[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

[[Page S374]]

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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