Granting Consent to International Emergency Management Assistance Memorandum of Understanding

GRANTING CONSENT TO INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING -- (House of Representatives - December 17, 2007)

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Mr. WELCH of Vermont. I thank the gentleman from New York.

There is a reason, Mr. Speaker, that all of the Senators from the New England States, all of the Members of Congress from the New England States join in support of this resolution. Their legislatures and their governors all support this, as well as the legislatures and the premiers in the provinces of Canada that have been mentioned. That is because we need each other in a moment of weather disaster.

As the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) referred to, there was a severe ice storm in 1998 and this response that we had in those New England States, with the help of the provinces, was helpful to alleviate some of the suffering, but not all. This is fundamentally important in order that we be able to cooperate to the mutual benefit of folks in the New England region and in the Canadian provinces. I want to express my gratitude to the Foreign Affairs Committee, my gratitude to my friend from Texas. I am sorry that Texas isn't part of this because then we would really be in good shape.

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And I want to thank Mr. Crowley and the members of the leadership staff and the staff of the Foreign Relations Committee for moving this forward on such an expedited basis.

The more we can cooperate to help each other, the better all of us are going to be. And as my friend from Texas would say, ``That's just the way it is.''

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We must all do our best to prepare for the most serious emergencies that can harm our communities. As those who live in the Northeast know, extreme weather is not uncommon in New England, or in the eastern provinces of Canada. Together with our Canadian neighbors, we have endured catastrophic blizzards and ice storms over the years that have closed roads and highways, shut down power for extended periods, and stranded travelers and rural residents for days, or longer. During these events, we turn to our first responders and our emergency management professionals to provide assistance and secure public safety no matter how grave the danger, and no matter how challenging the task.

The IEMAMOU compact was created in response to the devastating ice storm of 1998. In January of that year, an unprecedented 3-day ice storm paralyzed portions of the northern New England States and the adjacent Canadian provinces, causing massive damage to the electrical and transportation infrastructure. Millions were left in the dark for days and even weeks, leaving more than 30 dead and shutting down normal activities in large cities like Montreal and Ottawa. Following this devastation, the governors and premiers of those regions affected recognized the need for greater cross-border emergency cooperation, and they directed their emergency management leaders to develop and create a memorandum of understanding on these issues that benefit all parties north and south of the border. The IEMAMOU compact was the result of this collaborative, international process, and now stands as a model compact for cross-border mutual emergency assistance.

The compact allows for international sharing of resources and expertise in times of extreme emergency or disaster. The IEMAMOU compact meets these needs with a thoughtful and forward-looking outline of how to address issues that face first responders and their managers in times of cross-border emergency.

This international compact provides a legal framework for cooperation and mutual assistance between the States of Vermont, New

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Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The compact requires each participating member, whether State or province, to formulate plans and programs to facilitate international and interstate or provincial cooperation in case of natural or manmade disaster, technological hazard, or civil emergency.

All members of this compact have agreed to its terms and join in requesting Congress's consent for the agreement. Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut have joined the IEMAMOU compact, and many of these States have passed legislation adopting the compact under State law. The premiers of Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick have similarly approved of the compact. The IEMAMOU compact has been functioning in principle for more than 5 years, as the emergency management leaders from each member State and province meet twice a year. Planning among the constituent members of the compact is also ongoing. This compact works well and should be supported by Congress.

The IEMAMOU compact is an international agreement between States and a foreign power, and it cannot have the full force of law without the formal approval of Congress. The U.S. Constitution requires that ``[n]o state shall ..... enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power'' unless with the ``consent of Congress.'' U.S. Const. Art. 1, §10, cl. 3. The joint resolution introduced today provides this necessary consent, and would give legal force to the compact. Congressional approval of this compact would also provide jurisdiction for Federal courts to resolve any disputes under the agreement.

This joint resolution is vitally important to the New England States and our Canadian provinces to the north. Congress should support their cooperative, international leadership in creating and implementing this unique emergency management compact. The Governor of Vermont supports this joint resolution as do the leaders of the North East States Emergency Consortium, which represents each of the New England States in the compact.

It is time to take action and pass this joint resolution without further delay. The IEMAMOU compact provides invaluable international cooperation and mutual assistance in times of natural disaster and extreme emergency. This compact works well for New England and the eastern Canadian provinces, and it stands as a model for emergency management planning and cooperation across this country.

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