Congressional Record, Volume 161 Issue 77 (Tuesday, May 19, 2015)

[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 77 (Tuesday, May 19, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H3330-H3339]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION FUNDING ACT OF 2015

General Leave

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous materials on H.R. 2353.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 271, I call up
the bill (H.R. 2353) to provide an extension of Federal-aid highway,
highway safety, motor carrier safety, transit, and other programs
funded out of the Highway Trust Fund, and for other purposes, and ask
for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 271, the bill
is considered read.
The text of the bill is as follows:

H.R. 2353

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS; TABLE OF
CONTENTS.

(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Highway
and Transportation Funding Act of 2015''.
(b) Reconciliation of Funds.--The Secretary of
Transportation shall reduce the amount apportioned or
allocated for a program, project, or activity under this Act
in fiscal year 2015 by amounts apportioned or allocated
pursuant to the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of
2014, including the amendments made by that Act, for the
period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31,
2015.
(c) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; reconciliation of funds; table of contents.

TITLE I--SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM EXTENSION

Subtitle A--Federal-Aid Highways

Sec. 1001. Extension of Federal-aid highway programs.
Sec. 1002. Administrative expenses.

Subtitle B--Extension of Highway Safety Programs

Sec. 1101. Extension of national highway traffic safety administration
highway safety programs.
Sec. 1102. Extension of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
programs.
Sec. 1103. Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act.

Subtitle C--Public Transportation Programs

Sec. 1201. Formula grants for rural areas.
Sec. 1202. Apportionment of appropriations for formula grants.
Sec. 1203. Authorizations for public transportation.
Sec. 1204. Bus and bus facilities formula grants.

Subtitle D--Hazardous Materials

Sec. 1301. Authorization of appropriations.

TITLE II--REVENUE PROVISIONS

Sec. 2001. Extension of Highway Trust Fund expenditure authority.

TITLE I--SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM EXTENSION

Subtitle A--Federal-Aid Highways

SEC. 1001. EXTENSION OF FEDERAL-AID HIGHWAY PROGRAMS.

(a) In General.--Section 1001(a) of the Highway and
Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (128 Stat. 1840) is
amended by striking ``May 31, 2015'' and inserting ``July 31,
2015''.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) Highway trust fund.--Section 1001(b)(1) of the Highway
and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (128 Stat. 1840) is
amended by striking ``for the period beginning on

[[Page H3331]]

October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31, 2015, a sum equal to
\243/365\ of the total amount'' and inserting ``for the
period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31,
2015, a sum equal to \304/365\ of the total amount''.
(2) General fund.--Section 1123(h)(1) of MAP-21 (23 U.S.C.
202 note) is amended by striking ``and $19,972,603 out of the
general fund of the Treasury to carry out the program for the
period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31,
2015'' and inserting ``and $24,986,301 out of the general
fund of the Treasury to carry out the program for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015''.
(c) Use of Funds.--
(1) In general.--Section 1001(c)(1) of the Highway and
Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (128 Stat. 1840) is
amended--
(A) by striking ``May 31, 2015,'' and inserting ``July 31,
2015,''; and
(B) by striking ``\243/365\'' and inserting ``\304/365\''.
(2) Obligation ceiling.--Section 1102 of MAP-21 (23 U.S.C.
104 note) is amended--
(A) in subsection (a) by striking paragraph (3) and
inserting the following:
``(3) $33,528,284,932 for the period beginning on October
1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015.'';
(B) in subsection (b)(12) by striking ``, and for the
period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31,
2015, only in an amount equal to $639,000,000, less any
reductions that would have otherwise been required for that
year by section 251A of the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901a), then multiplied
by \243/365\ for that period'' and inserting ``, and for the
period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31,
2015, only in an amount equal to $639,000,000, less any
reductions that would have otherwise been required for that
year by section 251A of the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901a), then multiplied
by \304/365\ for that period'';
(C) in subsection (c)--
(i) in the matter preceding paragraph (1) by striking ``May
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``July 31, 2015,''; and
(ii) in paragraph (2) in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A) by striking ``for the period beginning on October 1,
2014, and ending May 31, 2015, that is equal to \243/365\ of
such unobligated balance'' and inserting ``for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,
that is equal to \304/365\ of such unobligated balance''; and
(D) in subsection (f)(1) in the matter preceding
subparagraph (A) by striking ``May 31, 2015,'' and inserting
``July 31, 2015,''.

SEC. 1002. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.

Section 1002 of the Highway and Transportation Funding Act
of 2014 (128 Stat. 1842) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a) by striking ``for administrative
expenses of the Federal-aid highway program $292,931,507 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May
31, 2015.'' and inserting ``for administrative expenses of
the Federal-aid highway program $366,465,753 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015.'';
and
(2) by striking subsection (b)(2) and inserting the
following:
``(2) for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on July 31, 2015, subject to the limitations on
administrative expenses under the heading `Federal Highway
Administration' in appropriations Acts that apply to that
period.''.

Subtitle B--Extension of Highway Safety Programs

SEC. 1101. EXTENSION OF NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY
ADMINISTRATION HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAMS.

(a) Extension of Programs.--
(1) Highway safety programs.--Section 31101(a)(1)(C) of
MAP-21 (126 Stat. 733) is amended to read as follows:
``(C) $195,726,027 for the period beginning on October 1,
2014, and ending on July 31, 2015.''.
(2) Highway safety research and development.--Section
31101(a)(2)(C) of MAP-21 (126 Stat. 733) is amended to read
as follows:
``(C) $94,531,507 for the period beginning on October 1,
2014, and ending on July 31, 2015.''.
(3) National priority safety programs.--Section
31101(a)(3)(C) of MAP-21 (126 Stat. 733) is amended to read
as follows:
``(C) $226,542,466 for the period beginning on October 1,
2014, and ending on July 31, 2015.''.
(4) National driver register.--Section 31101(a)(4)(C) of
MAP-21 (126 Stat. 733) is amended to read as follows:
``(C) $4,164,384 for the period beginning on October 1,
2014, and ending on July 31, 2015.''.
(5) High visibility enforcement program.--
(A) Authorization of appropriations.--Section
31101(a)(5)(C) of MAP-21 (126 Stat. 733) is amended to read
as follows:
``(C) $24,153,425 for the period beginning on October 1,
2014, and ending on July 31, 2015.''.
(B) Law enforcement campaigns.--Section 2009(a) of SAFETEA-
LU (23 U.S.C. 402 note) is amended--
(i) in the first sentence by striking ``May 31, 2015'' and
inserting ``July 31, 2015''; and
(ii) in the second sentence by striking ``May 31, 2015,''
and inserting ``July 31, 2015,''.
(6) Administrative expenses.--Section 31101(a)(6)(C) of
MAP-21 (126 Stat. 733) is amended to read as follows:
``(C) $21,238,356 for the period beginning on October 1,
2014, and ending on July 31, 2015.''.
(b) Cooperative Research and Evaluation.--Section 403(f)(1)
of title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking ``and
$1,664,384 of the total amount available for apportionment to
the States for highway safety programs under section 402(c)
in the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and $2,082,192 of the total
amount available for apportionment to the States for highway
safety programs under section 402(c) in the period beginning
on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,''.
(c) Applicability of Title 23.--Section 31101(c) of MAP-21
(126 Stat. 733) is amended by striking ``May 31, 2015,'' and
inserting ``July 31, 2015,''.

SEC. 1102. EXTENSION OF FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY
ADMINISTRATION PROGRAMS.

(a) Motor Carrier Safety Grants.--Section 31104(a)(10) of
title 49, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
``(10) $181,567,123 for the period beginning on October 1,
2014, and ending on July 31, 2015.''.
(b) Administrative Expenses.--Section 31104(i)(1)(J) of
title 49, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
``(J) $215,715,068 for the period beginning on October 1,
2014, and ending on July 31, 2015.''.
(c) Grant Programs.--
(1) Commercial driver's license program improvement
grants.--Section 4101(c)(1) of SAFETEA-LU (119 Stat. 1715) is
amended by striking ``and $19,972,603 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31, 2015''
and inserting ``and $24,986,301 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015''.
(2) Border enforcement grants.--Section 4101(c)(2) of
SAFETEA-LU (119 Stat. 1715) is amended by striking ``and
$21,304,110 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on May 31, 2015'' and inserting ``and $26,652,055 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July
31, 2015''.
(3) Performance and registration information system
management grant program.--Section 4101(c)(3) of SAFETEA-LU
(119 Stat. 1715) is amended by striking ``and $3,328,767 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May
31, 2015'' and inserting ``and $4,164,384 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015''.
(4) Commercial vehicle information systems and networks
deployment program.--Section 4101(c)(4) of SAFETEA-LU (119
Stat. 1715) is amended by striking ``and $16,643,836 for the
period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31,
2015'' and inserting ``and $20,821,918 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015''.
(5) Safety data improvement grants.--Section 4101(c)(5) of
SAFETEA-LU (119 Stat. 1715) is amended by striking ``and
$1,997,260 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on May 31, 2015'' and inserting ``and $2,498,630 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July
31, 2015''.
(d) High-priority Activities.--Section 31104(k)(2) of title
49, United States Code, is amended by striking ``and up to
$9,986,301 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on May 31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and up to
$12,493,151 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on July 31, 2015,''.
(e) New Entrant Audits.--Section 31144(g)(5)(B) of title
49, United States Code, is amended by striking ``and up to
$21,304,110 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on May 31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and up to
$26,652,055 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on July 31, 2015,''.
(f) Outreach and Education.--Section 4127(e) of SAFETEA-LU
(119 Stat. 1741) is amended by striking ``and $2,663,014 to
the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for the
period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31,
2015,'' and inserting ``and $3,331,507 to the Federal Motor
Carrier Safety Administration for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,''.
(g) Grant Program for Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators.--
Section 4134(c) of SAFETEA-LU (49 U.S.C. 31301 note) is
amended by striking ``and $665,753 for the period beginning
on October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31, 2015,'' and
inserting ``and $832,877 for the period beginning on October
1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,''.

SEC. 1103. DINGELL-JOHNSON SPORT FISH RESTORATION ACT.

Section 4 of the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act
(16 U.S.C. 777c) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)
by striking ``May 31, 2015'' and inserting ``July 31, 2015'';
and
(2) in subsection (b)(1)(A) by striking ``May 31, 2015,''
and inserting ``July 31, 2015,''.

Subtitle C--Public Transportation Programs

SEC. 1201. FORMULA GRANTS FOR RURAL AREAS.

Section 5311(c)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A) by striking ``and $3,328,767 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and $4,164,384 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'';
and
(2) in subparagraph (B) by striking ``and $16,643,836 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and $20,821,918 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,''.

[[Page H3332]]

SEC. 1202. APPORTIONMENT OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR FORMULA
GRANTS.

Section 5336(h)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by striking ``and $19,972,603 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31, 2015,''
and inserting ``and $24,986,301 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,''.

SEC. 1203. AUTHORIZATIONS FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

(a) Formula Grants.--Section 5338(a) of title 49, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1) by striking ``and $5,722,150,685 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May
31, 2015'' and inserting ``and $7,158,575,342 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015'';
(2) in paragraph (2)--
(A) in subparagraph (A) by striking ``and $85,749,041 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and $107,274,521 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'';
(B) in subparagraph (B) by striking ``and $6,657,534 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and $8,328,767 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'';
(C) in subparagraph (C) by striking ``and $2,968,361,507
for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on
May 31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and $3,713,505,753 for the
period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31,
2015,'';
(D) in subparagraph (D) by striking ``and $171,964,110 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and $215,132,055 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'';
(E) in subparagraph (E)--
(i) by striking ``and $404,644,932 for the period beginning
on October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31, 2015,'' and
inserting ``and $506,222,466 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'';
(ii) by striking ``and $19,972,603 for the period beginning
on October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31, 2015,'' and
inserting ``and $24,986,301 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,''; and
(iii) by striking ``and $13,315,068 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31, 2015,''
and inserting ``and $16,657,534 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'';
(F) in subparagraph (F) by striking ``and $1,997,260 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and $2,498,630 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'';
(G) in subparagraph (G) by striking ``and $3,328,767 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and $4,164,384 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'';
(H) in subparagraph (H) by striking ``and $2,563,151 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and $3,206,575 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'';
(I) in subparagraph (I) by striking ``and $1,441,955,342
for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on
May 31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and $1,803,927,671 for the
period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31,
2015,'';
(J) in subparagraph (J) by striking ``and $284,809,315 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and $356,304,658 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'';
and
(K) in subparagraph (K) by striking ``and $350,119,726 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May
31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and $438,009,863 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,''.
(b) Research, Development Demonstration and Deployment
Projects.--Section 5338(b) of title 49, United States Code,
is amended by striking ``and $46,602,740 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31, 2015''
and inserting ``and $58,301,370 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015''.
(c) Transit Cooperative Research Program.--Section 5338(c)
of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking ``and
$4,660,274 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on May 31, 2015'' and inserting ``and $5,830,137 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July
31, 2015''.
(d) Technical Assistance and Standards Development.--
Section 5338(d) of title 49, United States Code, is amended
by striking ``and $4,660,274 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31, 2015'' and inserting
``and $5,830,137 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014,
and ending on July 31, 2015''.
(e) Human Resources and Training.--Section 5338(e) of title
49, United States Code, is amended by striking ``and
$3,328,767 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on May 31, 2015'' and inserting ``and $4,164,384 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July
31, 2015''.
(f) Capital Investment Grants.--Section 5338(g) of title
49, United States Code, is amended by striking ``and
$1,269,591,781 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014,
and ending on May 31, 2015'' and inserting ``and
$1,558,295,890 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014,
and ending on July 31, 2015''.
(g) Administration.--Section 5338(h) of title 49, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1) by striking ``and $69,238,356 for the
period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31,
2015'' and inserting ``and $86,619,178 for the period
beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015'';
(2) in paragraph (2) by striking ``and not less than
$3,328,767 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on May 31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and not less than
$4,164,384 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on July 31, 2015,''; and
(3) in paragraph (3) by striking ``and not less than
$665,753 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on May 31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and not less than
$832,877 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on July 31, 2015,''.

SEC. 1204. BUS AND BUS FACILITIES FORMULA GRANTS.

Section 5339(d)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) by striking ``and $43,606,849 for the period beginning
on October 1, 2014, and ending on May 31, 2015,'' and
inserting ``and $54,553,425 for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'';
(2) by striking ``$832,192 for such period'' and inserting
``$1,041,096 for such period''; and
(3) by striking ``$332,877 for such period'' and inserting
``$416,438 for such period''.

Subtitle D--Hazardous Materials

SEC. 1301. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

(a) In General.--Section 5128(a)(3) of title 49, United
States Code, is amended to read as follows:
``(3) $35,615,474 for the period beginning on October 1,
2014, and ending on July 31, 2015.''.
(b) Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Fund.--
Section 5128(b)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended to read as follows:
``(2) Fiscal year 2015.--From the Hazardous Materials
Emergency Preparedness Fund established under section
5116(i), the Secretary may expend for the period beginning on
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015--
``(A) $156,581 to carry out section 5115;
``(B) $18,156,712 to carry out subsections (a) and (b) of
section 5116, of which not less than $11,368,767 shall be
available to carry out section 5116(b);
``(C) $124,932 to carry out section 5116(f);
``(D) $520,548 to publish and distribute the Emergency
Response Guidebook under section 5116(i)(3); and
``(E) $832,877 to carry out section 5116(j).''.
(c) Hazardous Materials Training Grants.--Section 5128(c)
of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking ``and
$2,663,014 for the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and
ending on May 31, 2015,'' and inserting ``and $3,331,507 for
the period beginning on October 1, 2014, and ending on July
31, 2015,''.

TITLE II--REVENUE PROVISIONS

SEC. 2001. EXTENSION OF HIGHWAY TRUST FUND EXPENDITURE
AUTHORITY.

(a) Highway Trust Fund.--Section 9503 of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended--
(1) by striking ``June 1, 2015'' in subsections (b)(6)(B),
(c)(1), and (e)(3) and inserting ``August 1, 2015'', and
(2) by striking ``Highway and Transportation Funding Act of
2014'' in subsections (c)(1) and (e)(3) and inserting
``Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015''.
(b) Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund.--Section
9504 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended--
(1) by striking ``Highway and Transportation Funding Act of
2014'' each place it appears in subsection (b)(2) and
inserting ``Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015'',
and
(2) by striking ``June 1, 2015'' in subsection (d)(2) and
inserting ``August 1, 2015''.
(c) Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund.--Section
9508(e)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by
striking ``June 1, 2015'' and inserting ``August 1, 2015''.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Shuster) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) each will control
30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2353, the Highway and
Transportation Funding Act of 2015. This bill will extend the Federal
surface transportation programs for 2 months, through July of 2015.
H.R. 2353 is a clean extension of the surface transportation
programs, funded at the authorized amounts for fiscal year 2014. No
transfer of funding to the highway trust fund is necessary because the
trust fund will remain solvent during the period. However, we will more
than likely have to pass another short-term patch before the August
recess and take steps to ensure the trust fund remains solvent. I hope
all of you will support H.R. 2353.
I have to say, a short-term extension through the end of July was not
our

[[Page H3333]]

preferred path forward. Our hope was to extend the surface programs
through the end of the calendar year. That would have ensured reliable
funding for the States through the construction season. A longer
extension would also have allowed us to focus on finding a long-term
funding solution within the context of tax reform without the
distraction of needing to address a shortfall in the highway trust fund
later this summer. Unfortunately, we were unable to reach an agreement
on a 7-month extension, and so we are left with a 2-month patch.
Mr. Speaker, we have an immediate, critical need to extend the
current surface transportation law. If Congress fails to act, over
4,000 Department of Transportation personnel will be furloughed and the
States will not be able to be reimbursed. Transportation projects and
jobs across the country will be at risk.
I appreciate Chairman Ryan's attention to this pressing issue, as
well as his commitment to addressing the long-term solvency of the
highway trust fund. A long-term reauthorization bill will continue to
be a top priority for this committee. I look forward to working with
Chairman Ryan, Ranking Member DeFazio, and others to achieve a long-
term bill.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Well, here we are again, yet another short-term pass. It is a heck of
a way to run a great nation. Our system is falling apart: 140,000
bridges on the National Highway System need repair or replacement; 40
percent of the surface National Highway System is in such bad shape we
have to dig up the roadbed and resurface; and we have an $86 billion
backlog in transit just to bring the existing transit up to a state of
good repair. It is so bad that we are killing people in the Nation's
Capital unnecessarily because of the state of disrepair of the Metro
system.
It is embarrassing. The United States of America has gone from number
one in the world, unparalleled in terms of its infrastructure in the
Eisenhower era and through a good deal of the latter part of the last
century, to 26th and falling fast. We are investing less of a
percentage of our GDP in infrastructure repairs and maintenance--let
alone, building out a new system--than virtually every nation in the
world.

{time} 1415

We are down to around 1 percent. There are many developing nations
who are investing much, much more because they know they have to move
their people and their goods more efficiently in a world economy.
We cannot continue to kick this can down the road. The road is at a
dead end. Today, we will reluctantly go along with a 2-month patch
because, if we do not act today, at the end of this month, June 1,
4,000 people will be laid off at DOT and all Federal funding for
surface transportation and transit would stop. That would be the end of
it. It wouldn't be authorized.
States that had bills pending couldn't be paid, and States that want
to get new commitments for new projects wouldn't be able to do it, a
tragedy at the height of the construction season. Sixty days should be
enough time to negotiate a long-term bill.
Today, we introduce the GROW AMERICA Act written by the
administration. It has many, many good points to it, especially the
spending levels. We need to enhance spending. We can't pretend, Oh, we
are going to do more with less. We are past that point.
Look at what has happened to the purchasing power of the gas tax,
which hasn't been changed since 1993, two and a half times faster road
traffic volume is going up than we are dealing with the funding issues.
We are in a huge deficit situation, and there are many, many ways--many
of them proposed on a bipartisan basis--to deal with this. We should be
able to work that out.
More importantly, this committee writes the policy. We introduced a
bill today that sets the levels for $87 billion. It is an increase in
transit to deal with the backlog, an increase in highways to deal with
the insufficiencies there, a new dedicated program for freight; and it
puts some more money into rail--commuter rail, in particular--to deal
with positive train control and other issues.
We believe that this is the last wake-up call to give Congress time.
Sixty days is more than enough time to write a long-term authorization
and for the Ways and Means Committee to figure out a way to fund it.
With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Graves), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and
Transit.
Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank, in
addition to this patch, I want to thank Chairman Shuster and Chairman
Ryan for their very hard work towards a long-term reauthorization of
the Federal highway bill.
Mr. Speaker, my home State of Missouri has nearly 35,000 highway
miles and over 10,000 bridges that are practically begging for our
attention. As chairman of the House Subcommittee on Highways and
Transit, every single day I hear about the need to improve and repair
our roadways in this country.
As you can imagine, this isn't a simple task. This is a job that is
going to take years to complete. It requires the hard work and
cooperation of thousands of men and women and relies on partnerships
between the stakeholders, local governments, and Washington.
Most importantly, though, a task of this magnitude requires that
those responsible for planning each project, the State and local
governments, are able to do so with confidence. They need certainty not
only in this year's budget, but also the budgets for the next 5 or 6
years.
This 2-month extension does not come under ideal circumstances, but
it is going to ensure that States are reimbursed for their expenses on
Federal projects, and it is going to give us the time to craft a
bipartisan long-term reauthorization that we so desperately need.
Long-term reauthorization is critical for everyone who plays a role
in improving our Nation's highways and bridges. For too long, they have
been forced to operate off of short-term extension after short-term
extension, and this makes the already difficult job of maintaining our
roadways nearly impossible.
This Congress, we have a huge opportunity to secure a long-term
highway bill that is going to improve, rebuild, and modernize America's
highway system. It is time that we come together to do just that, and I
hope this extension gives us the time to come up with that agreement
that we need.
Again, I want to thank both chairmen for their hard work, and I look
forward to finalizing a much-needed long-term reauthorization.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman
from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), the ranking member of the
Highways and Transit Subcommittee.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend for yielding.
By July, when this new patch expires, Mr. Speaker, we shall have
spent a full year since the last patch, not even trying to make
progress toward a long-term authorization bill.
We have acquired a dangerous habit--33 since the last long-term
bill--of patches that create no urgency to get a long-term bill done.
The Ways and Means Committee, the funding committee for this bill, is
holding its first hearing next month. The frustration in the States has
accumulated as fast as the untenable backlog of projects. Another
construction season has already been sacrificed.
The reason we are here is itself a comment on congressional neglect
of the Nation's infrastructure. States have slowed down their request
for reimbursements from the trust fund because the unreplenished fund,
together with the short-term patches, make it impossible for States,
themselves, to even begin projects of any size.
Mr. Speaker, the States have already scaled back their plans for 2015
that would have created jobs. This self-inflicted crisis is threatening
other jobs, too--many Federal employees in my district and thousands of
others throughout the country. If Congress fails to take action by May
31, many Federal employees will be furloughed; Federal reimbursements
will stop, and the highway and transit programs will

[[Page H3334]]

shut down. The hidden costs are even worse, the many economic
development projects in the country that can't be started until roads,
bridges, and transit to accommodate them are done.
Today, the Democrats on the Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee have introduced the President's GROW AMERICA Act. We are
putting a good bill on the table. Change it or do your own substitute,
but do not leave the Nation's infrastructure twisting in the dust of
another delay.
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Arkansas (Mr. Crawford).
Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, first, let me thank Chairman Shuster and
Ranking Member DeFazio for their hard work and to the rest of the
committee for the hours of work already done on a long-term
transportation bill.
I rise today in support of H.R. 2353 to prevent the shutdown of
funding for infrastructure improvement. I believe there is shared
commitment between the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and
most of the Members of the House to pass a fully funded, multiyear
highway bill.
With the debt crisis we continue to battle, it is becoming more and
more difficult to find the much-needed resources for our most critical
needs. That leaves few options at our immediate disposal, most of which
are not palatable in this economic environment.
Members of both the Transportation Committee and the Ways and Means
Committee will have to take a closer look at potential funding
alternatives and be creative in how to finance a reliable and modern
infrastructure system, and at the same time, we need to work towards
getting our country back on a path of fiscal solvency.
As we work on a long-term solution, we should examine how to reform
the highway trust fund to prevent finding ourselves in this same
position over and over. A consistent funding mechanism, paired with a
more transparent system that demonstrates effective use of taxpayer
dollars, will put us in a better position to fund critical
infrastructure projects and instill more confidence on the part of our
constituents.
I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting H.R. 2353 so we can
continue work on a multiyear transportation bill to ensure our Nation's
growth. Failure to act threatens our general contractors and their
employees, suppliers, and puts at risk the jobs that are both directly
and indirectly supported by these projects.
Mr. Speaker, if we want to keep our folks in business and continue
any meaningful growth in our economy, then we must find a reliable,
long-term solution.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Nadler).
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill to extend highway and
transit programs for 2 months, but with reservations.
The last surface transportation bill, MAP-21, expired last fall. At
that time, we passed an extension to the end of this month to give us
time to work on a long-term bill. We have known for months that this
day was coming; yet we have made no progress finding a solution to
funding highways, transit, and other important surface transportation
programs.
MAP-21, itself, was only a 2-year bill, breaking the tradition of
Congress passing 5- or 6-year bills to provide the reliable funding
necessary to promote long-term capital plans and projects that require
a commitment beyond 1 fiscal year. The last long-term bill we passed
was SAFETEA-LU in 2005. That was 10 years ago, and that bill was
underfunded because of a resistance to raising the gasoline tax or to
identifying new revenue sources.
For over a decade, we have failed to address the funding challenges
necessary to break the cycle of underinvestment and put this country
back on a competitive path with the rest of the work.
Today, we spend about 1.7 percent of GDP on infrastructure, while
China spends 9 percent and Europe spends 4\1/2\ to 5 percent. We used
to spend 4\1/2\ to 5 percent also.
According to DOT, there is an $800 billion backlog of investment
needs on highways and bridges, including $479 billion in critical
repair work. Public transit has an $86 billion backlog of critical
maintenance and repair needs, which increases by $2.5 billion each year
as bus and rail infrastructure ages.
While our infrastructure crumbles around us, House and Senate
leadership refuse to come up with the additional $60 billion needed to
fill the gap in the highway trust fund just to do a long-term bill at
current levels; but this week, they will put on the floor a tax
extender that will cost $182 billion over 10 years, completely unpaid
for. The priorities of this Congress are completely out of whack.
I am concerned that we will pass this 2-month extension and be right
back here in July having this same conversation. I will support this
extension, but only with the understanding that we must spend the next
2 months, once and for all, making transportation funding a priority so
that our citizens don't have to risk unsafe transportation so that we
can invest in our infrastructure and we can be competitive in our
economy going forward.
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Gibbs).
Mr. GIBBS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
I rise today in support of H.R. 2353, the Highway and Transportation
Funding Act of 2015.
Although we must construct a long-term highway bill, this legislation
is a compromise that will provide States with certainty through the
vital summer construction months.
By extending the expenditure authority of the highway trust fund
through the end of July, States will not have to worry about
reimbursements from the Federal Government while they are in the middle
of the busiest construction season of the year.
Following the passage of this extension, I look forward to working
with my colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
to construct a long-term highway bill with a sustainable funding
mechanism.
Upon its enactment in 2012, MAP-21 made important reforms by
consolidating Federal highway programs and streamlining the project
approval process. The next highway bill should build on MAP-21's
successes to cut red tape and ensure highway trust fund dollars are
spent responsibly.
We must also be good stewards of taxpayer dollars by keeping our
promise to the American people that the next surface transportation
bill will provide adequate funding for highway and freight
infrastructure to create jobs and keep our Nation competitive.
My constituents and the hard-working people all over this country
need reliable roads and bridges to commute to work, take their children
to school, and get home safely at night.
Unfortunately, the President's funding proposal is not viable and, I
believe, will encourage more inversions or takeovers of American
companies.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2353 and encourage them to
commit to crafting a long-term fiscally responsible highway bill that
will provide the much-needed certainty to States, industry, and the
American people.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy,
and I appreciate his leadership on this matter. He hit it right on the
nail.
We are in a situation, I am sad to say, having listened to my
colleague a moment ago; the States will still have to worry. Two months
doesn't give them a straight shot at a construction season, and there
is still uncertainty.
I could have dusted off the speech I gave last summer where I said we
would be right back here in the same spot, with uncertainty around the
country; and the local governments, the State governments, the
contractors don't deserve that.
But it is not the problem of the T and I Committee, as much as Ways
and Means. You can't craft a bill unless you know how much money you
have got to spend. I am embarrassed as a member of that committee that,
in the 55 months my Republican colleagues have been in charge, we have
not had a single hearing on transportation finance.
We hear certain things are off the table or not acceptable. It is
interesting, we haven't raised the gas tax in

[[Page H3335]]

22 years, but six States--six red States--have raised the gas tax
already this year. Utah, Idaho, Georgia, South Dakota--these are not
flaming bastions of liberalism. These are people who looked at the
problem and decided they needed to step up, and they stepped up not to
take the place of the Federal responsibility, but in anticipation that
at some point, the Federal Government would meet its obligation for
almost half of the major construction projects.
I would respectfully request that we dive in and see what we can do
over the course of the next couple of months, but that the Ways and
Means Committee spend one week listening to the men and women who
build, operate, and use our Nation's infrastructure, spend a week, look
at the items, consider maybe what Ronald Reagan thought was a good idea
in 1982: raise the gas tax.
We can pass that bill out of committee in 1 week, and you can have
the next couple of months to give America the bill it needs to rebuild
and renew this great country.

{time} 1430

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes from the gentleman
from Nevada (Mr. Hardy).
Mr. HARDY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of long-term highway
funding. I will support the bill on the floor today, but let's be
clear. This is a long-term problem that needs to have a long-term
solution.
We gather in hearings and we gather in meetings to discuss the
various options we have for revenue. We now have to gather to make a
decision, the long-term decision.
We were elected to Congress to represent our constituents and to make
difficult decisions that will help us guide our Nation forward. It is
time for us to accelerate and produce a solution to our highway funding
problems. Our highways and our bridges are falling into disrepair.
Before I became involved in public service, I was a contractor in
Nevada where I worked on roads, bridges, and dams. I know the wear and
tear that our infrastructure is experiencing. I know the uncertainty
that States are facing when it comes to highway projects.
Our inaction has created a difficult environment for the States to
make decisions. So I stand here today to support long-term funding. It
is a long-term problem that requires a long-term solution.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Johnson).
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the
leadership of this committee for getting to this point. I am very, very
sorry that this is another kicking the can down the road, but we don't
have much choice but to support the bill before us today.
We have missed a major construction season already. Bridges are
falling; accidents are happening; traffic jams increase because of the
crumbling infrastructure. This is all very costly, and it is more
costly when we have a winter like we just had that hits already
crumbling infrastructure.
We must address this costly neglect of our infrastructure around the
country. It is not partisan. There are no Democrat and Republican
bridges or streets. We must address our responsibility to this Nation.
Sensible, large projects must have time to plan for those long-term
projects. They cannot do that. No city or State can do that kind of
planning without knowing whether we have a long-term source of funding
that will keep it going.
It is unwise for us to continue just to put this off. We have got to
pay for it no matter when we do it. The time is now. We have extended
this time too long. The Nation has suffered too long. Traffic is
jamming; accidents are happening; and it will not get better until we
take on our responsibility.
I would urge all of us today to support this short-term bill for the
last time. It is time for us to have a long-term infrastructure bill
for this Nation.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire of the Chair the
balance of time remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Oregon has 19 minutes
remaining. The gentleman from Pennsylvania has 22 minutes remaining.
Mr. SHUSTER. It is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin).
Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, the funding and authorization for our Federal
highway program expires in just 12 days. This is a deadline that
Congress, the Department of Transportation, and the American people
have known about for almost a year now. And the bill before us today is
not the long-term solution that we were hoping for, but it is the
necessary step forward at this time while we continue to work on a
longer term solution for our highway funding.
I appreciate very much the attention that Chairman Shuster has given
to this important issue. He has taken a very keen interest in what we
need on a national level, and many of us from the Houston area
appreciate his coming to our part of America to learn and see what our
needs are in the State of Texas. I am confident that the chairman and
those of us on the relevant committees in the House and the Senate will
come together and deliver a long-term solution for our highway programs
and will strengthen them for every Texan and every American.
While this bill before us isn't ideal, the choice is very simple. I
urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' on this bill to keep
our State Department of Transportation on the job through the summer
building months and to keep Congress working on a long-term solution.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Brown).
Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, here we go again, passing another
extension and failing in our duty to provide a world-class
transportation system.
Transportation programs are much too critical to our economy to be
delayed any longer. Unfortunately, the Republican leadership in
Washington continues its long-running failure to fund surface
transportation infrastructure programs. Just last week, House
Republicans passed a bill, with no offsets, that cut taxes by $269
billion for the richest 1 percent of Americans, but they failed to pass
a real transportation authorization bill that would put Americans to
work. We know, for every billion dollars we invest in transportation,
it generates 44,000 permanent jobs.
In closing, Secretary Anthony Foxx said that all of us have roles to
play in shaping our Nation's infrastructure. As we saw last week during
the tragic train derailment in Philadelphia, Congress urgently needs to
increase funding for our Nation's passenger rail system in order to
make it safer for all of the traveling public and to prevent future
tragedies on our Nation's rails.
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman
from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, let me thank Mr. DeFazio for yielding and for
the work that he does on this committee.
Let me also say to the chairman of the committee, Mr. Shuster, how
pleased I am with the kind of work that he does on the committee. Very
frankly, Mr. Shuster is committed to getting things done and to working
in a bipartisan fashion. That is good for this House, and it is good
for his State, and it is good for the country. I thank him for his
leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this 60-day extension because it is
essential that we do this. The consequences of not doing it would be
very, very negative. I rise to lament the fact that we have gone 10
months in our having known full well that this date was upon us and
that theoretically, we thought, that funding as well as authorization
would end on the 31st of this month. We have now found that funding
will not end. This bill is necessary to authorize, not to fund, because
funding is available for the next 60 days from the 31st.
I also rise to urge this House, under Mr. Shuster's and Mr. DeFazio's
leadership, to do the work we were sent here to do--to invest in
America, to invest in the growth of our economy, to invest in the
creation of jobs--in fact, what the board of directors of the greatest
country on the face of the Earth ought to have done many years and,
certainly, months ago.
I am absolutely convinced that this House has the capacity, the
intellect, and the ability within 60 days to come

[[Page H3336]]

to this floor with a bill that will invest in our infrastructure and
provide sufficient funds to make America competitive and to pay for it,
not to pass the expense along to future generations--my children, my
grandchildren, my great grandchildren. They are going to have to buy
for themselves the infrastructure of their generations, and they ought
not to have to pay the bills of our generation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. DeFAZIO. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.
Mr. HOYER. It is a moral responsibility that this generation pays for
the investments that it needs to make in the infrastructure that will
be used today and tomorrow.
Mr. Shuster, I know, wants to do that. Mr. Shuster and Mr. DeFazio
have the courage to do that. The issue is going to be whether this
body, on both sides of the aisle, comes forward with a responsible,
paid-for infrastructure bill, particularly for highways and roads and
bridges, but for other investments as well.
I want to tell Mr. Shuster and Mr. DeFazio that I will work closely
with them and that I will urge the Members on my side of the aisle to
work closely with the Members on Mr. Shuster's side of the aisle to
effect this end. But let us not pretend on July 30 that we can extend
until December 31 or until a year from then. Today, let us commit
ourselves to using the next 70 days, approximately, to come up with a
paid-for, 6-year reauthorization that will make America stronger, grow
our economy, and be a pride of the American people, whom we serve.
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished whip for his kind
words, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, again, may I inquire as to the amount of
time remaining on my side.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Oregon has 14 minutes
remaining.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Minnesota (Mr. Nolan), a member of the committee.
Mr. NOLAN. Mr. Speaker and Members of the House, this failure to
write a long-term, paid-for surface transportation bill for this
country has become a national embarrassment. Quite frankly, it is an
international embarrassment. Passenger trains and oil trains are coming
off the tracks, are taking lives, are causing untold amounts of damage.
The simple truth is that we can't fix those lives who were lost, but we
can fix our transportation system. Isn't it about time that we do that?
It is not only a national embarrassment, our failure here, but it is a
failure of the Congress. It is a failure of the legislative process. It
is a failure of the committee process. That is what is happening here.
We held hearings in the last session. We heard from the Chamber of
Commerce; we heard from the unions; we heard from the retailers; we
heard from the truckers. Everybody said three things: one, our
transportation system is falling apart. They had that right. Two, it is
hurting our ability to grow our economy and to create jobs. They had
that right. Three, they said we need to find some new revenue. None of
it could be more obvious. Yet the Transportation Committee held
hearings from all of those people in the last session, and we held
hearings again in this session, but we never took up the markup and the
writing of a transportation bill.

{time} 1445

That is the simple truth, Mr. Speaker, and I am calling on the
leadership here to either instruct the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure or allow the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure to write a transportation bill. I have absolute
confidence that we can come together if we do.
It is through the committee process that we find common ground. That
is where we reach our bipartisanship. That is how we fix things here in
the Congress. That is how we get things done. Mr. Chairman, Mr.
Speaker, allow or instruct the committee to do its job, to do its
business, and we will write a transportation plan for this country that
gets this country moving again, saves lives, and builds an economy.
Mr. SHUSTER. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DeFAZIO. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms.
Titus), a member of the committee.
Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, why are we debating an extension of the
surface transportation authorization instead of doing the right thing
and passing a bill that invests in our future? We should be playing the
long game, not betting on the come, as they say in Nevada.
For the 2 million residents who live in the Las Vegas valley and the
more than 42 million visitors who come to our city from around the
world, we must commit to the passage of a long-term surface
transportation bill this summer. We can't do yet another extension that
creates uncertainty, stifles development, and puts us further behind.
We must pass a bill that includes investment that is real,
sustainable, and goes beyond just maintaining our current
infrastructure but instead sets our Nation on a road that is built to
last.
Mr. SHUSTER. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DeFAZIO. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms.
Frankel), a member of the committee.
Ms. FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I just want to start by thanking
Mr. Shuster and Mr. DeFazio for their bipartisan leadership. I am going
to vote for this 2-month extension for the highway trust fund in order
to avoid a shutdown of America's transit building and repair.
But with that said, Mr. Speaker, this legislation is like fixing our
roads and bridges with Silly Putty. It is just not strong enough to
hold our Nation's crumbling infrastructure. So I join my colleagues on
both sides of the aisle to say it is time to make those long-term
investments necessary for people and goods to get to their destination
safely and timely.
Mr. Speaker, transportation moves our economy. It is time for
Congress to get going.
Mr. SHUSTER. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DeFAZIO. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr.
Pascrell), a strong advocate for all things transportation, a member of
the powerful Committee on Ways and Means.
Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member and the
chairman. I am not going to vote for this piece of legislation--not
even close.
Everyone talks about how we must maintain the roads. If you listened
over the last 45 minutes, all of these infrastructure issues are in bad
shape, terrible shape. We know the problem. So long speeches about this
and the problem don't make much sense.
Here is my question to every Member of this body: What are you
prepared to do? Make believe you are doing something? Hide under the
desk in your office?
How much money have we used, Mr. Speaker, from the general fund to
bail out transportation? The percentage of general funds increases each
budget that we are using. So without a clear source of long-term
funding, our States cannot plan for the future. In fact, many States
are not putting money into their trust fund. My own State, the State of
New Jersey, I guess the money is going to fall out of the sky. So 2
months, 4 months, 7 months, it is all a joke.
Ensuring the solvency of the trust fund is not only a key component
of meeting our transportation challenges, it is our job. The Committee
on Ways and Means has not even had one hearing, Mr. Ranking Member, Mr.
Chairman. How many States have put themselves in the same position as
the Federal Government?
I understand that some Members are already planning another short-
term extension in July because you say now we are ready to have a long-
term solution, but you are already planning for another short-term in
July. In fact, we are moving towards the omnibus bill, where we will
put everything together. It will be like a stew: trade, transportation,
lollipops, put them all in there. Put it all in there, and then we will
vote on it and have some of our Members vote against motherhood so that
they will be on the block a year from this November.
Look, let me suggest something novel for this group. Let's spend the
next 8 weeks resuscitating a system

[[Page H3337]]

where users of the system pay to maintain and grow the system.
International tax can be a part of the solution. I say to the President
and the Congress, it is not nearly enough money.
A group of us presented a bipartisan plan--Republicans and
Democrats--to fund the Federal highway trust fund. Through Democratic
Presidents, Republican Presidents, through Democratic Houses and
Republican Houses, we have always been able to come to a resolution on
this until the last 3 or 4 years. Why? Why is this?
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). The time of the gentleman has
expired.
Mr. DeFAZIO. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.
Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, neither party has the wherewithal to deal
with the problem. I believe our model must receive serious
consideration as the clock counts down on the trust fund's expiration.
Our legislation has the support of both business and labor.
I am done with extensions, and I plan to vote ``no'' today. I ask my
colleagues to show support for a long-term bill and cosponsor the
Renacci-Pascrell plan, because if we don't change something, we will be
right back here in July talking to each other.
Mr. SHUSTER. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DeFAZIO. How much time do I have remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Oregon has 6\1/2\ minutes
remaining. The gentleman from Pennsylvania has 20\1/2\ minutes
remaining.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
First off, I want to join in what many others have said:
transportation infrastructure has not been historically nor should it
become a partisan issue. I appreciate the chairman's willingness to
work together on many aspects. We will at times disagree over elements
of bills, but in general we agree that what makes this country great,
what makes us competitive in the world is a world-class system of
transportation infrastructure and other critical infrastructure, and
today we are deficient. I talked during my introductory remarks about
some of the needs. Let me just talk about the revenues.
Back in 1993, when the gas tax was raised by a bipartisan coalition
in the House--actually, on the Republican side, led by the chairman's
father, Bud Shuster--we paid about 14 percent. Every time you went to
the pump, with the increase in the gas tax in 1993, 14 percent of your
bill went to invest in the Nation's infrastructure. Yet today, some 22
years later, 7 percent goes to the infrastructure. Population has
grown, road miles have increased, and the Eisenhower infrastructure has
aged.

Infrastructure doesn't just age a little bit each year. It reaches a
point where it accelerates dramatically, so a bridge that you could fix
for $15 million or $20 million today, 2 years from now you might have
to totally replace for $100 million. So not delaying these needed
investments, unless we want to see people detouring around all the
rivers in America because of bridge outages, is really, really critical
for a just-in-time economy, for our world competitiveness, to save on
fuel efficiency.
Now, a number of States have stepped in to fill the void; 14 States
have voted to raise their own gas taxes since 2013. As the gentleman
from Oregon pointed out, six deep red Republican States have voted to
raise their gas tax this year.
Just to assure my colleagues, for those who raised it before the last
election, nobody lost their election because they raised the gas tax in
those States. People recognize it as a user fee. They are tired of
blowing out tires and car repairs because of potholes. They are tired
of detours. The trucking industry is tired of detours, and they don't
want a proliferation of tolls across America. The solution is a Federal
partnership.
The chairman held a hearing recently where we had the Department of
Transportation director from Wyoming, a deep red State, talking about
the fact that they had increased their gas tax, but they still need the
Federal partnership; it is critical. We had the Governor of North
Carolina--has one of the highest gas taxes in the country, deep red
State these days--saying the Federal partnership was more critical than
ever. The same with the mayor of Salt Lake City, the Federal
partnership is critical. No State can do it on its own.
I propose that we index the gas tax to construction costs, inflation,
fleet fuel economy. That would mean next year the gas tax would go up
by 1.7 cents. I would like to see the Member of Congress who thinks
they are going to lose their election over a 1.7 cent investment in
America's infrastructure to avoid those potholes, the congestion, the
detours, the delays, or the additional tolling to maintain what we
have. It won't happen. It hasn't happened recently in red States that
have raised it much more than 1.7 cents.
But if we index to inflation, fleet fuel economy, and construction
costs inflation, we could borrow upfront for the trust fund, let's say,
$150 billion, a nice increase over the current levels of spending, and
we could pay it back in about 15 years with that increment, just the
indexed increment that would grow a tiny bit each year.
And again, you drive by the gas station on your way to work, and when
you drive home at night, ExxonMobil has raised it a nickel because
there were rumors of war in the Middle East or a refinery had an outage
or something or this. Where did that nickel go? It went into the
pockets of ExxonMobil or speculators on Wall Street. It didn't go into
our Nation's infrastructure.
The American people would sure as heck rather pay 1.7 cents to
rebuild our system and make America more competitive and put hundreds
of thousands of people to work than another nickel in the coffers of
OPEC or ExxonMobil or Wall Street speculators.
It is time to suck it up around here, act like men and women who were
sent here to make tough decisions, to regain our legacy, to begin to
bring America back toward a world-class infrastructure. It would take
many years and many tens or hundreds of billions of dollars to reclaim
the legacy of the Eisenhower era, but it is only a lack of will--will--
that prevents us from doing that. There is no major impediment. Nobody
is going to lose their election over 1.7 cents a gallon. In fact,
people will thank you at home.
The trucking industry is begging--begging--for an increase in the
diesel tax. The United States Chamber of Commerce, when is the last
time they asked for an increase in a tax? Look, all across the
spectrum, the retailers, the business community, all across this
country people are saying: Help us; get us out of congestion; fix the
system; bring it up to a state of good repair. There is another whole
contingent of American people who are saying: We need jobs.
There is no more certain way to create jobs in this country than
investing in America's infrastructure. And they are not just
construction jobs. They are engineering jobs. They are manufacturing
jobs. In the case of mass transit, they are high-tech jobs. They are
small business jobs. They are disadvantaged business enterprise jobs.
It goes through the entire economy. No American will be left behind.
We could create hundreds of thousands of jobs and make America number
one again. All we lack is the will here in this House. Let's say this
is the last 60-day delay. Let's work together, and let's get a real 6-
year bill by the end of July.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to announce we introduced the GROW AMERICA
Act comprehensive bill with which we could begin policy discussions,
H.R. 2410, today, with 19 cosponsors.
I yield back the balance of my time.

{time} 1500

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I always appreciate the passion of the ranking member,
my friend, Mr. DeFazio, on these issues. I have to say that much of
what has been said on this floor by both sides, I agree with. The need
to invest in our infrastructure is real. It is critical. Our
infrastructure is crumbling all around us.
I also agree that we need to find a long-term solution to the trust
fund to make sure it is fiscally responsible, and most importantly, I
agree that we need to act. This 2-month extension was not my
preference. What my preference is, is to buckle down, work hard, find
the dollars, and have a long-term surface transportation bill that is
sustainable.
Again, I stand here today urging all my colleagues to vote for this
essential

[[Page H3338]]

2-month extension to get us through to July. I am committed to continue
to work to find the solution so we can have a long-term bill, but a
vote against this bill is a vote in favor of shutting down these vital
programs, stopping the work of thousands of highway projects around the
country and laying off thousands of construction workers and Federal
employees.
I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I yield back the balance of
my time.
Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, the highway trust fund has enough
money to pay for projects through the end of July, but its legal
authority to spend that money expires at the end of this month. I would
have preferred to pass an extension that lasted through the end of the
year, but we just couldn't come to a bipartisan agreement on how to pay
for it. That's unfortunate because the more time we spend on these
short-term patches, the less time we'll have to find a long-term
solution.
And ultimately, the only real solution is a long-term solution. At
the very least, this legislation will allow the trust find to continue
to fund projects through July, while we continue to work on an
extension for the rest of the year. But if we really want to solve this
problem, both parties need to confront the serious challenges facing
the trust fund. That's the only way we'll come up with a plan to give
states the certainty they need to build the roads and bridges our
families need to thrive.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the
bill, H.R. 2353, the Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015 but
with reservations.
I support Chairman Shuster's efforts to ensure the Highway Bill does
not expire and cost the economy jobs and cause important projects to
stop progress.
I am, however, disappointed we once again face this issue.
We need to pass a long-term highway bill so that our communities and
businesses have the certainty they need to invest in our future.
I understand the fiscal challenges we face but I believe that we must
do more to improve our nation's transportation system.
Transportation funding, particularly for highways and transit, is
particularly important for my constituents and the entirety of the
Greater Houston area.
We have a congestion problem in Houston.
We have done a lot to reduce this congestion, but more must be done.
We also have the largest port for foreign tonnage and largest
petrochemical complex in our country along the banks of the Port of
Houston.
In the years ahead, we will face a much higher traffic volume due to
population growth and the expansion of the Panama Canal, which will
bring more truck traffic and economic development to the area.
In order for Houston and our Port to continue to be a hub for
commerce, we must strengthen our rail and road infrastructure.
Both a successful port and a growing local economy rely on well
maintained roads and bridges.
Communities around our country must improve its transportation
infrastructure in order to encourage businesses and economic
development.
While I understand the strain the Highway Trust Fund is experiencing,
it is important that we fund important highway projects throughout the
country.
We are at a critical time for our nation in terms of transportation
funding.
We must fix bridges, expand highways, and increase the capacity of
our infrastructure.
Highway and transit projects are important to our constituents, so
they can get to work and school and they are important to our
businesses so they can move commerce.
Everyone wins when we increase our investments in our transportation
infrastructure.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2353 but I also urge my
colleagues to fix the problem and craft a long-term highway bill for
the benefit of all our citizens.
Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in
opposition to H.R. 2353. This bill will mark the thirty-third time
we've passed a short-term extension to the Highway bill in eight years.
Enough is enough. Our roads and bridges are crumbling. We owe it to the
American people to pass a robust long-term surface transportation bill
and make real investments in our transportation infrastructure. These
short-tern extensions not only diminish our economic competitiveness as
a nation but they erode the safety of all of the folks we were sent
here to represent. I will not support any more short-term gimmicks and
implore my colleagues to join me in rejecting this proposal and instead
pass a long-term bill and once again invest in our national
infrastructure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 271, the previous question is ordered on
the bill.
The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was
read the third time.

Motion to Recommit

Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentlewoman opposed to the bill?
Ms. ESTY. I am, in its current form.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to
recommit.
The Clerk read as follows:

Ms. Esty moves to recommit the bill H.R. 2353 to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure with
instructions to report the same back to the House forthwith,
with the following amendment:
At the end of title I, add the following:

Subtitle E--Passenger Rail Positive Train Control Funding

SEC. 1401. PASSENGER RAIL POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL FUNDING.

Section 20158(c) of title 49, United States Code is amended
by inserting ``, and $750,000,000 for the period beginning
October 1, 2014, and ending on July 31, 2015,'' after
``2013''.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order against the
motion.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. A point of order is reserved.
Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from Connecticut is recognized
for 5 minutes in support of her motion.
Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which
will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the
bill will immediately proceed to final passage as amended.
My amendment provides $750 million to passenger railroads to help
them implement positive train control. Tragically, last week, Amtrak
188 derailed, killing 8 people and injuring more than 200. My thoughts
and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones.
Unfortunately, last week's tragic accident is just the latest in a
series of incidents that are unacceptable and largely preventable.
According to National Transportation Safety Board member Robert
Sumwalt, the lead investigator of last week's Amtrak derailment in
Philadelphia: ``Had PTC''--positive train control--``been installed on
the section of track, this accident would not have occurred.''
Now, what is positive train control? Positive train control, commonly
referred to as PTC, is a communications and signaling system that uses
GPS technology and sensors to communicate train location, speed,
restrictions, and moving authority.
Most importantly, PTC can save lives. For instance, positive train
control technology can detect if a train is going too fast for an area
and use onboard equipment to automatically slow or stop the train.
Now, Mr. Speaker, last week's derailment is not the first time NTSB
has recommended implementing positive train control. This
recommendation has been made since 1969, following an investigation of
a head-on collision of two Penn Central commuter trains near Darien,
Connecticut, in my home State. That collision killed 4 people and left
43 injured.
Forty-six years after that deadly collision in Connecticut, the NTSB
is still demanding and waiting for action. During this time, the NTSB
has investigated 144 accidents that would have been preventable if
railroads had installed PTC. Not surprisingly, positive train control
has been on the NTSB's most wanted list of safety improvements since
1990.
144 accidents over 43 years--try and think about that, and try to
comprehend 6,532 preventable injuries and 288 preventable deaths.
This just isn't an issue only on the Northeast corridor. In 2008, a
tragic accident in California killed 25 people and injured 102. After
that accident, this House enacted legislation requiring PTC on commuter
and intercity passenger rails by December 31 of this year; but
protecting lives requires leadership from this Congress.
The American Public Transportation Association asked Congress to
provide Federal funding for 80 percent of the installation costs on
passenger rails. We in Congress can help. We can and must make this
investment before another terrible accident, before another life is
tragically and needlessly lost. We can't afford to wait.

[[Page H3339]]

Less than 2 years ago, a Metro-North Railroad engineer fell asleep as
the train he was operating sped up to 82 miles an hour through a tight
curve. The restriction for that section was only 30 miles an hour. As a
result of the derailment, 4 people died, and 61 were injured. With
tragic predictability, the NTSB investigation determined that positive
train control could have prevented that tragedy as well.
How many more times does the NTSB need to repeat its recommendation
before PTC is implemented?
There is no reason why this Congress should continue to ignore its
responsibility to help passenger railroads implement the lifesaving
technology as soon as possible.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment to
provide the necessary funding to help passenger railroads implement PTC
across the United States.
Let me be clear: this funding won't prevent every single accident.
The fact that PTC will not prevent every accident should not--cannot--
be an excuse for this Congress' failure to act.
Failure to act today on implementing positive train control is wrong.
It is unworthy of a great country. A great country does not respond to
crises with duct tape; a great country leads with action.
I ask all House Members to join me to vote for this amendment, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I wish to withdraw my reservation of a
point of order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The reservation of a point of order is
withdrawn.
Mr. SHUSTER. I rise in opposition to the motion.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Pennsylvania is
recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I oppose this motion. We certainly know of
the tragedy that happened in Philadelphia, in my home State, but this
really is not the place to address this.
We need to pass a clean extension. We have got to pass it and get it
to the Senate, so we make sure that these vital programs keep people
working, we keep projects moving forward, and that they don't shut
down.
Again, this is a clean extension. We want it to be a clean extension
because we know that time is of the essence to get this over to the
Senate, as I said, and pass it. You are talking about 4,000 people in
the government that will be furloughed and thousands of workers across
America. Projects will stop, and they won't be working.
Again, we have an immediate need to extend the highway transit and
safety programs. I am confident and remain committed to working with
Chairman Ryan; but this is not the time to slow this down. This the
time to get it done so that we can get it to the Senate as quickly as
possible.
Again, I am opposed to this motion. I urge a ``no'' vote on the
motion and continue to ask my colleagues to support the underlying bill
that gets the job done and gets us past this critical time.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is
ordered on the motion to recommit.
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to recommit.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.
Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER. Pursuant to the order of the House of today, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.

____________________