[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Pages 20321-20323]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION BILL

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, today is a disappointing day in the history 
of Congress. Exactly one year ago, Congress missed the deadline for 
passing a full transportation reauthorization bill that would fund the 
Federal portion of highway, transit, and safety projects around the 
country for the next six-years. The fact that we missed this self-
imposed, legislative deadline will come as no surprise to those who 
follow progress on Capitol Hill, but it is deeply troubling.
  Because of the unwillingness of several of my colleagues, Congress is 
once again forced to use a temporary extension of last year's funding 
as an inadequate short-term fix to a very real problem. This is an 
unacceptable outcome and I hope my colleagues will agree we need to 
pass a fully-funded 6-year bill immediately.
  Just as national defense and judicial review are core functions 
performed by the United States Government to ensure security and 
fairness for all citizens, transportation infrastructure funding is one 
of the primary responsibilities of the Federal Government. Adequate 
transportation infrastructure that is safe and affordable helps 
facilitate intrastate and interstate trade and provides the physical 
backbone of our economy. This is certainly a burden that the Federal 
Government needs to bear on behalf of its citizens. While it was 
extremely disappointing that Congress allowed the September 30, 2003 
deadline to pass without a resolution to this problem, it is simply 
inexcusable for us to have not successfully addressed this critical 
need for over a year. I ask my colleagues to commit to coming together 
before this year's end to pass a six-year reauthorization bill.
  I am not naive, I understand that there are always reasons behind the 
inability for Congress to pass important legislation. And this case is 
no exception. Over the last year, I have heard the excuses from the 
legislative and executive branches of government, both Republicans and 
Democrats. Some argue the transportation funding proposals being 
debated cost too much; others say they don't provide enough funding to 
States; still others say the formulas being used to distribute the 
money are inherently flawed and do not return as much of the Highway 
Trust Fund proceeds as their State contributes. All of these excuses 
have merit and need to be worked out to the satisfaction of lawmakers 
prior to enactment, but it is rational for a person

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to believe, as I do, that given the high priority transportation 
funding plays in each and every State, Congress should have reached a 
compromise by now two years after work on this reauthorization 
initially began.
  As I travel throughout Utah, meeting with the good citizens of my 
home State, the most frequently-requested issue I am asked to address 
is the issue of transportation. Every week, Utahns remind me of the 
constant need we have to maintain our roadways, increase our transit 
capacity, and provide alternative routes along main arteries in the 
cities. I certainly understand why this issue is so important to my 
constituents. Over the last ten years, Utah has seen a dramatic 
increase in the number of residents who call ``The Beehive State'' 
home. In fact, there are only three states in the United States who 
have had larger proportional increases in their populations over the 
past ten years and all of them border the State of Utah. There is 
tremendous population growth all over the West, underscoring the 
critical need we have for a steady increase in transportation funding 
right now.
  The State of Utah receives over $200 million per year in highway 
funding which goes toward the planning and execution of highway 
expansion projects. Under the Senate-proposed version of this bill, 
that number would go to nearly $300 million per year. That increase 
goes a long way, not all the way, but a long way toward making several 
important transportation projects a reality. Projects that otherwise 
might not come to fruition without a federal commitment.
  In stating the amount of funding Utah receives, I do not want to give 
the impression that this Federal funding comes to States without them 
having to do their part. All of the Federal funds in this bill have a 
State matching component as well. States spend millions, even billions, 
of State dollars on transportation every year. Demand for more and 
better transportation alternatives in the State of Utah have become so 
severe that State lawmakers are now seriously considering raising the 
State fuel tax in order to pay for their portion of these projects. 
Although I hate to see any tax increases, I applaud the efforts of 
local lawmakers to deal with our transportation problems with real 
solutions and adequate funding.
  The Utah Department of Transportation--UDOT--has several aggressive 
highway projects around the State which have been planned for years, 
budgeted in the State's annual budgeting process, and now only require 
a federal commitment to help them proceed. I refer to projects like the 
ongoing reconstruction of I-15 which connects some of the most populous 
portions of the State from North to South. New I-15 interchanges in 
Ogden, Layton, and Provo are desperately needed to catch up with the 
large growth these cities are experiencing. Also, highway projects in 
Emery County on US-6, a railroad replacement bridge on US-89 in 
Pleasant Grove, widening of State road 92 in Lehi, and the building of 
the Northern Corridor in St. George are all projects which suffer 
terrible setbacks each time Congress cannot come together and pass a 
transportation reauthorization bill. And there are many, many more 
projects throughout the State I don't have time to name here, but that 
are equally as important.
  On the transit side, with the recent addition of light rail and rapid 
bus service to several sections of downtown Salt Lake City, the 
citizens of Utah have grown to rely heavily on transit as a primary 
means of transportation. The Utah Transit Authority--UTA--has 
aggressive plans for projects in the pipeline that will greatly benefit 
the entire population of Utah. The recent announcement of the Utah 
Regional Commuter Rail project, which would bring rapid commuter rail 
service from as far away as Ogden all the way down to Provo, is 
encouraging and has many residents excited for the future of transit 
service around the state. As well, the expansions of the light rail 
lines from downtown Salt Lake to the airport and South Jordan are 
highly supported by commuters.
  UTA receives $70 million to $80 million per year from Federal transit 
funding projects which not only provide financing for large portions of 
the light rail and commuter rail projects, but also provide statewide 
bus service and improvements to a majority of the State's population. 
Intermodal hubs, intelligent transportation systems, and other advances 
have forever improved the ease and convenience of commuting in the 
State of Utah and these programs depend heavily on the transportation 
reauthorization bill stalled in Congress. Extensions of current law, 
which have been going on for over a year now, get us nowhere closer to 
funding these important projects. The size and scope of these projects 
are so large that they require a long term commitment from the Federal 
Transit Administration--FTA--in order to get started. However, in the 
absence of congressional approval of a full six-year bill, the FTA is 
unable to make the long-term commitments required for local transit 
authorities to go out and secure their funding. This leaves transit 
projects in an eternal holding pattern, waiting for someone to commit 
to their future. This is unacceptable and a terrible way to address the 
ever growing commuting needs of citizens.
  One aspect of this bill that is extremely important to citizens 
around the State of Utah is the fact that much of the funding for 
transportation safety and bike path projects comes from Federal 
sources. The State of Utah combines several million dollars a year with 
the Federal money provided by this bill to build safer crosswalks, 
walking bridges, bike paths, and railroad crossings throughout the 
State. These projects save lives and make enjoying the outdoors a safer 
activity. Without a Federal commitment to safety and outdoor 
recreation, these projects would certainly be lost in the difficult 
budgetary times States are facing.
  This past February, when the Senate Finance Committee was considering 
the ``pay for'' sections of this bill, we faced a daunting task. How do 
you provide a substantial increase in transportation funding in the 
face of shrinking fuel tax revenues, without raising taxes or 
increasing the deficit? This is a difficult question and one the 
members of the Finance Committee had to deal with in very short order. 
However, to Senator Grassley's credit, we found a way to provide the 
substantial increase. It was not easy. There were a lot of tough 
decisions we had to make. Many ingenious methods were used to increase 
revenues coming into the Highway Trust Fund, like cracking down on 
fraud and covering the cost of fuel tax credits currently in the tax 
code. But when all was said and done, we did it. We provided a 20 
percent increase to transportation funding and we didn't raise fuel 
taxes or create a large deficit that future generations will have to 
pay off. Was it a sustainable fix that we will be able to deploy every 
six-years to keep the highway trust fund afloat? No, only a fuel tax 
increase or a large upswing in the demand for fuel will do that. But, 
was it a good six-year fix for a difficult problem that was already 
months overdue? Yes, I believe it was a good short-term fix. In short, 
the bill was paid for.
  As I stated before, the work to reauthorize Federal transportation 
funding began some two-years ago when aides met to discuss the general 
structure of a bill. I cannot believe that the State of Utah is the 
only State which depends heavily on Federal transportation funding to 
keep up with the demands of maintaining an adequate infrastructure.
  Therefore, it simply puzzles me as to why we have not been able to 
negotiate an acceptable bill in a two-year period. As a conferee 
appointed to negotiate a final bill, I can tell you first hand, that 
some Congressional leaders have tried very hard to come to agreement on 
the specifics of a bill. The efforts of Chairman Inhofe have been 
extraordinary. He has worked tirelessly to find compromise with leaders 
who appear unyielding in their particular criticisms of the bill. He 
has shown his willingness to compromise on his own bill and work with 
others. I know he does not want to pass a bill with lower funding 
amounts than the Senate bill, but

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despite that belief, I applaud him for his willingness to compromise 
and work toward a productive solution.
  As Chairman Inhofe, I have indicated my willingness to compromise on 
many points in order to get a bill moving. I have made calls to 
colleagues, I have asked those who have indicated their unwillingness 
to move to please join the effort and move a bill forward. I have done 
my part for the citizens of Utah and will continue to do all I can.
  More contentious bills than this get negotiated and passed by both 
houses every year. I know money is tight right now. I know we would all 
like to see the funding formulas be more favorable for our home States. 
I know each of us would like to have more funding for our home States 
than we currently do. But I call on each of my colleagues on both sides 
of the aisle to please put down your arguments and get back to the 
negotiating table and finish the transportation reauthorization bill 
before year's end. Time is short and I realize we must pass a temporary 
extension bill in order to keep some Federal highway funds flowing. 
However, I encourage my colleagues to take advantage of the remaining 
days left in the 108th Congress and come together to pass one of the 
most important bills before Congress this year. Successful passage of 
the transportation reauthorization bill will have positive, long-
lasting effects on each and every State and I implore my colleagues not 
to let this opportunity pass.
  Frankly, I am disappointed that we have failed to produce a six-year 
transportation reauthorization bill which fully funds the highway, 
transit, and safety programs for our States. As I mentioned earlier, 
the temporary extensions we have been using do not adequately address 
the transportation needs or our citizens. Temporary extensions 
frustrate the planning of these large projects, significantly delay the 
delivery, and make it impossible for States to raise the money 
necessary to fund their portions of the projects. Capital markets turn 
a deaf ear to project specific financing when there is no long-term 
Federal commitment. Only we can rectify this problem and I know we will 
find the solution. Let's do it sooner rather than later. Let's not wait 
for this problem to get even more out of hand. Let's do the right thing 
and come together with an adequately funded compromise. I pledge my 
efforts in this cause and hope my colleagues will do the same.
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, the Transportation Equity Act for the 
21st Century, which authorized the Federal highway, transit, and safety 
programs, expired 1 year ago today. Although both the Senate and the 
House have passed comprehensive, multiyear legislation to reauthorize 
those programs, a conference agreement still has not been worked out. 
As a result, today the Senate is passing an 8-month extension, the 
sixth short-term extension since TEA-21 expired. The inherent 
uncertainty of short-term extensions has made it difficult for State 
and local governments and transit agencies to make decisions regarding 
construction, maintenance, and operations.
  I want to speak for a moment about the transit program, which falls 
under the jurisdiction of the Senate Banking Committee. In the Banking 
Committee's reauthorization hearings, we heard extensive testimony on 
the critical role of transit in reducing congestion, strengthening our 
national economy, and improving our quality of life. Transit ridership 
is at record levels, a testament to Americans' growing need for safe, 
reliable transportation choices. The same can be said for the other 
modes as well: demand is increasing along our entire transportation 
network.
  Increased investment is essential if we are to keep up with this 
demand. The U.S. Department of Transportation has estimated that an 
average of $127 billion per year is needed over the next two decades to 
maintain and improve the condition of our highways, bridges, and 
transit systems. Other estimates show an even greater need. I believe 
that failure to make the needed investment will result in the continued 
deterioration of our existing infrastructure, threatening our future 
mobility and economic strength. Such investment would also have a 
positive impact in the near term: according to the U.S. Chamber of 
Commerce, each $1 billion invested in transportation infrastructure 
creates 47,500 jobs.
  In an effort to begin addressing these needs, the Banking Committee 
passed a reauthorization of the Federal transit program in February of 
this year. That bill authorized $56.5 billion over 6 years for transit, 
a substantial increase over TEA-21. As a result of Banking Committee 
Chairman Shelby's leadership in developing that piece of legislation, 
the Federal Public Transportation Act of 2004 was reported out of the 
Banking Committee unanimously. The Banking Committee bill was 
incorporated into S. 1072, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and 
Efficient Transportation Equity Act, a 6-year multimodal 
reauthorization bill, which passed through the Senate with overwhelming 
bipartisan support.
  Notwithstanding the passage in both the Senate and the House of 
reauthorization bills calling for substantially increased investment, 
the administration has not been willing to support the kind of 
investment needed to meet our pressing transit and highway needs. 
Without a serious commitment from the administration to make such 
investments, it has been impossible to move forward in the conference 
process.
  Until that process is completed, it is essential that our States and 
local communities be able to continue to operate and maintain our 
Nation's roads, bridges, and transit systems. The legislation 
considered by the Senate today would allow Federal assistance to 
continue through May 31, 2005, and provides that once a multiyear 
reauthorization bill is completed, the budgetary firewalls protecting 
highway and transit spending will be extended around the total amounts 
authorized for fiscal year 2005 in that multiyear bill. I hope that in 
the next 8 months the Administration will work cooperatively with the 
Congress to produce a comprehensive reauthorization bill that will 
provide the needed resources to address the Nation's urgent 
transportation needs.
  Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time 
and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any 
statements be printed in the Record.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, this could not have been done without 
Senator Byrd and Senator Stevens. I have no objection.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (H.R. 5183) was read the third time and passed.

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