[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 11 (Thursday, February 12, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S689-S690]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            THE HIGHWAY BILL

  Mr. GRAMM. Mr. President, let me turn to my final subject today. As 
all Members of the Senate know, Senator Byrd and I have embarked on 
what for us is a crusade. It is a crusade to try to force the Federal 
Government to live up to the commitment that it makes to Americans when 
they go to the gas pump and fill up their car or truck and pay about a 
third of the cost of a gallon of gasoline in taxes, and they are told 
the taxes are being used to build roads, that this is a user fee tax 
where the money is dedicated to road construction.
  As those of us who serve in Congress, as those who follow these 
matters very closely know, that commitment is not being fulfilled. 
Between 25 and 30 cents out of every dollar of gasoline tax that is 
paid by American motorists goes not for transportation needs, not to 
new roads, but instead is spent on everything but highway construction. 
This is a diversion of funds that violates the commitment that we have 
made to American taxpayers. At a time when many Americans this morning 
got up and drove to work and waited in what seemed to be endless lines 
of congestion, when people drove over potholes that were dangerous and, 
in some cases, caused damage to their car, and when people endured 
unsafe conditions. There are 31,000 miles of road in my State that are 
substandard. We have thousands of bridges that are structurally 
unsound. I think people are rightly outraged when they discover that 
over 25 cents out of every dollar they paid in gasoline taxes, which 
they thought was going to highway construction, is in fact being spent 
on other things in Government.
  Senator Byrd and I now have 54 cosponsors on our bill, with the 
objective of trying to force the Government to live up to the 
commitment it makes to the American people and require that when money 
is collected in gasoline taxes for the purpose of building roads, that 
that money actually be spent for that purpose.
  Now, many of the things that we work on here have an effect, but 
after a long period of time, from the time that the actual work is 
done, and often especially when you are working on big issues that 
affect economic growth and inflation, it's hard to sort of pinpoint the 
positive impact on it. But if we can bring up the new highway bill and 
pass the Byrd-Gramm amendment, on May 2 States across America will get 
roughly a 25 percent increase in the amount of money that is available 
to fill up these potholes, to build new roads, to modernize the 
existing system, to reduce the delays and traffic jams and hazards that 
we all face on the road every day, and do it by taking the money away 
from all the programs that never should have gotten the highway money 
to begin with and spending the money for the purpose that it is being 
collected.
  Senator Byrd and I, all week, have reminded our colleagues that we 
are running out of time. The highway bill expires on May 1. And all 
over America today, States are beginning to cancel contracts. Michigan 
canceled a major contract yesterday. We are having employees notified 
by highway builders that they are going to be laid off as of the 1st of 
May when this highway bill expires. Senator Byrd and I want to move on 
with this issue, bring it up. If people want to vote no, if they want 
to continue to take highway trust fund money collected in gasoline 
taxes, where we tell people the money is being spent for roads but 
where we spend it on something else, if people want to vote to continue 
that diversion, they have the right to vote for that. But 54 Members of 
the Senate have already said that they want to change it.
  So I urge our leadership to bring up this bill and give us an 
opportunity to let the Senate work its will. It is very important that 
we not let the highway bill expire. It is very important that we get on 
with highway construction, which the country desperately needs. I also 
believe it is important, especially in this era of cynicism about 
Government that when we tell people that money is being collected in 
gasoline taxes, to go into a highway trust fund to be spent on roads, 
that that money be spent on roads, that it not be spent on other 
things. Fundamentally, that is what this issue is about.
  So I am hopeful that in the week when we come back--we are going on 
recess, perhaps tonight, and we will be back a week from this coming 
Monday--that we are going to be able to bring up the highway bill and 
let people decide where they stand on this issue.
  And let me, as a final point, say that the Byrd-Gramm amendment does 
not bust the budget. The Byrd-Gramm amendment does not raise the 
spending caps. But what it does do is say that all these other programs 
that have been beneficiaries from the piracy that has occurred in the 
highway trust fund are going to have to give up that money so that it 
can be spent on roads.
  Now, I know some of our colleagues have said: Great, if you spend 
this money on roads, we were planning to spend it otherwise. I have 
likened their attitude to a cattle rustler who steals your cattle and 
you come out and you arrest him and you catch him red-handed stealing 
your cattle, and his only response is, ``OK, so you make me stop 
stealing your cattle, but where am I going to get my beef?'' Well, 
that's not my problem. What we are talking about is doing what we tell 
people we are doing. So I'm not saying the programs that have pirated 
the trust fund aren't, in some cases, worthy. In some cases they are 
not worthy, but in other cases they are very worthy.
  The point is that we collected the money to build roads, not to pay 
dues to the U.N.; we didn't collect money to pay for Legal Services 
Corporation; we didn't collect the money to use in welfare; we 
collected the money for the purpose of building roads. That's the 
purpose to which the money should be put and only that purpose.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. ALLARD addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado is recognized.
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, it is my understanding that I have 20 
minutes of time set aside.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. That is correct.
  The Senator from Colorado is recognized.
  (The remarks of Mr. Allard pertaining to the introduction of S. 1636 
are located in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills 
and Joint Resolutions.'')
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I yield the remainder of my time.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Bennett). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BYRD. 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. BYRD. Mr. President, at 12:30 p.m. today Senator Moynihan and I 
wish to make some remarks on the floor. I ask unanimous consent that at 
12:30 I be recognized.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[[Page S690]]

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank the Chair, and I suggest the absence 
of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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