Stevens noted on the floor of the Senate that the House has passed both Conference Reports, which provide critical funding for natural disasters and the homeland security needs of our nation, unanimously yesterday.

“I come to the Senate once more to ask that the Senate consider what's delaying the Homeland Security and Military Construction Conference Reports, (the latter of) which carries with it the money for the hurricane recovery in the Southeastern part of this country,” said Stevens on the Senate floor. “We should have taken up the Military Construction and Homeland Security bills when they arrived from the House last evening. The House passed both of these bills by a unanimous vote. The impact of this is an astounding delay because of one Senator, the Senator from Iowa, Mr. Harkin.”

Stevens reiterated the impact that the delay is having on emergency needs in Florida, “Now, I told the Senate last night that I was informed last evening that FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) has run out of money. We want to see these bills passed. We'll now not vote on Military Construction and Homeland Security until tomorrow, because one senator wants to delay them. We have worked hard with House Chairman Bill Young, who is from Florida and who is very, very disturbed about the delay.”

“I urge the Senate, every member of the Senate, to talk to Senator Harkin and ask him not to delay these bills any longer. These bills will take time to prepare and get what we call enrolled and then they'll be signed by the Speaker of the House and myself and then go to the President. That could be done today if this one Senator will relent in this procedure to delay these two bills,” concluded Stevens.