[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 28, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11245-S11246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE NEED TO ADDRESS THE HIGHWAY BILL
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, my remarks this morning go to the need for
this body to begin to address the substantive provisions of the highway
bill, S. 1173. As the Senate full knows, I am privileged to be the
chairman of the subcommittee which, over the course of a period of the
year, developed this piece of legislation. Many Senators have traveled
great distances. We had hearings in several places throughout the
United States and a number of hearings here, of course, in our
committee room. But a lot of hard work went into this bill.
Now, the question on cloture involves the Senate consideration of the
campaign finance bill. I leave to the respective leaders who, as nearly
as I can determine, are trying to work diligently to resolve the
procedural conflict involving that piece of legislation, campaign
finance reform, as it relates to this bill. But as I read through the
order that was prepared by the leader's office this morning reciting
other pieces of legislation to which this body will turn, the question,
of course, rises, why can't we go ahead with the ISTEA bill?
Again, I leave that to the leaders. They have worked on this
diligently and indeed there are developments every hour on the hour. So
it is difficult for any of us not involved in the negotiations to
explain the exact reasons.
But the reason I asked to take the floor this morning is that we are
witnessing here in this country, in the past week, and particularly
yesterday, a very precipitous decline in our stock market, commodity
markets, and the like. It clearly manifests an instability.
As I look at this piece of legislation, this is an absolute building
block of stability for America's economy. This bill has literally
millions and millions of jobs related to it. Now, highways, bridges,
and other infrastructure requirements take months to plan--engineering,
financial, consideration by the respective legislative bodies and
highway commissions of the several States. It is a process which was
carefully crafted in the 1991 bill over a period of
[[Page S11246]]
6 years. The reason we put in a 6-year bill was to provide the type of
stability that enables those from the Governor and State legislatures
to the various highway boards and commissions to do that type of
planning.
All across this country today, in the wake of the instability of the
marketplace and other economic indicators, millions and millions of men
and women are dependent for their livelihood on this program going
forward in an orderly way. Highways can't be built overnight. Weather
has a very definite impact on the ability of the hands of these
laboring people to build these highway systems. In some States, that
envelope of weather is a matter of several months, primarily because of
the weather conditions. But indeed during the course of the intense
heat of summer, again, there are restrictive periods in which roads and
highways can be built. It is for that reason that I ask this morning
that we cannot be oblivious to what is taking place in the marketplace
of our country and all over the world, this instability, at a time when
this bill will be a very steady building block to add stability.
This vote will be the fourth to invoke cloture so that the Senate can
proceed to the consideration of this legislation to reauthorize our
Nation's surface transportation programs. This is needed because of the
intent regarding campaign financing.
Mr. President, the funding level is $145 billion. Stop and think
about that--$145 billion. That would benefit every single State. We
have tried in this bill to equitably and fairly distribute these funds
that would go from the State in the form of gasoline taxes, petroleum
taxes associated with trucks, and diesel, and so forth--up to the
highway trust fund and revolve and come back. We have tried to
equitably distribute these funds, more so than in the 1991 ISTEA. The
funding level in ISTEA II, which is the present bill, is $145 billion.
It is a 20-percent increase in funding over the 1991 ISTEA I.
This funding level, if I may say, is significantly higher than
recommended by the administration in their proposal that came to the
Congress. The United States has the largest transportation system in
the world, with 170,000 miles of National Highway System routes,
900,000 miles of other Federal aid roads, and 3.7 million miles of
other public roads. Our national network of highways carries 136
million cars, 58 million light trucks, 6.9 million freight trucks, and
686,000 buses. In 1995, cars and light trucks, mostly personal
vehicles, were driven 2.2 trillion miles.
What is alarming to learn, however, is that nearly half of our major
road system is in mediocre or fair condition. I will repeat that. Half
of this vast communications system is in mediocre or fair condition.
This lack of investment clearly jeopardizes safety, the individual
personal safety of those on the highways, and the mobility of the
traveling public, as well as our economic competitiveness.
Now, I don't presume to give the causes for this problem in the
market today, but anybody who wishes to be informed can certainly
listen carefully, as I have done in the last 24 hours, to others who
presumably have a better knowledge. But this problem is precipitated
less by the U.S. economy, if at all--because that economy is relatively
healthy--but more by the world marketplace, and primarily in Asia. It
is a one-world competitive market, and the ability of this Nation to
compete in that market is very, very significantly dependent on the
efficiencies, the safety of this infrastructure of highways and roads
and bridges. Mr. President, again, it is the competition in the world
financial markets, primarily the deterioration of the situation in Asia
that is causing the precipitous decline in our markets. I subscribe
that that same competition exists in every other walk of life relative
to the ability of the American working men and women to compete with
their hands and their minds with others throughout the world. It is a
one-world market.
I remember so well visiting, in Luray, VA, a plant that manufactures
blue jeans. Now, blue jeans are almost a language in the world over
today in many respects. I saw Virginians down over their machines
sewing the particular garments being made that day.
I turned to the plant manager, who was escorting me through and I
said, ``How can we compete with the blue jeans manufacturers elsewhere
in the world?'' It was very interesting. I said, ``We are complying
with all the environmental requirements, with the wage laws, the
workers are well paid, well cared for, with health programs; how can we
compete with those plants that are operating while we are sleeping in
the Asian market?''
He said, ``Come with me.''
We walked down and I saw a bank of computers that take the orders in,
relay the orders to the workbench, products are manufactured, put on a
conveyor belt, and then he beckoned me and we went outside. There were
a half-dozen semi-trailers being loaded, box after box. He said to me
very simply, ``That order came in this morning, that garment was
manufactured to the specifications of the merchant that placed that
order, and the finished product is put in that truck and that truck
travels overnight and that pair of jeans is on the store shelf the
following morning.''
Asia cannot compete because of the infrastructure of transportation,
the ability of this plant and other plants all over America to, within
24 hours, turn around an order and have that product on the shelf.
That is what is at stake, the ability to turn around these products
in the face of a deteriorating infrastructure all across this country.
Mediocre and fair condition. That is half of the Nation's road
system. That extrapolates into jobs, millions and millions of men and
women of the United States ready to go to work provided in this bill
and provide the needed stability that we are lacking today in view of
these tragic declines in the world markets.
Transportation provides the link between business, industries, and
consumers. Transportation and related industries employ 9.9 million
people in the United States, slightly more than 7 percent of the total
work force in this Nation. According to the Department of
Transportation, for every $1 billion invested in highway and bridge
projects, over 42,000 new jobs are created. As one of the largest
sectors of our economy, transportation represents nearly 11 percent of
the gross domestic product. It is just behind the basic services of
housing, health care, and food.
Another compelling statistic confirms that transportation remains a
sound investment for the American taxpayers. For every dollar spent,
there is an economic return of $2.60.
Mr. President, I therefore urge my colleagues to consider these facts
and let us not bring upon this institution that old adage that while
Rome burned, Nero fiddled. We have to come to grips with this
procedural question on campaign finance reform, but this type of
legislation must go forward to provide the economic stability that is
necessary at this very hour in America.
So I close, Mr. President, by urging all Senators who will be coming
to the floor very shortly to express their views to perhaps take a look
at what is happening in the international financial markets. It is
impacting this country. Take a look at what is happening because while
campaign finance is an important issue, it could really be perceived in
the workplace by those who carry the lunch buckets, those who bend and
sweat and toil to build America's roads and bridges, as the ant that
toppled the mountain of jobs that are involved in this bill.
Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be
allowed to speak as in morning business for up to 10 minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is recognized to speak for up to
10 minutes.
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