Series 2558: Constituent Correspondence, 2000-2003
38655
From: "Strider, Burns" <Burns.Strider@mail.house.gov> BC: Governor Musgrove Created: 3/23/2001 11:39 AM Subject: AP Wire: Shows and Tornado Shelters Act Message: (Congressman Shows' was a cosponsor of the Tornado Shelters Act and some of his comments can be found in the article below) Thursday March 22 3:48 PM ET Tornado Shelter Legislation Passed By JANELLE CARTER, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Local governments could authorize federal community block grants to build tornado shelters in trailer parks under a bill the House passed Thursday. The measure passed 401-6 after a rocky debate between Democrats and Republicans over the bill's expedited process. Democrats were angry that the bill was brought to the House floor without committee consideration. ``All Democrats, despite the fact that we are in the minority, demand respect. This should not happen again,'' said Rep. John LaFalce (news <http://rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/news/*http://search.news.yahoo.com/s earch/news?p=%22Rep.%20John%0ALaFalce%22&c=&n=20&yn=c&c=news> - bio <http://rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/bio/*http://politics.yahoo.com/polit ics/congress/house_of_representatives/list_of_members/434/> - voting record <http://rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/vote/*http://politics.yahoo.com/poli tics/congress/house_of_representatives/list_of_members/434/vote.html> ), D-N.Y. Rep. Carrie Meek (news <http://rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/news/*http://search.news.yahoo.com/s earch/news?p=%22Rep.%20Carrie%20Meek%22&c=&n=20&yn=c&c=news> - bio <http://rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/bio/*http://politics.yahoo.com/polit ics/congress/house_of_representatives/list_of_members/179/> - voting record <http://rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/vote/*http://politics.yahoo.com/poli tics/congress/house_of_representatives/list_of_members/179/vote.html> ), D-Fla., said, ``This is not the way the House should be operating. Why are we ignoring the regular order? What are the motives behind this bill?'' Its sponsor, Alabama Republican Rep. Spencer Bachus (news <http://rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/news/*http://search.news.yahoo.com/s earch/news?p=%22Rep.%20Spencer%20Bachus%22&c=&n=20&yn=c&c=news> - bio <http://rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/bio/*http://politics.yahoo.com/polit ics/congress/house_of_representatives/list_of_members/676/> - voting record <http://rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/vote/*http://politics.yahoo.com/poli tics/congress/house_of_representatives/list_of_members/676/vote.html> ), told members the bill was needed desperately. He showed pictures from tornado-ravaged parts of his congressional district. ``Is this an attempt to snooker? Is this an attempt to deceive? It's neither. It's an attempt to save lives,'' Bachus said. ``This is an idea whose time has come.'' ``When you talk about mobile home parks, you're talking about young families with children, senior citizens,'' Bachus said. ``They're good citizens. They deserve better.'' The proposal allows mobile home park owners to apply for federal money to build shelters under the Community Development Block Grant program. Under current law, manufactured homes, built in a factory and taken to a site, are ineligible for the program, Bachus said. Democrats added several amendments to the bill, including one that set aside $50 million for the bill to ensure that the shelters would not steer money away from other grant projects. They also added provisions requiring that residents of a mobile home park be low- to middle-income to qualify and that tornado shelters be open to the general public. ``Residents of manufactured housing are not able to seek shelter,'' said Rep. Ronnie Shows (news <http://rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/news/*http://search.news.yahoo.com/s earch/news?p=%22Rep.%20Ronnie%20Shows%22&c=&n=20&yn=c&c=news> - bio <http://rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/bio/*http://politics.yahoo.com/polit ics/congress/house_of_representatives/list_of_members/346/> - voting record <http://rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/politics/vote/*http://politics.yahoo.com/poli tics/congress/house_of_representatives/list_of_members/346/vote.html> ), a Mississippi Democrat, who noted that his state leads the country in average deaths due to tornadoes. ``This is a vote we should make with our hearts.'' Bachus' bill was prompted by December tornadoes that ravaged Tuscaloosa, Ala. Of 12 people killed, 10 lived in house trailers. Voting against the bill were Reps. Michael ``Mac'' Collins, R-Ga.; John J. Duncan, R-Tenn.; Ron Paul, R-Texas; and three Arizona Republicans, Jeff Flake, John Shadegg and Bob Stump, R-Ariz. - Attachment Filename: C:\archives\governor\mail\Governor Musgrove\_attach\AP Wire_ Shows and Tornado Shelters Act\Mime.822
Attachments
ap_wire__shows_and_tornado_she/mime.822