[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 158 (Monday, November 10, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12438-S12439]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            INTERMODAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION EFFICIENCY ACT

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I was very pleased that the Senate has 
acted on S. 1454 and want to commend Senators Chafee, Warner, Baucus, 
and Bond for coming up with this extension bill for the Intermodal 
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act [ISTEA]. Despite the fact that 
this temporary extension of ISTEA is just that--temporary--and 
obviously not a preferred way of doing business, I welcome it. I join 
in urging the House of Representatives to take it up and pass it. It 
will provide a modicum of certainty for the States given that we were 
unable to pass S. 1173, the 6-year reauthorization of ISTEA.
  We all know that ISTEA is an essential piece of legislation. It is 
precisely because of its great importance and significance to every 
State that it generates controversy. Among the many controversial 
issues associated with the reauthorization are certain labor 
provisions, safety and environmental concerns, and the always difficult 
issue of the distribution of highway funding.
  Believe me, I am well aware of how difficult it is to build 
majorities--and, in the case of ISTEA, a super-majority--on 
controversial legislation.
  Let me say unequivocally for the record that I support the 6-year 
authorization measure that Senator Chafee and the other members of the 
Environment and Public Works Committee brought to the Senate floor last 
month. Though it would be hard to imagine any transportation funding 
bill being 100 percent perfect from the standpoint of any one State, 
this bill was a solid bill and one I was pleased to support. In fact, I 
voted for this bill four times in the form of four cloture votes.
  But, Senator Chafee, despite his best efforts, was not allowed to 
move this bill. Unfortunately, as we all know, ISTEA fell victim to the 
efforts of those on the other side of the aisle to force the Senate to 
act on another piece of legislation; namely, campaign finance reform.
  Well, Mr. President, I am here to tell you that Utahns are indeed 
interested in campaign finance reform. But, at the moment, with 
numerous road construction projects underway, and facing a 2002 
deadline for the Winter Olympic Games, they are equally if not more 
interested in ISTEA.
  The people of every State in the Union are going to pay dearly for 
the filibuster waged against ISTEA for the sake of campaign finance 
reform. They will be paying for it with bad roads, unrepaired bridges, 
and unimproved mass transit. They are going to pay for it with delays 
in making the necessary improvements.

[[Page S12439]]

  The Environment and Public Works Committee did its job. Senator Lott 
did his job in calling the bill up for debate. But, it takes 60 votes 
to cut off a filibuster and pass a bill. We tried four times.
  I am not enthusiastic about this short-term bill. It is a far cry 
from what we should have done earlier and what I hope we will do at our 
earliest opportunity next year.
  But, we have to be realistic about where we are today. And we have to 
face the reality that the 6-year ISTEA reauthoritzation bill did not 
pass this year. Under such circumstances, I think that the majority 
leader would have been entirely justified in not bringing up and 
facilitating the passage of the short-term extension. He could easily 
say to Senators that we should stew in our own juice.
  So as a Senator from a State severely affected by the failure to move 
ahead on ISTEA, I appreciate that he took the high road. The short-term 
bill will at least relieve the vulnerable position States would be in 
under no ISTEA authority at all.
  But, I want the people of Utah to know that I will be working hard in 
the months ahead to support the Senator from Rhode Island and the 
Senator from Montana in the effort to get the 6-year ISTEA bill passed 
in the Senate and into conference with the House.

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