[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 2 (Thursday, January 7, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E45]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           IN SUPPORT OF THE 1999 TRUST FUND OFF-BUDGET BILL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM O. LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 6, 1999

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join Chairman Shuster and 
Ranking Member Oberstar in introducing a bill that will take the 
remaining user financed transportation trust funds off budget. 
Specifically, this bill removes three transportation trust funds--
Aviation, Harbor Maintenance, and Inland Waterways--from the unified 
federal budget. These trust funds are user-financed, self-supporting 
funds which provide important federal assistance for infrastructure 
preservation and improvement projects. This bill would restore the 
integrity of the trust funds by allowing the full, prompt utilization 
of collected user fees for transportation improvements rather than 
artificially limiting their use to help mask the federal deficit. In 
other words, this bill puts the ``trust'' back into the trust fund.
  This bill also launches off what Chairman Shuster has referred to as 
the ``Year of Aviation.'' Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member Oberstar, 
Chairman Duncan and I will be working hard this year to significantly 
increase capital investment funding for our national aviation system. 
More and more people are flying each day. In fact, a record 600 million 
people will fly this year. Yet because of a lack of capital investment, 
our national aviation system will not be able to meet the increased 
demand that is expected in the near future. The Federal Aviation 
Administration has not modernized our air traffic control system. Our 
airports do not have an adequate number of gates or runways to 
accommodate future growth and competition. It is obvious that something 
need to be done to make sure our national aviation system is ready for 
the 21st century.
  It is our belief that by lifting the artificial spending constraints 
on the aviation trust fund--by taking the aviation trust fund off-
budget--the federal funds necessary to ensure that our national 
aviation systems survives well into the 21st century will finally be 
spent on aviation needs and aviation needs only. A strong aviation 
system is key to our strong economy. Aviation and aviation-related 
activities account for six percent of the United States' Gross Domestic 
Product. Businesses depend on aviation as the fastest way to move both 
people and goods. In addition, the tourism industry, which is one of 
the fastest growing, most successful industries in the world, would not 
survive without a strong national aviation system.
  I look forward to the year ahead as we work to take the aviation 
trust fund off budget in order to significantly increase capital 
investment in aviation. We do not have much time. The Airport 
Improvement Program, one of the most important federal aviation capital 
investment programs, will expire on March 31, 1999. For this reason, I 
am proud to again join Chairman Shuster, Chairman Duncan and Ranking 
Member Oberstar in introducing a bill to authorize the AIP program 
through Fiscal Year 1999. Although the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee and the Aviation Subcommittee are committed to 
working on putting together a larger reauthorization bill before the 
end of March, Congress is not known for meeting tight schedules. It 
would be an indelible mark on the Year of Aviation if the AIP program 
expired at the same time Congress was working on increasing federal 
funding for our national aviation system.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill to take the remaining three 
transportation trust funds off budget. the future of our national 
aviation system depends on it.

                          ____________________