[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 67 (Friday, May 22, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5401-S5402]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--CONFERENCE REPORT TO ACCOMPANY H.R. 2400

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate now 
proceed to the ISTEA conference report notwithstanding the receipt of 
the papers and the reading be considered dispensed with.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, reserving the right to object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts reserves the 
right to object.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, as I have discussed with the distinguished 
majority leader, I do not want to slow up the proceedings. I never 
have. I am trying to simply resolve a couple of last-minute details. So 
I am constrained to object, at least for a few moments, until Senator 
Chafee can finish doing what he is doing and we have a chance to 
confer. I assure my colleagues, this should not be a long-term process, 
and I hope we can resolve it very, very quickly, but I do object at 
this moment.
  Several Senators addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I understand, as one of the managers of 
the bill, we can speak at some length here. But is there desire that 
someone wish to have a minute or two?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I was going to use about 2 minutes to thank 
the distinguished chairman of our subcommittee, the Senator from 
Virginia, and say kind things about him. But if he wishes----
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I yield the floor instantly.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I rise to say a very quick word or two about 
the TEA-21 , I believe, Transportation Efficiency Act of the year 2000 
and to express my deep appreciation for the leadership that Chairman 
Chafee, Chairman Warner and Senator Baucus have provided. This, as has 
been said, is one of the very largest bills that we have acted upon. It 
has an impact on each of our States and will have for the next 6 years.
  It has been a very difficult fight to raise the dollars necessary and 
to allocate them fairly. I express the deepest appreciation to all 
three of my colleagues I mentioned.
  I want to say what tremendous work has been done by the staff on the 
majority side, Jimmie Powell, Ann Loomis, Dan Corbett; on the minority 
side, Tom Sliter and Kathy Ruffalo.
  On my own staff, Tracy Henke has worked literally hundreds of hours 
and has had very little sleep, as all of the staff on Environment and 
Public Works. They have done an outstanding job.
  When we started this process, I said there were five essential goals: 
Increase the funding for highways. We need a bigger pie. We need, for 
the State of Missouri, to get a fair share. We must upgrade and repair 
deteriorating bridges. We need to put the trust back into the highway 
trust fund so that people who pay gas taxes into the trust fund will 
know that those gas taxes are coming back to build better roads, 
bridges, highways and transportation system. Finally, there should be 
flexibility so the States and localities can get the most for their 
money.
  I am delighted they have approved all those principles. I note for 
the Record what I have noted in committees, in conferences, in 
individual discussions. I have grave and deep problems with and do not 
agree with the use of the funds from a newly and administratively 
created veterans' smoking program to offset the expenditures of the 
highway fund. I believe the highway fund should be spent for highways; 
veterans' funds should be spent for veterans. I have fought those 
battles; I have lost those battles because the President has insisted 
on using that as an offset. I intend to come back and work with 
colleagues, such as Chairman Specter of the Veterans' Committee, 
Senator McCain, Senator Smith and others to put a good veterans health 
care measure into the next vehicle, and I believe that is probably 
going to be the tobacco bill.

[[Page S5402]]

  We are going to see that our veterans are cared for. I realize that 
offsets are needed. I do not think we should have taken this one. But 
for our State, we are going to receive tremendous benefits in Missouri. 
This is nearly a 53-percent increase in the annual funding for the 
State of Missouri where our roads, highways and bridges are not just a 
matter of convenience, they are a matter of life and death. Safety 
depends upon adequate roads.
  For the first time, we are going to see our share of the funds moving 
up from the low 80 cents per $1 sent in to almost 92 cents. We will see 
a structure to ensure the gas taxes will be used for highways and 
transportation. The flexibility is expanded and for good measure.
  I thank the leaders for agreeing to my wetlands banking amendment 
which will enable us to ensure improved protection for wetlands in 
accommodating the highway construction.
  Last year, I worked with people on both sides to put through the Bond 
extension which kept the highway funding flowing until May 1 of this 
year. We have not had contract authority, obligation authority for the 
last month. I believe the President, through his Secretary of 
Transportation, expressed great appreciation for this measure, and I 
hope that we can pass it today and get it signed by the President so we 
can go back to rebuilding the roads, bridges and highways that are 
vitally important for our country.

  I thank the leader and thank the leadership of the committee.

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