[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 142 (Tuesday, September 20, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H5697-H5698]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 DIRECTING THE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION TO PROVIDE CONGRESS ADVANCE 
                    NOTICE OF CERTAIN ANNOUNCEMENTS

  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 5977) to direct the Secretary of Transportation to 
provide to the appropriate committees of Congress advance notice of 
certain announcements, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5977

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

     SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.

       (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b) or as 
     expressly provided in another provision of law, the Secretary 
     of Transportation shall provide to the appropriate committees 
     of Congress notice of an announcement concerning a covered 
     project at least 3 full business days before the announcement 
     is made by the Department of Transportation.
       (b) Emergency Program.--With respect to an allocation of 
     funds under section 125 of title 23, United States Code, the 
     Secretary shall provide to the Committee on Transportation 
     and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate 
     notice of the allocation--
       (1) at least 3 full business days before the issuance of 
     the allocation; or
       (2) concurrently with the issuance of the allocation, if 
     the allocation is made using the quick release process of the 
     Department (or any successor process).

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act, the following definitions apply:
       (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
     ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
     the House of Representatives; and
       (B) the Committee on Environment and Public Works, the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the 
     Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the 
     Senate.
       (2) Covered project.--The term ``covered project'' means a 
     project competitively selected by the Department of 
     Transportation to receive a discretionary grant award, letter 
     of intent, loan commitment, loan guarantee commitment, or 
     line of credit commitment in an amount equal to or greater 
     than $750,000.
       (3) Department of transportation.--The term ``Department of 
     Transportation'' includes the modal administrations of the 
     Department of Transportation.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Graves) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Carson) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 5977.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the Congress authorizes funding for the Federal 
transportation programs, which, in turn, obviously provide the funding 
and credit assistance for transportation projects across the country. 
However, the authorizing committees don't consistently get advance 
notice from the Department of Transportation prior to its announcement 
of grant awards and credit assistance for projects.
  What this bill does is real simple. It requires the Department to 
give the authorizing committees at least 3 days advanced notice prior 
to announcing grant awards and credit assistance for projects. It is 
going to improve transparency and enhance oversight of the Department 
by ensuring that Congress is properly notified of these announcements.
  I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 5977.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 5977. This bill ensures that the members of 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and certain Senate 
committees, will receive at least 3 days advanced notice of 
discretionary grants and loans made by the Department of 
Transportation.
  When Congress enacted the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st 
Century Act (MAP-21), we included a Congressional notification 
requirement for surface transportation grants. Language to require 
notification was omitted inadvertently when Congress enacted the most 
recent surface transportation authorization act, the Fixing America's 
Surface Transportation Act, or FAST Act.
  The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has not 
consistently received notice from DOT prior to the announcement of 
grant awards and credit assistance for transportation projects since 
the passage of the FAST Act.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the author of the FAST Act, 
the chairman of the Transportation Committee.
  Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Graves) for his help in developing H.R. 5977 and for his hard work on 
developing and passing the FAST Act, the Fixing America's Surface 
Transportation Act, which provides 5 years of funding for Federal 
transportation programs. These programs enable us to make much-needed 
investment in our transportation system.
  H.R. 5977 will help ensure that Federal transportation funding is 
spent wisely, through proper and consistent notification from the 
Department of Transportation to Congress.
  I thank my colleagues for their help in developing this important 
legislation, and I urge the support of H.R. 5977.
  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to help 
me and support this legislation. It is a very important piece of 
legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5977.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. HUELSKAMP. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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