[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 130 (Monday, October 7, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H7133-H7135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE TO
INTERSTATE AND INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE AND THE TRAVELING PUBLIC AND THE
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE TRUCKING, RAIL, AND PASSENGER TRANSIT INDUSTRIES
TO THE ECONOMIC WELL BEING OF THE UNITED STATES
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 567) recognizing the importance of surface
transportation infrastructure to interstate and international commerce
and the traveling public and the contributions of the trucking, rail,
and passenger transit industries to the economic well being of the
United States, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 567
Whereas prior to 1890, the United States lacked a holistic,
intermodal surface transportation system that linked rural
towns and farmland to urban areas and cities for the purposes
of travel and interstate commerce;
Whereas the emergence of the automobile and truck after
1900 created a public demand and economic need for improved
roads, highways, and byways;
Whereas the United States transportation construction
industry has built 3,900,000 miles of roadways, 200,000 miles
of freight and passenger railroad track, and 5,800 miles of
mass transit track with more than 2,300 stations;
Whereas the construction of roads and highways requires the
skills of numerous occupations, including those in the
contracting, engineering, planning and design, materials
supply, manufacturing, distribution, and safety industries;
Whereas by 2020 the number of registered vehicles in the
United States is expected to grow from 225,000,000 to about
275,000,000, requiring improvements to roads and highways;
Whereas the industries which design, construct, and
maintain roads and highways generate $200,000,000,000 for the
economy annually and sustain about 2,200,000 jobs;
Whereas the advent of the truck, and technological advances
expanding its cargo capacity, dramatically increased the
ability of the United States to transport goods more quickly
and efficiently;
Whereas the trucking industry had $606,000,000,000 in gross
freight revenues, representing 87.5 percent of the Nation's
freight bill in 2000;
Whereas intercity trucks logged 1,093,000,000 ton-miles in
1999, representing almost 30 percent of the total domestic
intercity ton-miles logged by all modes;
Whereas commercial trucks consumed more than 44,000,000,000
gallons of fuel and paid $30,500,000,000 in Federal and State
highway-user taxes in 1999;
Whereas by 2013 the total number of commercial trucks will
increase by a third, from 6,000,000 to 8,000,000;
Whereas there were 3,090,000 truck drivers in 2000 and
9,900,000 employed throughout the United States economy in
jobs that relate to the trucking industry in 1999;
[[Page H7134]]
Whereas trucks transported more than 83 percent of the
value of trade between the United States and Mexico and more
than 73 percent between the United States and Canada in 1999;
Whereas prior to the development of a national system of
roads and highways for automobiles and trucks, the railway
system served as the primary mode of interstate travel for
the American public and facilitated goods movement throughout
the United States;
Whereas America's freight railroads carry more than 40
percent of the Nation's intercity freight, including
approximately 70 percent of vehicles from domestic
manufacturers and more than 65 percent of the Nation's coal
to coal-fired plants;
Whereas railroads in the United States originated nearly
33,000,000 carloads of freight, including more than 9,000,000
intermodal trailers and containers, and had a freight volume
of 1,530,000,000,000 ton-miles in 2000;
Whereas on average it costs 29 percent less to move freight
by rail in 2000 than it did in 1981 and 59 percent less in
inflation-adjusted dollars;
Whereas from 1980 to 2001 Class I freight railroads
invested more than $290,000,000,000 to maintain and improve
infrastructure and equipment and reduced the number of train
accidents per million train-miles by 64 percent;
Whereas the railroad industry employed more than 230,000
workers in 2001, including engineers, conductors, clerks,
executives, and maintenance workers;
Whereas railways and railroads move people and commodities
in an efficient way and contribute more than $30,000,000,000
to the economy through wages, fringe benefits, purchases, and
taxes;
Whereas intercity buses provided passenger and package
express service to over 4,000 communities nationwide, most of
which have no other form of public intercity transportation;
Whereas intercity buses carry over 770,000,000 passengers
annually and provide a variety of services, including fixed-
route, charter and tour, airport express, and long-haul
commutes;
Whereas intercity buses provide an integral link in the
intermodal network serving airports, train stations, and
transit hubs throughout the Nation;
Whereas the public transportation system in the United
States includes buses, trolley-buses, vanpools, jitneys,
heavy railways, light railways, commuter railways, cable
cars, monorails, aerial tramways, and ferryboats;
Whereas Americans used public transportation a record
9,500,000,000 times in 2001 and transit ridership has grown
23 percent since 1995;
Whereas public expenditures to operate, maintain, and
invest in public transportation systems in America amount to
about $23,500,000,000 each year;
Whereas there are more than 360,000 transit employees who
work to operate, maintain, and manage America's public
transportation system;
Whereas public transit helps to reduce vehicular traffic
congestion on roads and highways and leads to cleaner air;
Whereas public transit continues to be one of the safest
modes of travel and helps conserve energy and reduce
America's dependency on foreign oil; and
Whereas public transit has provided the elderly and
millions of Americans with disabilities expanded mobility and
freedom to travel United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes the
transportation construction, trucking, railroad, intercity
bus, and passenger transit industries, and those
professionals who design, operate, build, and maintain the
rights of way along which trucks, freight trains, buses, and
commuter trains travel--
(1) for the immense contribution they make to the economy
by facilitating international and interstate commerce;
(2) for their contribution to the freedom of the traveling
public which uses roads, highways, and railways for the
purposes of business and leisure; and
(3) for their conscientious effort to improve safety,
increase efficiency, and better the environment in
communities throughout the United States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia
(Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).
General Leave
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks on H. Res. 567, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all time
allotted to me be allotted to the gentleman from California (Mr. Gary
G. Miller), and I further ask unanimous consent that he be permitted to
yield time from that time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of House Res. 567, ``Recognizing the
importance of surface transportation infrastructure to interstate and
international commerce and the traveling public and the contributions
of the transportation construction, trucking, rail, intercity bus and
passenger industries to the economic well being of the United States.''
On October 1, I introduced this bill, along with 11 of my colleagues,
to show the Congress's gratitude to the men and women who continue to
provide America with an efficient and reliable transportation system.
Mr. Speaker, this bill recognizes the vital role the transportation
construction, trucking, rail, intercity bus and passenger transit
industries play in the United States' economic well-being.
The trucking industry alone has transported more than 83 percent of
the volume traded between the U.S. and Mexico, and more than 73 percent
between the U.S. and Canada in 1999. There are now 6 million commercial
trucks, and that number will increase to 8 million by 2013. Between the
growing number of trucks and the fact that the registered vehicles are
expected to increase from 225 million to 275 million by 2020, we are
fortunate to have such an efficient and reliable transportation
construction industry.
The transportation construction industry sustains 2.2 million jobs
and has provided us with 3.9 million miles of roadway. America's
freight railroads are responsible for carrying 70 percent of the
vehicles from domestic manufacturers. America's freight railroads also
carry more than 40 percent of the Nation's intercity freight. While the
rail industry has met the growing economic demand, it has also lowered
the cost of moving freight by 29 percent since 1981. Public train
ridership has also grown by 23 percent since 1995.
Public transit also plays a significant role in providing added
convenience to Americans' lives. Public transit as a whole helps to
reduce vehicular traffic congestion on roads and highways and leads to
cleaner air. Intercity buses alone carry over 770 million passengers a
year. In 2000, the total public expenditures to operate, maintain, and
invest in public transportation systems reached $23.5 billion.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the surface transportation
infrastructure community for the immense contributions they have made
at both an economic and societal level. The surface transportation
community has continually bettered the transport of goods and services
and facilitated transit for the traveling public.
I would like to thank the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) and the
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) and their staffs for the hard
work they have given on this measure. I know I speak on behalf of
Congress when I commend the hard-working men and women in the surface
transportation industry who are continually giving their services to
provide America with a reliable transportation network.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H. Res. 567, as amended, that recognizes the
significance of the surface transportation infrastructure to interstate
and international commerce and the traveling public and recognizes the
contributions of the trucking, rail, intercity bus and passenger
transit industries to the economic well-being of the United States. As
the Nation moves toward a more competitive global economy, the state of
our surface transportation infrastructure increases in importance. The
investments made in the Nation's transportation infrastructure also
provide good family wage-paying jobs and contributes significantly to
the Nation's health.
Throughout the 107th Congress, the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure has worked diligently to advocate adequate funding for
transportation programs.
Mr. Speaker, I cannot stand here in praise of surface transportation
without drawing to the attention of the
[[Page H7135]]
House a genuine surface transportation emergency. As we praise surface
transportation, we are aiding and abetting the decline and worsening of
a major indispensable component of that system. We saw this emergency
arise just weeks ago, and we abetted it then. It was clear that Amtrak
could not continue to go forward without first emergency funding and
then an appropriation that would guarantee the rail service in the
United States of America would continue. In fact, the administration
came forward with $100 million in loan-guarantee funding, pending
congressional consideration of the Amtrak appropriation.
Mr. Speaker, the emergency is now upon us, and it is upon us hot and
heavy. The Committee on Appropriations has just denied Amtrak's request
for $1.2 billion that is necessary to keep the full system running.
Instead, they appropriated $762 million. Now, this amount, and here I
am bringing to the floor what the Department of Transportation
Inspector General says, is not enough to continue current operations,
which he sets at $1.2 billion. This appropriation went down on a
straight party line vote.
Now, understand what we have done. These folks say they must have
$1.2 billion to continue the intercity railway transportation of the
United States, which criss-crosses this country. We have cut it by one-
third. I am going to take my time to indicate what that one-third means
and what districts in this House are going to wake up without railway
transportation if we leave it that way.
This amount is less than one-half of the funding for the entire
national network of passenger rail transportation that is now in place.
What it means, I say to my colleagues, is this: that in order to get
down to this $150 million, which is all that would be allowed to be
spent in 2003, 13 of the 18 long-distance train routes would have to
go. That is 2.3 million riders. Let me be more specific, because I want
to find out, well, how does that break out when we get down to brass
tacks. How it breaks out is this, listen for our cities, because these
are the cities that are going to be without national intercity
passenger rail travel: Dallas, Denver, New Orleans, San Antonio, Salt
Lake City, Tucson, Atlanta, Little Rock, Pittsburgh, and Houston. They
would lose all passenger service. I am here to sound the alarm. I have
not named Washington, D.C., but I believe I must bring to the attention
of my colleagues the rollcall I just went through who is in fact in
danger.
The administration, despite its study after study, has come forward
with absolutely no Federal plan. Instead, it sends the railroad to two
sources, one is the private sector. Are we kidding? Do we know why
there is an Amtrak? Because the private sector went broke and said to
the Federal Government, if you do not take over passenger service,
there is not going to be any. There would not be any Amtrak if the
private sector could do it unsubsidized. Okay, said the administration,
then go to the States. That is even more outrageous, more distressing.
Every State in the Union is facing a horrific deficit, every State in
the Union. They are running the worst deficits in a generation, and
that is because of the sad state of the national economy, not because
of anything the States have done. So we are sending them to the States?
The Dow Jones was at a 5-year low today, I say to my colleagues.
Check it out. Today it was at a 5-year low. What does that tell us
about the national economy? What does that tell us about going to the
States to save Amtrak? The States will tell us, at the very least, I
gave at the office, because the States have already contributed $1
billion. Where is our contribution of $1 billion?
The administration came forward with something called the Amtrak
Reform Council. Oh, how misnamed can an entity be. They have indeed
studied the issue, and then they studied it again and they are still
studying it. No plan, still. That is a bankrupt strategy; and, I say to
my colleagues, if we go home with a third of the amount Amtrak needs
cut, we will have a bankrupt railroad system when we return. I do not
even want to get into what this means to the economies of certain
sections of the country, like the Mid-Atlantic States, the Northeast,
and certainly the Midwest States that are going to lose all service.
We subsidize every major form of transportation. I sit on the
Subcommittee on Aviation. We just came forward with another
subcommittee bill to help aviation out just last week. Thank goodness
we give millions to buses and Metro, to roads. That is in our
tradition, and I am glad of it. Do we really expect to provide
passenger service in the 21st century in our country completely
unsubsidized? If so, we would be the only self-supporting rail system
in the world. We are not nearly that good, nor is any other society.
Mr. Speaker, we may be the only world economic power in the world
today, but if we do not take action before the 107th Congress closes,
we will be a second-class transportation power without a fully
operating rail system. It would do irreparable harm to our
transportation system and to our country to let Amtrak sink. We must do
more than pass cosmetic resolutions such as the one we pass today. I
ask my colleagues to help me and to help ourselves to save the Nation's
passenger railroad system.
Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 567, which
recognizes the importance of surface transportation infrastructure to
interstate and international commerce and the traveling public, and
recognizes the contributions of the trucking, rail, and passenger
transit industries to the economic well being of the United States.
The Nation's surface transportation industries, and the workers they
employ, have made immense contributions to the quality of life in our
communities, the nation's economy, and our competitiveness in the world
marketplace. Each day, the American people and American businesses
benefit from reduced travel times, increased productivity, and improved
safety as a result of their efforts.
Throughout our Nation's history, economic growth, prosperity, and
opportunity have followed from the development and operation of the
Nation's infrastructure. From the ``internal improvements'' of the
early 1800s--such as canals, locks, and roads--to the Interstate
Highway System of today, infrastructure improvements have been the
foundation of our economic growth. To take just one example, between
1980 and 1991, almost one-fifth of the increase in productivity in the
U.S. economy was attributable to investment in highways.
Our Nation's highways, transit and rail systems not only provide the
backbone of our economy by moving people and goods, they also employ
millions of workers and generate a significant share of total economic
output. In 1999, transportation-related goods and services generated 11
percent of our total Gross Domestic Product.
In addition to facilitating economic growth, our transportation
system has a significant impact on the daily lives of nearly all
Americans. Americans rely on safe and efficient modes of transportation
in their day-to-day activities. The average household spends about 18
percent of it income on transportation, more than any other expense
except housing.
Surface transportation industries, and the workers they employ, have
accomplished a great deal. But their work is not finished. We hope
their achievements will inspire a renewed dedication to keeping
America's transportation system the finest in the world.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the
balance of my time.
{time} 1945
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Flake). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, House Resolution 567, as
amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was
agreed to.
The title was amended so as to read: ``Resolution recognizing the
importance of surface transportation infrastructure to interstate and
international commerce and the traveling public and the contributions
of the trucking, rail, intercity bus, and passenger transit industries
to the economic well-being of the United States.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________