[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 11, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         ALAMEDA CORRIDOR REPAYS FEDERAL LOAN AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JANE HARMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 11, 2004

  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, last Thursday, the Alameda Corridor 
Transportation Authority (ACTH) paid, in full, the balance of the 
federal loan that financed construction of improved access for cargo 
container traffic from the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach. I 
congratulate the Authority for retiring this debt 28 years ahead of 
schedule.
  Approved by Congress as part of the 1997 Transportation 
Appropriations Act, the loan provided crucial support for the $2.4 
billion construction project. Together, the Ports of Los Angeles and 
Long Beach comprise the largest port complex in the United States, 
handling more than 40 percent of the Nation's imports. Last year, for 
example, the Port of Los Angeles, which I represent in part, handled 
more than 7.1 million cargo containers a 17\1/2\-percent increase over 
the previous year.
  Moving these containers safely and efficiently from both ports to 
points east is a Herculean task. The Alameda Corridor, which opened in 
April 2002 on time and within budget, comprises railroad and highway 
improvements and, in particular, a 20-mile grade-separated rail line 
that relieves congestion and mitigates the impact of cargo container 
movement on neighboring communities.
  Financing of the Alameda Corridor would not have succeeded if it were 
not for the persuasive bipartisan efforts of the entire Los Angeles 
congressional delegation. On many occasions, I joined then-
Representative Steve Horn, who represented the Port of Long Beach, 
Representatives Jerry Lewis and Lucille Roybal-Allard and the late-
Representative Julian Dixon, key members of the appropriations 
committee, and my colleagues Juanita Millender-McDonald and David 
Dreier, in pressing for enactment of the federal loan at key points in 
the legislative process.
  I also want to praise Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta for 
his leadership as Secretary and as both the chairman and ranking member 
of the House Public and Transportation Committee during his tenure in 
the House. His unfailing support of this project has not gone unnoticed 
or unappreciated.
  Mr. Speaker, with cargo volume forecasted to dramatically increase as 
a result of the worldwide economic recovery, the Ports of Los Angeles 
and Long Beach are poised to take advantage of increased trade from the 
Pacific Rim. The Alameda Corridor project demonstrated the constructive 
roles both the federal and local governments can play in meeting the 
needs of expensive, complex but nonetheless important projects for 
moving containers to markets overseas and elsewhere. Indeed, plans are 
already underway to extend the Corridor eastward--a plan I strongly 
support and which will further enhance the economy of southern 
California and the Nation.
  My congratulations to the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, 
and to all the individuals and local officials who supported this 
project, for a job well done.

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