[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 4 (Saturday, January 6, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E19]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  IN RECOGNITION OF MR. DAVID M. LANEY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM DeLAY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Saturday, January 6, 2001

  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize Mr. David M. Laney, who 
will soon complete his term as a member of the Texas Transportation 
Commission. Governor George W. Bush appointed Mr. Laney to the 
commission in April 1995, designating him its chairman and Commissioner 
of Transportation. In April 2000, he stepped down as Commissioner of 
Transportation, serving the remainder of his term as a member of the 
commission.
  During his term on the commission, Mr. Laney has been the champion of 
the State's efforts to increase the state's share of federal 
transportation dollars returning to Texas. He was instrumental in 
promoting the STEP 21 Coalition's successful efforts to guarantee that 
every state receive a fairer return on its contributions to the Highway 
Trust Fund. As a result, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st 
Century (TEA 21) provides a guarantee of at least a 90.5 percent 
return. When this guarantee was combined with a significant increase in 
national highway program funding and the use of more real world funding 
formula factors, Texas received an increase of more than $700 million 
annually in federal highway funds. In addition, he promoted increased 
federal funding for the nation's general aviation and reliever 
airports, which Congress provided in the historic Wendell H. Ford 
Aviation Investment Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR 21). Finally, 
Mr. Laney has been a strong advocate for the state's small urban and 
rural transit systems, working with Congress to provide much needed 
discretionary funding to address the vehicle replacement needs of these 
vital transportation systems, the most extensive in the nation. With 
these additional funds for Texas transportation programs, the 
commission will be better able to meet the tremendous transportation 
demands of the growing regional and international trade traffic in 
Texas.
  With a look to the future, as Commissioner of Transportation Mr. 
Laney led the Texas Department of Transportation in its efforts to 
obtain the flexible financing tools it needs to help address the 
multitude of transportation needs in Texas. He was successful in 
working with the Texas Legislature to create the Texas Turnpike 
Authority Division of the department, which provides toll-funding 
options for the state's major transportation projects. With this strong 
support and encouragement, the division has applied for and expects to 
receive an $800 million loan under the federal Transportation 
Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act for a major Central Texas 
turnpike project. Under Mr. Laney's leadership, the commission has used 
the Texas State Infrastructure Bank, authorized under the National 
Highway System Designation Act of 1995, to provide needed assistance to 
localities to help move forward important transportation projects. Mr. 
Laney also initiated a major Texas border strategy, which provides more 
than $1.8 billion in priority highway funding to the state's border 
region to address the demands of international trade traffic.
  Throughout his tenure on the commission, Mr. Laney has provided 
strong, confident, and visionary leadership to the Texas Department of 
Transportation, promoting the development of a first-class Texas 
transportation system. His legacy is a transportation agency with a 
menu of solid financial and operational tools to provide a safe, 
effective, and environmentally sensitive transportation system for the 
people of Texas and the nation. His dedication to transportation and 
his strong leadership on the commission will be missed.
  Mr. Speaker, I know my fellow Texans join me in this expression of 
appreciation to David Laney for his exemplary leadership. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in congratulating him and wishing him the best in 
his future endeavors.

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