The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS” mentioning Dianne Feinstein was published in the Senate section on pages S199-S202 on Jan. 28.
Of the 100 senators in 117th Congress, 24 percent were women, and 76 percent were men, according to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
Senators' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. SCHUMER (for himself, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Menendez, Mrs.
Gillibrand, Mr. Booker, Mr. Durbin, and Ms. Duckworth):
S. 85. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the limitation on the deduction for certain taxes, including State and local property and income taxes; to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 85
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Securing Access to Lower Taxes by ensuring Deductibility Act'' or the ``SALT Deductibility Act''.
SEC. 2. REPEAL OF LIMITATION ON DEDUCTION FOR STATE AND
LOCAL, ETC. TAXES.
(a) In General.--Section 164(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking paragraph (6).
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2020.
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By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Brown, Mr. Merkley, Ms. Cortez
Masto, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Smith, Mr. Booker, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr.
Murphy, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Rosen, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Whitehouse,
Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Casey, Mr. Durbin,
Ms. Warren, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Hassan, Ms. Duckworth, Mr.
Heinrich, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Coons, and Ms. Stabenow):
S. 96. A bill to provide for the long-term improvement of public school facilities, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
Mr. REED. Mr. President, among the many barriers to safely bringing students, teachers, and staff back to school for in-person instruction is the condition of school facilities. A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that over half (54 percent) of school districts nationwide need to update or replace multiple systems in their schools, such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning
(HVAC), or plumbing. These systems are especially critical to safeguarding public health as we combat COVID-19.
Now is the time to invest in school infrastructure. Doing so will improve the resilience of our schools, improve student learning, reduce carbon emissions, and create jobs. That is why I am proud to partner with Chairman Scott in the House of Representatives in introducing the Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act to fix our schools. I would like to thank my Senate colleagues who are joining in this effort, including Senators Brown, Booker, Cardin, Cortez Masto, Whitehouse, Merkley, Hirono, Gillibrand, Van Hollen, Rosen, Smith, Murphy, Shaheen, Klobuchar, Lujan, Casey, Durbin, Warren, Blumenthal, Hassan, Heinrich, Duckworth, Coons, Leahy, and Stabenow.
Public schools play a vital role in every community across the Nation. They play a central role in our democracy--educating the next generation, serving as polling places for our elections, hosting community meetings and events, and so much more. When there is a natural disaster or an emergency, people often gather at their public schools for shelter, information, and resources. They are essential facilities and must be included in any new major federal investment in infrastructure.
Safe, healthy, modern, well-equipped schools are also essential for advancing student achievement and ensuring that the next generation is prepared to meet the economic, social, environmental, and global challenges our Nation faces. Yet, too many of the over 50 million students and six million staff who learn and work in our public schools spend their days in facilities that fail to make the grade. In fact, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave public school buildings across the country an overall grade of D+ in its latest report card. The 2016 State of Our Schools report found that state and local governments spend $46 billion less than what is required to update and maintain their school facilities.
States and local communities cannot bridge this gap alone, especially when many struggle to simply keep teachers and staff on the payroll. We know the budget shortfalls will hit low-income and minority communities the hardest. The GAO report found high poverty schools were more likely to rely on state funding to cover the cost of building repairs compared to wealthier schools, which were more likely to fund projects through local property taxes. The Federal government can and should be a partner in upgrading our public school facilities.
Addressing this need is not only the right thing to do for our students; it will also give a needed boost to our economy, putting people to work in family sustaining jobs. According to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, every $1 billion spent on construction generates 17,785 jobs.
The Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act of 2021 will create a Federal-State partnership for school infrastructure. It will provide, over ten years, a total of $130 billion in direct grants and school construction bonds to help fill the annual gap in school facility capital needs, while creating nearly two million jobs.
Specifically, the Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act will provide $100 billion in formula funds to states for local competitive grants for school repair, renovation, and construction. States will focus assistance on communities with the greatest financial need, encourage green construction practices, and expand access to high-speed broadband to ensure that all students have access to digital learning. Our legislation would also provide $30 billion for qualified school infrastructure bonds (QSIBs), $10 billion each year from FY 2022 through FY 2024, and restore the Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZABs) that were eliminated in the Republican Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The legislation also eases the matching requirements and expands the authority and eligible purposes of QZABs to allow local education agencies to construct, rehabilitate, retrofit, or repair school facilities. The Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act also supports American workers by ensuring that projects use American-made iron, steel, and manufactured products and meet labor standards.
I would like to thank the broad coalition of educators, community organizations, unions, civil rights advocates, and employers that have provided feedback and support for this legislation, including the 21st Century Schools Fund, AASA The School Superintendents Association, American Association of School Administrators, American Concrete Pavement Association, American Concrete Pipe Association, American Concrete Pressure Pipe Association, American Concrete Pumping Association, American Federation of Teachers, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Association of Educational Service Agencies, Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents, Association of School Business Officials International, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, BlueGreen Alliance, Build America's School Infrastructure Coalition, Californians for School Facilities, Coalition for Healthier Schools, Concrete Foundations Association, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, Council of Great City Schools, Green Building Initiative, Healthy Schools Network, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, International Union of Operating Engineers, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, National Association of School Nurses, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Concrete Masonry Association, National Education Association, National Precast Concrete Association, National PTA, National Ready Mixed Concrete, National Rural Education Advocacy Consortium, National Rural Education Association, National Urban League, North America's Building Trades Union, North American Concrete Alliance, Organizations Concerned About Rural Education, Parents for School Safety, Portland Cement Association, Precast/
Prestressed Concrete Institute, Public Advocacy for Kids, Rebuild America's Schools Coalition, Rural School and Community Trust, Teach Plus, The Brick Industry Association, Tilt-Up Concrete Association, U.S. Green Building Council, and the United Steelworkers.
We have no time to waste in fixing our deteriorating school infrastructure. In the words of a student activist in Providence, Rhode Island: ``Students cannot learn in a crumbling building, a school that isn't fit to uplift our minds.'' We need to listen to our students, strengthen our communities, and improve our school buildings. I urge all of our colleagues to support the Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act and press for its passage
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By Mrs. FEINSTEIN:
S. 102. A bill to amend the West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016 to authorize the use of certain funds received pursuant to leases entered into under such Act, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the
``West Los Angeles VA Campus Improvement Act,'' which I introduced today. Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA) is introducing companion legislation in the House.
Background on the West Los Angeles VA Campus
In 1888, the 388-acre campus that is now home to the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center was deeded to the federal government by Arcadia Bandini de Stearns Baker and Senator John P. Jones in order to establish a home for disabled Civil War Veterans.
Until the 1970s, the land served primarily to house Veterans, and the campus long represented the largest Veteran housing development in the nation.
Unfortunately, in 1972, 2,800 Veterans living on the West LA VA campus were displaced after the Sylmar Earthquake caused major damage on campus. Rather than repair the housing units, the VA eventually leased portions of the property to non-VA tenants.
Forty years later, homeless Veterans and advocates sued the VA for illegally leasing facilities on campus and for failing to use the property to support Veterans, as required by the original deed.
A U.S. District Court subsequently ruled that many leases on campus were illegal under the terms of the original deed, and in 2015, the VA agreed to facilitate the development of 1,200 housing units for homeless Veterans on campus.
In 2016, Congress enacted legislation that I introduced with Senator Barbara Boxer and Congressman Ted Lieu, entitled the ``West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016,'' to set up an oversight framework for the housing development and to ensure that lease revenues from ongoing leases stayed on campus.
Need for Legislation
In 2018, the VA selected a ``Principal Developer'' to complete housing renovation and construction projects on campus, allowing for a more streamlined and efficient building process.
However, the VA has determined that current law restricts it from using on-campus lease revenues for housing construction, maintenance, or services. The VA has determined that clarifying language is needed to ensure that funds generated on campus can be used for these purposes.
Giving VA the flexibility to use locally-generated revenue in this way could significantly reduce the time it takes to get homeless Veterans into housing.
Bill Summary
The ``West LA VA Campus Improvement Act'' would explicitly authorize the VA to use any funds collected pursuant to leases, easements or other use agreements at the West LA VA for the development of supportive housing and services on campus.
The bill would also increase the time period for enhanced use leases on the campus from 75 to 99 years. Increasing the length of the leases would align with other leasing terms the VA has, and help reduce the financing costs for new housing.
Conclusion
Last year, the regional homelessness count reported that more than 3,900 Veterans are experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. It is long past time for this land to be returned to its intended purpose: to serve as a home where Veterans can receive the care and treatment they deserve.
This bill will help move us closer to that reality.
I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this bill. Thank you, Mr. President, and I yield the floor.
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By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Wyden, and Mr.
Sanders):
S. 127. A bill to support library infrastructure; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. REED. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to address the decades of underinvestment in our Nation's libraries by reinstating Federal support for library construction.
Libraries are essential community institutions that give the public access to information and services that expand learning and promote economic opportunity. When we invest in our libraries, we are offering a helping hand and hope for the future. During natural disasters and economic upheaval, libraries offer the resources and information that help people get back on their feet. As the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards reportedly said, ``The public library is the great equalizer.''
Over the last year, COVID-19 and the heightened attention to racial and economic inequality have made clear that investment in our communities should be a national priority as we work to lift people up and bring the country closer together. And that our investment in infrastructure must encompass vital community assets like schools and libraries and not just roads, bridges, and highways.
And while we know libraries are more than buildings with books and computers, they are still buildings. For thirty years, the Federal government invested in the physical infrastructure of our libraries, but abandoned that program in the early 1990s. The intervening years have taken their toll on library facilities. Indeed, the average library building is now more than 40 years old and many need large-
scale improvements and modernization.
On top of this longstanding underinvestment, the pandemic has forced libraries to adapt and innovate to meet the evolving needs of their communities despite limited financial resources. The American Library Association projects billions of dollars in losses to libraries over the course of the pandemic, at a time when reliance on libraries from low-income, underserved, and Tribal communities is increasing. The pandemic's outsized impact on vulnerable communities only heightens the urgency of investing in libraries.
The Build America's Libraries Act would make $5 billion available over three years to support improvements to library facilities and invest in new library infrastructure to expand the reach of library services and programs. Priority is given to libraries that demonstrate the greatest need and predominantly serve underserved or distressed communities. The legislation also places emphasis on projects that seek to enhance facility safety, high-speed broadband access, accessibility for those with disabilities, or energy efficiency. Library construction funded by this legislation will directly boost our struggling economy by putting Americans to work and strengthening the facilities that connect patrons with educational and workforce training resources and local economic opportunities.
Libraries have always anchored our communities, and as such, we should ensure their ability to provide critical services for years to come. I am pleased to be joined by Senators Whitehouse, Wyden, and Sanders in introducing this bill, which has the support of many organizations, including the American Library Association; American Indian Library Association; American Institute of Architects; American Society of Interior Designers; Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums; Association for Rural & Small Libraries; Chief Officers of State Library Agencies; Council of State Archivists; Education Market Association; International WELL Building Institute; National Coalition for History; National Coalition for Literacy; National Digital Inclusion Alliance; National Summer Learning Association; Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition; and Urban Libraries Council. I hope that our colleagues will join us in cosponsoring the Build America's Libraries Act and work for its inclusion in any infrastructure package.
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By Mrs. FEINSTEIN:
S. 138. A bill to waive certain pay limitations for Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior employees engaged in emergency wildland fire suppression activities, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Ms. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the
``Wildland Firefighter Fair Pay Act,'' which I introduced today.
Background
Fueled by climate change, the annual Western wildfire season has grown longer and more intense. Where the threat used to peak between August and November, we are now seeing massive wildfire events earlier in the Summer and continuing through the end of the year.
Last year alone, California experienced more than 9,600 fires which burned more than 4.1 million acres, consumed more than 10,000 structures, and claimed 33 lives.
It is imperative that we commit enough manpower and resources to combat the threat that such devastating wildfire seasons pose to life and property.
Unfortunately, some of our most experienced Federal firefighters work so many overtime hours each year that they reach an overtime pay cap and become ineligible for additional overtime compensation. Others are forced to pay back money they have rightfully earned fighting wildfires.
Need for Legislation
Federal firefighters from the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior are paid on the General Schedule (GS) pay scale based on their seniority and performance. They make a base salary and are paid overtime when they exceed eight hours a day.
However, there is an annual premium pay cap that limits how many overtime hours for which these firefighters can be compensated.
This arbitrary pay cap places an unfair expectation on federal fire personnel to work long hours for less or even no pay, and serves as a dangerous disincentive to respond to more fire incidents, especially later in the fire season. California's worst wildfires often occur late in the fire season, further illustrating the problem we face.
The Forest Service estimates that up to 500 senior-level firefighters either stop participating or do not request pay for hours worked once they reach the pay cap. This has a significant negative impact on federal wildfire response capabilities.
What the Legislation Would Do
Our bill would create a statutory waiver for Federal firefighters responding to wildfire emergencies to ensure they receive fair compensation for all overtime hours they work.
This waiver would apply to Forest Service and Department of the Interior personnel engaged in emergency wildland fire suppression activities.
Conclusion
For wildland firefighters, working long hours in dangerous conditions is often considered a necessary part of the job. It is crucial that this demanding work be recognized, and that these heroes be appropriately compensated for the critical service that they perform.
I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this bill. Thank you, Mr. President, and I yield the floor.
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