Treatment system and reauthorizing f. D. A. User fees. Now live to the floor of the u. S. Senate here on cspan2. The presiding officer the senate will come to order. The chaplain, dr. Barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. The chaplain let us pray. Our father in heaven, as Hurricane Ian wreaks havoc, protect those in harms way. Lord, we thank you that the winds and the waves obey your will. Today make us aware of our need for your presence and empower us to reach out to others in your name. Lord, teach us to pray and sustain us by the wonders of your word. Give us truths that will strengthen our minds, souls, and hearts. In times of distress, grief, confusion, and misunderstanding, illuminate our paths with the light of your companionship. Guide our lawmakers in their challenging work, for you have promised never to leave or forsake them. We pray in your merciful name, amen. The presiding officer please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The presiding officer the clerk will read a communication to the senate. The clerk washington, d. C. , september 28, 2022. To the senate under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable ben ray lujan, a senator from the state of new mexico, to perform the duties of the chair. Signed patrick j. Leahy, president pro tempore. The presiding officer under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. Morning business is closed. Under the previous order, the senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to h. R. 6833, which the clerk will report. The clerk motion to proceed to h. R. 6833, an act to amend title 27 of the Public Health service act and so forth and for service act and so forth and for by land air and sea. We have 128,000 gallons of fuel remain ready for rapid deployment. We have moved in a variety of types to restore power to Critical Infrastructure and medical facilities as needed. The army corps of engineers is prestaging 350 personnel to conduct power and fuel assessments as soon as the storm passes. Just yesterday i spoke with the president and ceo of the American PublicPower Association to discuss some of their Emergency Preparedness actions and mutual aid agreement that they have in place. We have 3. 7 million meals and 3. 5 million liters of water stage in alabama and are multiple volunteer agencies that are staged and prepare to perform operations as soon as it is safe to do so. We have provided florida with 300 ambulances as well as expert federal medical teams. These are the same teams, the same brave First Responders that we use to help communities during covid19. We are also tracking medical needs across floridas hospitals, adult care facilities and Dialysis Centers both for facilities that have evacuated but more important for those that have not. Finally, as i told the president yesterday, this level of interagency coordination will not stop. As we prepare for the historic and the catastrophic impacts that we are already beginning to see. So now with their Emergency Response we would not be successful in meeting our mission without our partners at the American Red Cross. The red cross has done an incredible amount of work in preparation for hurricane in and it is my pleasure to welcome the American Red Cross ceo governor. Thank you so much, administrator. For inviting me to join you and fema and the Weather Service are wonderful partners and want to thank you both. On behalf of the American Red Cross, our hearts are with everyone that is in the path of Hurricane Ian. Please listen to your local officials. Evacuate if they tell you to do so. Grab your medications, your glasses, your important documents, Prescription Drugs and the like. Check on your neighbors, and please dont wait out the storm if you are being told to evacuate. Its a dangerous. We are working closely with our partners and local officials in the affected communities to make sure they have the help that they need. Since last week the American Red Cross has been moving hundreds of trained volunteers from across the country, and tens of thousands of relief supplies to florida in preparation for ian. Everyones safety is our top concern. We have dedicated and very very compassionate team of experienced red cross leaders in florida, georgia, South Carolina and north carolina. They are in contact with state, local, and tribal officials, and we will be ready to support the evacuation centers. As of this morning, staged in florida we have nearly 500 red cross responders in shelters and supplies for 60,000 people. Those red cross teams have been responding to the request of local government to equip and open evacuation centers. And they are preparing now to deliver critical relief after the hurricane passes. After landfall, by the end of this weekend, over 2500 red cross responders will be deployed to florida and other affected states. We will work with our government and nonprofit partners and provide shelter, food, emergency supplies, care, comfort, and hope to the tens of thousands of people in the path of the hurricane. Also, if people want to help their neighbors we can always use local volunteers. Just go to our website, redcross. Org, and are a lot of ways to find where there are safe shelters. Anyone who needs a safe place can go to find information or open red cross shelters at redcross. Org or use our free red cross emergency app and you can call 1800 red cross. Just make sure you are following the instructions of the officials. You can also find shelters at florida disaster. Org. And finally to anyone in the path of the storm, please, please, please follow the evacuation instructions from your elected officials and your local officials. We know that for many of you recovery from Hurricane Ian will likely be a very long road, and your American Red Cross will be there. If youd like to help us you can volunteer. You can donate blood or you can make a financial donation by going to redcross. Org. And no donation is too small. They are all deeply appreciated, and everything that the red cross does is because of generosity of the American Public. Thank you. Thank thank you very muc. Now i would like to turn to direct a grant from the national Weather Service to talk about what hes doing to support the response. Thank you, administrator. Appreciate that and were watching the storm closely. Of course its a very historic storm as a look at those. Appreciate the coordination with fema and also this date, the county, the local and also the federal level, all Emergency Managers whove been in coordination, briefings gunned the scenes talk about the storm for the last week and we appreciate that relationship. Actually literally have my phone appear because things keep change as a speak with the storm like this its very common so ill be able to bring you the latest information right appear. While the wish this wasnt a forecast that have to deliver, you really look at this, i wish this wasnt a forecast is about to come through. So this is a devastating storm for parts of florida, not just on the southwest coast but also inland associate with some of these impacts. Its going to be a storm we talk about for many years, has to work event. So the impacts are already underway, already starting to see some of the squalls getting into florida. Already throwing everything at it at noaa everything from satellites, radar. We that extra balloon releases across the country. Think about the midwest, think about the northwest United States, the Weather Service forecast office launching extra balloons to get the data into the models to try to get everything we can into the models to make these forecast. Hurricane hunters on the air force and noaa of constantly be in the storm often at the same time giving a city that we need is some of these updates weve been giving you this morning has come from the data we get from the hurricane hunters. I would be remiss if i didnt say i just want to say this will clear, what he rose, right . They go towards the storm so we can get anybody away from the storm. So just real heroes flying into both the noaa hurricane hunters. Amazing work from these heroes. The windsor 155 miles per hour. Category four storm. Winds go up 35 miles from the city council important not just to focus on the centerline. Its big. 35 miles away from the senator young those Hurricane Force winds. Think about this 150 miles away from the center of Tropical Storm force winds so its not right in the center. Its a bigger impact from all of this. The storm is slowing down as forecast and is going to compound the issues associate with storm surge and compound issues associate with the rainfall. Real important your device already here how those plans in place if youre in southwest florida. The time is to be safe and be where you are and of the places, you know, central part of the state, northwest, even the east coast of florida with you some storm surge and winds as this takes the time to move across the state slow. Its going to take 24 hours or so once it makes landfall to make to the other side of the state across the peninsula. Such waiver hours of of rainfall, 24 hour of winds pushing water. We already heard it, administrator criswell we talked about this for years, and its true. Water we have to talk about the water. 90 of adults in this tropical system comes from the water. The storm surge, the rain. Not just on the coast but also in once we have to talk about it. Lifethreatening can devastating storm surge forecast. This is Brand Information over the last hour or so. Think about some of these values. Longboat to inglewood six to te. Inglewood to bonita beach 12 to 18 feet storm surge. Thats above ground. Thats up your pant leg. Thats a lot of water. Its dangerous lifethreatening amount of storm surge here bonita beach, eight to 12foot of storm surge. These committees along the coast is an incredible danger situation. Rainfall him think about these were forecasting the widespread ten to 15 inches, some places will get two feet of rain. Its moving that slow and that rain has a tough time draining because the storm surge hasnt blocked. So the water, people need to listen to the warnings have multiple ways to get information and warnings. The water will be incredibly dangerous. The wind as well. Talk about the leading cause of the child is being water but when you have a category four storm like this around the eyewall devastating amount of damage right around the eyewall. Structural damage powerlines trees and some serious damage right around the eyewall. Tornadoes, we still have tornadoes. 90 of your tornadoes are on the right front quadrant. As with all this storm the right front quadrant is where you get 90 of the tornadoes. Everybody needs to stand by for some of those warnings as they did issued. Thats it. Theres an incredible amount of information. Its come and one lesson you want to mention, even getting through the storm, its dangerous afterwards. Its no fun after the storms. There is debris. You think about trees, power lines and please be careful with the generators. Weve seen over the last couple of years and some of these big hurricanes including hurricane laura that hit louisiana that the more foot tunnel days afterwards associate with the generators then there was from similar storm surge of 16 to 18 feet. I am urging everyone to follow those instructions and be careful after the fact. Anyway thats all i have. Administrator criswell, appreciate the partnership. We are all this together. Together we are able to do it so thank you very much. Thank you, director graham. [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] [speaking spanish] we will take some questions now. First, weve seen specific request from Governor Desantis certainty or concert equipment. Do you feel like the federal code has been able to get everything he is asked for or existence of equipment youre trying to get in place . Secondly any update on how the evacuations are going . Is a sense of timing when people might need to think today is just too late to leave . Let me start with evacuation question. Ive listened to some of his briefings this morning and i think again the point of listen to your local officials, there is parked within need to start staying in place. That is too late to evacuate but need to listen to what the local officials are telling them. As we see the storm and will continue to move across the states of the maybe parts were still safe to evacuate. Its hard to make a general statement. Its aboard their listen to the local officials because there didnt want to get to make sure theyre keeping them safe. They need to make plans for that. If they are going to stay in place know how they will communicate with her family so they can let them know if theyre safer with the needs of going to be and thats what we put together this really struck search and rescue capability to make sure we can go in by eric land and sea because we know theres going to be people that of an impact in of isolated d will need rescued. First part of your question again . [inaudible] we are continuing to move in equipment as a governor asked for more equivalent probably today he asked for more high water vehicles and additional rescue give those and removing that if there were going to continue to move equipment in as a see what impacts of the storm are as well. We preposition quite a bit of equipment so we can respond immediately. Once we know the effects are an Additional Needs are we will continue moving that equipment in. We are positioned really well to meet those immediate needs in the first few hours and once we know impacts and what else is needed will continue to move that in. Anybody else . I had a question for director graham. We are seeing some reports of water receding in the tampa bay area. Can you explain why that is happening . A lot of your familiar for the last ten years ive said this little wiggles matter and his little small changes make a difference whether the water is pushing from storm surge or literally blown out. Yet strong winds with much as they can push the water out. Heres a very important thing. Dont go out there. Its a dangerous to be out of there. Even if you see the water receding is not the time to go out and look at it or collect shells or whatever it is. Weve seen this in this type of storms. When the winds come down, the winds decreased the water comes beckett and it could be incredibly dangerous. Yes ive seen some of the pictures and i can happen. Thats the power of the wind where it can push the water. Thank you so much for doing this. I do question for administrator criswell mr. Schumer so, mr. President , before i begin my remarks, i was just watched the today show. Thats why i was late. They have a surprise neighbor of the month, and when they come in and surprise him and all his neighbors are there, because hes such a great neighbor. Well, ernie mann, who is the father of steve mann, who has been my deputy state director since ive been senator, for over 20 years, a teacher in the community, a volunteer firefighter for 60 years, and just a great guy and a wonderful yankee fan they had Nestor Cortez get on the phone to speak to him he was just made the neighbor, i think of the month, may be of the year. Anyway, he deserves it. It was wonderful, beautiful to see. Ernie, and to all the mann family, including the great steve, who has done such a great job for me, congratulations. Good luck. It was beautiful. It was beautiful. Okay, now lets get to the substance of the day. Last night, by a vote of 7223, the senate agreed to advance a shell for a continuing resolution, to keep the government open until december 16, and avoid a nieceless government shutdown. As my colleagues know, government funding runs out friday at midnight, whereupon a partial shutdown would begin if we do not act. We must work fast to finish the process on the floor, send a c. R. To the house, then send it to the president s desk before the clock runs out. With cooperation from our republican colleagues, the senate can finish its work of keeping the government open as soon as tomorrow. There is every reason in the world to get to yes, and i would look forward to working with leader mcconnell to make sure we can do that and not bump up into the friday midnight deadline. I urge my colleagues on both sides to work with us together to speed this process as quickly as we can through the floor, especially since the c. R. Contains many things both parties support. Im talking about billions in disaster aid to help communities in kentucky, louisiana, alabama, texas, alaska, and puerto rico battered by floods and disasters over the past year, as well as help for new mexico, to recover from its worst wildfire in state history. We must also renew the fda user fees for the next five years to prevent the slowdown of the preview of innovative drugs and medical devices so needed by our people, and prevent thousands of workers, good, hardworking workers who help approve these drugs and make sure theyre safe from being furloughed. Crucially, we must also approve critical emergency aid for the people of ukraine. Over the past few weeks its become clear that u. S. Assistance has made an enormous difference in helping ukraine defend itself. I want to salute President Biden biden. Hes done a masterful job in helping the ukrainians and leading us. But the congress in a bipartisan way has gone along in the past with not only gone along, enthusiastically supported help for ukraine. I certainly enthusiastically support it. And we have to continue. The