[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 76 (Wednesday, May 21, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6863-S6864]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. HUTCHISON (for herself, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. 
        Kyl, and Mr. Cornyn):
  S. 1099. A bill to amend the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st 
Century with respect to national corridor planning and development and 
coordinated border infrastructure and safety; to the Committee on 
Environmental and Public Works.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, for the past 50 years U.S. 
transportation policy has focused on building a system designed to meet 
the needs of a rapidly growing population that was still expanding 
westward. Today, I am pleased to introduce legislation that will ease 
congestion brought on by the North American Free Trade Agreement, 
NAFTA, by reforming the Coordinate Border Infrastructure Program and 
the National Corridor Planning and Development Program. These two 
programs are commonly known, collectively, as the Border and Corridor 
program.
  Thanks to NAFTA, more of our trade crosses international borders, and 
80 percent of that trade moves into and through the United States in 
trucks. Since the passage of NAFTA in 1993, traffic on America's trade 
corridors has doubled. Although this commerce has been a boon to the 
Nation's economy, it has been devastating to some of the country's 
infrastructure. With almost 80 percent of the NAFTA trade traveling 
through my home State of Texas, the increased volume has further 
congested and worn out our major highways including I-35, and created 
the need for new highways like I-69 and Ports-To-Plains. The loss of 
productivity resulting from increased time spent in traffic, and the 
declining condition of critical international corridors will have the 
long term effect of diminishing the economic benefits of NAFTA trade. 
It is also forcing border States to bear an unfair portion of the 
infrastructure cost.
  In TEA-21, Congress created the Border and Corridor programs, 
intending to address the infrastructure needs generated by NAFTA trade. 
Unfortunately, funding for those discretionary programs has often been 
misdirected to non-border states and corridors lacking international 
significance.
  The Border and Corridor programs provide funds for projects on the 
border to speed international crossings, and to provide resources to 
High Priority Corridors that experience increased NAFTA truck traffic. 
With almost every state in the country having a designated High 
Priority Corridor, the limited funding was insufficient to provide any 
real benefit where it is most needed. My legislation will reaffirm that 
only those corridors that are carrying the burden on NAFTA trade are 
eligible to receive funding.
  Both programs are important to the goal of addressing infrastructure 
needs resulting from NAFTA trade traffic. However, the two programs do 
not always receive equal funding. My legislation will guarantee that 
the Coordinated Border Infrastructure Program will receive 50 percent 
of the available funding, to ensure that border regions will have the 
resources to conduct truck and bus inspections, and inspect commercial 
vehicles rapidly enough to keep traffic moving at the border.
  As Congress considers TEA-21 reauthorization, I will be dedicated to 
shifting the federal focus on programs that can address the critical 
need of states that have been impacted by NAFTA trade traffic. I want 
to thank my cosponsors, including Senators Domenici, Bingaman, Kyl, and 
Cornyn for recognizing the importance of restoring fairness to these 
critical highway programs.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1099

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. NAFTA CORRIDOR PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.

       (a) In General.--Section 1118 of the Transportation Equity 
     Act for the 21st Century (23 U.S.C. 101 note) is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``The Secretary shall provide 
     consideration to corridors where traffic has increased since 
     the date of enactment of the North American Free Trade 
     Agreement Implementation Act and is projected to increase in 
     the future.'' in subsection (a) after ``trade.'';
       (2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
       ``(b) Eligibility of Corridors.--The Secretary may make 
     allocations under this section with respect to high priority 
     corridors identified in section 1105(c) of the Intermodal 
     Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 that connect to 
     the border between the United States and Mexico or the United 
     States and Canada.
       (3) by striking ``and section 1119'' in subsection (e); and
       (4) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(h) Funding.--Fifty percent of the funds made available 
     by section 1101 of this Act to carry out section 1119 and 
     this section for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2009 shall 
     be--
       ``(1) available for obligation to carry out this section; 
     and
       ``(2) made available for obligation in the same manner as 
     if such funds were apportioned under chapter 1 of title 23, 
     United States Code.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) Section heading.--Section 1118 of that Act is amended 
     by striking ``NATIONAL'' in the section heading and inserting 
     ``NAFTA''.
       (2) Table of contents.--Section 1(b) of that Act is amended 
     by striking the item relating to section 1118 and inserting 
     the following:

``Sec. 1118. NAFTA corridor planning and development program.''.

     SEC. 2. COORDINATED BORDER INFRASTRUCTURE.

       (a) In General.--Section 1101(a)(9) is amended by striking 
     ``2003.'' and inserting ``2003, and such sums as may be 
     necessary for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2009.''.

[[Page S6864]]

       Section 1119 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st 
     Century (23 U.S.C. 101 note) is amended--
       (1) by striking subsection (d) and redesignating subsection 
     (e) as subsection (d); and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) Funding.--Fifty percent of the funds made available 
     by section 1101 of this Act to carry out section 1118 and 
     this section for each of fiscal years 2004 through 2009 shall 
     be--
       ``(1) available for obligation to carry out this section; 
     and
       ``(2) made available for obligation in the same manner as 
     if such funds were apportioned under chapter 1 of title 23, 
     United States Code.''.
                                 ______