Senate Proceeding 07-21-09 on Jul 21st, 2009 :: 1:28:45 to 1:48:30
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1:28:41 to 1:29:02( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: you know, our health depends on it. i yield the presiding senator from florida. mr. nelson: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be laid aside in order that i might call up

1:28:45 to 1:48:30( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Bill Nelson

1:29:03 to 1:29:25( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: amendment 1515. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. mr. nelson: mr. president -- the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: the florida, mr. nelson, amendment n mr. nelson: i ask consent that the amendment be considered as read. the presiding officer: without objection, so ordered.

1:29:26 to 1:29:47( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: mr. nelson: mr. president -- mr. president, this is the widows and orphans amendment. this is that

1:29:48 to 1:30:09( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: where there is an insurance payout that service members pay insurance premiums, and or retirees pay premiums, that is offset

1:30:10 to 1:30:31( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: disability compensation that otherwise the veterans surving spouse and children would be able to, under existing law, be eligible for both, but there's an this particular amendment is

1:30:32 to 1:30:52( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: going to eliminate that offset. and every year we come to the floor on the defense authorization bill and we offer the amendment and we have an overwhelming vote in the senate and every year it goes to conference and for years and

1:30:53 to 1:31:16( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: years in the conference committee with the house what they would do is you can't pass an amendment that would even reduce the offset for widows and orphans. and only in the last couple of

1:31:17 to 1:31:37( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: years have we had some modest reduction of the offset. and then on the -- on an earlier piece of legislation this year, we had a little bit more reduction of the offset and what this amendment will do is

1:31:38 to 1:31:58( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: completely eliminate the offset. now, i just want to point at the outset that i have a letter and i'd like to enter this into the reco. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. nelson: this is a letter supporting this legislation from the military coalition.

1:31:59 to 1:32:19( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: and the military coalition is a group of 34 organizations their signatures are here on the record alphabetically from the air force association all the way to last on the list of 34 is the veterans of foreign wars of

1:32:20 to 1:32:40( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: the u.s. and all those organizations that you would expect -- 34 endorgs this so i wanted that in the record

1:32:41 to 1:33:02( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: and i want to tell but this particular amendment. i filed this bill -- this is bipartisan. no, this isn't bipartisan. this is nonpartisan, mr. president. because i filed this bill years ago with senator sessions and eight other original cosponsors.

1:33:03 to 1:33:24( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: and what it will the law that takes almost $1,200 per month from lost their loved one because of military service. the survivor's benefit plan, otherwise known by its initial,

1:33:25 to 1:33:47( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: s.b.p., is an annuity paid by the defense department, survivors receive the benefit when either a military retiree pays a insurance for their survivors or

1:33:48 to 1:34:09( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: when a service member dice on -- dies on active duty. the other law is dependency and indemnity compensation, referred to its and it is a survivor benefit paid by the veterans administration. and survivor receive this

1:34:10 to 1:34:32( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: benefit when the military service caused the service member's death. well, what this amendment's going to do is to fix this longstanding problem in the military survivor benefits

1:34:33 to 1:34:56( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: system, which the problem is requires a dollar for dollar reduction of the survivor benefits from the s.b.p. paid by offsetting against the dependence and indemnity

1:34:57 to 1:35:17( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: compensation, d.i.c., paid now, you know the great quote following one of america's bloodiest wars. president lincoln in his second inaugural address, and the war was still raging at that point, said in

1:35:18 to 1:35:42( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: that one of the greatest obligations in war is to -- quote -- "finish the work we are in to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle -- in other words

1:35:43 to 1:36:03( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: and for his widow and orphan." that's the end of the quote. and so, really, following president lincoln's advice to honor, members, they need to know that their widows and orphans, their survivors, are going to be taken care of. and we certainly agree that the

1:36:04 to 1:36:27( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: u.s. government must take care of our veterans, their widows and their orphans. and so in keeping with that principle, weeed to repeal this offset that denies the widows and orphans the annuity their deceased loved ones have

1:36:28 to 1:36:50( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: earned on active duty or have purchased for them. a retir military member can purchase this an insurance policy that their survivors will have income. but over here in the veterans administration, we've got a law

1:36:51 to 1:37:14( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: that says if you're disabled, a certain percentage, we're going to take care of you there. one should not offset particularly when somebody has paid premiums on an insurance polls really. -- policy. well, that offset is what's got me so

1:37:15 to 1:37:35( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: agitated, and has had for a decade now. and i've already explained that for the sur there are two-way toss qualify -- two ways to the volunteeree goes out and

1:37:36 to 1:37:57( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: pays with an insurance program with their retirement income. later the statute was added that the survivor's benefit plan is available to an service member if they are killed as a result o service.

1:37:58 to 1:38:19( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: for retir insurance program that protects the income of survivors and for active duty military members, s.b.p. is compensation for the service member's beneficiaries.

1:38:20 to 1:38:42( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: well, on the other hand, the dependence indemnity compensation is a benefit payment to the survivor's of a service member who dies from a service connected condition. for almost a decade i fought to

1:38:43 to 1:39:04( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: repeal dollar-for-dollar offset for these two very different benefits. back in 2005, the senate took the step in the right direction and passed by 92-6 my amendment to repeal that offset.

1:39:05 to 1:39:27( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: when it got down committee, you know what happened. in the 2008 defense authorization bill, we cracked the door to eliminating the offset. the conference committee negotiations with the house, we made some progress when we got a

1:39:28 to 1:39:48( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: special payment of $50 which would now increase to $ per month by the year 2017 because of money savings found in the tobacco legislation passed earlier this year. and our efforts have been important steps in right direction, but they're not

1:39:49 to 1:40:09( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: enough. we must meet our obligation to the widow and orphan with the same sense of honor as was the service their loved one had rendered. and, so, we need to completely offset this sbpdic.

1:40:10 to 1:40:30( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: mr. president, we he must continue to work it do right by all those who have given this nation their all and especially for the loved ones they may leave to our care. in that letter that i have

1:40:31 to 1:40:51( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: entered into the -- and i quote -- elimination of this survivor benefit inequity is the top legislative goal for the military coalition in 2009." end of quote.

1:40:52 to 1:41:14( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: and, mr. president, i ask -- i already asked that into the record and you will see -- and i won't take the time to read the names of the 34 organizations, but they are all fairly well known to every of us.

1:41:15 to 1:41:37( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: now, on year, during a congress the president said -- quote -- "to keep our sacred trust with those who serve, we will raise their pay and give our veterans the expanded health care and benefits they've earned."

1:41:38 to 1:41:58( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: well, i say amen to that, mr. president. i ask that president obama's administration help us end this injustice to widows and orphans of our natios heroes. now, mr. president, may i inquire if there's -- some other senator that wants

1:41:59 to 1:42:19( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: to speak now because if there would not be, i would like to speak as if in morning business. the presiding officer: the senator from arizona objects.

1:42:20 to 1:42:41( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: mr. mccain: i object from the senator from florida going into morning business until we dispose of the amendment. we can do it right away. mr. nelson: i did not make the unanimous consent request. i merely inquired if there was another senator who wanted to speak and certainly i would withhold any such askingor a u.c. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the

1:42:42 to 1:43:03( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: senator from new york. mr. schumer: i would just let my colleague know i do intend to speak on the -- on the thune speak at some point in the next few minutes. but if my colleague, and if it's ok with the two floor leaders, will speak for a brief amount of time, i'd be happy to go after

1:43:04 to 1:43:24( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: he did and go to the thune amendment. it's up to the two floor leaders. mr. mccain: can i just say, mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from arizona. mr. mccain: the senator from florida, we'll find out if there are others who want to speak on your amendment. but if not, we would be in favor of disposing of your amendment.

1:43:25 to 1:43:45( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: and part of the a could i say that part of the agreement that we made in order for us to proceed was that anyone came to the floor to speak on the pending amendment, that person, that have priority. so if it's senator from florida, the senator from new york would go ahead and we could go back to your speaking in morning

1:43:46 to 1:44:08( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: business. mr. nelson: of coue. and it is my understanding that the senator from south carolina had just spoken as if in morning business and that's why i was inquiring. so i'm very grateful to the ranking member of the committee for us to go ahead and dispose of this amendment.

1:44:09 to 1:44:30( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: thank you. mr until after the senator from new york finishes just to make sure that there is no one else who wants to speak on the senator from florida's amendment. mr. schumer: i would just -- mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from new york. mr. schumer: i would say that since my colleague

1:44:31 to 1:44:51( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: that he needs only five minutes, i would go longer, i would be happy to yield to him and come right after that. the presiding officer: any objection? without objection, so ordered. the senator from florida. mr. nelson: mr. president, i ask consent to be allowed to speak as in in morning business.

1:44:52 to 1:45:13( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: t. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. nelson: i shanly from my office be granted floor privileges for the duration of my statement. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. nelson: mr. president, last year we were all transfixed by the nonstop hurricane coverage

1:45:14 to 1:45:36( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: of hurricanes gustav and ike as they grew intoonster storms crossing the caribbean and the gulf of mexico and leaving a trail of misery in their wake. and hurricane ike, the third most destructive storm in the history of the united states, made landfall in galveston, texas, and then tracked through arkansas, illinois, missouri,

1:45:37 to 1:45:57( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: ohio, and pennsylvania, and it killed 112 people and it caused more than $24 billion in damage. and since 2003, hurricanes and other tropical cyclones have caused more than 200 deaths in thunited states.

1:45:58 to 1:46:19( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: that's a staggering figure. 40% of all hurricanes that make landfall in the u.s. happen t hit my state of florida, that has more coastline than any other continental 48 of the

1:46:20 to 1:46:42( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: states. and the insured losses from these hurricas average more than $5.2 billion per year. a recent study of hurricane-related damages over the last century suggest that economic losses will double every ten years. and with more than 50% of the u.s. population that lives, guess where?

1:46:43 to 1:47:03( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: within 50 miles of the coast. and with 180 million people visiting the coast annually, well, it's obvious that the risk to life and property are going -- are growing. hurricanes, however, don't just impact the coast.

1:47:04 to 1:47:24( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: and these extreme events also have national consequences such as increased fuel prices, displaced populations, severe inland flooding, as well as a cost to the taxpayers of every state in this nation, whether you have a coast or not.

1:47:25 to 1:47:45( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: and the american public is increasinglincreasingly aware of these potential costs and the financing of natural disasters. and so senator martinez and i

1:47:46 to 1:48:06( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: are introducing four bills and they have been introduced today. the commission on catastrophic disaster risknd insurance act of 2009, the policyholder disaster protection act of 2009, the catastrophe savings account act of 2009, and the national

1:48:07 to 1:48:27( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: hurricane research initiative act of 2009. these bills take a proactive approach in addressing these natural catastrophe concerns. and let me say parenthetically that whenever the manager of the

1:48:28 to 1:48:32( Edit History Discussion )

Bill Nelson: bill wants to resume, i will stop my speaking.