[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 17, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1832]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY BORDERS AND TRADE ACT OF 2003

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                         HON. VERNON J. EHLERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 17, 2003

  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce today a bill to 
improve transportation efficiency and to facilitate trade along our 
country's major international borders and trade corridors--the National 
Highway Borders and Trade Act of 2003.
  Congress created two programs in the Transportation Equity Act for 
the 21st Century to assist the flow of people and goods through the 
United States-Canada and United States-Mexico borders and international 
trade corridors. Over the last 6 years, the funds provided through the 
borders and corridors programs have contributed to the critical 
improvement of the roads and bridges along these routes. However, 
despite this dedicated funding, our trade infrastructure is 
increasingly strained. Border crossing times are significantly delayed, 
interrupting the efficient flow of goods and disrupting the just-in-
time delivery that is critical to our manufacturing and commercial 
sectors. Moreover, our highway system currently carries 70 percent of 
the total goods shipped in the United States, and freight traffic is 
expected to double in the next 20 years. This increased congestion will 
lead to lost productivity and have a negative impact on our economy. 
Changes to the borders and corridors programs are essential if we hope 
to address these increasingly growing concerns.
  The National Highway Borders and Trade Act of 2003 will help reduce 
border crossing congestion and delays and will improve the highway 
corridors that carry international commerce by boosting funding for the 
borders and corridors programs to $200 million for each program 
annually for the next 6 years.
  Under the bill, the borders program is converted to a more 
predictable, formula-based program in order to stabilize funding levels 
for States' border projects. Under a commonsense formula that considers 
factors that are directly related to delays and the effect of trade on 
the economy, funding will be based on cargo weight, trade value, and 
the number of commercial and passenger vehicles passing over the 
border. Eligible uses for border program funds include improvements to 
infrastructure, construction of safety enforcement and inspection 
facilities, operational improvements such as ITS technology, and 
coordinated planning with Canadian and Mexican authorities.
  The bill also makes improvements to the existing corridors program. 
The legislation focuses funding eligibility on roads that are one of 
the previously designated high priority corridors, as determined by 
Congress, and an intermodal road connector to an ocean or inland sea 
port that accepts a certain minimum amount of international commercial 
cargo. The corridors program is maintained as a discretionary program, 
and eligible uses include corridor planning and design activity, 
location and routing studies, multistate and intrastate coordination, 
environmental review, and construction costs.
  Finally, the bill maintains fiscal responsibility and ensures State 
investment by mandating a 20-percent State or local share for projects 
carried out under either program.
  This bill is similar to S. 1535, a bill introduced in the Senate by 
Senator Levin from my home State of Michigan. I look forward to working 
with Senator Levin toward passage of this important legislation.

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