[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 73 (Tuesday, June 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5777-S5779]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, this is a great day for America's drivers, 
rail passengers, and freight haulers. Today, the Transportation Equity 
Act for the 21st Century (TEA21) has been signed into law. TEA21 will 
lead to better, safer, and less congested roads and bridges throughout 
the country. This extremely important transportation legislation is a 
great investment in our nation's future.
  I applaud my colleagues, in both chambers of Congress, and on both 
sides of the aisle, for passing the Transportation Equity Act by 
overwhelming majorities.
  Transportation is one of the few issues that Congress deals with that 
clearly and directly impacts every American, every day. That is why it 
was so imperative that both chambers take swift action on this 
important infrastructure bill. Whether driving to work, participating 
in a car pool, taking a commuter train, riding a school bus, hauling 
goods from one city to the next, or transporting an accident victim to 
the nearest hospital, Americans depend on safe roads, highways, and 
bridges to get them to their ultimate destination.
  When the extended Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act 
(ISTEA) ran out on May 1, Congress recognized the importance of getting 
this new reauthorization legislation passed. A number of states could 
have been in serious jeopardy had Congress waited beyond the Memorial 
Day recess to enact the Transportation Equity Act. Now that the 
President has acted on this landmark transportation bill, I am proud 
that Congress has fulfilled one of our most important responsibilities 
to the American people. Authorizing road and bridge improvements into 
the next century is a significant accomplishment. This act alone should 
dispel the notion that this Congress has done nothing.
  The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA21) deals with 
a wide range of highway, transit, research, recreational, safety and 
environmental policy initiatives. TEA21 is a balanced and effective 
infrastructure bill that will enhance our nation's roads and highways. 
TEA21 extends and improves upon many of the provisions contained in 
ISTEA, helping move America forward into the next century. It furthers 
the notion of an efficient and integrated national intermodal 
transportation system. This unified system links America's 161,000 mile 
National Highway System with state and local roads, ports, trade 
corridors, and airports. TEA21 is necessary for our nation's 
prosperity.
  The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century provides a total 
of $216 billion for infrastructure development and improvements. That 
represents a 40% boost in transportation spending over current levels. 
This bill affects every state, every county and every city, providing 
significantly more money for the projects around the country that need 
and deserve federal assistance. TEA21 provides $173 billion for 
highways, $41.3 billion for mass transit, and $1.7 billion for highway 
safety programs. That translates into an annual highway spending 
increase of $8 billion and about $2 billion more annually for mass 
transit. Every year, $10 billion more will be spent on needed 
infrastructure.
  Mr. President, I am particularly pleased that the Transportation 
Equity Act, as its title implies, provides more equity than the formula 
allocations provided by ISTEA. Under TEA21, each state is guaranteed to 
receive at least 90.5 cents for every dollar that its drivers send to 
Washington through the gas pump. As a result, forty-nine states will 
receive more money, with an average increase of about 44% over their 
current allocation levels. Even Massachusetts, the one state that did 
not receive a funding increase, will still get back more than it 
contributes annually to the Highway Trust Fund.
  Many of the beneficiaries of the Act's minimum guarantee are the 
southern, midwestern, and western states commonly referred to as donor 
states. For years, these states have received far less in highway 
funding than they contributed in gas tax revenues. While TEA21 doesn't 
completely eliminate their donor status, North Carolina, Tennessee, 
Georgia, Indiana, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arizona, Montana, among other 
donor states, will for the first time see an overall increase of more 
than 50% and a return of more than 90 cents on the dollar.
  My home state of Mississippi, for example, will receive 92 cents. 
That's a 58% increase over the state's current gas tax return. While 
this is not a perfect dollar for dollar exchange, it represents 
significant progress that will help pave a great number of dirt and 
other substandard roads in Mississippi. In the years to come, I will 
continue my efforts to improve the formula allocation for all donor 
states.
  Mr. President, TEA21 also re-establishes the covenant with our 
nation's drivers. It insures that each dollar of revenue contributed to 
the Highway Trust Fund is spent on transportation priorities and not on 
other initiatives. While this bill does not take the Highway Trust Fund 
off-budget, it does guarantee a minimum of $200.5 billion will be spent 
over the next six years on highways, safety, and mass transit programs. 
TEA21 also ensures that Congress fulfills its obligation to live within 
the Balanced Budget Agreement.
  TEA21 authorizes bridge repair and improvement projects around the 
country. It supports the preservation of national historic covered 
bridges and includes funding that will allow states to retrofit bridges 
so they will be less prone to earthquake damage. Additionally, the bill 
provides $900 million to replace the decaying Woodrow Wilson Memorial 
Bridge, a 35 year old structure that now carries more than twice the 
72,000 vehicles it was built to withstand. At the current rate of 
deterioration, passenger and freight traffic will be forced to stop in 
seven years. This is

[[Page S5778]]

a major crossing on America's East-Coast highway that carries over 
190,000 cars and trucks daily. That is why TEA21 was correct to step 
in.
  I believe Congress has passed a bill that not only improves and 
enhances America's transportation system, but one that enriches our 
nation's economy and our quality of life. New roads and bridges spur 
economic development, increase mobility, and foster connectivity. For 
each dollar spent on our nation's infrastructure, society receives an 
exponential financial and social return on this public investment. In 
fact, economist Thomas Hogarty recently concluded that motor vehicle 
transport yields $6 trillion to $10 trillion in tangible benefits 
annually. That's trillion with a ``t.'' Good roads, good bridges, and 
good transit systems facilitate the movement of people and supplies 
from the suburbs to major metropolitan areas and back, from one region 
of the country to another and from America to across the globe. Aside 
from heightening intrastate and interstate travel and trade, 
transportation improvements also support the creation of better and 
higher paying jobs. In Mississippi, for example, road work over the 
last ten years has helped prompt a 34% increase in the state's growth 
rate. I am very excited about the economic prospects for Mississippi 
under TEA21.
  Mr. President, passage of the Transportation Equity Act will help 
repeat Mississippi's success story in each and every state. 
Infrastructure expenditures directly and indirectly support the 10 
million people employed by our nation's transportation and related 
industries. In fact, Congressional Quarterly recently reported that 
TEA21 will lead to the creation of 400,000 new jobs throughout the 
United States.
  TEA21 will strengthen our trade relationships with neighbors to the 
north and south of our nation's borders. TEA21 provides $700 million 
for trade and border crossings, and supports the continued development 
I-69, an 1,800 mile interstate that will stretch between nine states, 
from the Texas border with Mexico to Michigan's border with Canada. 
This Pan-American roadway, with vital regional connectors, will promote 
economic development all along its path. Additionally, I-69 will help 
virtually every state by fostering interstate and international 
commerce, helping our nation realize the benefits of the North American 
Free Trade Agreement.
  The Transportation Equity Act is also a bill about safety. It 
provides over $2 billion for highway safety programs and authorizes 
$650 million in motor carrier safety grants. One of the many important 
reforms in TEA21 is the $500 million seat belt program which provides 
incentive grants to states that increase their seat belt usage or that 
exceed the national average. The Act also takes aim at drunk driving. 
It provides grants to states that have or adopt the more strict 0.08 
percent blood-alcohol standard. TEA21 also promotes the development of 
airbags that do a better job of protecting children and smaller adults.
  One of the issues that I felt very strongly about was the creation of 
a program to encourage states to improve their one-call system. As this 
Congress focused on our surface infrastructure, I felt it was important 
to include protections for our underground infrastructure. This took 
the form of a national call-before-you-dig system used to prevent 
accidents at underground facilities such as telephone, cable and power 
lines, water-maines and pipelines. A number of serious accidents have 
been caused by excavation without notice or by inaccurate markings of 
underground lines. While 49 states have one-call programs, it is widely 
recognized that many states' systems need to be strengthened.
  Under TEA21, states that significantly improve their current one-call 
systems will qualify to receive federal grants. TEA21's one-call 
provision does not impose a federal mandate or establish a one-size-
fits-all approach. It merely establishes national goals and offers 
states that want to participate the opportunity to apply for 
assistance. Decisions on a state's one-call system will still be left 
up to each state. The identification of minimum standards, however, 
will offer states a guide-post to help them improve their systems 
should they choose to do so. I believe that this non-prescriptive 
approach to state one-call systems will significantly enhance public 
safety, minimize disruptions, and improve environmental protection.
  The Transportation Equity Act is also an environmental bill. It 
establishes private sector mitigation banks in support of wetlands, and 
streamlines the environmental review process for transportation 
projects. Senator Bond and Senator Breaux championed these much needed 
fixes. TEA21 also increases annual funding for the Congestion 
Mitigation and Air Quality Program and for Transportation Enhancements 
to $1.5 billion and $630 million respectively. Additionally, the bill 
extends the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, which supports sportfish 
restoration and boat safety programs, and provides to the fund an 
additional 1.5 cents per gallon of fuel tax revenues in fiscal year 
2002, and another 2 cents after 2003. Another one of the important 
compromises achieved in this bill involves the harmonization of the 
Environmental Protection Agency's schedule for regulating regional haze 
and the 2.5 particulate matter standard.
  This bill also authorizes several transportation research programs 
which will help our nation adapt to and utilize constantly changing 
technologies that will improve safety, ease congestion, and protect the 
environment.
  Mr. President, I would like to conclude by thanking our colleagues 
who were instrumental in crafting and passing this landmark bill. 
First, my heartfelt appreciation goes out to Senator John Chafee for 
his stewardship of this important, responsible, and historic 
transportation package. I also want to pay special tribute to Senator 
Warner, Senator Baucus, Senator McCain, Senator Hollings, Senator 
D'Amato, Senator Sarbanes, Senator Roth, Senator Moynihan, Senator 
Bond, and Senator Nickles because their guidance and leadership proved 
vital to this effort. I also want to recognize Senator Domenici for his 
efforts to ensure that the desired funding levels fell within the 
budget caps. Without his help, we may well have ended up with a much 
smaller bill.
  All of the Senate conferees deserve a great deal of credit for 
bringing this much-needed transportation bill to fruition. Each and 
every one of them rolled up their sleeves and worked with Congressman 
Bud Shuster, Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee, and the House conferees to produce the largest 
infrastructure bill in U.S. history.
  Lastly, a number of Senate staff worked long and hard on this bill. 
They worked many weekends and frequently late into the night. Mr. 
President, our colleagues know that staff provide invaluable assistance 
as public policy is formulated. Here they were essential. On behalf of 
our nation's highway users, I would like to thank each of them. I 
believe it is important to identify the staff directly involved in 
TEA21.
  From the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works: Daniel 
Corbett; Albert Dahlberg; Stephanie Daigle; Chris Hessler; Abigail 
Kinnison; Ann Loomis; Jason Patlis; Jimmie Powell; Kathy Ruffalo; Tom 
Sliter; Ellen Stein; Sharon Tucker; and Linda Willard.
  From the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation: 
Ann Begeman; Carl Bentzel; Moses Boyd; Lance Bultena; Charlotte Casey; 
Timothy Cook; Penny Dalton; James Drewry; Clyde Hart; Clark LeBlanc; 
John Raidt; and Sloan Rappoport.
  From the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs: 
Robert Drozdowski; Rachel Forward; Loretta Garrison; Steven Harris; 
Peggy Kuhn; Howard Menell; and Joseph Mondello.
  From the Senate Committee on the Budget: William Hoagland; Brian 
Riley; and Austin Smythe.
  From the Senate Legislative Counsel: Janine Johnson.
  The following staff also participated on behalf of their Senator: Rob 
Alexander; Steven Apicella; Mark Ashby; Doug Benevento; Renee Bennett; 
Kirsten Beronia; Chad Bradley; Rick Dearborn; Steve Dye; Mike Egan; 
James English; Tracy Henke; Keith Hennessey; Timothy Hess; Gerry 
Gilligan; Chris Jahn; Arnie Kupferman; Adam Lawrence; Stephanie Leger; 
Ryan Leonard; Lisa Linnell; James

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McCarthy; Stephen McMillin; Ashley Miller; Beth Miller; Liz O'Donoghue; 
Justin Oliver; Brigitta Pari; Peter Phipps; Mark Prater; Chris Prins; 
Darla Romfo; Joyce Rechtscheffen; Brad Robinson; Peter Rogoff; Jason 
Rupp; Christine Russell; David Russell; Pamela Sellers; Joshua 
Sheinkmen; Becky Shipp; Gary Smith; Dave Thompson; Polly Trottenberg; 
Joseph Trujillo; Mitch Warren; Andrew Wheeler; Melissa White; Clay 
Williams; and Drew Willision.
  Again, these individuals worked very hard on the Transportation 
Equity Act for the 21st Century and the Senate owes them a debt of 
gratitude for their dedicated service to this legislation.
  Mr. President, now that President Clinton has signed The 
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, our nation has enacted 
the foundation of our infrastructure for the next millennium. TEA21 
will improve interstate and international commerce, stimulate our 
economy, protect our environment, and foster the use of modern 
transportation technologies.
  With TEA21, American's can now look forward to better, safer and less 
congested roads and bridges throughout the nation.

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