[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 118 (Thursday, July 20, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10442-S10443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS

  Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 144, S. 1023.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1023) to authorize an increased Federal share of 
     the costs of certain transportation projects in the District 
     of Columbia for fiscal years 1995 and 1996, and for other 
     purposes.

   The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the bill?
   There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate is 
considering legislation today to allow the District of Columbia to move 
forward with transportation projects that are critically needed for the 
entire metropolitan Washington region.
  I want to make clear to my colleagues that this legislation is 
consistent with the temporary match waivers that Congress has provided 
in 1975, 1982, and 1991. Under previous matching share waivers, 39 
States have utilized this flexibility.
  The legislation before the Senate is again a temporary waiver of the 
local matching share required before a State, or in this case the 
District of Columbia, can obligate Federal highway dollars. It is not a 
complete forgiveness of their financial obligation to provide a 20 
percent match of these Federal dollars.
  This legislation requires the District to repay these matching 
requirements by the end of fiscal year 1996--September 30. If the 
District fails to comply, their 1997 Federal highway apportionments 
will be reduced.
  The legislation also requires that these Federal funds are to be used 
to maintain and upgrade National Highway System routes in the District, 
and other projects which the Secretary of Transportation determines to 
be important to the entire region.
  Any other project the District decides to move forward with must be 
matched with local funds. In other words, this bill only temporarily 
waives the local match for those projects important to maintaining the 
District's most heavily traveled roads.
  Mr. President, during the committee's consideration a provision was 
added to require the Department of Transportation to report to the 
Congress on those projects funded in 1995. This provision gives us 
further assurance that the District will properly use these funds on 
those most regionally significant projects. The committee has made 
clear that following a review of the use of the 1995 apportionments, if 
these funds were not allocated to worthy projects, then the committee 
will reconsider the waiver for fiscal year 1996.
  These are the same roads which serve as the gateways to our Nation's 
Capital and are the major commuter arteries for the metropolitan 
region.
  These are the same roads which contribute to the functioning of the 
Federal Government and serve the thousands of tourists from our States 
who travel here each year.
  Mr. President, it is important to emphasize that this legislation is 
necessary to reduce congestion which plagues the entire region. The 
projects to benefit from this legislation are ones that compliment the 
transportation priorities of Virginia and Maryland, such as the 14th 
Street Bridge and Pennsylvania Avenue.
  Also, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a copy of 
a letter from Virginia Secretary of Transportation Martinez placing 
Governor Allen's administration solidly in support of this legislation, 
and a letter in support from the distinguished Representative from the 
District of Columbia, Ms. Norton.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                         Commonwealth of Virginia,


                                       Office of the Governor,

                                                     July 7, 1995.
     Hon. John Warner,
     U.S. Senate, Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC
       Dear Senator Warner: This letter is to provide the 
     Commonwealth of Virginia's position on the proposed 
     legislation to authorize the U.S. Secretary of Transportation 
     to increase the federal share of certain highway projects in 
     the District of Columbia for fiscal years 1995 and 1996. This 
     legislation would in effect provide a temporary waiver of the 
     local match for highway projects in Washington, D.C.

[[Page S10443]]

       It is important for the economic health of Northern 
     Virginia and the region to continue the development of 
     critical transportation improvements. The regional projects 
     that Virginia is working with the District include the 14th 
     Street Bridge improvements and certain Intelligent 
     Transportation System (ITS) projects.
       Virginia supports this measure to allow the needed 
     transportation projects to move forward this construction 
     season and not delay much needed projects. If we can provide 
     any additional information, please do not hesitate to call 
     me.
           Sincerely,
     Robert E. Martinez.
                                                                    ____

                                    Congress of the United States,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                    Washington, DC. July 17, 1995.
     Hon. Robert Dole,
     Majority Leader of the Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Dole: On July 11, the Senate Environment and 
     Public Works Committee passed legislation, introduced by 
     Senator John Warner, that would waive the local match of 
     federal highway funds for the District of Columbia for FY 
     1995 and FY 1996. I write now to seek your assistance in 
     getting this legislation through the Senate.
       Without swift passage of this legislation in both chambers, 
     before August 1, $82 million in FY 1995 apportioned monies 
     and a similar amount in FY 1996 will be unavailable. It is 
     essential to the economic health of the District and the 
     region to repair the gateway streets used by regional 
     commuters and 20 million visitors annually.
       No new highway projects are planned this fiscal year in the 
     District; nor have any bids been solicited over the past 18 
     months because the District's fiscal crisis has left the city 
     unable to meet the matching funds requirement for federal 
     monies. As you know, this federal money does not linger in 
     the government bureaucracy but gets flushed right into the 
     private sector when a city bids from private sector 
     contractors to work on the projects.
       The waiver in the Warner bill is based on precedents from 
     P.L. 94-30 in 1975, P.L. 97-424 in 1982 and P.L. 102-240 in 
     1991. With the waiver, vital District projects to improve the 
     major gateways into the city could proceed, aiding more 
     tourists and commuters than D.C. residents, and providing 
     desperately needed jobs and economic development for the 
     city.
       Please help.
       Best personal regards.
           Sincerely,
                                            Eleanor Holmes Norton.

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, on a related matter, I would like to share 
with the Senate my longstanding interest in preserving the historic 
integrity of Constitution Avenue. This panoramic avenue has witnessed 
many landmark events in our Nation's history. It links the Lincoln 
Monument to the U.S. Capitol with many of the principal U.S. Government 
offices, national museums, and the National Gallery of Art gracing this 
historic avenue.
  Unfortunately it has fallen into a serious state of disrepair. It has 
become a corridor overburdened with mobile street vendors.
  Formerly known as B Street, it was renamed Constitution Avenue in 
1913 and hosted President Franklin Roosevelt's inaugural parades. 
President Roosevelt was the first President to break with tradition and 
host his inaugural parade along Constitution Avenue rather than the 
formerly used routing along Pennsylvania Avenue.
  Today I believe that the historic beauty of Constitution Avenue is 
marred by an increasing number of vendor vehicles permanently located 
along this corridor. These vendors create gridlock, as they scramble to 
park, during peak usage of this vital corridor. They distract from the 
intrinsic beauty and historic tradition of this corridor. Cannot the 
users and visitors to this great capitol city have one avenue free of 
commercial buildings and commercial vehicles?
  I have shared these views with the Mayor of the District of Columbia, 
and I will continue to work for these goals.
  Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
considered and deemed read a third time, passed, and that the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to 
the bill be placed at the appropriate place in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  So the bill (S. 1023), was deemed read for a third time and passed, 
as follows:

                                S. 1023

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``District of Columbia 
     Emergency Highway Relief Act''.

     SEC. 2. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA EMERGENCY HIGHWAY RELIEF.

       (a) Temporary Waiver of Non-Federal Share.--Notwithstanding 
     any other law, during fiscal years 1995 and 1996, the Federal 
     share of the costs of a project within the District of 
     Columbia described in subsection (b) shall be a percentage 
     requested by the District of Columbia, but not to exceed 100 
     percent of the costs of the project.
       (b) Eligible Projects.--A project referred to in subsection 
     (a) is a project--
       (1) for which the United States--
       (A) is obligated to pay under title 23, United States Code, 
     on the date of enactment of this Act; or
       (B) becomes obligated to pay under title 23, United States 
     Code, during any portion of the period beginning on the date 
     of enactment of this Act and ending on September 30, 1996; 
     and
       (2) that is--
       (A) for a route proposed for inclusion in the National 
     Highway System; or
       (B) of regional significance (as determined by the 
     Secretary of Transportation);
     with respect to which the Mayor of the District of Columbia 
     certifies that sufficient funds are not available to pay the 
     full non-Federal share of the costs of the project.
       (c) Repayment.--
       (1) Obligation to repay.--Not later than September 30, 
     1996, the District of Columbia shall repay to the United 
     States, with respect to each project for which an increased 
     Federal share is paid under subsection (a), an amount equal 
     to the difference between--
       (A) the amount of the costs of the project paid by the 
     United States under subsection (a); and
       (B) the amount of the costs of the project that would have 
     been paid by the United States but for subsection (a).
       (2) Deposit of repaid funds.--A repayment made under 
     paragraph (1) with respect to a project shall be--
       (A) deposited in the Highway Trust Fund established by 
     section 9503 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and
       (B) credited to the appropriate account of the District of 
     Columbia for the category of the project.
       (3) Failure to repay.--
       (A) Deductions.--If the District of Columbia fails to make 
     a repayment required under paragraph (1) with respect to a 
     project, the Secretary of Transportation shall deduct an 
     amount equal to the amount of the failed repayment from funds 
     appropriated or allocated for the category of the project for 
     fiscal year 1997 to the District of Columbia under title 23, 
     United States Code.
       (B) Reapportionment.--Any amount deducted under 
     subparagraph (A) shall be reapportioned for fiscal year 1997 
     in accordance with title 23, United States Code, to a State 
     other than the District of Columbia.

     SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

       Not later than November 1, 1995, and November 1, 1996, the 
     Secretary of Transportation shall prepare and submit to the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and 
     the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
     House of Representatives a report describing--
       (1) each project within the District of Columbia for which 
     an increased Federal share has been paid under section 2;
       (2) any specific cause of delay in the rate of obligation 
     of Federal funds made available under section 2; and
       (3) any other information that the Secretary of 
     Transportation determines is relevant.
     

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