[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 169 (Friday, December 7, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2238-E2239]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           OVER-THE-ROAD BUS SECURITY AND SAFETY ACT OF 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 6, 2001

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I join my Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee colleagues in introducing the Over-the-Road 
Bus Security and Safety Act of 2001. Since the September 11, 2001 
terrorist attacks, over-the-road bus drivers and passengers in the 
United States have been the targets of many serious assaults, including 
one assault killing seven passengers and another assault injuring 33 
passengers. In addition, there have been at least three other serious 
over-the-road bus security breaches. Recent terrorist acts on Israeli 
buses and in bus stations further heighten the need for stronger bus 
security measures in the United States.
  The intercity bus industry serves more than 4,000 destinations in the 
United States, and making intercity bus facilities secure is indeed a 
formidable task. Federal financial support is needed for passenger and 
baggage screening in terminals; implementation of a ticket 
identification system; emergency communications systems linked to 
police and emergency personnel; enhanced driver compartment security; 
increased security training; development and maintenance of information 
and communications systems with law enforcement; installing cameras and 
video surveillance equipment; and other measures to make buses, 
terminals, and garages more secure. The Over-the-Road Bus Security and 
Safety Act of 2001 authorizes the funding and requires the planning 
necessary to make these critical bus security improvements.
  The legislation authorizes $200 million in fiscal year 2002 to allow 
the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to private bus operators 
for system-wide security improvements to their operations. The bill 
imposes a 25-cent passenger surcharge in fiscal years 2002, 2003, and 
2004 on tickets over $5. The proceeds of the fee will be used by the 
Secretary for security grants in 2003 and future years.
  Over-the-road buses, which transport approximately 774 million 
passengers annually, are the only viable means of transportation for 
many people throughout the country. They serve thousands of communities 
that have no other form of intercity public transportation and provide 
the only affordable means of transportation for millions in urban 
areas. Just as passage of aviation security legislation is vital to 
encouraging passengers to fly, again, intercity bus security 
legislation is needed to restore confidence in our intercity bus 
system.
  The bill is not a handout. Since September 11, the intercity bus 
industry has spent millions on enhanced security measures. The funds 
provided by the bill will supplement measures already undertaken by the 
industry to increase the security of the bus system and restore the 
public's confidence in traveling by bus. I urge my colleagues, all of 
whom have communities in their districts served by intercity buses, to 
support this legislation.
  Although I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill, I 
strongly encourage the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
to take the next step and develop a comprehensive infrastructure 
security package. Recently, Congress enacted the Aviation and 
Transportation Security Act, the most important aviation security 
legislation of the last three decades. Although the Act creates a 
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for all transportation 
security functions, we have much work left to do. We have enormous 
security needs among all of our modes of transportation--from passenger 
and freight railroads, transit systems, and pipelines, to bridges, 
ports, and tunnels--and other infrastructure facilities, including 
public buildings, locks and dams, and wastewater and drinking water 
facilities.
  For instance, I am very concerned about securing the railways that 
carry more than 40 percent of the nation's freight traffic and millions 
of passengers--both commuters and intercity travelers. Amtrak continues 
to play a vital role in the nation's transportation network. For 
example, even before the terrorist attacks, Amtrak carried more 
passengers between New York City and Washington, D.C. than either of 
the air shuttles. In cities and their surrounding areas throughout the 
nation, millions rely on commuter trains to get to work each day. New 
York's Penn Station handles nearly 400,000 Amtrak, rail commuter, and 
rail transit passengers every day. Yet the infrastructure--the bridges, 
tunnels, track, stations, yards, and other facilities--that supports 
all of these movements is not secure from sabotage or other terrorist 
acts.
  At the same time, the Nation's freight railroads carry tremendous 
volumes of hazardous materials--more than one million tons daily of 
hazardous chemicals, 15 percent of the nation's total. In addition, the 
railroads are major transporters of coal, agricultural commodities, the 
products of mines and quarries, and manufactured goods, especially 
automobiles. If the railroads were shut down due to a terrorist action, 
the national economy would quickly grind to a halt.
  A relatively small number of key bridges and rail transportation 
nodes are vital to the smooth and continuous flow of traffic. Likewise, 
a number of major tunnels handle significant volumes of freight and 
passenger traffic. A terrorist attack on any one of these facilities 
could have devastating consequences in terms of lives lost or economic 
disruption. However, one of the outgrowths of the September 11 
tragedies has been a thorough and ongoing assessment of our 
transportation infrastructure vulnerabilities. We have begun to 
determine what will be needed to ensure the safety and security of 
those who ride the nation's railroads and what must be done to ensure 
the uninterrupted flow of rail freight traffic. Some of these estimates 
are preliminary, but they do provide a good initial reading of the 
needs.

[[Page E2239]]

  On the passenger side, Amtrak estimates that infrastructure 
protection will require $417.1 million, ensuring equipment security 
will cost $37.4 million, and providing the necessary manpower will cost 
$60.6 million. Amtrak will nearly double the number of track inspectors 
so that they can pay closer attention to ensuring the security of the 
rights-of-way. In addition, Amtrak requires $1 billion to make 
necessary life safety improvements in the tunnels feeding New York's 
Penn station and to rehabilitate tunnels in Washington, D.C. and 
Baltimore. An additional $254 million is needed to increase the 
accessibility of Penn Station for safety and emergency responders, to 
renovate critical bridges in Connecticut, and provide for enhanced 
radio communications in high-speed territory.
  On the freight side, the costs of rerouting, increased switching, and 
express movement of hazardous materials along with increased manpower 
costs guarding and securing critical nodes, increasing car inspections, 
and providing employee awareness training has been estimated to be 
about $100 million annually. Developing a new railroad operations 
center to provide continuous links to Federal intelligence agencies and 
upgrading the security at nearly 100 data and computer centers will 
require $200 million in capital costs. Hardening the bridges, tunnels, 
fuel facilities, hump yards, and other infrastructure assets that have 
been identified as being critical to the national defense will require 
$750 million in up front capital costs.
  In addition, we face enormous port security needs. Earlier today, the 
Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation had a hearing 
on port security at which Department of Transportation Secretary Norm 
Mineta and U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Jim Loy testified that 
approximately 95 percent of the tonnage of our Nation's international 
trade moves by water. Six million loaded containers, 156 million tons 
of hazardous materials, and nearly one billion tons of petroleum 
products enter our ports each year. During a major military deployment, 
90 percent of our military materials move through our Nation's 
seaports. We need to better protect port facilities and critical 
bridges by developing a comprehensive security plan, improving security 
coordination and planning, deploying sea marshals, and establishing new 
penalties for criminal acts against vessels and maritime facilities.
  I am hopeful that we can work together, on a bipartisan basis, to 
develop a comprehensive infrastructure security bill that includes this 
over-the-road bus bill and security for all of our critical 
infrastructure.

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