[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 129 (Tuesday, August 2, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3863-S3865]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Ms. Warren, and Mr. Wyden):
S. 4727. A bill establish a grant program to incentivize the energy
resilience of air carrier airports to acquire or install solar
photovoltaic panels, battery storage systems, microgrids, and related
electric infrastructure for on-site renewable energy generation and
storage, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation.
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Airport
Energy Resiliency and Renewable Energy Act, which I introduced today.
While some airports are already using renewable energy systems to
enhance the energy efficiency of their power sources, our Nation's
airports still have incredible opportunities to lower emissions and
improve energy resiliency by further investing in renewable energy
sources and energy storage solutions.
For example, commercial solar panels are bigger and more efficient
than residential ones and can generate substantially more power without
presenting a threat to aviation operations.
Furthermore, battery storage and microgrids would allow energy to be
stored and used later during peak demand, when it is most needed. In
the event of a power disruption or outage as a result of a natural
disaster or other emergency, deploying solar generation coupled with
battery storage would allow airports to power essential facilities
using renewable resources instead of generators, which often run on
fossil fuels.
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In concert with the resources being delivered by the bipartisan
infrastructure law, providing new dedicated funding would help
kickstart existing interest in reducing carbon footprint and improving
the energy resiliency at airports.
That is why I am proud to introduce this bill to create a new FAA
grant program to help airports invest in renewable generation resources
such as solar panels, battery storage systems, and microgrids.
I hope my colleagues will join me in support of this bill to unlock
the opportunity to leverage our Nation's airports to modernize our
electric grid and implement clean energy technologies.
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By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Wyden, Ms.
Duckworth, Mr. Markey, Mr. Padilla, and Ms. Warren):
S. 4740. A bill to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and
the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit the taking, importation,
exportation, and breeding of certain cetaceans for public display, and
for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of
legislation that I introduced today along with Senators Booker, Wyden,
Duckworth, Padilla, and Warren: the Strengthening Welfare in Marine
Settings (SWIMS) Act. This is a companion to legislation introduced by
Congressman Adam Schiff in the House of Representatives.
Our bill would ban the importation and exportation of orcas, beluga
whales, pilot whales, and false killer whales for public display, with
an exception for animals being released to a marine sanctuary or back
to the wild.
Our bill would also prohibit breeding captive whales to raise their
newborns for public display, ensuring that the current generation of
these whales in captivity would be the last.
The evidence is clear: Orcas, beluga whales, pilot whales, and false
killer whales are intelligent and emotionally complex animals that
cannot thrive in captivity. In the wild, these whales can travel up to
100 miles per day and dive hundreds of feet deep.
However, many animals in captivity live in tanks so small they cannot
even turn around. Often, these whales are so stressed that they gnaw on
the concrete walls of their tanks until the dental nerves of their
teeth are exposed, permanently damaging their teeth and requiring
constant antibiotics.
The inhumane confinement for these animals has consequences, which
are made clear when news breaks of yet another whale dying well before
its time. In the wild, the average orca lives for 40 years. Orcas in
captivity in the United States typically live only 12 years. Although
no orca has ever been documented attacking a human in the wild, in
captivity, these whales have been documented to lash out at their human
trainers, causing severe harm or death.
Despite these well-established facts, more than 50 whales remain in
captivity across the United States. My home State of California has
already banned orca shows and breeding, and some exhibitors like
SeaWorld have promised to end their orca breeding programs.
It is long past time for Federal Government to apply this policy to
the whale species that suffer the most in captivity and end this cruel
practice. Our bill, which is endorsed by 15 animal welfare
organizations, would do just that.
Mr. President, by passing my bill, the Senate can prevent the
needless suffering and deaths of these majestic animals who truly
belong in the wild. I urge my colleagues to join us in cosponsoring the
SWIMS Act.
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By Mr. BOOKER:
S. 4749. A bill to improve grants administered by the Office of
Community Oriented Policing Services, and for other purposes; to the
Committee on the Judiciary.
Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, when the Federal Government authorizes
billions of dollars in grants to States, we have a duty to ensure that
those dollars are spent in a responsible, effective manner.
Accountability is essential to a healthy, functioning democracy.
And it is especially important when we discuss issues related to
policing. In recent years, we have seen egregious instances of police
misconduct, many of which have involved the unjustifiable deaths of
Black people. Right now, it is vital that we prioritize initiatives
that will improve public safety and strengthen public trust in law
enforcement.
As mayor of Newark, I spent hundreds of hours with police officers
riding along with them in their squad cars and learning about the daily
challenges they face trying to make our communities safer. I have seen
their bravery in the face of uncertainty and their fear knowing that
their streets are filling up with deadly weapons of war. I have
witnessed the enormous sacrifices they make in service of the public.
I have tremendous respect for our law enforcement officers. and I
believe that they need support to be able to do their jobs effectively.
I support improving officer training programs, hiring more officers in
underresourced departments, and updating the outdated equipment law
enforcement agencies are often left using.
Any resources provided, however, must be coupled with transparency.
It flies in the face of responsible governance to invest significant
resources into something without ever knowing what parts of that
investment are paying dividends.
Transparency does not mean that every law enforcement program must
come under the Federal Government's close scrutiny. Instead, it means
commonsense data collection and reporting. It means tracking how
Federal funds are spent and whether they produce positive or negative
outcomes.
It means doing basic due diligence for the purpose of improving
policing in this country and ensuring that taxpayer dollars are being
spent as effectively as possible.
As Congress moves to increase Federal assistance to State and local
law enforcement agencies, we must ensure responsible administration and
oversight of grant programs and ensure resources are directed toward
policing practices that actually enhance public safety and promote the
dignity of all communities, especially Black and Brown communities.
One of the biggest pools of funding for our Nation's law enforcement
comes in the form of grants from the Community Oriented Policing
Services, COPS, Office. The amount of money given to State and local
law enforcement through these grants has steadily increased over the
last few years, from $222 million for fiscal year 2017 to $512 million
for fiscal year 2022.
These grants fund the improvement of Tribal law enforcement agencies,
school violence prevention, drug crime enforcement aria prevention,
mental health and wellness services, equipment and technological
capabilities, and community policing strategies.
All of these programs share the goal of improving public safety. Yet,
despite the large increase in funding for the COPS grant program,
Congress has not moved to measure the successes and failures of the
program. As such, we cannot be sure that real improvements are actually
being made with the more than half a billion dollars in taxpayer money
being spent.
Reviewing how COPS grants are being spent and the outcomes they are
producing will help realize the very goals that the COPS program aims
to advance.
Ensuring that the Federal Government, through COPS grants, invests in
best practices will help train officers in the most effective ways
possible. Establishing performance metrics for COPS grants will allow
law enforcement agencies to identify which initiatives make officers
and the public safer and which reduce negative and dangerous
interactions between law enforcement and the public.
As law enforcement agencies are called upon to bolster their data
collection and reporting practices, it is also important to recognize
that some agencies, particularly in underresourced communities,
struggle to respond to those calls even with the availability of COPS
grants. We must specifically dedicate more resources toward helping
these law enforcement agencies meet these standards.
In particular, many law enforcement agencies have not been fully
equipped to report data to the Federal Bureau of
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Investigation's National Use-of-Force Data Collection. This dearth of
data severely hinders our ability to analyze policing trends, develop
best practices, and hold officers accountable for wrongdoing when it
occurs.
These measures for transparency and accountability are basic,
commonsense ways to invest effectively in policing and make our
communities safer. All law enforcement agencies should be collecting
and reporting data. All law enforcement agencies should be complying
with civil rights laws. All law enforcement agencies should be using
performance metrics to identify best practices. These are the building
blocks of responsible, modern policing which we should all be able to
agree on.
Today, I introduced the COPS Responsible Administration and
Management Act of 2022, which will promote the kind of accountability
and transparency that should accompany these important investments that
the Federal Government makes in law enforcement.
This bill supports and complements the crucial investments we are
making in police forces by reviewing COPS grants to ensure they are
being effectively and efficiently administered, evaluating how COPS
grants are being utilized and how well they are assisting law
enforcement in making communities safer, offering grants to agencies to
improve data reporting, and assessing agency compliance with civil
rights laws.
This Congress has made historic investments in improving law
enforcement and addressing violent crime in our communities. Let us
also take the time to make sure that those investments are paying off.
Law enforcement agencies across the country are struggling to manage
competing demands. Officers work incredibly hard every day to protect
their neighborhoods, and they often do so without the equipment,
personnel, and training that they need.
The good news is that law enforcement agencies will be receiving many
of these important resources with COPS grant funding. At the same time,
if the goal of this funding is to improve policing and public safety,
which we can all agree it is, then we must also track and evaluate the
success of these grants.
Our investments should produce positive outcomes for communities.
They should reduce negative and dangerous interactions between officers
and the public, including use-of-force incidents, and they should
increase the public's trust in law enforcement.
Our officers deserve resources that will help them do their jobs
effectively and keep them safe. Our communities deserve police forces
that are well-trained and well-informed. The COPS Administration Act
will help secure both of those goals.
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