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Senator Bill Nelson

Nelson calls on VA for answers following defunding of homeless veterans program

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U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) today sent the following letter to VA Secretary David Shulkin asking for a full briefing and explanation of the agency’s latest decision to cut more than $460 million in dedicated funding from a program designed to help homeless veterans find housing – essentially eliminating the program.
The Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program has helped find housing more than 138,000 veterans across the country since 2010.
Following is text of Nelson’s letter sent to VA Secretary Shulkin. A pdf copy is available here.

December 8, 2017

The Honorable David J. Shulkin, M.D.
Secretary
Department of Veteran Affairs
810 Vermont Avenue, Northwest
Washington, District of Columbia 20420
Dear Secretary Shulkin,
I write to you today to request a briefing on recent actions that your department has taken in regards to the Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.
I find your recent announcement to move over $460 million in funding for this critical program to be deeply concerning. It has been reported that since 2010, HUD-VASH has directly assisted 138,000 veterans and cuts the number of homeless veterans by 46 percent. This program assists veterans that are most in need of help. Necessary to the success of the HUD-VASH program are VA Program Managers. VA Program Managers serve the essential function of ensuring that these at-risk veterans receive the housing vouchers and fulfill their responsibilities under the program’s requirements. Simply put, the VA Program Managers are critical to its success. Therefore, any decision jeopardizing the ability to hire VA Program Managers by moving special purpose funds to the General Fund is unacceptable.
Further, while I appreciate your statement from December 6th when you announced that “there will be absolutely no change in the funding to support our homeless programs,” I believe this does not go far enough and clarification is needed. Most importantly, we would like a direct answer on whether funds that were intended for Program Managers have been moved back to the special program line rather than being kept in General Purpose funds.
We’ve made great strides in reducing the number of homeless veterans, but over the last year the trend has been reversed and homelessness among veterans has increased by over 600. I know we share the goal of ensuring that no veteran lives on the streets, but each one of these vouchers that sits unused as a result of a lack of Program Managers represents just that. I look forward to hearing from you or your assigned designee on this critical matter.

Sincerely,

Senate Republicans defeat Nelson’s effort to make middle-class tax cuts permanent

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‘Proof that this GOP tax bill was never about helping the middle class’

On a strictly party-line vote, Senate Republicans today voted down an amendment by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) that would have made the modest middle-class tax cuts in the GOP’s tax bill permanent, instead of ceasing after just a few years.
“The modest middle-class tax breaks are not permanent, in seven or eight years they cease to exist, they sunset,” Nelson said on the Senate floor prior to the vote on his amendment. “Now, that’s simply not fair. This little amendment simply says, go back to the Finance Committee and correct this inequity. Go back to the Finance Committee, make the middle-class tax cuts permanent.”
If approved, the amendment Nelson filed late Thursday would have required that the Senate suspend its consideration of the current GOP tax bill and send it back to the Senate Finance Committee to work out a bipartisan compromise that provides permanent tax relief for the middle class.
Shortly after Nelson made his remarks, Senate Republicans voted to defeat the amendment by a vote of 52 to 48 – with all 48 Democrats voting for it, and all 52 Republicans voting against.
After the vote, Nelson tweeted, “Senate Republicans just voted down my amendment to make the modest middle-class tax cuts permanent, instead of a tax increase in a few years. Proof that this GOP tax bill was never about helping the middle class.”

Nelson files amendment to make middle-class tax cuts permanent

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U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) filed an amendment to the GOP’s tax bill today that would make any middle-class tax cuts in the bill permanent, rather than temporary, as they are under the current version of the bill.
The measure, if approved, would require that the Senate to suspend consideration of the current bill and send it back to the Senate Finance Committee to work out a bipartisan compromise on how to provide permanent tax relief for the middle class.
Under the current plan, some in the middle-class would get a tax cut for the first eight years. After that, however, those tax cuts end and families making less than $75,000 per year will actually see their tax bills increases – and forced to pay more than they do now under current law.
“The tax bill before us is not for the middle class,” Nelson said on the Senate floor this evening. “As a matter of fact, this is a big cut for corporations. This is not a cut for you, it’s not a cut for hardworking families.”
“The truth is that the bill treats the corporations much better than regular people,” Nelson continued. “If you make $75,000 or less, you will be hurt by this bill. If you are a small business owner and your taxes are a pass-through, at the individual rate, your taxes are going to be much higher than large multinational corporations. If you buy your insurance in the individual market, that’s health insurance, there’s a good chance that you’re going to lose access to affordable health insurance. And these are the facts. It’s just plain and simple.”
Text of Nelson’s amendment is available here.

Nelson files bill requiring prompt disclosure of corporate data breaches

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Executives attempting to conceal a breach could face up to five years in prison

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, filed legislation today to require companies to quickly notify consumers of a data breach and impose new criminal penalties for executives who try to deliberately conceal such a breach.
The move comes on the heels of Uber’s disclosure last week that it concealed from drivers and customers a 2016 data breach affecting 57 million accounts.
The legislation would, among other things, require companies to notify consumers of a data breach within 30 days; and make it a crime – punishable by up to five years in prison – for knowingly concealing a breach.
“We need a strong federal law in place to hold companies truly accountable for failing to safeguard data or inform consumers when that information has been stolen by hackers,” said Nelson. “Congress can either take action now to pass this long overdue bill or continue to kowtow to special interests who stand in the way of this commonsense proposal. When it comes to doing what’s best for consumers, the choice is clear.”
In addition to requiring that companies quickly notify consumers of a data breach and imposing lengthy jail time for those who try to cover them up, Nelson’s legislation directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to develop strict security standards that businesses would be required to follow to better protect consumers’ personal and financial data. It also provides incentives to businesses that adopt new technologies that make consumer data unusable or unreadable if stolen during a breach.
Nelson introduced similar legislation in the Senate last year.
A copy of the bill filed today is available here.
And here’s a link to video of Nelson’s remarks at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on this issue earlier this month.

Senate approves $692 billion defense budget

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The U.S. Senate today passed its annual defense budget for the next fiscal year.
In addition to authorizing $692.2 billion for the Department of Defense and other national security programs, the bill includes a number of projects important to Florida that U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), a senior member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, pushed for, including a provision that will make it easier for commercial space companies to launch more frequently from the Cape, possibly up to twice a day.
The bill, which was approved by the House yesterday, now heads to the president to be signed into law.
Here’s a list of provisions included in the bill that Nelson pushed for:

  • Improving Cyber Defenses. As the top Democrat on the Armed Services’ cyber subcommittee, Nelson was instrumental in requiring the Department of Defense to establish new procedures to better detect, counter, and conduct cyber-enabled information operations, like the Russian attempt to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
  • Combating Opioid Crisis. Nelson authored an amendment included in the final bill that directs DoD to study the effectiveness of training provided to DoD healthcare providers regarding opioid prescribing practices, initiatives in opioid safety and the use of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain.
  • Upgrading launch infrastructure at Cape Canaveral. Nelson authored a provision that requires DoD to modernize the Air Force’s launch infrastructure and improve launch operations to make it easier for commercial space companies to launch more frequently from Cape Canaveral, possibly up to twice a day. Also included are provisions that provide funding to support automated launch safety systems and reusable launch vehicles that would allow the Air Force to support more commercial launches from the Cape, while reducing costs to the government.
  • $300 million to upgrade Florida military bases. The bill authorizes $299.1 million for construction at Florida’s military bases, including a special operations simulator facility at Eglin Air Force Base, near Pensacola; a special operations simulator and fuselage training facility at Hurlburt Field, also near Pensacola; a fire station at Tyndall Air Force Base, near Panama City; a “Guardian Angel” facility at Patrick Air Force Base, at Cape Canaveral; and a wastewater treatment plant at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville.
  • Upgrading testing and training ranges. Nelson secured an additional $35 million in funding to improve infrastructure at the military’s testing and training ranges, including the Eastern Gulf Test and Training Range off Eglin Air Force Base. The additional funding underscores how important these ranges are to our national security and the need to protect them from offshore oil drilling.
  • Future ships to Mayport. Nelson authored a provision that would require the Navy to consider a port’s ability to mitigate risks associated with natural disasters and improve fleet response times when deciding where to homeport future ships. Those considerations, if taken into account, would help make Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville a natural choice for future homeporting of a nuclear aircraft carrier and additional amphibious ships.
  • Apollo 1 Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Nelson authored language to authorize the construction and placement of a memorial marker at Arlington National Cemetery to honor the crewmembers of Apollo I who died during a launch rehearsal on January 27, 1967.
  • Providing military dependents with the benefits they deserve. Nelson led efforts to include a provision that permanently extends Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA) payments, which were set to expire in June 2018. Congress created SSIA to offset the mandatory reductions in payments to some surviving military spouses.

 

Nelson calls for better coordination to address housing needs of hurricane victims

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U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson today joined nearly a dozen other U.S. senators in urging the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to work together to provide housing assistance to thousands of displaced Puerto Rican and U.S. Virgin Island residents.
In a letter to FEMA Administrator Brock Long and HUD Secretary Ben Carson, the senators called on the agency heads to heed recommendations made in the aftermath of similar disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, and to establish a disaster housing assistance program to help expedite temporary and long-term assistance for low-income households.
The senators emphasized that the federal government must do everything in its power to assist the victims of these hurricanes.
“We write with deep concern about the federal response to Hurricanes Maria and Irma, particularly as it relates to addressing the housing needs of the multitudes of newly-displaced families in Puerto Rico and the USVI,” the senators wrote. “It remains unclear to what extent FEMA is coordinating with HUD to respond to the disaster. Moreover, we are concerned that a lack of effective coordination will unnecessarily delay assistance and could have disastrous consequences for the families in greatest need. We are prepared to work with you to provide additional resources for unmet needs and to work to ensure that assistance is deployed effectively to help families on the islands.”
In addition to Nelson, the letter was signed by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Al Franken (D-MN), Bob Menendez, (D-NJ), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bran Schatz (D-HI) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
The full text of the letter below and a PDF copy is here.

November 15, 2017

The Honorable Brock Long
Administrator
Federal Emergency Management Agency
500 C Street SW
Washington, DC 20472
The Honorable Ben Carson
Secretary
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 Seventh Street SW
Washington, DC 20410
Dear Administrator Long and Secretary Carson:
We write with deep concern about the federal response to Hurricanes Maria and Irma, particularly as it relates to addressing the housing needs of the multitudes of newly-displaced families in Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). Among them are some of the over 100,000 families in Puerto Rico who were receiving assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at the time Maria made landfall. While we were pleased the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released long-awaited guidance on housing resources for hurricane survivors in Puerto Rico on October 30, 2017, it remains unclear to what extent FEMA is coordinating with HUD to respond to the disaster. Moreover, we are concerned that a lack of effective coordination will unnecessarily delay assistance and could have disastrous consequences for the families in greatest need.
The federal government’s responses to previous disasters of similar scale should be instructive. To address temporary housing needs in the wake of Katrina, the Bush Administration initially chose to provide some displaced families with trailers, cash grants, and short-term stays in hotels and motels—solutions that proved inadequate to meet the needs of affected residents. Months later, the Bush Administration conducted a comprehensive review of the federal government’s response to the disaster, identifying lessons learned and furnishing recommendations on how the federal government should respond to future disasters. One of those recommendations was closer coordination between FEMA and HUD.[1] It is crucial for the agency and the department to heed this essential recommendation, especially given the scope of the devastation in Puerto Rico and USVI.
As part of that coordination, we encourage you to consider establishing a disaster housing assistance program (DHAP). Such a program would allow the federal government to leverage its relationships with housing agencies across the country to help respond to the crisis. It would also facilitate improved data sharing among FEMA, HUD, public housing authorities, and other housing providers in the states to expedite temporary and long-term assistance for low-income households. Ultimately, the policies that the department and the agency consider must be informed by federal and local coordination, including: a combination of FEMA’s disaster assessments, data provided by the governments of Puerto Rico and USVI, and the needs of citizens on the islands.
We are prepared to work with you to provide additional resources for unmet needs and to work to ensure that assistance is deployed effectively to help families on the islands. To that end, we request prompt answers to the following questions:
1. What resources are available for the people of Puerto Rico and USVI today to quickly and properly house displaced persons—both for people on the islands and for those who have evacuated to the mainland?
2. How many HUD-assisted households were impacted by Irma and Maria, and to what extent—if any—is FEMA coordinating with HUD to ensure that displaced persons in Puerto Rico and USVI are quickly and properly housed?
3. What are your deadlines for coming up with temporary medium- and long-term housing solutions for the people of Puerto Rico and USVI?
4. Given the initial damage assessments of public housing infrastructure, single-family homes, and rental units for Puerto Rico’s and USVI’s lowest-income residents, what are some options available to the people of Puerto Rico and USVI, housing authorities in Puerto Rico and USVI, and housing authorities and organizations in diaspora states to meet the additional needs of displaced families?
5. Have you identified any data sharing gaps that must be addressed in order for federal disaster benefits to flow efficiently to Puerto Rican and USVI families in need of housing in the wake of Hurricanes Maria and Irma? If so, what is required to improve data sharing at the federal and local levels?
Hurricanes Maria and Irma have presented a housing crisis that the people of Puerto Rico and USVI may face for months or years to come. We must do all to ensure these citizens will be assisted in an adequate and timely manner. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Senate passes bill requiring U.S. amateur athletic organizations to report sexual abuse

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The U.S. Senate today passed legislation led by Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and others to require amateur athletics governing bodies to report sexual abuse allegations immediately to local or federal law enforcement, or a child-welfare agency designated by the U.S. Justice Department.
The legislation, known as the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act, would ensure that aspiring U.S. Olympic athletes can report allegations of abuse to an independent entity to investigate, and to make sure that all national governing bodies follow the strictest standards to prevent and detect child abuse. The bill was filed earlier this year in the wake of recent allegations of sexual abuse against personnel involved with USA Gymnastics, USA Swimming and USA Taekwondo.
“It’s a stain on our country that many of our own young Olympic athletes were sexually abused for years by the very adults they entrusted to train them and keep them safe,” said Nelson. “No individual deserves to have their dream or moment of Olympic gold stolen from them by the actions of a sexual predator. These heinous crimes and the culture that allowed them to go undetected and uninvestigated for so long must end.”
Specifically, the bill amends the Ted Stevens Amateur and Olympic Sports Act, which governs amateur athletics governing bodies – including USA Gymnastics and USA Swimming, which establish rules and policies for their respective sports. It also reforms the law that allows victims to sue sex-crime perpetrators by extending the statute of limitations because it’s often difficult for children to recognize that they have had crimes committed against them until much later on into adulthood.
The legislation is supported by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), National Children’s Alliance, Rights4Girls, University of Utah Law Professor Paul Cassell, Child Sex Crime Victims’ Lawyer James Marsh, Crime Victims Expert Steve Twist, National Crime Victims Center, National Association of VOCA Administrators, Child USA, National Organization for Victim Assistance, ToPrevail, ChampionWomen, National Children Advocacy Center, the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence and Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).
The bill now heads to the House for final approval.

Nelson seeks funding for schools impacted by Irma, Maria

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As Congress begins work on a third disaster supplemental bill to help fund recovery efforts in areas hit hardest by Hurricanes Maria, Irma and Harvey, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) today urged Senate appropriators to include in the bill additional funding to help schools impacted, both directly and indirectly, by the storms.
It’s been nearly two months since Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico and already more than 140,000 Puerto Ricans have arrived in Florida, with tens of thousands more expected to arrive in the coming months. Among those evacuating to the mainland are thousands of children and students looking to continue their educations by enrolling in schools throughout Florida.
According to local school districts, more 3,300 displaced students have already enrolled in schools throughout Orange and Osceola counties, while more than 600 students have enrolled in schools in Miami-Dade County. The sudden influx of students can place a tremendous strain on a local school district’s budget and resources.
“In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Congress acted to ensure additional resources were allocated to ensure our schools could serve and educate children, especially those displaced by the storms,” the lawmakers wrote. “We ask Congress to take a similar approach that recognizes the financial needs of our schools to support students and their families experiencing homelessness in this time of dire need.”
Congress is expected to take up and pass a third disaster supplemental bill before the end of the year.
In addition to Nelson, the letter sent today was signed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Edward Markey (D-MA), Christopher Murphy (D-CT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
Following is text of the senators’ letter, a pdf copy is available here.

November 14, 2017

Dear Chairman Cochran, Vice Chairman Leahy, Chairman Blunt, and Ranking Member Murray,
As Congress crafts a supplemental appropriations package to help areas affected by recent disasters, including Hurricanes Maria, Irma, and Harvey, we ask you to consider the needs of local educational agencies (LEAs), Head Start agencies and early childhood education programs, in addition to colleges and universities. As many students are forced out of their schools as a result of these disasters, it is critical to think about the areas both directly affected by the natural disasters, as well as the areas that are enrolling displaced students.
Without additional resources, our public schools, and colleges and universities will not be able to create an environment where our students can learn, which is absolutely critical for students who have been forced out of their old schools.
The school systems in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are in a state of crisis. Many schools on the island remain closed, without electricity and water, one month after Hurricane Maria hit the island. It could be several weeks or even months before students can return to their schools.
With numerous weeks and possibly months of closed doors, thousands of children are displaced and meet the federal definition of homelessness in the education subtitle of the McKinney-Vento Act. Students are further challenged by a lack of food and a safe space that they have come to rely on at school.
It is vital that Congress consider these needs and provide significant funds to address the needs of students, families, and staff the areas affected by recent storms and natural disasters.
Across Florida, Texas, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, our schools, Head Start agencies, and other early childhood education programs, will need substantial financial assistance to restart school operations, capital funding to repair and rebuild facilities, and funding for supplemental health, including mental health services for students and staff affected by the storms.
As thousands of Puerto Rico residents are being forced to leave their homes and schools, LEAs in Florida, New York, and many other states are welcoming the families and children. While some have been able to temporarily relocate to mainland campuses, most students are left with few resources and limited options.
It is important that LEAs serving children from preschool through grade 12, Head Start agencies, colleges and universities have the necessary resources to provide a high-quality education for all of their students, especially evacuees who are trying to restart their education and rebuild their lives. In addition, these students may need additional language supports to learn the English language, which should be carefully considered as you put together additional aid packages.
In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Congress acted to ensure additional resources were allocated to ensure our schools could serve and educate children, especially those displaced by the storms. We ask Congress to take a similar approach that recognizes the financial needs of our schools to support students and their families experiencing homelessness in this time of dire need.
We stand ready to work with you to address the educational needs of all students affected by these devastating hurricanes. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,