[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 171 (Wednesday, November 1, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S16469-S16470]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS CONFERENCE REPORT

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, as a member of the Senate Subcommittee on 
Transportation Appropriations, I am pleased to speak in support of the 
fiscal year 1996 Transportation appropriations conference report. This 
is an important piece of legislation, providing $37.5 billion for 
purposes including funding our Nation's highway, rail, and air 
transportation infrastructure, mass transit, Amtrak, and pipeline 
safety. This legislation will keep Americans on the move, create jobs, 
and improve our infrastructure, resulting in additional environmental 
and energy benefits.
  I commend Chairman Hatfield and our ranking minority member, Senator 

[[Page S 16470]]

Lautenberg, for their efforts in negotiating this comprehensive bill 
and for recognizing the particular importance of some provisions to 
Pennsylvania, including highway and transit funding levels.
  Given the difficult budget constraints faced by the subcommittee, I 
am particularly pleased that the bill provides $750 million for Amtrak, 
including improvements to the Northeast corridor. Amtrak service is 
essential to Pennsylvanians and I have long stressed the importance of 
ensuring the viability of a truly national passenger rail service.
  The conference report has also adopted a $1.45 billion funding level 
for airport construction grants-in-aid, $200 million more than the 
Senate version of the bill. The statement of managers directs the 
Federal Aviation Administration to fairly consider a letter of intent 
application from Philadelphia International Airport, which has sought 
funding for construction of a new runway.
  Given the significance to Pittsburgh of the airport busway project, I 
am very pleased that the conference report provides $31.6 million for 
fiscal year 1996 to continue construction. I urged our subcommittee to 
provide this level of funding because this project will ease traffic 
congestion between downtown and the Pittsburgh International Airport 
and will mitigate the impact of the Fort Pitt Bridge closing, which 
would otherwise create a monumental headache for Pittsburgh residents. 
With spending cutbacks in so many areas, we are fortunate to get this 
substantial amount of funds for the busway, which means so much to 
people who live in the Pittsburgh area.
  I remain disappointed that the conference report only provides $400 
million for mass transit operating assistance, which will lead to cuts 
of as much as 40 percent for some transit systems. In fiscal year 1995, 
transit systems received $710 million in Federal operating assistance, 
which they used to keep fares down and maintain service. On August 9, 
my distinguished colleague from Pennsylvania, Senator Santorum, and I 
offered an amendment to restore $40 million to the $400 million 
provided in this bill for mass transit operating assistance. 
Unfortunately, our amendment was defeated by 68 to 30.
  As always, I remain committed to the millions of Pennsylvanians and 
other Americans who rely on public transit to commute to work, shop, 
and carry on their lives. Mass transit operating assistance keeps the 
Nation moving by keeping fares lower and maintaining existing routes. 
Pennsylvania's citizens and communities depend on good public 
transportation for mobility, access to jobs, environmental control, and 
economic stability. It lets the elderly visit their health care 
providers, shops, or friends. In rural areas, buses are essential to 
reduce isolation and ensure economic development. And, children use 
public transportation to go to school in some areas. Without affordable 
mass transit people in America's inner cities can't get to work. 
Congress has been considering welfare reform and requirements that 
people have jobs. If they can't afford to get to work, or bus routes 
are cut, we are just making it that much harder for lower income 
Americans to get off welfare.
  Although I am troubled by the extent of the mass transit assistance 
cuts, on balance the Transportation appropriations bill is a good bill, 
containing much else of importance to Pennsylvania and the Nation, and 
that is why I supported the conference report as a conferee. However, I 
intend to keep up my efforts next year to preserve funding for mass 
transit, and to work with our chairman to ensure that Congress does not 
go too far, too fast in reducing assistance to transit agencies 
throughout the Nation.
  In closing, Mr. President, I would note that the conference report 
contains a provision on telecommuting that I authored, section 345, 
which requires the Secretary of Transportation to study successful 
private and public sector telecommuting programs and to disseminate to 
the general public and to Congress information about the benefits and 
costs of telecommuting. As my colleagues are aware, telecommuting is 
the practice of allowing people to work either at home or in nearby 
centers located closer to their home during their normal working hours, 
substituting telecommunications services, either partially or fully, 
for transportation to the traditional workplace. I believe that it is 
in the national interest to encourage the use of telecommuting because 
it can enable flexible family-friendly employment, reduce air 
pollution, and conserve energy. Further, as a Senator from 
Pennsylvania, with major urban areas such as Pittsburgh and 
Philadelphia, I recognize there is a real need to improve the quality 
of life in and around America's cities.
  According to a July, 1994 Office of Technology Assessment report, 
between 2 to 8 million American workers already telecommute at least 
part time. A 1994 survey by the Conference Board found, however, that 
in 155 businesses nationwide, only 1 percent of employees telecommute, 
although 72 percent of the businesses had such an option. According to 
the Office of Technology Assessment, the most significant barriers to 
telecommuting are business and worker acceptance and costs. My 
provision responds to the need to broaden public awareness of the 
benefits and costs of telecommuting, and to identify and highlight 
successful programs that can be duplicated.
  Mr. President, the fiscal year 1996 Transportation appropriations 
conference report is worthwhile legislation and deserves to be signed 
into law by the President.

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