James Oberstar: “I rise in support of H.R. 707, the Disaster Mitigation and Cost Reduction Act of 1999. I greatly appreciate the…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 707, the Disaster Mitigation and Cost Reduction Act of 1999. I greatly appreciate the initiative that the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Chairman Shuster) has demonstrated in moving this bill so quickly through subcommittee, full committee, and to the floor. I congratulate the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), chairman of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, as well as the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski), the ranking member on that subcommittee. This bill was heard in their subcommittee in the last Congress. The bill has been reshaped and heard in a new subcommittee in this Congress, and I again commend the gentlewoman from Florida (Chairman Fowler) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant), ranking member, for their strong commitment to moving the legislation forward and doing so very quickly. Mr. Chairman, there are two main elements that we are dealing with in this legislation: a predisaster mitigation program and streamlining of existing disaster assistance programs under the Stafford Act. I think this legislation has great potential to improve Federal, local and State government response to disasters, reduce the cost of those responses and do a better job for the victims of disasters.”