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




              VIRGINIA IS PARTICIPANT IN STEP 21 COALITION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Goodlatte] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of H.R. 
674, also known as the STEP 21 proposal. Like the 21 other States 
participating in the STEP 21 Coalition, Virginia is what is called a 
donor State. That means Virginia gets back less than $1 in highway 
funding for every dollar we send to Washington each year in gas taxes; 
only 79 cents for each dollar we contribute, to be exact.
  Other States are given the rest of Virginia's contributions because 
of an unfair funding formula set forth in the current Intermodal 
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, or ISTEA. This unfair formula 
costs the State of Virginia and other donor States hundreds of millions 
of dollars each year.
  Under the current formula, some States receive more than double the 
money they contribute to the trust fund. Massachusetts, for example, 
receives $2.49 for each dollar it collects in taxes at the pumps. 
Connecticut has a nearly 168 percent return on its tax payments to 
Washington. As a result, Virginia families are forced to subsidize 
transportation projects in these States and many others. While States 
with large areas and small populations may need to receive more money 
than they contribute, many of the States on the receiving end of the 
current ISTEA funding formula are there because of politics and not 
because of fairness.
  Every week, as I drive back and forth from Washington to the Sixth 
Congressional District of Virginia, I see many unmet transportation 
needs. In the sixth district, road projects, such as widening 
Interstate 81, building Interstate 73, and improving Route 29, all need 
funding.
  Building and maintaining a system of roads is vital to creating jobs 
and continuing economic development in our region. The STEP 21 proposal 
will improve Virginia's ability to maintain and improve its 
transportation system by ensuring that all States, not just Virginia, 
are guaranteed at least 95 cents return for every dollar sent to the 
highway trust fund.
  STEP 21 would also guarantee the integrity of the National Highway 
System, recognizing the ongoing Federal interest in interstate 
mobility, economic connectivity, and national defense.
  The other major component of STEP 21, besides the NHS, would be a 
streamlined surface transportation program which would provide flexible 
funding to allow States to respond to their specific State and local 
surface transportation needs without the current unnecessary Federal 
restrictions. By ensuring a return of at least 95 cents of every dollar 
for Virginia, STEP 21 would enable important transportation projects 
across the commonwealth to move along at a faster pace.
  Ending an unfair funding formula and giving State and local 
governments more flexibility in transportation issues are critically 
important steps for this Congress to take. I urge my colleagues to join 
the STEP 21 Coalition and support a more equitable, flexible, and 
streamlined Federal transportation program that benefits the vast 
majority of States across the Nation.

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