[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 107 (Friday, July 18, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1512-E1513]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION FUNDS

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                       HON. CAROLYN C. KILPATRICK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 17, 2003

  Ms. KILPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, taxpayers have given the U.S. Congress 
the authority to allocate their hard-earned money to build and repair 
highways, bridges, mass transit systems and transportation projects of 
all kinds. In keeping with our Nation's traditions, this program is 
largely funded by the Federal Government but conducted by the States.

[[Page E1513]]

  However, there lacks sufficient oversight tools to monitor how 
Federal transportation money is being spent at the State and local 
levels. More than 80 percent of comparative studies have found that 
contracting-out engineering, design and inspection costs of 
transportation projects cost more than doing this work in-house. The 
taxpayers could have saved some money and gotten a similar quality if 
state and local engineers handled the projects.
  Furthermore, skilled and dedicated professionals have been leaving 
State and local governments for private sector, not only because 
salaries are higher and career opportunities are greater, but it is 
also because transportation departments have been reducing their 
staffs, holding down their pay and contracting-out the most interesting 
work.
  Now that the ``baby boom'' generation of engineers is preparing to 
retire, State and local transportation departments need to take action 
to retain existing engineering and technical employees and to recruit 
skilled and dedicated professionals to take the place of those who are 
leaving.
  Because of the oversight deficiency and an intention to keep 
professional engineers with the State and local transportation 
departments, I would like to introduce H.R. 1980, The Safety, 
Accountability, and Funding Efficiency for Transportation Act of 2003, 
to encourage State and local agencies that carry out surface 
transportation projects to conduct a cost-benefit analysis before 
procuring architectural, engineering and related services from a 
private contractor.
  By conducting the cost-benefit analysis, a State's and the Federal 
Government agency will be able to determine if using private 
contractors is cost effective and if it is in the public interest to 
use a private contractor or in-house resources when procuring such 
services.
  My constituents through National Association of State Highway and 
Transportation Unions, the AFL-CIO's Department of Professional 
Employees, AFSCME, Service Employees International Union and the 
Communications Workers of America, have shown their support for H.R. 
1980, Safety, Accountability, and Funding Efficiency for Transportation 
Act of 2003.
  The heart of this bill is to require government agencies to prepare 
cost benefit analysis for private contracts with a Federal funding 
value of $100,000 or more. The analyses must contain the cost 
comparison of a proposed project if it is done by a private contractor 
and a government agency.
  In my opinion, it is now time to put accountability in utilizing the 
taxpayers' hard-earned money at State and local levels, especially in 
spending Federal transportation funds.

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