing with a rush coverage for himself or herself and the only by sick people. of offers of good will and support which family.

Load more