Kent Conrad: “the argument of the Senator from Pennsylvania with respect to a natural disaster reveals the weakness of his argument.…”

“the argument of the Senator from Pennsylvania with respect to a natural disaster reveals the weakness of his argument. The Senator from Pennsylvania suggests, if you have a natural disaster and you are stuck with this block grant program that provides only a set amount of money, it cannot be adjusted for the magnitude of the disaster, that, well, you have economic assistance. Economic assistance is not for food assistance, that is why we have the Food Stamp Program. Economic assistance is to meet the other disaster needs that a State meets in a circumstance of unforeseen natural disaster. Economic assistance programs are not designed to replace the Food Stamp Program. Mr. President, if that is what he is suggesting is out there for people to be counting on, if they face a natural disaster, those people are going to be in a world of hurt. I might also say, the notion that Governors are put on notice because we in the Senate have a debate at 3 o'clock in the afternoon on Friday is probably not a very reliable thing for any of us to depend upon. I doubt if any Governor is watching this debate or paying very close attention to what goes on in the Senate Chamber.”