[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 131 (Tuesday, September 23, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1867-E1868]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN SUPPORT OF REAUTHORIZATION OF TEA 21 AND H.R. 1789, THE AMERICAN 
                               PARITY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. NICK J. RAHALL, III

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 23, 2003

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call once again for 
reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century 
(TEA 21), which will expire in just over one week.
  Today, the House considers a five-month extension to TEA 21. But it 
ought to be passing a meaningful surface transportation bill that will 
address measurable needs in our infrastructure, provide desperately 
needed jobs, and bolster our economy.
  Several weeks ago, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 
said that we are failing to maintain even the substandard conditions of 
our transportation infrastructure. It described our national roads 
system as ``poor,'' and our national bridges and transit systems as 
``mediocre.'' For my home state of West Virginia, the ASCE report said 
more than a third of state roads are in poor or mediocre condition, and 
one-fifth of the state's bridges are deficient or functionally 
obsolete.
  This should not come as a surprise to anyone. The United States is in 
need of infrastructure reinvestment. The Federal Highway 
Administration, the General Accounting Office, and industry trade 
groups have clearly communicated the shortcomings in our Nation's 
infrastructure since last year.
  Almost 30 percent of our bridges are structurally or functionally 
deficient, and half our interstate bridges are over 33 years old.
  Of the 102,859 bridges that are part of our Strategic Highway 
Network, which the Department of Defense would use to mobilize against 
global and domestic threats, over 20,000 of them are rated as 
deficient.
  Twenty-four percent of both our Urban Bus and Urban Rail maintenance 
facilities are substandard.
  Highway congestion in cities with less than 500,000 in population 
experienced an increase of 217 percent in the years 1987 to 2000. It is 
worth noting that most of America resides in cities with less than 
500,000 in population.
  Traffic delays in rush hour traffic increase travel times by 63 
percent in urban areas.
  Estimates place the loss of productivity and motor fuel at $68 
billion currently, and it is expected to near $100 billion by 2009.
  Importantly, the FHWA has also noted the benefits of economic 
investment in our infrastructure. Every $1 billion we invest in our 
highways creates 47,500 good-paying jobs at a time when unemployment 
levels remain unsteady, and it provides $6.1 billion of economic 
activity in return, which would help restore our uneven economy.
  Mr. Speaker, the FHWA said that we need to invest $375 billion over 
the next six years to sustain our surface transportation system in its 
current condition to maintain economic growth.
  However, many in Congress and the President say that we cannot afford 
this investment in our infrastructure, which is an investment in our 
present and in our future. For this reason, efforts to craft a 
meaningful surface transportation bill as the successor to TEA 21 
stalled months ago.
  Congress should not oppose investment in our infrastructure to ensure 
our future. We know what needs to be done, yet we are being delinquent 
in our responsibility to the American people by not doing it. Congress 
should enact a surface transportation bill as a worthy successor to TEA 
21.
  Meanwhile, the Bush administration tells Congress that what is needed 
is $87 billion for Iraq. Furthermore, a House Budget Committee study 
indicates that the cost of the Iraq war and occupation could easily 
reach $417 billion over the next decade.
  Mr. Speaker, this reflects skewed priorities. Moreover, it raises 
concerns for what programs may be cut to pay for the Iraq funding.
  My support for our brave troops is total, and that means they must 
have every resource made available to them. However, the task of 
rebuilding Iraq cannot be America's responsibility alone. We should 
draw upon the support and aid of the world community.
  However, we have needs at home as I have suggested. That is why I am 
a proud cosponsor of H.R. 1789, the American Parity Act, which would 
require that America's priorities be addressed with the same urgency 
that the administration is giving to rebuilding Iraq.

[[Page E1868]]

  In addition to the infrastructure needs I mentioned, we suffer from 
having 42 million uninsured Americans and rising health costs for 
insured individuals, proposed reductions in Medicaid funding, 
insufficient funding for the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant of 
the National Health Service Corps, a national nursing shortage, the 
most far-reaching energy blackout in U.S. history, attempts to buy 
homeland security on the cheap, and record-level deficits.
  Americans need and deserve affordable health care, capable schools, 
quality education, sufficient homeland security, safe and reliable 
roads and mass transit, modern water infrastructure, and jobs, jobs, 
and jobs. We won't get these things by ignoring our problems here at 
home.
  We need to reinvest in America, first and foremost.

                          ____________________