[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 28, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S11248]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      THE INTERMODAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION EFFICIENCY ACT OF 1997

  Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I am here this morning on the floor to talk 
about the very important ISTEA legislation that is being held up in the 
Senate here for many, many different reasons. But the introduction of 
the Senate's Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1997 
represents the results of intense negotiations between Chairman Chafee, 
Senator Warner, and Senator Baucus, each of whom have represented three 
different legislative approaches to the reauthorization of ISTEA.
  I thank each of these Senators for the work they have done to bring 
this bill to the floor because the citizens of my home State of 
Minnesota strongly support a 6-year reauthorization bill, funded at the 
highest levels. This should be one of our top priorities before we 
adjourn this session. Unfortunately, however, this very important piece 
of legislation is being held up by other Senators seeking to impose a 
political agenda on a very vital transportation spending issue. Again, 
it is being held up by Senators who want to impose a political agenda 
on vital transportation spending.
  Their effort to halt this crucial transportation spending bill are 
far more egregious than other attempts in the past to influence 
legislation by holding it hostage. It is inconceivable to me that we 
would not consider this bill on its own merits. The question of why not 
is being asked by every State concerned about the availability of 
transportation funds for continuing projects. It is ironic that 
Senators claiming to support labor issues would now thumb their noses 
at the same hard-working Americans who feed and clothe their families 
through the salaries they earn working on transportation projects, not 
to mention how important those projects are for improved safety and for 
meeting our growing transportation needs.
  ISTEA must be considered before we adjourn for the year. There has 
been a real effort to reach a compromise that achieves balance among 
the 50 States. This balance is required to address unique 
transportation needs in the different regions of our country: The 
congestion needs of the growing South, the aging infrastructure needs 
of the Northeast, as well as the national transportation needs of the 
rural West and the Midwest. Almost every State shares in the growth in 
dollars contained in the bill compared with the funding levels that 
they received under ISTEA back in 1991.
  I was proud to join Senator Warner as a cosponsor of STEP 21 earlier 
this year, as Minnesota was a member of the STEP 21 coalition, and I am 
pleased that much of the bill has been incorporated now into this piece 
of legislation.
  Mr. President, this bill attempts to preserve the principles of ISTEA 
that have proven to be successful. We need to ensure that our 
transportation growth contributes to the preservation of our 
environment.
  We need to continue to build upon the shared decisionmaking among the 
Federal, State, and local governments in the transportation planning 
process. We also need a transportation bill that is based on a formula 
that is fair. This bill will either succeed on the doctrine of fairness 
or it will fall victim to politics as it has in the past.
  I am pleased the ISTEA reauthorization attempts to ensure a fair 
allocation of funds. The new formula was determined with objective 
factors, such as the number of miles of the National Highway System and 
each State's contributions to the highway trust fund.
  Under this legislation, every State will receive a minimum return of 
90 percent of their contributions to the highway trust fund. That is a 
very different guarantee from the so-called 90-percent minimum 
allocation in ISTEA. This is a real guarantee.
  Finally, we must have a transportation bill that makes an improvement 
in streamlining as well as flexibility. This bill streamlines ISTEA's 
five major programs down into three, and they are the National Highway 
System, the Surface Transportation Program, and the Congestion 
Mitigation and Air Quality Program.
  The Federal focus on our most important network of roads, the 
National Highway System, which includes our interstate system, is 
maintained. The streamlining and the flexibility provided by the ISTEA 
reauthorization will give Minnesota the ability to make its own 
transportation decisions, and that is a great step forward. Other 
States also would have the same freedom.
  This bill attempts to get a reasonable rate of return for Minnesota. 
In this bill, my State will receive 1.50 percent of Federal 
apportionment dollars, which represents an increase from the 1.43 
percent of actual dollars under the 1991 ISTEA.
  The bill would also increase my State's share by over $82 million per 
average year above the 1991 authorization level.
  I am also pleased to be a cosponsor of the Byrd-Gramm amendment which 
allows the Federal gas tax of 4.3 cents now dedicated to the highway 
trust fund to actually be spent on highways. This will provide 
Minnesota the necessary additional revenue that is so critical to 
meeting our infrastructure needs.
  Mr. President, the political games must end. The reauthorization of 
ISTEA has expired. We need to go forward and we need to approve a new 
highway reauthorization bill.
  It has been proven again and again that transportation spending is 
one of the most important, it is one of the most cost-effective 
investments in our Nation's future. For every $1 billion spent on 
transportation, we create 60,000 jobs, jobs that are now at risk again 
while some Senators attempt to hold this legislation prisoner in 
exchange for the advancement of their particular political agendas. I 
ask my colleagues this morning to help liberate this political hostage 
to allow the ISTEA legislation to proceed.
  Thank you very much, 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.
  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Ms. LANDRIEU. Thank you, Mr. President.

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