[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 38 (Thursday, March 6, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      THE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009

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                         HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 6, 2008

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I am extremely pleased that the fiscal 
year (FY) 2009 Budget Resolution, approved by the Committee on the 
Budget, recognizes the critical importance of meeting our Nation's 
infrastructure investment needs, even while achieving a balanced budget 
by 2012. The Budget Resolution vigorously rejects the short-sighted 
policies of the President's budget, which cuts virtually every 
infrastructure investment program within the jurisdiction of the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, including highways, 
public transit, airports, Amtrak, wastewater treatment, and water 
resources development.
  In contrast to the harmful cuts proposed by the administration, the 
resolution fully funds highway, transit, and highway safety programs at 
the levels originally authorized in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, 
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). 
The resolution rejects both the negative $1 billion adjustment for 
Revenue Aligned Budget Authority, and the administration's proposal to 
cut highway and transit funding by an additional $1 billion below the 
authorized levels, which would be detrimental to short-term economic 
stimulus efforts, as well as long-term economic growth.
  For the Airport Improvement Program, AIP, the resolution rejects the 
$765 million cut proposed by the administration, and instead provides 
the full amounts authorized in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007 
(H.R. 2881), as approved by the House last year. Specifically, the 
proposed budget provides $3.9 billion for AIP in FY 2009, increasing to 
$4.1 billion by FY 2011. This funding will allow the AIP program to 
keep pace with inflationary cost increases, and begin to address the 
investment gap in airport safety and capacity needs.
  For Amtrak, the resolution rejects the $525 million cut proposed by 
the administration, which would essentially shut down our national 
passenger rail system, and instead increases funding to meet the costs 
of Amtrak's new labor agreement, pursuant to Presidential Emergency 
Board 242.
  For environmental infrastructure, the resolution rejects the 
administration's proposed cut to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, 
CWSRF, program, the primary Federal program for funding wastewater 
infrastructure projects throughout the Nation. A year ago, the 
President requested $687.5 million in capitalization grants for CWSRFs 
for FY 2008. At that time, it was the lowest level requested by any 
administration since the creation of the program. For FY 2009, the 
administration requests a pitiful $555 million, a 20 percent cut from 
last year's appropriation of $689 million. The administration's 
proposal puts at risk the water quality gains achieved in recent 
decades, and the resolution correctly rejects this cut.
  Finally, the resolution rejects the administration's proposal to cut 
funding for the Army Corps of Engineers by $845 million in FY 2009, and 
instead provides increased funding to begin to address the growing 
backlog of water resources development projects, including those 
authorized by the Water Resources Development Act of 2007.
  The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure firmly believes 
that infrastructure investment is fundamental to stimulating and 
sustaining long-term economic growth. Therefore, I am pleased that the 
budget resolution includes an Infrastructure Investment Reserve Fund, 
which will accommodate legislation to ``Rebuild America'' in FY 2009.
  I look forward to working with Chairman Spratt on continued 
improvements to our Nation's infrastructure, and I urge my colleagues 
to support the resolution.




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