[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 139 (Thursday, September 29, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 29, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
     STATEMENT ON THE TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS CONFERENCE BILL

  Mr. SASSER. Mr. President, the Senate Budget Committee has examined 
H.R. 4556, the Transportation appropriations conference bill and has 
found that the bill is under its 602(b) budget authority allocation by 
$10 million and under its 602(b) outlay allocation by $0 million.
  I compliment the distinguished manager of the bill, Senator 
Lautenberg, and the distinguished ranking member of the Transportation 
Subcommittee, Senator D'Amato, on all of their hard work.
  Mr. President, I have a table prepared by the Budget Committee which 
shows the official scoring of the Transportation appropriations 
conference bill and I ask unanimous consent that it be inserted in the 
Record at the appropriate point.
  There being no objection, the table was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

  SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE SCORING OF H.R. 4556--FY 1995 TRANSPORTATION  
                     APPROPRIATIONS--CONFERENCE BILL                    
                        [In millions of dollars]                        
------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Bill summary                 Budgetauthority    Outlays  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Discretionary Totals:                                                   
    New spending in bill..................         13,694         11,951
    Outlays from prior years approprations  ...............       24,595
    Permanent/advance appropriations......  ...............  ...........
    Supplementals.........................  ...............          -34
                                           -----------------------------
      Subtotal, discretionary spending....         13,694         36,513
                                           =============================
Mandatory totals..........................            571            574
                                           =============================
Bill total................................         14,265         37,087
Senate 602(b) allocation..................         14,275         37,087
                                           -----------------------------
      Difference..........................            -10           -(*)
Discretionary Totals above (+) or below (-                              
 ):                                                                     
    President's request...................            482            -93
    House-passed bill.....................            116             71
    Senate-reported bill..................            -40            -87
    Senate-passed bill....................            -40            -87
      Defense.............................  ...............  ...........
      International Affairs...............  ...............  ...........
      Domestic Discretionary..............         13,694         36,513
------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, today we will vote on the passage of 
the conference agreement to the Department of Transportation 
appropriations. While I intend to vote for this report because it 
provides funding for several important programs in my State, I do have 
some serious concerns about two provisions.
  The conferees have endorsed an agreement between the Alaskan aviation 
community and the FAA to further enhance flight services in Alaska.
  The report language notes the negative impact of the closing of the 
Bettles flight service station which served the vast northern half of 
my State. The FAA Alaska Region is presently assessing the possibility 
of reactivation of this station on a seasonal basis. As the report 
language reiterates, Bettles may be reactivated as a flight service 
station at the discretion of the Administrator of the FAA.
  I want to make it perfectly clear that I believe this station should 
be reactivated seasonally and that its reactivation should have been 
part of this agreement. I also believe that any surplus funds from the 
rotation plan which are not used to carry out the rotational staffing 
process set up in the agreement should be set aside for the 
reactivation of the Bettles station in the event that the station is 
recommended for flight service status.
  The other issue concerns the deletion of my amendment that would 
prohibit funds to be used to restrict overflights of Federal lands 
within Alaska. I am disappointed by this deletion since Alaskans depend 
upon aviation as a basic means of transport, just as other Americans 
depend upon roads. Not only do Alaskans fly more than citizens of the 
lower 48 States, but we also fly over Federal land more often because 
58 percent of our State is owned by the Federal Government. Any effort 
to restrict travel over Federal lands contains the possibility of 
cutting people off from their homes, hospitals, and supply stores.
  While other parks in America may face overflight problems, Alaska's 
do not. Under ANILCA, Alaskans were guaranteed access to their lands by 
traditional means. This includes aircraft. Though my amendment was not 
adopted in the conference report, I will continue to work to ensure 
that Alaskans are able to access what was promised to them.

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