[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 31, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H1745]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
           REAUTHORIZATION OF THE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION ACT

  (Mr. BLUMENAUER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, this House over the next 2 days is going 
to be debating the single most important environmental and jobs bill of 
the session, the reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Act. It 
is unfortunate that we are not going to have the opportunity to deal 
with a bill that is right-sized for America's needs.
  The administration's own Department of Transportation has concluded 
that we need $375 billion to meet America's needs over the next 6 
years; yet the administration has threatened to use its first veto of 
any bill if we have the temerity to approve anything over $256 billion, 
which will be a 10 percent cut in transportation funding over the next 
6 years.
  Nobody in this Chamber feels that we should be cutting our investment 
in the future. It is time for Members on both sides of the aisle to 
support the bipartisan committee leadership to at least approve the 
$275 billion bill, keep the basic structure in place, and make sure 
that we are giving America the transportation infrastructure it needs 
for the future.

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