Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. SABLAN. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Chair, Congress will depend on the expertise of Federal agencies to tell us how much funding is needed by communities recovering from disaster.

That was the case when the House passed H.R. 268 on January 16. We set aside $10.4 million in that bill for water and sewer recovery for areas impacted by Super Typhoon Yutu, and we relied on the Environmental Protection Agency to verify that amount.

But, as happens in recovery situations, preliminarily estimates were not completely accurate. When debris is removed, unseen damage is revealed.

In March, after the House passed H.R. 268, EPA revised its estimate of the cost for repairing sewer systems in the Marianas. But H.R. 2157, the bill now under consideration, has not taken that new March estimate from EPA into account. H.R. 2157 simply repeats what was in H.R. 268, the January bill.

The amendment I am offering instead relies on EPA's new, updated assessment of the true need.

Madam Chair, I include in the Record EPA's estimate. EPA-Related Projects To Support Typhoon Yutu Recovery in CNMI Community Planning and Capacity Building, Infrastructure Systems, and Natural and Cultural Resources, March 20, 2019

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. SABLAN. EPA reports that funds will be needed to upgrade the Agingan and Sadog Tasi wastewater treatment plants ``as a result of damage inflicted by Typhoon Yutu,'' and for lift stations and backup generators that were ``damaged by flooding and high winds.'' EPA says these projects cost $14 million.

My amendment takes into account funding already in the base bill, however, and asks only for an increase of $8.8 million. Again, this requested increase is based on EPA's estimates only available after passage of H.R. 268, the bill on which H.R. 2157 is based.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source