[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 67 (Friday, May 22, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H3943-H3945]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    WAIVING POINTS OF ORDER AGAINST CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2400, 
    BUILDING EFFICIENT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION AND EQUITY ACT OF 1998

  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I 
call up House Resolution 449 and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 449

       Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be 
     in order to consider the conference report to accompany the 
     bill (H.R. 2400) to authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, 
     highway safety programs, and transit programs, and for other 
     purposes. All points of order against the conference report 
     and against its consideration are waived. The conference 
     report shall be considered as read.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Colorado (Mr. McInnis) is 
recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the 
customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moakley), 
pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During 
consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for purpose of 
debate only.
  House Resolution 449 is a straightforward resolution. The proposed 
rule merely waives all points of order against the conference report 
and against its consideration. This resolution was reported out of the 
Committee on Rules by a voice vote.
  Mr. Speaker, the approval of House Resolution 449 will allow us to 
move forward with the consideration of the conference report to H.R. 
2400, the new highway bill entitled the Transportation and Equity Act 
for the 21st Century.
  Mr. Speaker, this is legislation that will provide desperately needed 
funds to help rebuild America's roads and bridges. This bill provides 
the resources to meet America's infrastructure needs.
  Furthermore, the legislation improves safety on America's highways. 
For example, the conference report significantly strengthens drunk 
driving protections, including an increase in funding to help States 
enact and enforce programs to combat drunk driving. States can 
strengthen the .08 blood alcohol concentration legal limits, license 
revocation for repeat offenders, young offenders aged 21-34, and other 
targeted efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 449 and 
the underlying legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I once again thank the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. McInnis) for yielding me the customary half-hour, and I 
yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to at this time congratulate my colleagues, 
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Bud Shuster) and the ranking 
member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Jim Oberstar), for their very 
hard work on this bill.
  Despite the months and months of clamoring, despite the vastly 
different transportation needs of the 50 States, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania and the gentleman from Minnesota have managed to come up 
with a bill that satisfies the vast majority of Members and, for that, 
they deserve our thanks.
  I am sure that most Members would change a thing or two in this bill 
if they could, but, all things being considered, it is about the best 
we are going to get, and I urge all my colleagues to support it.

[[Page H3944]]

  As far as I am concerned, this conference report is coming not a 
moment too soon. The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act 
of 1997 expired in September of 1997. It is critical that we do not 
leave the States with enormous half-finished transportation projects on 
their hands.
  Mr. Speaker, a lot of people take America's infrastructure for 
granted. They get in their car and drive to work or school without even 
thinking about it. But those roads they drive and those bridges they 
cross do not last forever, especially in the northeast, and we need to 
do our best to make sure they stay as safe and as accessible as 
possible.
  So anyone who does not understand the need for transportation funding 
needs to remember that this is how we get our products to the market, 
this is how we get our Reebok sneakers to the malls, our Gillette 
blades to the malls, and our computer chips to the docks to be sent 
overseas.
  A good transportation system creates jobs, keeps America safe and 
advances our country's economy. The conference report we are 
considering today is a 6-year bill that retains the basic structure 
from ISTEA, including its good environmental programs and its 
commitment to safety.
  It also encourages equal opportunities by keeping the disadvantaged 
business enterprise program for women and minority-owned construction 
firms.
  I am happy to say, Mr. Speaker, that this bill applies Federal labor 
standards and employee protections like the Davis-Bacon Act for people 
working on the highway and transit projects that are contained in this 
bill.
  In my opinion, Mr. Speaker, the safety programs in this bill are well 
worth it. Every year some 40,000 people die in motor-vehicle-related 
deaths in this country. And if this bill improves highway safety enough 
to lower that number by just one, it is well worth it.
  Once again, Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the committee, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), and the ranking member, the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), for their outstanding work on 
this bill; and I urge my colleagues to support the rule.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), the ranking member of the Committee on 
Appropriations.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I take this time on the rule to simply announce to the 
House that I intend to oppose the conference report and, if I have the 
opportunity, I intend to offer a motion to recommit.
  I do so for the following reasons: Number one, this bill is a budget 
buster. It is a veritable pork bonanza. It now contains not the 1,500 
special projects which we were told about yesterday. I am told that it 
now contains about 1,800 special projects. That is 80 percent more 
projects in 1 year than was provided by the Congress in the previous 42 
years of the history of the Highway Act combined.
  There are projects in here that have been scrutinized by no one other 
than the Member who requested them. There are a number of projects that 
have nothing whatsoever to do with transportation. There is funding for 
museums, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, grants to medical 
schools, direct subsidy payments to private corporations, money paid to 
trade schools, renovations for historic buildings. A lot of that may be 
worthy, but it has no business in a highway bill.

                              {time}  1615

  I would say that I do not know how many Members know it, but this 
bill actually authorizes a $120 million project for a highway in a 
foreign country, $120 million for a highway in Canada, paid for by U.S. 
taxpayers.
  The worst thing about this bill in my view is that it is financed out 
of the hides of veterans' health care and now, as of early this 
morning, out of child care for our kids, Meals on Wheels for our 
seniors, foster care, and adoption services for orphans, because the 
bill provides for a $2 billion cut in the title XX block grant. So we 
are again pummeling the most defenseless people in this society in 
order to provide more concrete.
  I am a strong supporter of highway construction, but I do not want to 
build roads on the backs of kids who need child care and poor seniors 
who have difficulty getting their wheelchair to the sidewalk and are 
not going to be getting congregate meals and will not have the luxury 
of using the public highways. It just seems to me that this is an 
irresponsible bill, a spectacularly irresponsible bill.
  I would close by reading two paragraphs from two letters from 
veterans' organizations. One from the Disabled American Veterans reads: 
``We strongly urge a no vote on the previous question for consideration 
of any such recommittal motion. Defeat of the previous question will 
allow the veterans' recommittal motion to be offered and give veterans 
the straight up or down vote on this proposal to cut compensation, 
which simple fairness dictates they be given.''
  Paralyzed Veterans of America says as follows: ``It has been 
purported that veterans do now agree to the offsets due to the 
inclusion of certain other increases in benefits.''
  This is patently untrue. Paralyzed Veterans Association, and I am 
sure other veterans' organizations, have never supported the increase 
of one benefit at the expense of another. The conferees should 
reconsider their actions in using veterans' funds as offsets to pay for 
transportation highway projects that far exceed the levels established 
in last year's Balanced Budget Amendment.
  That is why, Mr. Speaker, if I have the opportunity, I will plan to 
offer a motion to recommit this conference report and ask the conferees 
to take out the cut in veterans' funding. If someone attempts to 
preempt my motion with a sweetheart motion that denies the House an up 
or down vote on the veterans' issue, I will ask for a rollcall on the 
previous question. Veterans' groups have indicated in writing that they 
strongly support the motion that I will offer.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Edwards).
  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I respect those who have worked hard to 
develop America's highway infrastructure. I believe that is an 
important function of the Federal Government.
  But for anyone who has come to this Congress on the platform of 
fiscal responsibility, I would like to suggest there is something very 
wrong with our voting in just a few minutes to spend $200 billion of 
our taxpayers' money, when frankly I cannot get a copy of the bill to 
even look at before we vote on it.
  Whether one thinks this could be a great bill or one thinks it is a 
horrible bill, the fact is that we are about to spend $200 billion and 
most Members have not even had a chance to look at the bill. It is 
fiscally irresponsible.
  Whether you are Republican or a Democrat or an Independent, the fact 
is that this does not make sense for us to so cavalierly spend that 
much money of taxpayers' dollars without being given a fair opportunity 
to review the details of this bill.
  A few minutes ago, I was told by staff that we could get a copy of 
this bill sometime tomorrow, of course, after we have voted on it. And 
I guess it would be nice if they vote for this to get a copy tomorrow 
so they can tell their constituents what is in it.
  So my objection to this rule, Mr. Speaker, is not any specific 
content in the bill. Because, frankly, most of us do not have a chance, 
I cannot find a copy of the bill, at least on this side of the aisle. 
Perhaps the majority party has a copy of the bill. But we also have a 
constitutional responsibility to review legislation before we vote on 
it even though we are on the minority side of the aisle.
  So I object and I hope other Members of this House from both parties 
who have gone back home year after year after year and said, we have 
got to spend your taxpayer dollars wisely, we have got to be careful in 
how we spend it, we ought to show fiscal responsibility, I hope those 
Members will think twice before spending $200 billion without even 
looking at a copy of the bill.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, before I yield to the honorable gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) I should point out that I am overly 
impressed with the comments of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards) 
about worrying about the taxpayer.

[[Page H3945]]

  Also, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) impresses me. I am glad 
that both of these individuals have come forth on behalf of the 
taxpayer. Because, in 1997, under the National Taxpayers Union, both of 
them were rated with F's as big spenders. But, apparently, in the last 
couple hours we had have had a conversion. I am pleased to see it. I am 
impressed. I am excited about it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster).
  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I simply rise to announce that the Senate 
has just passed this conference report by a vote of 88-5 and also to 
announce that at 2:30 this afternoon, the President of the United 
States announced that he will be pleased to sign this law.
  The President said that first it must keep our budget balanced, it 
must preserve the budget surplus until we have saved Social Security, 
and then it must not undermine our national priorities, including 
education, health care, child care, and the environment.
  The bill being considered by the Congress this afternoon meets those 
principles. I am quoting the President of the United States, and he 
says: ``I will be pleased to sign this bill into law.''
  Mr. McINNIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I would like to congratulate the chairman. He has done a heck of a 
job. He ought to be very pleased with those numbers that have just come 
out of the United States Senate and the announcement from the White 
House. Congratulations.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the 
previous question on the resolution.
  The previous question was ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). The question is on the 
resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Evidently a quorum is not present.
  The Sergeant at Arms will notify absent Members.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 359, 
nays 29, not voting 45, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 190]

                               YEAS--359

     Abercrombie
     Ackerman
     Aderholt
     Allen
     Andrews
     Armey
     Bachus
     Baesler
     Baker
     Baldacci
     Ballenger
     Barcia
     Barr
     Bartlett
     Barton
     Bass
     Bereuter
     Berman
     Berry
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop
     Blagojevich
     Bliley
     Blumenauer
     Blunt
     Boehlert
     Bonilla
     Bonior
     Bono
     Borski
     Boswell
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Brown (CA)
     Brown (FL)
     Brown (OH)
     Bryant
     Bunning
     Buyer
     Callahan
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Canady
     Cannon
     Capps
     Cardin
     Carson
     Castle
     Chambliss
     Chenoweth
     Clay
     Clayton
     Clement
     Clyburn
     Coble
     Collins
     Combest
     Condit
     Cook
     Cooksey
     Costello
     Cox
     Coyne
     Cramer
     Crane
     Crapo
     Cubin
     Cummings
     Cunningham
     Danner
     Davis (FL)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (VA)
     Deal
     Delahunt
     DeLauro
     DeLay
     Diaz-Balart
     Dickey
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Dixon
     Dooley
     Doolittle
     Doyle
     Dreier
     Duncan
     Dunn
     Ehlers
     Ehrlich
     Emerson
     Engel
     English
     Ensign
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Evans
     Everett
     Ewing
     Farr
     Fattah
     Fazio
     Filner
     Forbes
     Ford
     Fossella
     Fowler
     Fox
     Frank (MA)
     Franks (NJ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Frost
     Gallegly
     Ganske
     Gejdenson
     Gekas
     Gibbons
     Gilchrest
     Gillmor
     Gilman
     Goode
     Goodlatte
     Goodling
     Gordon
     Goss
     Granger
     Greenwood
     Gutierrez
     Gutknecht
     Hall (OH)
     Hamilton
     Hansen
     Hastert
     Hastings (WA)
     Hayworth
     Hefner
     Herger
     Hill
     Hilleary
     Hilliard
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Holden
     Hooley
     Horn
     Hostettler
     Houghton
     Hoyer
     Hulshof
     Hunter
     Hutchinson
     Inglis
     Istook
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jefferson
     Jenkins
     John
     Johnson (CT)
     Johnson (WI)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Jones
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kasich
     Kelly
     Kennedy (MA)
     Kennelly
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick
     Kim
     Kind (WI)
     Kleczka
     Klink
     Klug
     Knollenberg
     Kolbe
     Kucinich
     LaFalce
     LaHood
     Lampson
     Lantos
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Lazio
     Leach
     Lee
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lewis (KY)
     Linder
     Lipinski
     Livingston
     LoBiondo
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Luther
     Maloney (CT)
     Manton
     Manzullo
     Markey
     Martinez
     Mascara
     Matsui
     McCarthy (MO)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCollum
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McHale
     McHugh
     McInnis
     McIntosh
     McIntyre
     McKeon
     McKinney
     McNulty
     Meek (FL)
     Menendez
     Metcalf
     Mica
     Millender-McDonald
     Miller (FL)
     Mink
     Moakley
     Moran (KS)
     Moran (VA)
     Morella
     Murtha
     Myrick
     Nadler
     Neal
     Nethercutt
     Neumann
     Ney
     Northup
     Norwood
     Nussle
     Oberstar
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Owens
     Oxley
     Packard
     Pallone
     Pappas
     Pascrell
     Pastor
     Paul
     Paxon
     Payne
     Pease
     Pelosi
     Peterson (MN)
     Peterson (PA)
     Petri
     Pickering
     Pickett
     Pitts
     Pombo
     Pomeroy
     Porter
     Portman
     Poshard
     Price (NC)
     Pryce (OH)
     Radanovich
     Rahall
     Ramstad
     Redmond
     Regula
     Riley
     Rivers
     Rodriguez
     Roemer
     Rogan
     Rogers
     Rohrabacher
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Rothman
     Roukema
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Rush
     Ryun
     Salmon
     Sanchez
     Sanders
     Sandlin
     Sawyer
     Saxton
     Scarborough
     Schaefer, Dan
     Schaffer, Bob
     Schumer
     Scott
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shuster
     Sisisky
     Skeen
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (MI)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith, Adam
     Smith, Linda
     Snowbarger
     Snyder
     Solomon
     Spence
     Spratt
     Stabenow
     Stark
     Stearns
     Stokes
     Strickland
     Stump
     Stupak
     Sununu
     Talent
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Tauzin
     Taylor (MS)
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thornberry
     Thune
     Tiahrt
     Traficant
     Turner
     Upton
     Velazquez
     Vento
     Visclosky
     Walsh
     Waters
     Watkins
     Watt (NC)
     Watts (OK)
     Weldon (FL)
     Weldon (PA)
     Weller
     Weygand
     White
     Whitfield
     Wise
     Wolf
     Woolsey
     Wynn
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                                NAYS--29

     Barrett (NE)
     Barrett (WI)
     Becerra
     Bentsen
     Boehner
     Boyd
     Chabot
     Christensen
     Coburn
     Doggett
     Edwards
     Hall (TX)
     Hastings (FL)
     Hobson
     Kennedy (RI)
     Largent
     Lewis (GA)
     Maloney (NY)
     Minge
     Obey
     Sabo
     Shadegg
     Shaw
     Shays
     Souder
     Thurman
     Tierney
     Wexler
     Yates

                             NOT VOTING--45

     Archer
     Bateman
     Boucher
     Burr
     Burton
     Conyers
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     Deutsch
     Fawell
     Foley
     Furse
     Gephardt
     Gonzalez
     Graham
     Green
     Harman
     Hefley
     Hoekstra
     Hyde
     Johnson, Sam
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Lofgren
     McCrery
     McDade
     Meehan
     Meeks (NY)
     Miller (CA)
     Mollohan
     Parker
     Quinn
     Rangel
     Reyes
     Riggs
     Sanford
     Skaggs
     Smith (OR)
     Stenholm
     Taylor (NC)
     Torres
     Towns
     Wamp
     Waxman
     Wicker

                              {time}  1641

  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So the resolution was agreed to.
  The results of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________