[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 124 (Friday, October 6, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10052-S10059]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT,
2001--CONFERENCE REPORT
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I submit a report of the committee of
conference on the bill H.R. 4475 making appropriations for the
Department of Transportation and related agencies for the fiscal year
ending September 30, 2001, and for other purposes, and ask for its
immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk reads as follows:
The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the
two Houses on the amendment of the Senate to the bill, H.R.
4475, having met, have agreed that the House recede from its
disagreement to the amendment of the Senate and agree to the
same with an amendment and the Senate agree to the same,
signed by all of the conferees on the part of both Houses.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the Senate will proceed to
the consideration of the conference report.
(The report was printed in the House proceedings of the Record of
October 5, 2000.)
Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, what is the pending business? Is there a
quorum call?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The conference report on Transportation is the
pending business.
Mr. SHELBY. I urge adoption of the conference report and ask for the
yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There is a sufficient second.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
Mr. REID. Objection.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that
following the completion of the vote, Senator Harkin be recognized for
up to 15 minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate will have the
opportunity to consider the conference agreement for the fiscal year
2001 Transportation appropriations bill.
I believe that this bill strikes a funding balance between the modes
of transportation, funds critical safety initiatives, reflects the
priorities of the overwhelming majorities of both the House and the
Senate, and provides adequate flexibility and direction for the
Department as it transitions into the next administration.
Mr. President, allow me to take just a few minutes to summarize and
highlight a few of the provisions of the conference report that is now
before the Senate.
Of the three issues that the administration indicated were critical
to it in the safety arena, I'm pleased to report that we're three for
three. And, so is the administration. These issues have been negotiated
in a fashion and with a spirit of accommodating the interests of the
House, the Senate, and the administration. Through some creativity and
with an awareness of the specific concerns of all the parties, we have
been able to meet everyone more than halfway.
The compromise language on the hours of service regulations in this
conference report allows the Department to move forward with the
analysis of the docket, issue a supplemental NPRM, and do everything
short of issuing the final rule. I think that is a reasonable
compromise and one that should provide the incentive for the
administration to fully listen and solicit views on all sides of this
issue.
As many of you know, I have a concern that NHTSA has ignored calls
from consumer groups and critics of the proposes static stability
factor rating system in its rush to publish a rollover rating as part
of the NCAP program. Notwithstanding that concern, I have been
convinced by the distinguished House Chairman, Mr. Wolf, that he
believes that NHTSA, in light of our attention to the issue, will now
act responsibly in this area.
Accordingly, the conference agreement maintains the Senate
requirement to conduct a 9-month study at the National Academy of
Sciences. The Academy is directed to investigate the usefulness of the
information that NHTSA proposes to provide, the scientific
underpinnings of the NHTSA approach, and consideration of whether
dynamic testing is preferable to the static stability factor
calculation--while simultaneously allowing NHTSA to move forward with
its proposal.
This issue deserves all our attention as it evolved because rollovers
are among the most deadly of accident types and providing bad
information to consumers could well mean more highway fatalities.
People have a right to expect that the information that the Federal
Government provides is accurate, unbiased, and based on sound testing
methodologies. I am pleased that in the conference agreement NHTSA will
have to meet that standard, if not in the short term, at least in the
long term.
The funding levels keep faith with the recently enacted AIR-21
capital and airport authorizations, and come very close to the
President's budget request for FAA operations.
The Highway and Transit accounts are funded at the TEA-21 authorized
levels; the Coast Guard, adjusted for some of the capital projects
funded in the supplemental, is above the President's requested level
for fiscal year 2001; NHTSA is above the President's request once it is
adjusted downward for the RABA shift that was a non-starter with both
the House and the Senate.
[[Page S10053]]
Amtrak is funded at the President's request and the remaining
accounts: Pipeline Safety, the Inspector General, the National
Transportation Safety Board are all at or above the President's
request.
There is no tenable argument that can be made that there isn't enough
money in this bill. The conference agreement includes approximately 14
percent more budget resources than the fiscal year 2000 enacted levels.
In addition, we have tried to reflect and accommodate the priorities
of our subcommittee members, full committee members, and the membership
of both the House and Senate. We have listened to what our members have
requested us to do and accordingly, the negotiated compromise reflects
the priority that members have put on highway and transit spending.
There are other issues that have been the subject of some attention--
the most notable of which is the .08 blood alcohol content. The Senate
bill included a provision which would hold back a portion of highway
funds from states which fail to adopt a .08 blood alcohol content
standard.
The conference agreement modifies that provision by providing a more
graduated, phased-in approach of the highway holdback and more time for
states to adopt the .08 standard. I also want to point out that no
state incurs the loss of highway funds if they adopt the .08 blood
alcohol content standard by 2007. Whatever funds withheld from them
starting in 2004 would be returned without penalty under the hold-
harmless clause as long as a .08 standard is adopted by 2007. I think
this is a reasonable and fair transition to a standard that we know
will save lives.
Mr. President, there are a few people I would particularly like to
thank before we vote. My ranking members, Senator Lautenberg, has been
a valued partner in this process during his final year as the ranking
member of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee. While
we have had our disagreements and differences, I have been privileged
to work with him and believe this nation's transportation policy have
benefitted by the substantial contributions he has made during his
tenure in the Senate and on the subcommittee.
Senators Stevens and Byrd have provided guidance throughout the year,
and made a successful bill possible by ensuring an adequate allocation
for transportation programs.
My House counterpart, Congressman Frank Wolf and his staff: John
Blazey, Rich Efford, Stephanie Gupta, and Linda Muir, have been
particularly accommodating and collegial.
Finally, Mr. President, I want to thank Steve Cortese and Jay Kimmitt
of the full committee staff for their invaluable assistance and advice
throughout the process.
Mr. President, I urge adoption of the conference report.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey is recognized.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise in strong support of the
Conference Agreement on the Transportation Appropriations Act for
Fiscal Year 2001. I have served on the Appropriations Committee for all
but 2 years of my 18-year career in the Senate.
For 14 of those years, I have served either as chairman or ranking
member of the Transportation Subcommittee. I can say without
reservation--and I compliment the chairman of the subcommittee, Senator
Shelby, and the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator
Stevens, for the work they did--that this is the best transportation
bill in those 14 years.
The bill makes historic investments in our transportation
infrastructure and, simultaneously, takes dramatic steps forward in our
efforts to improve safety.
Under this Conference Agreement, funding for highways will total
almost $33.4 billion, a 16 percent increase over the Fiscal Year 2000
level. Funding for our nation's mass transit systems will grow by 8.4
percent.
Investment in our nation's airports will grow by an astronomical 69
percent, and funding for the FAA's facilities and equipment account,
which makes critical investments in the modernization of our nation's
air traffic control infrastructure will grow by 22 percent. The bill
also includes substantial growth in the critical accounts that ensure
safety in all modes of transportation.
Funding for the Coast Guard's operating budget will grow by 15
percent and funding for the FAA's operating budget will grow by almost
10 percent. The new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will
receive a funding boost of almost 70 percent--an investment that is
long overdue in addressing the problem of truck safety.
Most importantly, Mr. President, this Conference Agreement includes a
provision establishing a new national intoxication standard at .08
blood alcohol content. This provision has passed the Senate twice
before. First, during Senate consideration of the last highway bill
and, most recently, as part of this Transportation Appropriations bill.
Indeed, this bill passed the Senate by a vote of 99-0, the first time
in my memory that we had not even one dissenting vote on the
Transportation bill.
The .08 provision contained in this conference report represents a
historic step forward in the federal government's effort to combat
drunk driving.
Not since we passed the Minimum Drinking Age Act, a law I championed
back in 1984, have we made such significant progress in saving lives on
our highways.
The .08 provision in this conference agreement largely follows the
outline of the Minimum Drinking Age Act.
It imposes sanctions on states' highway construction funds at an
increasing level until they adopt the national .08 standard. States
that have their funds sanctioned will have the opportunity to have that
highway funding restored so long as they adopt the national standard
within the first six years after enactment of this bill.
But states should not wait for the sanctions to even begin--I urge
states to act as soon as possible and save lives now.
The reason for a national .08 standard is simple--the medical and
scientific communities confirm that you are too drunk to drive at .08
blood alcohol content.
Critical driving skills, such as steering and braking decrease by as
much as 60 percent at .08 BAC.
NHTSA estimates that this provision will save more than 500 lives per
year. And the Senate should be very proud of its efforts today to spare
500 families from that horrifying phone call in the dark of night
telling them that one of their loved ones has died at the hands of a
drunk driver.
There are a great many people to thank for our success in this
bipartisan effort. Most importantly, I would like to thank the
Subcommittee Chairman, Senator Shelby, who has stuck by me on this
provision since the very beginning. As I've mentioned, this was truly a
bipartisan effort. And it was not easy. We faced stiff opposition from
powerful interests.
My Chairman showed great courage and stood up for the safety of
America's families.
I also want to thank Chairman Wolf, the Chairman of the House
Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee. Through his six years as
Chairman of the Transportation Subcommittee, Representative Wolf has
been a true champion for safety.
He is the leading congressional expert in the area of truck safety
and he spent months convincing his colleagues of the merits of a
national intoxication standard.
I also want to thank President Clinton and Vice President Gore who
both personally lobbied the Conferees on this issue, along with members
of their staff, including John Podesta and Jack Lew of OMB.
I would also like to thank Millie Webb, a victim of a .08 driver and
the President of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
She lost a daughter and a nephew--both about 4 years of age--to a
drunk driver. She then gave birth to a child prematurely who became
blind early in her life. This has been Millie's interest for some years
because the driver who committed this horrible crime had a blood
alcohol content of .08. She is here today to witness this law becoming
effective because she didn't want any other families to suffer the pain
and grief she went through.
I also want to thank Brandy Anderson, MADD's Congressional
representative and the rest of the MADD leadership. In addition, I want
to thank Jackie Gillan and Stephanie Mennen of Advocates for Highway
Safety.
[[Page S10054]]
The help of these public interest groups was critical to getting this
law passed. They deserve a great deal of credit.
In recent months, my office has resembled a ``war room'' on the .08
issue, doing everything we can in concert with MADD and Chairman Wolf
to see to it that the .08 provision could become law this year.
I want to thank the members of Mr. Wolf's staff, especially John
Blazey and Stephanie Gupta, as well as members of my own staff, Peter
Rogoff, Sander Lurie, Dan Katz, Denise Matthews, Gabrielle Batkin, and
Laurie Saroff who have worked tirelessly on behalf of this provision.
I also want to thank one individual who is no longer on my staff.
During consideration of TEA-21, Elizabeth O'Donohue was a tireless
advocate for the .08 provision. We were able to get the .08 provision
adopted in the Senate on the TEA-21 bill, but we ran into an ambush in
the House of Representatives, thanks to the negative work of the liquor
lobby.
While Liz is no longer with my staff, I want to recognize the
extraordinary groundwork that she laid in past years. There is no
question that her efforts contributed greatly to our success here
today.
In addition, I want to thank Tom Howarth, a former member of my staff
who helped us get the 21 year old minimum drinking age passed, and has
worked for years to make the .08 standard the law of the land.
I also want to thank Senator Shelby's excellent staff, including
Wally Burnett, Joyce Rose, Paul Doerrer, Tom Young and Kathy Casey.
Finally, as I make my parting comments as a leader on the
Transportation Subcommittee, I want to make one last request of my
colleagues. When the Senate considers a new highway bill in 2002 or
later, I will no longer be a member of the Environment and Public Works
Committee or the Senate and I certainly am not going to be in a
position to work as hard as I did in the past on this issue. There is
no question, when the Senate considers a new highway bill, there could
be an attempt to repeal the national .08 standard. I am sure my
colleagues are sensible people and I implore them not to bend to the
pressure of those that would bring more bloodshed to our highways. I
urge my colleagues not to flinch from their commitment to safety.
Please do not condemn 500 American families a year to the tragedy of
losing a loved one to drunk driving.
I urge my colleagues to maintain a national drunk driving policy
based on safety, sanity and science. You must not bend to those who
would seek to undo the progress we have made.
I yield the floor for this my last transportation bill as a Member of
the Senate. I have enjoyed my service on this subcommittee. I think it
has been important to the country, but particularly to my State, to see
the improvements we have been able to make on highway safety and mass
transit.
Finally, I think we are on our way to getting high-speed rail service
and inner-city rail service in place. That is the only way to relieve
the congestion in the skies and on the highways. There is no more room
in the skies for additional airlines, no matter what we put on the
ground.
I hope we will give high-speed rail the resources it needs to say to
those people who are unable to make their business appointments or
their contacts because of delayed flights, here is one way to make a
difference in the way we travel in this country.
I yield the floor.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I want the Senator from New Jersey to
understand, before he leaves the floor, how appreciative I personally
am, and the whole Senate is, for the work the Senator has done--not
only in the Transportation appropriations--for many years. The Senator
has set the pattern for transportation in the most rapidly growing
State, Nevada. The Senator has been instrumental in the things we have
been able to do with Senator Shelby, to come up with programs for the
State of Nevada that have been remarkably efficient and good.
In addition to that, before the Senator leaves, this may be the last
opportunity we have to speak publicly on the Senator's behalf as to the
things the Senator has done in relation to tobacco. I remember my
children had respiratory problems and they hated to fly in an airplane.
There was smoking and nonsmoking. That was a fallacy; it was all
smoking. It is because of the Senator and his perseverance that we have
people flying smoke free on airplanes all over the country. It is a
crime to smoke a cigarette, as it should be, on an airplane.
This is just one of many things, including gun control, that the
Senator has done on the Environment and Public Works Committee. We have
served together my entire 14 years in the Senate. The Senator has been
a leader in the area dealing with the environment. I speak not only for
me but the entire Senate in gratitude for the great work the Senator
has done.
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Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Alabama for his
work on the fiscal year 2001 Department of Transportation
appropriations bill. The conference report we are considering today is
a balanced report. The bill meets fully the congressional commitment to
highway, transit and aviation spending in TEA-21 and AIR-21.
The bill makes transportation in our nation safer and more efficient.
Our healthy economy is dependent on this bill. I would like to request
one small item of clarification. The report includes a remark in the
FHwA's Intelligent Transportation Systems account directing $750,000 to
allow the State of Montana to complete the STARS program. This a great
new program that I expect will receive national attention in the near
future once long haul truck operators are made aware of the
efficiencies it will provide them.
However, I have been made aware by my staff that the intention of
these funds were to allow the State of Montana to use these funds to
complete deployment of the STARS programs and also establish a GIS/GPS
framework on the State's public roadways which will benefit the safety
of the traveling public in Montana.
Mr. SHELBY. I thank the Senator for his support of this report. I
agree with my colleague from Montana that the intention of these funds
within the framework established by the ITS account are available to
the State of Montana for use in both completing the STARS program, as
well as, working on the GIS/GPS project.
Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, it is with great regret
that I rise today to oppose the conference report to the Transportation
appropriations bill.
I want to begin by praising my colleagues on the Committee on
Appropriations who have worked so hard on this bill and conference
report. I know they have faced many difficult issues, competing demands
for limited resources, and the pressure of time as this Congress winds
down. And there are many good provisions in this bill, including
several that will benefit my home State of New Hampshire.
These include: $2 million of the extension of the Commuter Rail line
from Boston to Lowell, Massachusetts into Nashua, New Hampshire; A
provision that designates the I-93 project as a national model for
implementation of environmental streamlining; $1.5 million for
improvements to U.S. Route 2 in New Hampshire; $500,000 for the Concord
20/20 Vision project; $250,000 for the Bedford, New Hampshire Route 101
Corridor Study and Improvements; $200,000 for a Feasibility Study of a
High Speed Rail Corridor from Boston, MA to Burlington, VT, through New
Hampshire; $10 million nationally for the Historic Covered Bridge
Program, under which N.H. communities can apply for funds to repair
covered bridges; $12 million for construction of the Broad Street
Parkway in Nashua, NH; Over $137 million to the New Hampshire
Department of Transportation under the states' federal highway
allocation authorized by the 1998 Transportation Equity Act for the
21st Century (TEA-21).
But this bill contains several objectionable departures from TEA-21,
which are under the clear jurisdiction of the Environment and Public
Works Committee, the authorizing committee which I chair.
First, I am concerned about the so-called .08 blood alcohol content
(BAC) provision to mandate a nationwide standard for state drunk
driving laws by threatening sanctions on highway
[[Page S10055]]
funding. In TEA-21 we specifically rejected this approach in favor of
incentives to encourage stronger drunk driving laws. Congress worked
hard to reach this compromise during TEA-21 so that states could
address highway safety and drunk driving in a variety of ways, without
the federal government forcing them to focus on whether their laws
contain .08 as the magic number. This heavy handed approach that was
pushed through on an appropriations bill threatens to take away highway
funds from 32 states. I will carry my strong opposition to funding
sanctions into the next transportation reauthorization bill, and I hope
we have seen the last of this kind of federal intervention.
On this issue of funding, in TEA-21 we guaranteed collections into
the Highway Trust Fund would be redistributed to the states and to DOT
discretionary programs. When these collections are above TEA-21
estimates, the additional funds, called RABA funds, are distributed
according to TEA-21.
This bill makes several major and minor adjustments to the RABA
funds--including failing to provide for some programs, and diverting
these funds to special projects.
On top of this, the bill also takes an extra $1.4 billion in funds
from the Highway Trust fund to go to special projects.
This money is not authorized to be spent in TEA-21. This money comes
out of Highway Trust Fund balances. This is like the balance in your
checkbook that is there to pay outstanding bills and checks that are
waiting to clear.
In TEA-21 we crafted careful compromises over how Highway Trust Fund
dollars are spent and distributed. This bill ignores our work and
includes page after page of earmarks for unauthorized projects.
We have not been consulted on the viability of these projects, we
have no assurance that these projects are important, whether they have
met environmental clearances, or whether the funds provided are based
on engineering estimates for these projects.
The Highway Trust Fund money is to be distributed to states where
they have local control over which projects are funded and when. This
bill attempts to circumvent this process with funding earmarks.
I object to this intrusion into the Highway Trust Fund. It is unwise
to pick and choose highway projects to insert in the appropriations
bill.
As I stated at the beginning, there are many good provisions in this
Transportation conference report. I applaud the work that my colleagues
have done and appreciate the support they have given to important New
Hampshire projects. Therefore, it is with great reluctance that I
oppose the conference report.
Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I regret that I must oppose the
Conference Report on H.R. 4475, the Transportation Appropriations Act,
because it contains a number of provisions that I support. Others have
noted the amount of special interest spending that was included in this
bill. While I understand and share the desire of others to respond to
particular local concerns, the level of such spending in this bill has
become so great that it undercuts the efforts we made in the last
Congress to bring more equity to the way transportation dollars are
distributed.
Mr. President, beyond that I am greatly disappointed that this
measure also includes a provision that is effectively a mandate on
States with respect to blood alcohol levels. This issue is classically
a matter of State discretion, and the Federal government has no
business engaging in what amounts to little more than extortion to
impose a policy on States in an area that is so clearly a State matter.
Mr. President, I have come to the floor before to talk about the
disturbing trend toward the federalization of matters that should be
left to state and local governments to decide. We have seen this in a
number of policy areas, including our criminal justice system, but
perhaps no area has been the subject of more inappropriate Federal
intervention than transportation. From speed limits to seat belts, from
helmets to blood alcohol levels, Congress effectively has usurped State
authority to set public policy in this area.
Mr. President, I was privileged to serve in the Wisconsin State
Senate for ten years, and I can tell you that state legislators like to
have something to do. State legislators and governors are fully capable
of understanding the arguments made in favor of adopting the .08
standard, and the Congress should not interfere with a policy matter
that is so clearly a State prerogative.
Again, Mr. President, I regret I cannot support this measure.
Adequate funding for the full spectrum of our transportation
infrastructure is one of my highest budget priorities. But the
inclusion of the blood alcohol standard puts that very needed funding
at risk for states like Wisconsin that have a different policy. As with
the special interest provisions that are included in this measure, it
undermines the great strides that were made as part of TEA 21 to get
Wisconsin a fairer portion of the revenue Wisconsin taxpayers
contribute to the transportation fund.
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, the United States' transportation
infrastructure is vital to its success as a nation. The ability to
regulate and move goods and people safely and efficiently by land, air
and sea has defined industrialized countries, nationally and
internationally, for centuries. With our economy prospering, there have
been significant increases in travel and movement of goods across our
country. As a result, it is essential that critical transportation
safety and policy programs get proper funding. This Transportation
Appropriations conference report takes some appropriate steps in that
direction.
However, while I agree with the need for increased funding, I do not
agree with the need for increased pork. Unfortunately, once again, the
appropriations committee has adopted the mantra that increased funding
for necessary programs equals increased pork-barrel spending for
parochial projects.
Mr. President, while I was speaking on the floor Monday, I read aloud
from an article in that day's Wall Street Journal about the
Congressional scramble to wrap up budget negotiations while at the same
time, a frantic chase was underway by members seeking to ensure they
could take home plenty of earmarked port barrel projects for their
districts and states. Well, that article was like reading a crystal
ball. And this enormously bloated transportation bill takes the cake.
It illustrates one of the most gluttonous, pork-driven, self-serving
spending agendas we've seen yet.
Therefore, once again I must rise to object to the immense amount of
special projects that have been earmarked in a conference report.
Through the appropriations conference, legislators have tacked on
millions of dollars in special interest ``projects''. These projects
are pure pork tacked on for the benefit of a particular area or
community. While some of these projects may not be objectionable on
their merits, the process by which they are added is unconscionable.
During closed-door conferences, decisions were made to tack on
millions of dollars in special projects. Other members were not allowed
to participate in, or vote on, the outcome. While democracy is the
foundation of our government, the democratic process is shut out of
these closed-door proceedings. Members were not even allowed to view
the contents of this report until early this morning, even though it
has been reported the conference was completed Tuesday morning. No
member should be asked to consider a 146 page bill and 236 page report
they were given no time to review. I do not think the managers of this
legislation, nor, more importantly, the leadership of this chamber,
should be at all proud of how this process has been handled. Indeed,
this is not the kind of leadership we can expect the American voters to
embrace.
This earmarking process takes away the discretion of the very Federal
agencies created and empowered to disburse federal funding. At the
current levels of earmarking, we should just save the American
taxpayers billions of dollars and abolish all Federal agencies and let
the appropriators dole out money directly without any oversight.
This transportation appropriations conference report adds more than
$3 billion over the Administration's FY 2001 funding request.
According to published reports, and I must rely on them, since
neither I nor my staff have been allowed to view the
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report until moments ago, more than $2 billion of these funds are
earmarked for highway and bridge projects.
I note $600 million is earmarked for the project to replace the
Woodrow Wilson Bridge over the Potomac River between Virginia and
Maryland. The project already was given an earmark of $900 million
through the Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century, TEA-21--that
is, $900 million in addition to the billions of dollars each state
receives in their annual highway funding allocation. To add insult to
injury, the additional money is being taken from the budget surplus.
Mr. President, mark my word, that project is the next ``Big Dig'' in
the making. The estimated costs of the project have already soared from
$1.9 billion to $2.5 billion--and you can bet those costs will keep
going up and up and up.
Besides earmarking more than $2 billion in extra funds for highway
and bridge projects, of which the Wilson Bridge receives 25 percent of,
the conference managers earmarked nearly every other dollar available
in the bill.
These earmarks reportedly include $102 million for the U.S. 82 bridge
over the Mississippi River at Greenville, Mississippi, $100 million for
I-49 in Arkansas and almost $20 million for I-69 in Tennessee. Mr.
President, there are a lot of roads and bridges that need
rehabilitation; I don't understand why Congress is substituting its
judgment for the judgment of Federal agencies.
In addition, there have been a reported $700 million in transit
earmarks for the Chicago Metro and Transit Authority in the home state
of the Speaker of the House, for a rapid transit bus project at Dulles
International Airport in the home state of the Chairman of the House
Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee and for the Minneapolis
Hiawatha project in the home district of the ranking member of the
House Appropriations Subcommittee.
According to his own press releases, and again, I had to rely on them
since I had no real opportunity to view the bill, the Chairman of the
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation has managed to
earmark almost $300 million in transportation funds for his home state.
Again that is $300 million in personal projects for his state!
Included in this amount is $100 million for the construction of
``Corridor X'', a 97 mile highway through northwest Alabama; $34
million for construction of the Birmingham Northern Beltline; $10
million to construct a Transportation Technology Center at Auburn
University; $3 million to the State of Alabama to develop a training
program for jobs in the automobile manufacturing field.
The conference report also provides $9 million to replace the
Whitesburg Bridge in Alabama; $5 million for the Mobile Alabama
Maritime Center; $2.5 million to initiate on-campus shuttle bus service
at the University of South Alabama; $2 million for the University of
Alabama-Birmingham to acquire fuel cell buses; and $2 million to the
University of North Alabama to improve transit and pedestrian access.
Mr. President, this is taxpayer money used to fund the personal pork
projects of the appropriators. And I have never seen the levels of pork
that we are reaching.
This year, for the first time ever, the appropriators have earmarked
$300 million for specific discretionary projects in the FAA airport
improvement program. This past year, we fought long and hard with the
appropriators and budgeteers to ensure that there was increased funding
for airport infrastructure. This was necessary to attempt to keep up
with the significant increase in air travel over the past 10 years and
the expected increase over the next 10. I congratulate Congress for
meeting the agreed upon levels of authorizations.
However, now that we have increased funding, the appropriators feel
as if they have the necessary knowledge and expertise to determine
where $300 million of these monies should go. Mr. President, I realize
that as members of Congress, we travel a great deal. However, I don't
believe that experience supplies members with the necessary wisdom to
replace FAA's judgment on which projects deserve merit and which
projects do not.
The FAA is tasked with the safety of our aviation system. But
Congress won't let it do the job. Now we are saying to--indeed, the
bill directs--the FAA to spend this increased funding where Congress
wants it to, not where it is needed. Mr. President, this is obscene and
untenable.
Mr. President, I could go on and on about pork-barrel spending and
its effect on the taxpayer, but I will conclude with this thought. We
have acted responsibly to increase funding, we are not acting
responsibly by denoting where this money should go. I ask unanimous
consent that examples of this port barrel spending from the
transportation appropriations conference report be entered in the
Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Objectionable Provisions in H.R. 4475, FY 2001 Transportation
Appropriations Conference Committee Report
--Bill earmarks $5,000,000 for Alabama State Docks;
--Bill earmarks $7,500,000 for Auburn University
Transportation Center;
--Bill earmarks $18,467,857 for Woodrow Wilson Memorial
Bridge;
--Bill earmarks $1,735,039 Alaska Highway;
--Bill earmarks $8,000,000 for US177 in Stillwater,
Oklahoma;
--Bill earmarks $4,300,000 for US177 in Cimarron River,
Oklahoma;
--Bill earmarks $1,500,000 for US 70 near Broken Bone,
Oklahoma;
--Bill earmarks $100,000 for US 70 in Marshall and Byran
Counties, OK;
--Bill earmarks $24,600,000 for I-55 in Mississippi;
--Bill earmarks $4,000,000 for Albany to North Creek
intermodel transportation corridor.
--Bill earmarks $1,000,000 for Battiest-Pickens Road,
Oklahoma;
--Bill earmarks $8,000,000 for the Patton Island bridge in
Lauderdale County, AL;
--Bill earmarks $46,000,000 for traffic mitigation on SR
710 in California;
Report earmarks: $1.4 million for the 2001 Special Winter
Olympics; $1 million to ensure consumer information and
choice in the airline industry; $2 million for planning for
the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games; $3 million for
automotive workforce training; $300,000 for DOT to study
telework efforts in the New York metropolitan area; and $3
million of minority business outreach.
federal highway administration
Report earmarks: $4 million for commercial remote sensing
products and spatial information technologies; $10 million
for the national historic covered bridge preservation
program; $5 million for construction and improvement of the
Alabama State Docks; $10 million for the Auburn University
for the Center for Transportation Technology; $7.5 million
for Child Passenger Protection Education Grants; $25 million
for the transportation and community and system preservation
program; $1.6 million for international trade data systems;
and $1 million to conduct a study of corporate average fuel
economy standards.
Report directs the Secretary of the Army to remove lead-
based paint from the St. Georges Bridge in Delaware, to
repaint the bridge and to conduct an assessment for
rehabilitation of the bridge using funds from the Energy and
Water Development Appropriations Acts.
Report redistributes TEA-21 RABA funding after deducting
$156,486,491 for ``high priority projects'' including $25
million for Indian reservation roads program, $18.4 million
for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, $10 million for the CDL
program, and $1.7 million for the Alaska Highway.
Report stipulates how funds apportioned for Oklahoma,
Mississippi, New York, Nebraska, Alabama, and California are
to be allocated within those states.
Report directs DOT Secretary to designate the New Hampshire
I-93 corridor as an environmental streamlining pilot project.
Report encourages FHWA to expend up to $500,000 to explore
traffic striping technology improvements which enhance
reflectivity in heavy rain; $2 million to determine the
effectiveness of Freezefree anti-icing systems; for
cooperative research at the Western Washington University
Vehicle Research Institute for safety and related
initiatives; up to $500,000 for rural bridge safety research
in cooperation with the Vermont Agency of Transportation and
up to $1.8 million to the Transportation Research Institute
at the George Washington University for multi-modal crash
analysis.
Report earmarks $15 million for pavements research,
including $750,000 for cement concrete pavement research at
Iowa State University; $2 million for alkali silica
reactivity research, up to $2 million for research into the
GSB-88 emulsified sealer/binder treatment; up to $2 million
for a cooperative polymer additive demonstration involving
South Carolina State University and Clemson University, and
up to $1 million for geosynthetic material pavement research
at the Western Transportation Institute.
Report provides $15 million for structures research,
encouraging FHWA to provide up to $2 million for research at
the Center for Advanced Bridge Engineering at Wayne State
University; up to $2 million for earthquake hazards
mitigation research at the University of Missouri-Rolla; up
to $2 million for related engineering research at West
Virginia University; up to $2 million for research for wood
structures at the University
[[Page S10057]]
of Maine; up to $2 million for rustproofing and paint
technology transfer project using the I-110 bridge from I10
to U.S.--90, and up to $1.5 million for research at
Washington State University.
Report provides $6.2 million for environmental research,
and encourages FHWA to provide up to $1 million for the
Sustainable Transportation Systems Lab and the National
Center for Transportation Technology for mitigation research
for heavily-trafficked national parks; up to $1.5 million for
a dust and persistent particulate abatement demonstration
study in Kotzebue, Alaska, and up to $1 million for the
National Environmental Respiratory Center.
For Highway operations and assent management, the report
encourages FHWA to provide up to $800,000 for innovative
infrastructure financing best practices at the University of
Southern California; up to $1 million for the road life
research program in New Mexico; up to $2 million for the New
York and Auburn University for continued work on a
transportation management plan.
ferry boats and ferry terminal facilities
The report earmarks the entire amount available for ferry
boats and ferry terminals for projects in 15 states.
maglev
The report directs that $21.5 million be used for the
deployment of high-speed maglev projects as follows:
$5 million for the Pittsburgh International Airport link;
$1 million for the Maryland Department of Transportation
for the Baltimore Washington International Airport link;
$1 million for the California-Nevada Super Speed Train
Commission;
$1 million for the Georgia/Atlanta Regional Commission,
$1 million for the Southern California Association of
Governments for a link between Los Angeles International
Airport to March Air Force Base;
$1 million for the Florida Department of Transportation;
and
$1 million for the Greater New Orleans Expressway
Commission.
The report further earmarks the following Low-speed maglev
program:
$2,000,000 for the Segmented Rail Phased Induction Electric
Magnetic Motor (SERAPHIM) project;
$2 million for the Colorado Intermountain Fixed Guideway
Authority Airport link project; and
$2 million for the Pittsburgh Pennsylvania airborne shuttle
system.
Report includes $50 million for the transportation and
community and system preservation program and earmarks the
funds as follows:
Project Conference
Anniston Evacuation corridor, Calhoun County, Alabama........$3,000,000
Avalon Boulevard/405 Freeway interchange, Carson, California....875,000
Boca Raton traffic calming, Florida.............................500,000
City of North Ridgeville, Lorain County, Ohio grade crossing
improvements..................................................600,000
Coalfields expressway, Virginia...............................4,000,000
Coalfields expressway, West Virginia.........................10,000,000
Downtown Fitchburg Route 12, extension, Massachusetts.........2,000,000
Hatcher Pass (phase I), Alaska................................2,000,000
I-25 corridor from Alameda to Logan, Colorado.................4,000,000
I-29 Port of Entry, Union County, South Dakota................2,000,000
I-35 corridor expansion, Waco, Texas..........................1,325,000
I-5 South Medford interchange and Delta Park, Oregon..........1,000,000
I-65 upgrade, Clark County, Indiana...........................1,350,000
I-66, Somerset to London, Kentucky............................5,000,000
I-69 corridor, Louisiana......................................2,300,000
I-69 corridor, Texas..........................................3,000,000
I-74 bridge, Moline, Illinois.................................5,600,000
Madison County, KY 21 and I-75, Kentucky......................1,000,000
New Boston Road improvements, Mercer County, Illinois.........3,000,000
Radio Road overpass, City of Sulphur Springs, Texas...........1,350,000
Route 104, Virginia...........................................1,000,000
South Shore industrial safety overpass, Indiana...............4,750,000
Stevenson expressway, Illinois................................3,800,000
US 19, Florida...............................................10,000,000
US 25 improvements, Kentucky..................................2,000,000
US 321 and US 74, Gasden and Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.500,000
US 395 North Spokane corridor, Washington.....................1,000,000
US 43, Alabama................................................4,000,000
US 51 widening, Decatur, Illinois.............................1,350,000
US 95 (Milepost 522 to Canadian border), Idaho................1,900,000
US Route 2, New Hampshire.....................................1,500,000
US-61 (Avenue of the Saints), Missouri........................4,000,000
WI 29 (Chippewa Falls bypass, Wisconsin)......................3,000,000
The report earmarks FHWA's public lands discretionary
program as follows:
20/20 vision project in Concord, New Hampshire..................500,000
Arkansas River, Wichita, Kansas, pedestrian transportation fac1,000,000
Bangor, Maine, intermodal hub facility planning, railroad crossing
signalization, bike and pedestrian trails.....................600,000
Bedford, New Hampshire, corridor planning.......................250,000
Billings, Montana, open/green space improvement project.........775,000
Bowling Green, Kentucky, Riverfront Development transportation
enhancements................................................1,000,000
Buckeye Greenbelt parkway beautification, Toledo, Ohio..........250,000
Burlington, Vermont, North Street and Church Street improvemen1,100,000
Chantry Flats Road, Sierra Madre, California....................600,000
Charleston, West Virginia, Kanawha Boulevard Walkway project..2,000,000
City of Angola and Steuben City, Indiana, bike path.............325,000
City of Bedminster, New Jersey, bike path.......................500,000
City of Coronado, California, mobility improvements.............600,000
City of Ferndale, Michigan, traffic signals......................50,000
Claiborne County, Mississippi, access road from US 61 to new port
facility......................................................400,000
Clay/Leslie County, Kentucky..................................2,000,000
Clovis, New Mexico, street revitalization.......................750,000
Community and environmental transportation acceptability process,
California..................................................1,000,000
Delong Mountain, Alaska, airport access and related planning....300,000
Downtown Omaha, Nebraska, access and redevelopment project......300,000
East Redoubt Avenue improvements, Soldotna, Alaska..............725,000
El Segundo, California, intermodal facility improvements......1,000,000
Elwood bicycle/pedestrian bridge, County of Santa Barbara, Calif250,000
Fairbanks, Alaska, downtown transit and cultural integration pla450,000
Fairfax cross county trail/Potomac national heritage Scenic Trail,
Virginia......................................................500,000
Flint, Michigan, transportation planning and origin & destination
shipping study................................................150,000
Fort Worth, Texas, trolley study................................750,000
Heritage Corridor Project study, Illinois.......................200,000
High capacity transportation system study, Albuquerque, New Mexi500,000
Houston, Texas, Main Street Connectivity Project................750,000
Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, New Jersey...................2,000,000
Huffman Prairie Flying Field Pedestrian and Multimodal Gateway
Entrance, Dayton, Ohio........................................700,000
Humboldt Greenway project, Hennepin County, Minnesota.........1,000,000
Jackson traffic congestion mitigation planning, Mississippi.....600,000
Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pedestrian and streetscape improvements400,000
Kansas City, Missouri, Illus Davis Mall enhancements............350,000
Las Cruces, New Mexico railroad and transportation museum.......200,000
Lincoln Parish transportation plan, Louisiana.................1,500,000
Lodge freeway pedestrian overpass, Detroit, Michigan............900,000
Manchester, Vermont, pedestrian initiative......................375,000
Marked Tree, Arkansas, to I-55 along U.S. Highway 63 improvements and
controlled access lanes.......................................600,000
Minnesota Trunk Highway 610/10 interchange construction of I-91,650,000
Mitchell Marina development, Greenport, New York................250,000
[[Page S10058]]
Mobile, Alabama, GM&O intermodal center/Amtrak station..........650,000
Montana DOT/Western Montana College statewide geological sign pr200,000
Montana statewide rail grade separation study and environmental 400,000
New Bedford, Massachusetts, North Terminal......................200,000
New Orleans, Louisiana, intermodal transportation research......950,000
NW 7th Avenue corridor improvement project, Miami, Florida......100,000
Ohio and Erie Canal corridor trail development, Ohio..........1,000,000
Conference agreement includes a total of $218,000,000 for
Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) of which $118,000,000
is available for ITS deployment activities and $1000,000,000
for R&D earmarked as follows:
Alameda-Contra Costa, CA--$500,000;
Aquidneck Island, RI--$500,000;
Arapahoe County, CO--$1,000,000;
Austin, TX--$250,000;
Automated crash notification system, UAB--$1,000,000;
Baton Rouge, LA--$1,000,000;
Bay County, FL--$1,500,000;
Beaumont, TX--$150,000;
Bellington, WA--$350,000;
Bloomingdale Township, IL--$400,000;
Calhoun County, MI--$750,000;
Carbondale, PA--$2,000,000;
Cargo Mate, NJ--$750,000;
Charlotte, NC--$625,000;
College Station, TX--$1,800,000;
Commonwealth of Virginia--$5,500,000;
Corpus Christi, TX--vehicle dispatching--$1,000,000;
Delaware River Port Authority--$1,250,000;
DuPage County, IL--$500,000;
Fargo, ND--$1,000,000;
Fort Collins, CO--$1,250,000;
Hattiesburg, MS--$500,000;
Huntington Beach, CA--$1,250,000;
Huntsville, AL--$3,000,000;
I-70 West project, CO--$750,000;
Inglewood, CA--$600,000;
Jackson, MS--$1,000,000;
Jefferson County, CO--$4,250,000;
Johnsonburg, PA--$1,500,000;
Kansas City, MO--$1,250,000;
Lake County, IL--$450,000;
Lewis & Clark trail, MT--$625,000;
Montgomery County, PA--$2,000,000;
Moscow, ID--$875,000;
Muscle Shoals, AL--$1,000,000;
Nashville, TN--$500,000;
New Jersey regional integration/TRANSCOM--$3,000,000;
North Las Vegas, NV--$1,800,000;
North Central Pennsylvania--$1,500,000;
Norwalk and Santa Fe Springs, CA--$500,000;
Oakland and Wayne Counties, MI--$500,000;
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission--$1,500,000;
Philadelphia, PA--$500,000;
Puget Sound Regional Fare Coordination--$2,500,000;
Rensselaer County, NY--$500,000;
Rochester, NY--$1,500,000;
Sacramento to Reno, I-80 corridor--$100,000;
Sacramento, CA--$500,000;
Salt Lake City--Olympic Games--$1,000,000;
San Antonio, TX--$100,000;
Santa Teresa, NM--$500,000;
Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania--$400,000;
Seabrook, Texas--$1,200,000;
Shreveport, LA--$2,000,000;
South Carolina statewide--$1,000,000;
South Dakota commercial vehicle ITS--$1,250,000;
Southeast Michigan--$500,000;
Southhaven, MS--$150,000;
Spokane County, WA--$1,000,000;
Springfield--Branson, MO--$750,000;
St. Louis, MO--$500,000;
State of Arizona--$1,000,000;
State of Connecticut--$3,000,000;
State of Delaware--$1,000,000;
State of Illinois--$1,000,000;
State of Indiana (SAFE-T)--$1,000,000;
State of Iowa (traffic enforcement and transit)--
$2,750,000;
State of Kentucky--$1,500,000;
State of Maryland--$3,000,000;
State of Minnesota--$6,500,000;
State of Missouri--Rural--$750,000;
State of Montana--$750,000;
State of Nebraska--$2,600,000;
State of New Mexico--$750,000;
State of North Carolina--$1,500,000;
State of North Dakota--$500,000;
State of Ohio--$2,000,000;
State of Oklahoma--$1,000,000
State of Oregon--$750,000;
State of South Carolina statewide--$4,000,000;
State of Tennessee--$1,850,000;
State of Utah--$1,500,000;
State of Vermont--$500,000;
State of Wisconsin--$1,000,000;
Texas Border Phase I Houston, TX--$500,000;
Tuscaloosa, AL--$2,000,000;
Tucson, AZ--$2,500,000
Vermont rural ITS--$1,500,000;
Washington, DC area--$1,250,000;
Washoe County, NV--$200,000;
Wayne County, MI--$5,000,000; and
Williamson County/Round Rock, TX--$250,000.
federal transit administration
--Bill earmarks $60,000,000 for planning, delivery, and
temporary use of transit vehicles and construction of
temporary transportation facilities for the Olympics in Salt
Lake City, Utah to the Utah Department of Transportation and
removes the requirement for any state or local matching
funds.
--Bill earmarks $4,983,828 for the Pittsburgh airport
busway project;
--Bill earmarks $1,488,750 Burlington to Gloucester, NJ
line;
The bill further earmarks:
$10,400,000 for Alaska and Hawaii ferry projects;
$500,000 for the Albuquerque/Greater Albuquerque mass
transit project;
$25,000,000 for the Atlanta, Georgia, North line extension
project;
$1,000,000 for the Austin, Texas, capital metro light rail
project; together with $50,000,000 transferred from ``Federal
Transit Administration, Formula grants'';
$3,000,000 for the Baltimore central LRT double track
project;
$5,000,000 for the Birmingham, Alabama, transit corridor;
$25,000,000 for the Boston South Boston Piers transitway
project;
$1,000,000 for the Boston Urban Ring project;
$2,000,000 for the Burlington-Bennington (ABE), Vermont,
commuter rail project;
$1,000,000 for the Calais, Maine, branch line regional
transit program;
$2,000,000 for the Canton-Akron-Cleveland commuter rail
project;
$3,000,000 for the Central Florida commuter rail project;
$15,000,000 for the Chicago Ravenswood and Douglas branch
reconstruction projects;
$1,500,000 for the Clark County, Nevada, RTC fixed guideway
project;
$4,000,000 for the improvement project;
$5,000,000 for the Charlotte, North Carolina, north
corridor and south corridor;
$1,000,000 for the Colorado Roaring Fork Valley project;
$70,000,000 for the Dallas north central light rail
extension project;
$5,000,000 for the Denver Southeast corridor project;
$20,200,000 for the Denver Southwest corridor project;
$500,000 for the Detroit, Michigan, metropolitan airport
light rail project;
$50,000,000 for the Dulles corridor project;
$15,000,000 for the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Tri-County
commuter rail project;
$1,000,000 for the Galveston, Texas, rail trolley extension
project;
$15,000,000 for the Girdwood to Wasillia, Alaska, commuter
rail project; and
$1,000,000 for the Hollister/Gilroy branchline.
federal railroad administration
--Bill earmarks $17,000,000 for the construction of a third
track on the Northeast Corridor between Davisville and
Central Falls, RI;
--Bill earmarks $25,100,000 for High Speed Rail program;
--Bill earmarks $20,000,000 for Alaska Railroad; and
--Bill earmarks $15,000,000 for West Virginia rail
development.
The report provides $350,000 to establish an ``intermodal
emergency response training center for the southeast region
of the country, to be located in Meridian, Mississippi.
The report provides $100,000 for a grant to Alabama State
docks, a state owned facility, for a study of the cost and
economic benefits of restoring rail service on Blakeley
Island in Mobile Bay.
The report provides a total of $700,000 for North
Carolina's ``sealed corridor initiative.''
Under the heading of ``corridor planning'', $200,000 is
provided for a Boston to Burlington high-speed corridor
feasibility study; $200,000 for the Southeast corridor
extension from Charlotte, NC to Macon, GA; and $300,000 for
the Gulf Coast high speed rail corridor from Mobile, AL to
New Orleans, LA.
The conference report provides $20,000,000 for the Alaska
Railroad.
The report provides $15,000,000 for Rail Development in
West Virginia.
The report provides funding for Rail-highway crossing
hazard elimination. Of these funds, $750,000 for the High
Speed Rail corridor from Washington to Richmond; $1.5 million
for the High Speed rail corridor from Mobile to New Orleans;
$1.5 million for Salem, OR; $125,000 for both Atlanta to
Macon, GA and the Eastern San Fernando Valley, CA; $500,000
for both the Harrisburg to Philadelphia corridor and the
Milwaukee to Madison, WI corridor; and $250,000 is provided
for the Minneapolis/St. Paul to Chicago high speed rail
corridor.
The conference agreement, in Sec. 321, allows funds made
available ``for Alaska or Hawaii ferry boats or terminal
facilities to be used to construct new vessels and
facilities; or to improve existing vessels and facilities.
u.s. coast guard
Operating expenses
Conference Report earmarks $1,000,000 for Tulane University
and the University of Alabama in Birmingham to investigate
the unique occupational and health hazards affecting Coast
Guard personnel due to their work in the marine environment.
(Not Requested, p. 13) (Senate provision originally provided
$1.75 million).
Conference Report directs the Coast Guard to evaluate the
``boatracs'' text communication system. (p. 14) (Authorizing
provision not included in either bill).
[[Page S10059]]
Conference Report directs the Coast Guard to conduct an
assessment of progress to replace single hull tankers with
double hull ships (p. 14) (Authorizing provision not included
in either bill).
Acquisition, construction, and improvements
Bill language earmarks $5,800,000 to be transferred from
the Coast Guard to the City of Homer, AK, for the
construction of a municipal pier and other harbor
improvements. (Not requested).
Conference Report earmarks $1,000,000 for Helipad
modernization in Craig, AK (not requested).
Alteration of bridges
The FY 2001 Budget Request proposed that funding for this
account be provided out of the FHWA's discretionary bridge
program instead of the Coast Guard's budget. This account was
authorized by the last Coast Guard Authorization bill (FY
98). Conference report provides $15.5 million to repair 6
bridges under the Truman-Hobbs Act. The report earmarks
$3,000,000 for the Sidney Lanier highway bridge in Brunswick,
GA; $3,000,000 for the EJ&E railroad bridge in Morris, IL;
$2,000,000 for the John F. Limehouse bridge in Charleston,
SC; $3,000,000 for the Fourteen Mile Bridge in Mobile, AL;
$3,925,000 for the Florida Avenue bridge in New Orleans, LA;
and $575,000 for the Fox River Bridge in Oshkosh, WI. (Not
requested).
General provisions
Sec. 382 prohibits funds to be used to adjust the boundary
of the Point Retreat Light Station currently under lease to
the Alaska lighthouse Association. (This provision conveys to
the lighthouse association approximately an additional 1500
acres of land currently held by the U.S. Forest Service).
national highway traffic safety administration
Operations and research
Prohibits funds from being used to plan, finalize, or
implement any rulemaking for any requirement pertaining to a
grading standard that is different from the three standards
(treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance) already in
effect. (Included since FY 1996); and
Requires an NAS study on the static stability factor test
versus a test with rollover metrics based on dynamic driving
conditions that may induce rollovers (but allows NHTSA to
continue to move forward with the rollover rating proposal
during the NAS study).
Conference report earmarks $750,000 for the Brain Trauma
Foundation to continue phase three of the guidelines for pre-
hospital management of traumatic brain injury.
Conference report earmarks $750,000 for an aggressive
driving program in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. as specified
in the House report.
Conference report earmarks $250,000 to the University of
Vermont's College of Medicine and Fletcher Allen Health Care
for advance mobile video telecommunications links in rural
areas.
Conference report earmarks $500,000 to continue a project
at the University of South Alabama on rural vehicular trauma
victims, as proposed by the Senate.
Conference report earmarks $250,000, within contract funds,
to Mercer University Research Center for a school bus safety
initiative, as proposed by the Senate.
Conference report earmarks $1,000,000 to the Injury Control
Research Center at the University of Alabama for research on
cervical spine and paralyzing neck injuries from motor
vehicle accidents.
Conference report prohibits the use of funds to prepare,
prescribe, or promulgate different CAFE standards.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the conference
report. On this question, the yeas and nays have been ordered, and the
clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. NICKLES. I announce that the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Bond),
the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Campbell), the Senator from Wyoming (Mr.
Enzi), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kyl), and the Senator from Alaska
(Mr. Murkowski), are necessarily absent.
Mr. REID. I announce that the Senator from California (Mr. Boxer),
the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Dorgan), the Senator from Illinois
(Mr. Durbin), the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein), the Senator
from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy), the Senator from Connecticut (Mr.
Lieberman), and the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray) are
necessarily absent.
I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from
North Dakota (Mr. Dorgan), the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin), the
Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy), and the Senator from
Washington (Mrs. Murray) would each vote ``aye.''
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber
who desire to vote?
The result was announced--yeas 78, nays 10, as follow:
[Rollcall Vote No. 267 Leg.]
YEAS--78
Abraham
Akaka
Ashcroft
Bayh
Bennett
Biden
Bingaman
Breaux
Brownback
Bryan
Bunning
Burns
Byrd
Chafee, L.
Cleland
Cochran
Collins
Conrad
Craig
Crapo
Daschle
DeWine
Dodd
Domenici
Edwards
Fitzgerald
Frist
Gorton
Grams
Grassley
Gregg
Hagel
Harkin
Hatch
Helms
Hollings
Hutchinson
Hutchison
Inhofe
Inouye
Jeffords
Johnson
Kerrey
Kerry
Kohl
Landrieu
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
Lincoln
Lott
Lugar
Mack
McConnell
Mikulski
Miller
Moynihan
Reed
Reid
Robb
Roberts
Rockefeller
Roth
Santorum
Sarbanes
Schumer
Sessions
Shelby
Smith (OR)
Snowe
Specter
Stevens
Thompson
Thurmond
Torricelli
Warner
Wellstone
Wyden
NAYS--10
Allard
Baucus
Feingold
Graham
Gramm
McCain
Nickles
Smith (NH)
Thomas
Voinovich
NOT VOTING--12
Bond
Boxer
Campbell
Dorgan
Durbin
Enzi
Feinstein
Kennedy
Kyl
Lieberman
Murkowski
Murray
The conference report was agreed to.
Mr. SHELBY. I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. BROWNBACK. I move to lay that motion on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senator from
Iowa is recognized for 15 minutes.
Several Senators addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa has the floor.
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