[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 49 (Tuesday, April 28, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E688]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 
                                  1998

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                               speech of

                    HON. F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR.

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 21, 1998

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of an 
important provision in H.R. 2691, the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration (NHTSA) Reauthorization Act, which prohibits NHTSA from 
lobbying at the state or local level. The provision is consistent with 
current federal law which prohibits federal agencies from lobbying 
Congress. In legislation considered by the House Committee on Science 
last year, I included similar anti-lobbying language to prohibit the 
Department of Transportation from lobbying state and local elected 
officials. I am pleased H.R. 2691 includes the anti-lobbying provision.
  In 1996, Congress voted to repeal a provision of the Intermodal 
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) that penalized states 
without mandatory motorcycle helmet laws. By repealing the helmet 
penalty provisions of ISTEA, Congress determined that the issue of 
motorcycle safety was best determined by each individual state without 
a one-size-fits-all mandate from the federal government. Since that 
time, however, the U.S. General Accounting Office has determined that 
NHTSA has engaged in an active lobbying campaign to persuade states to 
enact laws mandating that motorcycle riders wear helmets. I strongly 
supported repealing the coercive and unfair helmet law penalties on 
states in 1996 and I further support the provisions of H.R. 2691 
prohibiting the use of federal funds to lobby at the state and local 
level. I do not believe lobbying by any federal agency at the federal, 
state or local level is an appropriate use of tax-payer dollars.

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