[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 101 (Friday, July 24, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8953-S8956]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT,
1999
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the Senate will
now resume consideration of the Department of Transportation
appropriations bill, S. 2307, which the clerk will report.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 2307) making appropriations for the Department
of Transportation and related agencies for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 1999, and for other purposes.
The Senate resumed consideration of the bill.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, the Senate's Transportation
Appropriations bill for fiscal year 1999 which the Senate will approve
today is of vital importance to the state of New Jersey. As the most
densely populated state in the nation, efficient and effective
transportation is critical to the economic well being of my state, as
well as to the quality of life of its residents.
The Senate's transportation appropriations bill provides over $900
million in transportation investments to my state. In addition, New
Jersey will receive tremendous benefits from investments in Amtrak
services, in the William J. Hughes FAA Technical Center in Pomona, in
the U.S. Coast Guard training center in Cape May, the Coast Guard air
station in Pomona, and in the airports in our state, particularly
Newark International Airport. This investment provides good paying jobs
in the short-term, and in the long-term, it will create and maintain
the infrastructure that New Jersey needs to attract and keep a strong
workforce. Ultimately, these investments will serve to reduce
congestion, improve air quality, and enhance New Jerseyans' quality of
life.
Mr. President, I would like to highlight some of the important
provisions in the Senate's bill which I was able to secure for the
Garden State.
Transit is an intricate part of Northern New Jersey's transportation
plan. The single largest component of New Jersey's mass transit
initiatives is the Urban Core. I was pleased to secure $70 million that
will go toward additional design and construction of the Hudson-Bergen
Light Rail link. This rail line will reduce congestion and increase
mobility, and will spur economic development in the communities along
the Hudson County waterfront and into Bergen County. It will improve
air quality, and provide needed construction, operation and maintenance
jobs.
In addition, the $12 million that is provided for the Newark-
Elizabeth Rail Link is the first significant infusion of federal
dollars that will seriously initiate this project. This mass transit
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project will first link Broad Street Station to Penn Station in Newark,
extending past Newark International Airport, through the City of
Elizabeth and into Union County. Also part of Urban Core, the Newark-
Elizabeth Rail Link is an integral part of the ``Circle of Mobility''
that will serve to reduce congestion, improve air quality, and enhance
New Jerseyans' quality of life. To date I have secured over $600
million for Urban Core projects.
In addition to the Urban Core and transit formula assistance, the
bill makes a number of bus and bus facility projects eligible for
federal assistance. Among those are the Market Street bus maintenance
facility in Paterson, New Jersey Transit jitney shuttle buses, Newark,
Morris and Essex Station access and buses, the South Amboy regional
intermodal transportation initiative and New Jersey Transit clean fuel
buses.
The bill also allocates $4 million to the National Transit Institute
at Rutgers University, of which $1 million will go toward mass transit
workplace safety training.
Mr. President, I strongly believe that Amtrak is a critical component
of our nation's transportation system, particularly in New Jersey and
throughout the Northeast corridor. It provides safe and effective
transportation to millions of customers every year, reducing congestion
on our roads and in our skies. If Amtrak were not operating, there
would be 18,000 cars a day on New Jersey's already dense highways. This
is untenable for my state. Despite many difficulties, I am pleased that
the Senate bill provides $555 million for Amtrak's national rail
operations. This funding is in addition to the $2.2 billion in capital
funding provided by the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997.
This investment will allow Amtrak to continue its operations for
another year and further enable it to reach its goal of self-
sufficiency by 2002.
Mr. President, the bill also includes a general provision concerning
a High Occupancy Vehicle lane along I-287 in New Jersey. The provision
would allow the state to remove the HOV restrictions without being
required to reimburse the federal government for construction costs. A
few years ago, I secured $140 million for the HOV lane in an
appropriations bill at the request of the state. Now operational, the
HOV lane is clearly not working, as only 72 cars an hour are using the
lane, significantly less than the 600 cars expected. Currently, a state
can appeal to the federal government to decommission an HOV lane
without having to pay back the funds if it successfully makes the case
that it is not ``in the public interest.'' Since the I-287 lane was
directed by statute, the federal government does not have the authority
to approve a state's appeal. The general provision allows New Jersey to
appeal to the Federal Highway Administration that the lane is not in
the public interest, and if the Secretary concurs, the state will not
have to pay back the $140 million. No one is more committed to cleaner
air, energy conservation, and innovations to cut traffic congestion
than I. HOV lanes have worked in certain settings and I support them
where they are successful. But, in New Jersey, it may be that our
traffic patterns, work schedules and other issues make it difficult for
the I-287 HOV lane to work. This provision removes a significant
financial hurdle if the HOV lane is proven to be a failed lane.
Mr. President, to make roads in New Jersey as productive as possible,
the Senate bill includes $6 million for intelligent transportation
system initiatives in New Jersey. These funds will go to advance
projects already underway and managed by TRANSCOM, a consortium of 14
state and local agencies in the NY/NJ/CN metropolitan area. TRANSCOM is
responsible for developing and coordinating the region's traffic
management and incident detection system through the deployment of
significant investments in intelligent transportation systems. Over
half of the congestion on the region's roadways is due to traffic
incidents and it is TRANSCOM's mission to improve inter-agency response
to such incidents.
Mr. President, transportation is the lifeblood of New Jersey and
aviation is in the center of it. I am pleased to cite a number of
provisions in this bill that improve upon the state's aviation system.
First, the bill includes $11 million for the redesign of national air
space, of which $3 million will be used to focus the FAA's efforts of
redesigning the airspace in the New Jersey/New York metropolitan area.
This funding will kick-off the redesign process, which will hopefully
alleviate congestion and improve aircraft operations in the region's
already dense and complex airspace, leading to fewer delays and reduced
air noise levels. I was also pleased to secure $100,000 for a
``technical assistance grant'' for a community group to retain the
services of an expert to ensure that citizens are represented and
included during the FAA's redesign effort.
I was also pleased to secure funding that will greatly improve
operations at Newark International Airport. The bill provides $2
million to begin work on installing state-of-the-art radar upgrades and
runway-monitoring improvements that will reduce delays and enhance
safety at the airport. Moreover, the bill includes report language that
recognizes the cooperative effort among the FAA, the Port Authority of
New York/New Jersey, and airport users to make Newark Airport among the
best in the country. The language directs the FAA to report quarterly
on the progress of the cooperative working group and outlines the
various equipment and initiatives that are priorities for the airport.
The bill also includes report language expressing concern about
staffing and equipment needs at New Jersey/New York area towers, the
New York TRACON and the New York Air Traffic Control Center. This
language will serve to direct the FAA to do all it can to improve the
safety and efficiency of these facilities. And, the bill includes a
provision directing the FAA to ensure that the air traffic controllers
serving all the major FAA facilities in the region--air traffic control
towers, the New York TRACON and the New York Center--are compensated
equally. The FAA's proposed reclassification scheme would create a pay
gap that does not recognize the equity of the work performed at the
facilities and will force the experienced controllers serving the
towers to go to the Center and the TRACON. The language prevents this
from happening.
Moreover, the bill fully funds the Hughes Technical Center in Pomona.
The Technical Center is the world's premier aviation testing and
development center, with state-of-the-art facilities and an impressive
workforce. The bill provides funding to continue the good work at the
Tech Center.
Mr. President, I strongly supported funding for the Office of
Pipeline Safety, and I am pleased that the bill provides $32.7 million
for pipeline safety programs, with $1 million set aside for One-Call
programs. These programs require anyone who is going to dig--
contractors, utilities, for example--to find out the exact location of
pipelines before they break ground. We in New Jersey know all too well
the damage that a pipeline accident can have on victims of pipeline
eruptions, and particularly to the community. Four years ago, around
midnight, on March 24, 1994, a major natural gas pipeline ruptured in
Edison, New Jersey, a densely populated, urban environment. This
rupture caused a deafening boom, awakening residents of the Durham
Woods apartment complex and changing their lives forever. The explosion
was caused by third party damage, something a strong one-call program
would address. Thus, the bill includes language emphasizing the
importance of One-Call programs in preventing accidents. Two-thirds of
all pipeline accidents are caused by people who dig without knowing of
the locations of pipelines.
Mr. President, the bill also provides $2 million for the Biomechanics
Consortium, of which the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New
Jersey (UMDNJ) is a member. These institutions study the effects of
motor vehicle crash injuries on adults and children, resulting in the
deployment of more effective life-saving safety devices. These life-
saving funds are extremely important and I am pleased that the bill
funds this program.
Mr. President, the Coast Guard has an important presence in our state
and I am pleased that it is well funded. In addition to the assistance
provided to the air station in Pomona and the training center in Cape
May, the bill fully funds the Coast Guard's Container Inspection
Program (CIP) at $3.6
[[Page S8955]]
million. The CIP addresses environmental and safety problems posed by
improper transport of containerized hazardous materials into U.S.
ports. I established this program in 1994 to address the environmental
and safety problems posed by improper transport of containerized
hazardous materials into U.S. ports. This was highlighted by the 1992
Santa Clara casualty, in which several containers of highly toxic
arsenic trioxide were lost overboard off the New Jersey coast, posing a
substantial threat to the marine environment and its resources.
Following this, the Coast Guard conducted intensive, targeted
inspections and discovered wanton and widespread violations of
container handling and packaging regulations. This program serves to
prevent such casualties and protect the marine environment.
Mr. President, having better, more efficient transit systems, roads,
airports and all other transportation systems will improve the quality
of life for thousands of residents and visitors to New Jersey on a
daily basis. I am glad that as Ranking Minority Member of this
Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee I was able to secure this
funding, as well as the bill and report language for New Jersey. I
appreciate the generosity shown by the Chairman of the Subcommittee,
Senator Richard Shelby, who has been most cooperative and helpful
throughout the process. His work will serve all New Jerseyans and the
nation well.
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I rise today to extend my strong support
for S. 2307, the Department of Transportation's Appropriations Bill for
FY 1999. This funding comes at a critical time for our nation and in
particular, Washington state.
Mr. President, as I fly home each weekend, I join thousands of other
commuters in the Puget Sound Region immersed in daily and agonizing
gridlock. Our State Department of Transportation is working furiously
to construct HOV lanes, park and rides and additional interchanges. I
applaud our State Secretary Sid Morrison for his innovative thinking
and leadership during this time of enormous growth.
Our region's economic boom has brought many advantages, however, its
impact on mobility in the region has been dramatic and continually
frustrates motorists. This bill will provide much needed relief for our
Puget Sound Region and for infrastructure improvements throughout
Washington state. I am most pleased that I was able to work with the
committee to secure $60 million for the Puget Sound's Regional Transit
Authority, known as Sound Move. This will include $47 million for
commuter rail between Seattle and Tacoma and $13 million to begin light
rail construction.
Additionally, I want to express my support for the committee's work
in funding the Elliot Bay Water Taxi, the Columbia River Marine Fire
and Safety Association, ITS systems near Spokane's SR 395, airport
improvements at Everett's Paine Field, Boeing Field and the Pullman
Airport. These projects are vital to our region's multi-modal planning.
The linking of car, bus, bike, ferry, plane, train and pedestrian has
become the framework of every infrastructure decision.
I wanted to personally thank Chairman Shelby and our Ranking Member,
Senator Lautenberg for their dedicated work. Their combined efforts and
leadership on our subcommittee have produced enormous results that will
be felt by generations to come. I am pleased to see our commitment to
Amtrak, the Coast Guard, FAA and the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. I am committed to helping this bill remain in
conference and urge my colleagues to support this important
legislation.
Our work today is wonderful news for the millions of Americans
sitting right now in parking lots which were once called highways.
Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN. Mr. President, this legislation includes critical
funding for our nation's airports, roads, mass transit systems, and
other transportation. I want to particularly thank the managers of the
bill for including funding for Amtrak, and for a number of key projects
important to Illinois, including funding for Metra, Metro Link, and the
Chicago Transit Authority.
I am disappointed that the legislation includes an amendment, added
last night, that provides for expedited review of court challenges to
the DBE program. I hope that the conferees on this bill will see fit to
drop this ill-advised and unnecessary intrusion into hundreds years of
judicial process.
federal lands highway program (Highway 323)
Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I would like to clarify the Committee's
intent regarding the directive to the Secretary to make funds available
for Highway 323 in Southeastern Montana.
Under the Federal Lands Highway Program, the Secretary is to make
funds available to conduct the environmental review, design and, to the
extent possible, right-of-way acquisition for the future phased
construction to a paved secondary road standard for 50.4 miles along
Highway 323 between the communities of Alzada, Montana and Ekalaka,
Montana.
This additional language needs to be recognized in order to
discourage duplication of work that has already been completed.
Mr. SHELBY. I agree with the Senator of Montana.
federal lands highway program (highway 93)
Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I would like to clarify the Committee's
intent on a couple of different issues in the Transportation
Appropriations bill. Under the Federal Lands Highway Program account,
two separate highway issues are addressed. I would like to ensure the
Secretary is aware of the importance of both of these highway issues.
The first, is in Northeastern Montana. Highway 93 is the primary
route from Interstate 90 to the Flathead Valley and Glacier National
Park. This area is growing in recreational popularity. This beautiful
valley is home to Flathead Lake. Located between Kalispell and Polson,
this is the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi.
Glacier National Park receives numerous visitors by air and train.
But the most popular means to reach the park is by Highway 93.
Big Mountain recreational ski area is located to the north of the
Valley. This resort area is a year-round attraction for outdoor
enthusaiasts--many of whom drive to the area by way of Highway 93.
I often travel this highway to visit my constituents on the Salish
and Kootenai Indian reservation as well as my constituents in
Kalispell, and Northwest Montana. Recently on this highway, I noticed I
was literally traveling in bumper to bumper traffic. This is not a
common phenomenon in Montana but the increased summer traffic in this
area has many of the local users concerned about their safety and the
safety of their passengers.
For nearly thirty years, Montana's American Legion has taken on the
responsibility to remind drivers of the dangers of highway travel by
placing a white cross along the roadside. The roadside along Highway 93
is littered with these white crosses.
As a result of the public outcry to help reduce the number of
accidents on this highway, I, on behalf of the Montana Department of
Transportation, would like to ask the Committee to direct the Secretary
to authorize and release all funds designated for the four-lane
expansion of Highway 93. I would also like to ask the Committee to
direct the Secretary to withdraw the Federal Highway Administration's
record of decision requiring resolution at the State, local and tribal
levels.
Mr. SHELBY. I understand the concern expressed by my colleague from
Montana. It is the intent of the Committee that the Secretary should
act as we have encouraged him to and I will work with you in conference
to clarify that.
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the question is,
Shall the bill, S. 2307, as amended, pass? The yeas and nays have been
ordered. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. NICKLES. I announce that the Senator from Utah (Mr. Bennett), the
Senator from Montana (Mr. Burns), the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Enzi),
the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Helms), the Senator from Idaho
(Mr. Kempthorne), the Senator From Arizona (Mr. McCain), and the
Senator from Alaska (Mr. Stevens), are necessarily absent.
I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from
Montana (Mr. Burns) would vote ``yes.''
[[Page S8956]]
Mr. FORD. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Boxer)
and the Senator from Arkansas (Mr. Bumpers) are necessarily absent.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Allard). Are there any other Senators in
the Chamber desiring to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 90, nays 1, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 235 Leg.]
YEAS--90
Abraham
Akaka
Allard
Ashcroft
Baucus
Biden
Bingaman
Bond
Breaux
Brownback
Bryan
Byrd
Campbell
Chafee
Cleland
Coats
Cochran
Collins
Conrad
Coverdell
Craig
D'Amato
Daschle
DeWine
Dodd
Domenici
Dorgan
Durbin
Faircloth
Feingold
Feinstein
Ford
Frist
Glenn
Gorton
Graham
Gramm
Grams
Grassley
Gregg
Hagel
Harkin
Hatch
Hollings
Hutchinson
Hutchison
Inhofe
Inouye
Jeffords
Johnson
Kennedy
Kerrey
Kerry
Kohl
Landrieu
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
Lieberman
Lott
Lugar
Mack
McConnell
Mikulski
Moseley-Braun
Moynihan
Murkowski
Murray
Nickles
Reed
Reid
Robb
Roberts
Rockefeller
Roth
Santorum
Sarbanes
Sessions
Shelby
Smith (NH)
Smith (OR)
Snowe
Specter
Thomas
Thompson
Thurmond
Torricelli
Warner
Wellstone
Wyden
NAYS--1
Kyl
NOT VOTING--9
Bennett
Boxer
Bumpers
Burns
Enzi
Helms
Kempthorne
McCain
Stevens
The bill (S. 2307), as amended, was passed.
(The text of the bill will be printed in a future edition of the
Record.)
Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. D'AMATO. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Grams). Under the previous order, the
Chair appoints the following Senators to serve as conferees on the
transportation appropriations bill.
The Presiding Officer appointed Mr. Shelby, Mr. Domenici, Mr.
Specter, Mr. Bond, Mr. Gorton, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Faircloth, Mr. Stevens,
Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Byrd, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Reid of Nevada, Mr. Kohl,
Mrs. Murray, and Mr. Inouye conferees on the part of the Senate.
____________________