[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 63 (Wednesday, May 14, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H2656-H2657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TEXAS PARTICIPATES IN STEP 21 COALITION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Granger] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in 
support of increased funding equity for donor States in the new ISTEA 
legislation.
  Most parties agree the 1991 ISTEA law has been successful, and there 
is strong support for ISTEA reauthorization. The current ISTEA's major 
strengths are its balance of national priorities with State and local 
decision-making and its emphasis on the interaction between the 
different modes of transportation. The current ISTEA's major weaknesses 
are the funding inequities between the States and the complexity of the 
program formulas.
  My State, Texas, is one of the States that does the worst in the 
current highway funding formulas. For every dollar we send to 
Washington in gasoline tax we receive only 77 cents back for new roads 
and bridges. In fact, Texas is currently tied with Indiana, Kentucky, 
and Florida for the third worst return on our highway investment.
  The reason for this is that the basic ISTEA funding formulas are 
ultimately not based on need or equity; rather the formulas are based 
on historic highway funding shares from the days when the United States 
was focused on completing the Interstate Highway System. These 
antiquated formulas are significantly favoring the northeastern States 
and need to be revised.
  The committee's challenge will be to balance the needs of 
restructuring and refining ISTEA and making its formulas more equitable 
for all States while preserving many of the best qualities. I have 
joined the gentleman from Texas [Mr. DeLay], our majority whip, and 104 
Members of the House of Representatives as cosponsor of the STEP 21 
plan to ensure that every State receives at least 95 percent of its 
Federal contribution back from Washington.
  The STEP 21 plan creates a national highway system program which is 
apportioned on a need-based formula, and a streamlined surface 
transportation program which is apportioned according to a State's 
contribution to the highway trust fund.
  The STEP 21 plan is a bold proposal. It presents a challenge to 
Congress to produce legislation that simplifies the programming's 
structure and increases funding equity but still allows funding to be 
spent on environmental quality, safety, and enhancements. Transit is 
not affected by the STEP 21 plan.
  If this Congress is going to move our Nation's transportation 
infrastructure into the 21st century, the new ISTEA bill needs to form 
a partnership between the Federal Government, the States and local 
planning organizations that makes it easier and faster to construct 
highway and transit projects. This means building on ISTEA to make the 
highway and transit funding categories more flexible so that States, 
metropolitan areas, and transit authorities can make the most of their 
limited Federal resources.
  My colleagues may ask why is funding equity so important to Texas and 
other donor States. When most people think of transportation, they 
think in terms of its impact on their daily commute, the errands they 
run, and the traffic on the way to their kids' school. But the quality 
of the transportation infrastructure and transportation systems in our 
communities really have a much greater impact on our lives than we 
realize.
  Transportation and transportation-related activities account for one-
sixth

[[Page H2657]]

of the national economy each year. That is over $1 trillion a year. For 
every $1 billion spent on highways, 42,000 jobs are created. These 
quality jobs range from highway construction to construction service 
and supply to retail businesses. The condition of the transportation 
infrastructure in our communities has an enormous impact on whether 
businesses decide to locate in that area, what products are available 
and job creation.
  Inadequate roads cost businesses and motorists thousands of dollars 
each year. In the Nation's 25 largest urban areas, traffic congestion 
costs motorists a staggering $43 billion annually. Moreover, driving on 
substandard roads costs Americans an additional $21.5 billion annually 
in extra vehicle costs, including wasted fuel, excess tire wear, and 
extra maintenance and repairs. In short, areas with strong 
transportation networks tend to be growing areas; places with neglected 
and decaying infrastructure tend to be places that businesses and 
people are leaving.
  That is why it is so important to keep our national transportation 
network strong as we approach the 21st century. This is why the Federal 
Government must play a major role in transportation. Neither the States 
nor the private sector alone can produce the efficient system of 
infrastructure that assures the efficient movement of goods, services, 
and people.
  Given the importance of transportation to our economy, Congress must 
challenge itself to find ways of increasing the amount of Federal 
resources available for transportation infrastructure improvements, 
even at a time when the need to balance our budget is so critical. As 
the only Republican from Texas who serves on the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, I am committed to making funding 
formula fair for all States.

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