[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 20, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H2934]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 SUPPORT THE SHUSTER-OBERSTAR AMENDMENT

  (Mr. McGOVERN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 
Shuster-Oberstar-Petri-Rahall amendment to today's budget resolution.
  Without a world-class highway and transit system, the United States 
simply cannot hope to compete in our increasingly global economy. The 
Pacific rim nations and Europe are spending trillions of dollars on 
national infrastructure for a very simple reason: It makes good 
economic sense. We must do the same here at home.
  The tremendous needs of transportation and infrastructure in my home 
State of Massachusetts and across this Nation depend on adequate 
Federal investment. The budget agreement as it now stands falls 
woefully short of allowing us to merely maintain our aging highway and 
transit system, let alone making greatly needed repairs.
  The Shuster-Oberstar amendment is a sensible, bipartisan effort to 
increase transportation funding to minimum acceptable levels, offset by 
a minuscule across-the-board reduction in all parts of the budget 
except entitlements.
  I am strongly committed to balancing the Federal budget, but 
balancing the budget is all about choices.
  The President speaks eloquently about building a bridge to the 21st 
century, but that bridge is in desperate need of repair. I ask my 
colleagues to be bold, to be daring and to invest in our Nation's 
economic security and our future.
  Vote ``yes'' on the Shuster-Oberstar amendment.

                          ____________________