[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9663-S9664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMPACT AID TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS ACT OF 1996
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar No. 392, H.R. 3269.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 3269) to amend the Impact Aid program to
provide for a hold-harmless with respect to amounts for
payments relating to the Federal acquisition of real
property, and for other purposes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate
consideration of the bill?
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Amendment No. 5155
(Purpose: To amend the Impact Aid program.)
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, there is a substitute amendment at the
desk and I ask for its immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Alaska [Mr. Stevens], for Mrs. Kassebaum,
for herself, Mr. Pressler, Mr. D'Amato, Mr. Kerrey, Mr.
Moynihan, Mr. Simpson and Mrs. Frahm, proposes an amendment
numbered 5155.
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the reading
of the amendment be dispensed with.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
(The text of the amendment is printed in today's Record under
``Amendments Submitted.'')
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
amendment be agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the amendment is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 5155) was agreed to.
Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R.
3269, a bill to make technical corrections in the law that governs the
Impact Aid Program. This bill represents the culmination of months of
hard work. I would like to thank the Chair of the Labor and Human
Resources Committee, Senator Kassebaum for her diligent work in
bringing this extremely important bill to the floor. Her efforts helped
to ensure that federally impacted schools will get the financial
assistance they deserve and need.
Impact Aid is an important program for many schools. Impact Aid is a
Federal responsibility. The program reimburses school districts that
lost tax base due to a Federal presence, such as a military base or
Indian reservation. This program provides funds for day-to-day school
operations, such as buying books and paying teachers. These are not
special funds for extra projects. This is a program based on the basic
principle of fairness. We should fund the basics of education before we
spend money on extra programs.
The expeditious passage of this bill today would ensure that many
Federally impacted schools will have the funds needed to keep their
doors open, literally, this fall. School districts depend on Impact Aid
for basic operating expenses. This bill would ensure that payments are
made in a timely manner.
I am particularly concerned about Section 2 of the Impact Aid program
as
[[Page S9664]]
it pertains to two school districts in South Dakota. Specifically,
without passage of this critical bill, two South Dakota schools,
Bonesteel-Fairfax and Wagner, could stand to lose together almost $1
million. That must not be allowed to happen. Essentially, the bill
before us would allow these school districts to claim eligibility under
Section 8003. The Bonesteel-Fairfax and Wagner districts were in fact
eligible for Impact Aid funds, but were unaware of their eligibility
because of a change in the Federal statute. Unfortunately, the
Department of Education could not allow these districts to amend their
applications. Consequently, they were denied funds that they deserved
due to the simple error of not checking the proper eligibility box.
This bill would correct this situation and provide these districts the
opportunity to reapply for Impact Aid funds. As always, I will fight to
see that both these schools and all other federally impacted schools in
South Dakota get the funding they need under the Impact Aid program.
This is the fair thing to do. It was not the intention of Congress to
deny schools funds due to administrative errors or technical
oversights. Quite simply, this is a fairness issue.
The bill before us would not create new criteria to implement the
intent of Congress. These technical corrections permit the Department
of Education to administer the Impact Aid program consistent with the
intent of Congress. The technical amendments provide recourse for the
schools to receive funds to which they are entitled under the intent of
the law.
I am pleased that we are taking action on this legislation. The
schools that would benefit from this bill need and deserve the
assistance. The Federal Government has placed these schools in a very
difficult position, through no fault of their own. That's why impact
aid must remain a top Federal responsibility.
Unfortunately, getting this bill through has not been easy, in part
because the current administration does not have its priorities
straight. For the fourth consecutive year, the Clinton administration's
budget called for the Federal Government to lessen its commitment to
impact aid. For the next year, the Clinton administration requested
only $617 million for impact aid. It recommended the elimination of
payments for Federal lands. This means 23 South Dakota school districts
would not have been eligible for Federal funds. That is wrong. How can
President Clinton claim he is the education President when his budgets
would deny the most basic needs to schools in South Dakota? Federally
impacted districts and the children they serve cannot withstand further
reductions in the program.
It is my understanding that the President will not sign this
legislation, but allow it to become law. This is yet another indication
of the administration's hostility to the Impact Aid Program. Obtaining
the appropriate level of funding is a struggle every year. There will
be more battles over impact aid funding. I'm ready. I will continue to
fight for our Nation's children and federally impacted school
districts. This is my commitment to those schools and the familes they
serve.
Again, I thank the chair of the Labor and Human Resources Committee,
its ranking member and their counterparts in the House for their good
work to get this bill through Congress and to the President. This bill
enjoys widespread, bipartisan support. With the support of my
colleagues, we can fulfill our legislative responsibility to federally
impacted school districts and pass this impact aid technical
corrections.
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be
deemed read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid
upon the table, and any statements relating to the bill be placed at
the appropriate place in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (H.R. 3269) was deemed read the third time and passed, as
amended.
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