[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 6 (Wednesday, February 4, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S373-S374]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INTERMODAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION EFFICIENCY ACT
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I have listened very carefully to the
senior Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Byrd, as he has every day taken
the floor regarding the need for the U.S. Senate to address S. 1173, a
bill that I named the ISTEA 2 authorization bill, since it came through
my subcommittee on the Environment and Public Works Committee.
I joined with Senator Byrd, the senior Senator from Texas, Mr. Gramm,
and the senior Senator from Montana, Mr. Baucus, who is the ranking
member on my subcommittee and the full committee, in an amendment which
will ensure that a greater amount of funds will go to the Nation's
infrastructure of highways.
Under the leadership of Senator Byrd, the four of us on this
particular amendment have been talking to a number of Senators. We are
very pleased to announce that we are up to 52 cosponsors. I met earlier
today with a group of Governors who have an organization termed
``trust,'' and they have visited the Nation's Capitol to speak
particularly with Senators on the urgency of addressing this bill and
passing the needed legislation so funds can flow to the new
construction programs for this calendar year.
The most fervent appeals for prompt consideration of this bill
understandably come from the States in the northern tier of the United
States of America, because they have a very short season within which
to do the needed construction because of the severity of the weather.
The distinguished Presiding Officer has some specific knowledge about
the needs based
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on his own experience in this field. We have talked about it many
times. It is my understanding he is also a cosponsor of the Byrd-Gramm-
Warner-Baucus amendment.
The Senate has very few legislative days comparatively this session,
perhaps as few as 100, given that we, by necessity, must leave early in
the fall given the elections this year, and, therefore, it would be my
hope that the leadership could judge this period within the next few
weeks as a suitable time within which to bring up this very important
piece of legislation.
It had been my hope and understanding based on commitments made last
fall that the Senate would be debating this bill at this time.
I want to share with my Senate colleagues my strong concerns about
the impacts of a prolonged delay in considering this bill on our state
transportation partners and on employment in many industries engaged in
highway and bridge construction activities.
This important legislation to reauthorize our nation's surface
transportation programs was reported unanimously from the Committee on
Environment and Public Works on October 1, 1997.
We all know of the difficulties that delayed consideration of this
bill last October. Because of this, a short-term extension of ISTEA was
enacted to provide a modest amount of funding to our states to keep our
safety, highway construction and transit programs going.
Many expressed reservations about the wisdom of providing a brief
extension of ISTEA funds for fear that Congress would not promptly
consider the full reauthorization bill early this session. Regrettably,
those concerns appear to be coming true.
Mr. President, since October 1, our states have been struggling to
manage their safety, highway and transit programs on a temporary, stop-
gap basis. The ISTEA Extension Act provided only approximately six-
months worth of funds--enough to last from October to this March. So,
in approximately 7 weeks, our states will have exhausted the funds
released in the short-term ISTEA Extension bill.
I want to be sure that my colleagues also understand the impacts of
the May 1st deadline provided in the ISTEA Extension bill. That
provision prohibits states from spending any federal highway dollars
after May 1st. So, states who want to prudently manage their federal
dollars are prohibited from stretching them out to last during the
summer construction season.
During consideration of the short-term extension bill last October,
this May 1st limitation was viewed as a way to ensure that all states
would be in a similar position--absent passage of a new surface
transportation reauthorization bill.
It was my view that based on the assurances that S. 1173, the ISTEA
II reauthorization bill, would be the first order of business this
session, the May 1st deadline seemed appropriate.
If the Senate does not turn to consideration of this critical
legislation until after the Budget Resolution, as some of my colleagues
are requesting, the entire highway construction season for many states
is in jeopardy.
Waiting for the completion of the Budget Resolution before proceeding
to ISTEA is an irresponsible course of action, especially since the
estimated completion of the Budget Resolution varies greatly.
Mr. President, according to AASHTO, the Association of State
Secretaries of Transportation, approximately 70 percent of all road and
bridge construction, including critical maintenance work, occurs during
the peak summer months of June, July and August.
States must be able to plan today for that work to occur this summer.
Projects must be advertised, contractors selected and bids awarded
before projects are ready for construction. This process takes months
to complete. Our states today are not proceeding with this planning
because there is no certainty as to when new transportation funds will
be forthcoming.
We already know that many states are beginning to severely cut back
on their construction schedules.
For these reasons, I believe the Senate must move promptly to
consider this legislation. Time is slipping by and millions of jobs are
hanging in the balance--awaiting our action.
These jobs are not just road builders and contractors, but thousands
of suppliers of asphalt, stone, steel, and heavy manufacturing
equipment. All work will be idle this summer unless we take action
soon.
Mr. President, it is also important to note that delay in considering
this legislation not only impacts highway construction activity in our
states, the delay also puts our nation's safety and transit programs in
jeopardy.
Highway safety grant programs received only half a year funding in
the ISTEA extension bill. Without additional funds major safety
initiatives involving safety belt use, child seat use, drunk driving
prevention and motor carrier safety programs will cease.
Mr. President, we must make every effort to ensure that these serious
disruptions in our nation's highway, safety and transit programs do not
occur. Let's move forward today to consider legislation that was
unanimously supported by the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
I thank the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair recognizes the Senator from Vermont.
Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, first, I commend the senior Senator from
Virginia for his very helpful remarks. I am a very strong believer that
we must take immediate action on ISTEA. I think it is critical for the
Nation, especially in my State, which as the Senator pointed out, those
of us in the northern tier probably have about the shortest season,
along the State of Maine and the top of New Hampshire. So we are
desperate for action.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank the Senator for his remarks. I
wish to add, it is not only the short season but the funding profile.
In a number of these States, the reserves are going to expire in that
period of time. It is my judgment that we cannot pass an extension in
order to allow them a period within which to have these expenditures
beyond May 1. So that is a second reason. I thank the Senator for his
kind remarks.
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