[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 26, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E88]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       INDIAN SCHOOL BUS ROUTE SAFETY REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2003

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM UDALL

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 26, 2005

  Mr. UDALL of Mexico. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise 
to introduce companion legislation to a bill being introduced by 
Senator Jeff Bingaman in the Senate today. I am extremely pleased to be 
joined in introducing this legislation, the Indian School Bus Route 
Safety Reauthorization Act of 2005, by Congressman Jim Matheson of Utah 
and Congressman Rick Renzi of Arizona, both of whom represent portions 
of the Navajo Nation in their Congressional districts.
  This bill is very similar to legislation Senator Bingaman and I 
introduced during the 108th Congress, also joined then by Mr. Matheson 
and Mr. Renzi, to benefit the children and residents of the Navajo 
Nation, and the counties into which the Navajo Nation's boundaries 
extend. In New Mexico these counties are McKinley and San Juan 
Counties, and prior to 1998 they were responsible for maintaining the 
roads used by county school buses that stretch into the reservation to 
transport the children of the Navajo Nation to and from the county 
schools. Although there is nothing unique about counties funding and 
maintaining the roads in their jurisdiction, this particular case of 
the counties being responsible for the upkeep of the roads that ran 
into the Navajo Nation was extremely rare, and seems to be the only 
situation of this kind throughout the United States. This put an 
enormous burden on McKinley and San Juan County officials, and 
oftentimes resulted in impassable roads, which, in turn, resulted in 
children missing school because the buses were unable to pick them up.
  In 1998, however, Senator Bingaman was successful in acquiring funds 
through the Indian School Bus Route Safety Act for the counties in New 
Mexico, Utah, and Arizona to assist them in facing this particularly 
burdensome responsibility. Today, we are proud to introduce the 
reauthorization of this legislation to provide further assistance to 
the counties and children of the Navajo Nation. This bill authorizes 
funds totaling $10.8 million for fiscal years 2005 through 2010--$1.8 
million for each of the fiscal years--to be divided equally among New 
Mexico, Utah, and Arizona.
  These critical funds will provide much-needed assistance to the 
counties, and will help put an end to the shameful situation of 
children missing school simply because of impassable roads due to lack 
of maintenance. I am extremely hopeful that we can either pass this 
measure, or include it as part of any transportation reauthorization 
bill Congress considers this session, to provide further assistance to 
the children of the Navajo Nation and our respective states. I urge my 
colleagues to support this legislation.

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