[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 131 (Wednesday, September 16, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9396-S9397]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRANSPORTATION APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, I will spend some time discussing the 
amendments we have. There is some opposition to our amendment to allow 
the States to opt out of being required to fund transportation 
enhancements. This does not eliminate the enhancements. What it simply 
does is give the State of Colorado or the State of Oklahoma the 
opportunity to say, with roads in such disrepair and 138,000 bridges in 
disrepair, that we have the ability, if we so choose, to take all of 
the money, instead of 90 percent, and apply it to solve the problems we 
have.
  So it will not force California to not do enhancements. It will not 
force any State to not do them. It will give them the privilege of 
electing whether they want to do those enhancements when, in fact, we 
have such a critical need in terms of roads, highways, and bridges.
  So the goal of this--and it is important to know where the money 
comes from. The money is taxes that are collected from individuals in 
Colorado and Oklahoma and every other State that are then sent here and 
then sent back. In my State--I do not know about Colorado--we have 
never gotten more than 93 percent of what we have sent here. We used to 
average about 74 percent. But now, as to the money that does come back, 
10 percent has to be spent on enhancements, whether that is sound 
barriers or walking paths or bicycle paths or numerous other 
enhancements, as under the SAFETEA-LU bill.
  So what this amendment does, it does not force anybody to not, but it 
gives them the option to fix the problems in their State.
  I would note that the National Transportation Safety Board notified 
us that last year 13,000 people died on our highways, not because they 
made a driving error, not because someone else made a driving error, 
not because they had a problem with their automobile or with their 
truck, they had the accident because the roads were substandard. 
Thirteen thousand people lost their lives.
  So the question of priority, of whether my department of 
transportation in Oklahoma ought to have the ability to fix roads and 
bridges instead of building sound barriers ought to be left to us.
  This amendment is for this year only. It does not eliminate, does not 
change the law. It just says: We are going to give you the option this 
year with this money, if your State has needs--and Oklahoma has 
significant needs; I know Colorado does because I am there a lot--that 
we do not necessarily spend it on sound barriers, that we can actually 
spend it on something that is going to save somebody's life. So it does 
not force anybody to not do enhancements but gives them the right to 
choose the priority of saving lives over enhancements, if they so 
desire.
  The Senator from California made a statement yesterday about what 
this amendment would do. There is no force in this amendment other than 
to allow. It allows the States the freedom to do what is best for their 
citizens rather than saying 10 percent of the money they get back has 
to be spent on things that are not going to save lives, are not going 
to enhance safety, but, in fact, are going to enhance aesthetics.
  So I think it is a commonsense amendment. There is no force; that if 
California wants to continue to spend 10 percent of their money on 
enhancements, they can. There will be nothing that will keep them from 
doing that. It will be what the State decides to do rather than what we 
decide to do.

[[Page S9397]]

Since it is money taken from those States, it would seem we would want 
to give the States the option to make the best priority choice for 
those dollars for their individual citizens.
  I am very appreciative of Senator Murray's agreement to take two of 
our amendments that are based on transparency to the American public. 
One requires HUD to report to Congress on homes that are owned and the 
cost to taxpayers so the American people see what the Department of 
Housing and Urban Development is doing. The other is an amendment to 
make available to the public all the reports--and there are numerous 
reports required in this bill of the Transportation Department--to make 
those available to the public as well so it is in the light of 
transparency. I am very thankful for Senator Murray's agreement on 
those two amendments.
  I have two other amendments I will talk about when Senator Murray 
gets to the floor. Otherwise, Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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