[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 100 (Monday, June 19, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8606-S8607]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM DESIGNATION ACT

  The Senate continued with the consideration of the bill.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I would like to know what the status 
of floor action is, because I have two amendments that are technical 
and have been agreed to by both sides, which I would like to propose.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the matter before the Senate is the 
underlying bill, am I not correct?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.
  Mr. WARNER. Amendments are now in order, and I note that the 
distinguished Senator from Texas has several amendments, as reflected 
on the documents submitted to us. This would be an appropriate time to 
take those into consideration.


                           Amendment No. 1424

(Purpose: To change the description of a rural access project in Texas)

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and 
ask for its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Texas [Mrs. Hutchison] proposes an 
     amendment numbered 1424.

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading 
of the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

       At the appropriate place in title I, insert the following:

     SEC. 1  . RURAL ACCESS PROJECTS.

       Item 111 of the table in section 1106(a)(2) of the 
     Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 
     (Public Law 102-240; 105 Stat. 2042) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``Parker County'' and inserting ``Parker 
     and Tarrant Counties''; and
       (2) by striking ``to four-lane'' and inserting ``in Tarrant 
     County to freeway standards and in Parker County to a 4-
     lane''.

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, this is indeed a technical amendment. 
It just adds Tarrant County to the list of what counties may be 
included in this rural access projects. The reason is because a little 
bit of work needs to be done in Tarrant County for the Parker County 
project that was already approved.
  ISTEA section 1106(a)--rural access projects--contains a project to 
upgrade an existing highway to four lane divided highway in Parker 
County, TX. In order to complete this project as envisioned, some work 
must be undertaken in neighboring Tarrant County.
  However, ISTEA makes no mention of Tarrant County in the project 
authorization and there is a question at TXDOT as to whether it can 
complete the project through Tarrant County with the ISTEA-authorized 
funds since Tarrant is not specifically named in ISTEA by virtue of 
oversight.
  I am offering a technical amendment to ISTEA which extends 
authorization to complete the project as intended in Tarrant County. 
This amendment does not authorize any additional funds.
  Passage of this language has become critical because work undertaken 
under the ISTEA rural access authorization has reached the Tarrant 
County line and Congress must clarify that it may continue so that the 
Texas Department of Transportation may complete the project.
  The House has included this technical correction in every original 
legislation in 1991. It also was included in last year's NHS bill and 
will likely do so again in this year's version. I thank the chairman 
and ranking minority member of the Environment and Public Works 
Committee for their support in rectifying this small, but important, 
problem in Tarrant County.
  Mr. WARNER. I understand that amendment is essentially a technical 
correction to the ISTEA legislation. The managers are prepared to 
accept it. I would like to await the arrival of my comanager before 
doing so.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
pending amendment be set aside so that I may offer another amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                           Amendment No. 1425

 (Purpose: To change the identification of a high priority corridor on 
                 the National Highway System in Texas)

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I send an amendment to the desk and 
ask for its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       The Senator from Texas [Mrs. Hutchison] proposes an 
     amendment numbered 1425.

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that reading 
of the amendment be dispensed with.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment is as follows:

       On page 36, strike lines 2 and 3 and insert the following:
       Interstate System.'';
       (2) in paragraph (18)--
       (A) by striking ``and''; and
       (B) by inserting before the period at the end the 
     following: ``, and to the Lower Rio Grande Valley at the 
     border between the United States and Mexico''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, this amendment would extend high-
priority corridor 18 from where it currently ends in Houston, TX, all 
the way to the Mexican border in the lower Rio Grande Valley.
  Under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, 
corridor 18 now extends from Indianapolis, IN, through Evansville, IN, 
Memphis, TN, Shreveport/Bossier, LA, terminating in Houston, TX. 
Corridor 18, along with corridor 20--from Laredo to Houston--are 
together popularly referred to as I-69.
  Extending corridor 18 to the Rio Grande Valley will expedite the 
shipment of goods traded between Mexico, the United States, and Canada 
by providing a direct link from the Canadian border to the Mexican 
border through the heart of the United States. Eighty [[Page S 
8607]] percent of United States trade with Mexico is land-based. 
Because of geography, economic development, and commerce on both sides 
of the border, Texas is the funnel through which the majority of land-
based United States-Mexico trade must pass.
  More than 50 percent of that traffic crosses the border at the Rio 
Grande Valley and Laredo; that number is expected to increase to almost 
75 percent over the next decade. This amendment would give the growing 
traffic on the high-priority corridor system convenient access to the 
entire United States-Mexico border.
  Currently there are 9 existing border crossings in the lower Rio 
Grande Valley, with a total of 30 lanes. In 1994, they handled 
approximately 28.3 million crossings. Given the number of existing and 
planned bridges, the lower Rio Grande Valley is an increasingly 
significant center for cross-border commerce.
  Extending corridor 18 to the lower Rio Grande Valley will provide a 
direct link for the eight States along the I-69 corridor--which 
accounted for $50.6 billion or 38 percent of the dollar value of United 
States trade with Mexico and Canada in 1993.
  It will maximize the use of our border crossings. It will create a 
first-rate extended route that will distribute border traffic over 
several entry points, allowing for cost-efficient cross-border movement 
of goods.
  Extending corridor 18 to the lower Rio Grande will create an 
infrastructure that will enable the United States to maximize economic 
development through all of the States that I have just mentioned, as 
well as our ability to move goods and better capitalize on 
international trade.
  Finally, the development of corridor 18 to the lower Rio Grande 
Valley will link up with infrastructure development in Mexico. 
Currently, the Mexican State of Tamaulipas is advancing plans to 
construct a gulf highway corridor from the industrial center of Mexico 
City to the Rio Grande Valley.
  I want to say how much I appreciate the assistance of the chairman, 
the ranking minority member of the Environmental and Public Works 
Committee, and the distinguished Senator, the chairman of the 
subcommittee, from Virginia, in this matter and say that this is truly 
going to enhance our ability to capitalize on NAFTA. It will affect all 
of the States that are going to have the ability to have the traffic 
and increase the trade between Mexico and the United States and Canada. 
This is a win for everyone.
  Mr. President, I appreciate the cooperation of the Senator from 
Virginia, the Senator from Rhode Island, and the Senator from Montana, 
in allowing me to put forward these amendments that I think will 
increase the economic benefit to all three countries that are 
participating in NAFTA.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, may I say to the distinguished Senator 
from Texas that we indeed commend the Senator for diligently looking 
after the interest of the State of Texas as it relates to the 
interstate highway system.
  These are two very important changes. They do not involve new NHS 
miles. However, they are essential for the purpose of the use of this 
system in your State.
  I commend the Senator for bringing them to the attention of the 
Senate. I urge the adoption of the amendments presented by the Senator 
from Texas. They are agreed to by the managers on both sides.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate? The question is on 
agreeing to the amendment numbered 1425.
  The amendment (No. 1425) was agreed to.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I move to lay that motion on the table.
  The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.


                       Vote on Amendment No. 1424

  Mr. WARNER. Now, may we proceed to the second amendment, and I urge 
its adoption.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the amendment 
numbered 1424.
  The amendment (No. 1424) was agreed to.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. I move to lay that motion on the table.
  The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
  Mr. WARNER. We thank the Senator from Texas and we appreciate the 
participation of all Senators in moving along this legislation.
  Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I would like to join in the commendation 
to the Senator from Texas for the vigor with which she has handled 
this. She certainly is a strong proponent for her State, rightfully so, 
and she does an excellent job. I congratulate her.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. I did not know the Senator from Rhode Island had come 
back to the floor. I had mentioned him before, but I could not have 
asked for more cooperation in getting these two amendments through than 
I have seen from the chairman of the committee, the Senator from Rhode 
Island. He is doing a terrific job in shepherding this very important 
bill through.
  This bill actually is going to enhance our infrastructure in this 
country. It is going to create jobs. It is going to lower costs and 
increase productivity. It will improve air quality. There are so many 
side effects for this bill that are going to be good for everyone. I do 
appreciate the leadership of the Senator from Rhode Island in getting 
it through.
  Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent I be allowed to 
proceed for up to 7 minutes as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  

                          ____________________