[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 121 (Thursday, September 30, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1754]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




TRANSPORTATION, TREASURY, AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2005

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                               speech of

                           HON. EARL POMEROY

                            of north dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2004

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5025) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Transportation and 
     Treasury, and independent agencies for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2005, and for other purposes.
  Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to say that I will be voting 
for H.R. 5025, the Fiscal Year 2005 Transportation, Treasury, and 
Independent Agencies Appropriations Bill in the hopes that this bill's 
serious problems can be fixed in conference negotiations with the 
Senate.
  Unfortunately, the House and Senate Transportation Conferees have 
been unable to reach a deal on a transportation reauthorization bill. 
As a result, appropriated funds for unauthorized programs were struck 
from the proposed Fiscal Year 2005 Transportation, Treasury, and 
Independent Agencies Appropriations bill. Doing so made this bill 
woefully inadequate in terms of funding levels for various 
transportation agencies and programs including the Federal Highway 
Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Amtrak, the Federal 
Transit Administration and the Surface Transportation Board.
  However, I am going to vote for the bill based on the assurances of 
the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Transportation, Treasury and 
Independent Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee that funding for these 
critical accounts will be reinstated in conference. I hope that by 
furthering this bill, we can ensure that funding for North Dakota's 
significant transportation needs is secured.
  I rise as well to express my opposition to the authorization of an 
automatic cost-of-living (COLA) pay increase for Members of Congress 
contained within H.R. 5025. A fiscally responsible Congress should have 
the opportunity to consider a pay raise independently of funding for 
important transportation projects in their districts. That is why I 
voted against the previous question on the rule to allow consideration 
of H.R. 5025 separate from this provision. It is my hope that Congress 
will take steps to ensure separate consideration for any increases in 
the future.

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