[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 19]
[House]
[Pages 25320-25322]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  MOTION TO GO TO CONFERENCE ON H.R. 3058, TRANSPORTATION, TREASURY, 
HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, THE JUDICIARY, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 
           AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2006

  Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1 of rule XXII and 
by direction of the Committee on Appropriations, I move to take from 
the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 3058) making appropriations for the 
Departments of Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban 
Development, the Judiciary, District of Columbia, and independent 
agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other 
purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate 
amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg).
  The motion was agreed to.


                Motion to Instruct Offered by Mr. Olver

  Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to instruct conferees.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Mr. Olver moves that the managers on the part of the House 
     at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses 
     on the Senate amendment to the bill, H.R. 3058, be instructed 
     to recede to the Senate levels for the National Railroad 
     Passenger Corporation and the revitalization of severely 
     distressed public housing (HOPE VI) and recede to the Senate 
     on Section 722 of the Senate amendment.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 7 of rule XXII, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Olver) and the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Olver).
  Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we are approaching the end of what has been a long and 
complicated process.

                              {time}  1215

  As we all know, the Treasury, Transportation, HUD and other agencies, 
commonly known as the THUD bill, has many moving parts; and while there 
are many issues to be addressed in the conference, I want to highlight 
a few today to refresh our memory.
  The motion to instruct is fairly straightforward and simple. It 
addresses three items that deserve the body's attention. The first is 
funding to ensure that the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, 
commonly known as Amtrak, maintains its current level of service. It is 
funded in both bills; however, the House bill provides $1.18 billion 
and the Senate bill provides $1.4 billion. As you can see, it is intent 
of both houses of this Congress to fund Amtrak, and my motion to 
instruct conferees insists on sufficient funding to ensure that Amtrak 
can continue to provide service, make capital improvements and pay its 
debt.
  The second item deals with the micropurchase cap. The second Katrina 
supplemental budget included an administration proposal to increase the 
micropurchase threshold from $15,000 to $250,000. This means that 
authorized holders of government credit cards can now charge items that 
cost up to a quarter of a million dollars. This is far beyond the 
purpose of the government card program and invites the possibility for 
fraud and abuse. The Senate's version of H.R. 3058, the Senate's 
amendment to H.R. 3058, included a provision that repeals the increase 
to the micropurchase threshold. My motion to instruct insists on the 
Senate provision that repeals the unnecessary and excessive increase to 
the micropurchase threshold.
  And the final issue, Mr. Speaker, deals with HOPE VI. The House bill 
funded the program at $60 million as a result of an amendment passed on 
the floor. The Senate funded this important program at $150 million. 
The fiscal year 2005 level for this program was $142 million.
  The HOPE VI program is vital to the rehabilitation of urban areas. 
And once again, Congress has shown its intent to support this important 
program, and my motion insists on its being funded at the higher level.

[[Page 25321]]

  Again, Mr. Speaker, this is a simple motion that instructs the 
conferees to support the highest possible funding level to ensure 
Amtrak can maintain the current level of service; to recede to the 
Senate level for HOPE VI; and to recede to the Senate language in order 
to repeal the micropurchase cap increase that had been adopted in the 
second Hurricane Katrina supplemental budget earlier this fall.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might 
consume.
  I thank my colleague from Massachusetts for his commitment to the 
programs in this bill and for his partnership in what has been a most 
interesting journey to bring this bill to a conference.
  This bill is a huge compilation of government operations, public 
service programs and critical national infrastructure. Like other 
appropriations bills, our allocation and commitment to fiscal 
responsibility makes funding these programs a challenge. Our task was 
to fund well-run, effective programs to the greatest extent that we 
could and encourage reform in others. Two of the motions, Amtrak and 
HOPE VI, fall into the latter category.
  Starting first with Amtrak, this is a railroad in desperate need of 
reform. This year alone Amtrak will carry over $120 million in funds 
that were provided to them by the Congress in fiscal year 2005 but not 
used. The DOT Inspector General, an official respected on both sides of 
the aisle, has informed us that $1.275 billion is sufficient for Amtrak 
to continue operating its existing route structure without reductions 
in frequency, and to dedicate sufficient resources to continue the 
effort to bring Amtrak-owned infrastructure to a state of good repair. 
Also included in this figure is $278 million to meet Amtrak's debt 
service obligations on its nearly $4 billion in outstanding loans.
  HOPE VI is a program that is just that for many people, hope that the 
grant to create new public housing will actually be spent in their 
neighborhoods. Currently, over $2.8 billion in HOPE VI grants has not 
been spent. Only 37 of the 224 communities have actually seen the 
finished product.
  For those 37 communities, HOPE VI is a terrific program, and I was a 
supporter of HOPE VI for that reason, because there are some good 
examples. However, HOPE VI is not working for the other 187.
  Here is another program in desperate need of reform, and I am hopeful 
for that in the coming year, with whatever level of funding is provided 
for the program. The authorizing committees of jurisdiction will look 
for ways to make this program more effective.
  Section 722 of the Senate bill deals with micropurchases. I believe 
the administration has already acted on this issue, and we are 
supportive of the Senate's provisions.
  In the end, we recognize the challenges of reform and have not 
abandoned our commitment to fund good programs. We will do our best 
under this allocation that we have to meet to fund the priority 
programs, including HOPE VI and Amtrak. Again, I thank the gentleman 
from Massachusetts and all the members of the subcommittee for their 
hard work this year.
  With that, I would merely announce that I would accept the motion to 
instruct.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Motion to 
Instruct Conferees to H.R. 3058, the Fiscal Year 2006 Transportation-
Treasury Appropriations Act, offered by the Gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Olver), Ranking Democratic Member of the 
Appropriations Subcommittee.
  In part, this motion instructs conferees to recede to the Senate 
levels for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, or Amtrak.
  This past summer, the House approved by voice vote a bipartisan 
Amtrak funding amendment that the Gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette), 
the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, and I offered to H.R. 
3058, the Fiscal Year 2006 Transportation-Treasury Appropriations bill.
  The amendment increased funding for Amtrak to $1.176 billion: $1.176 
billion more than the Administration proposed in its Fiscal Year 2006 
budget request and $626 million more than the House Appropriations 
Committee approved. It passed overwhelmingly.
  The Senate followed the House's lead, but raised the bar, providing 
Amtrak with $1.45 billion, a difference of about $275 million.
  During Floor consideration, the Senate also stripped the Senate bill 
of several controversial provisions regarding Amtrak, opting instead to 
pass a reasonable, sensible, bipartisan Amtrak reauthorization 
amendment, offered by Senators Lott and Lautenberg, to the Budget 
Reconciliation bill by a vote of 93-6.
  I urge that the conferees recede to the Senate level of $1.45 
billion.
  The fact is that this Congress time and again promotes 
transportation, particularly rural access to transportation. We should 
do no less for Amtrak.
  Amtrak's opponents, however, are quick to point fingers at Amtrak's 
management, and claim that Amtrak doesn't deserve our support: That 
private corporations could run a better passenger railroad.
  The truth is that a succession of hardworking and dedicated 
management teams at Amtrak cannot do the impossible--that is, operate 
our Nation's passenger rail system without a substantial level of 
investment from the Federal Government.
  From its creation in the 1970's, the Corporation has been on a 
starvation diet. Lack of adequate funding and the annual threat of 
elimination have conditioned Amtrak to focus on survival.
  Yet despite chronic underfunding, Amtrak has had its successes. 
According to the Amtrak Reform Board, since 2002, Amtrak has: 
implemented new accounting and financial reporting systems; reduced 
personnel by almost 5,000; developed a detailed and prioritized five-
year capital plan focused on restoring the Northeast Corridor to 
necessary levels of reliability and safety, and on restoration of an 
aging fleet of rolling stock used throughout the system; terminated the 
mail and express operation; eliminated or truncated three long-distance 
routes; increased ridership from 22.5 million in 2000 to 25.1 million 
in 2004; and contained Amtrak's cash-operating requirement at or below 
$570 million.
  Capital investment is up substantially: 256,000 concrete ties were 
installed; 104,000 wood ties were replaced; 266 miles of rail 
infrastructure restored; 50 undergrade bridges improved; 43 miles of 
signal and communications cable replaced; 116 miles of catenary 
hardware installed; and 19 stations and 37 substations improved.
  Since 2002, Amtrak's mechanical department completed 180 
remanufactures/heavy overhauls, 111 diesel locomotive overhauls, 14 
electric locomotive overhauls, 31 equipment overhauls, 51 wreck 
repairs, and 32 baggage car modifications.
  Excess equipment was sold, unprofitable services were eliminated, 
fares were lowered on long-distance routes to increase ridership, and a 
$71 million maintenance facility was opened in a joint partnership 
between Amtrak and the State of California.
  In short, Amtrak is making great progress, even on a limited budget. 
Let's invest $1.45 billion in our rail passenger future and help Amtrak 
succeed.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Motion to Instruct 
Conferees.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simmons). Without objection, the 
previous question is ordered on the motion to instruct.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to instruct 
offered by the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Olver).
  The motion was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.


                        Appointment of Conferees

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the Chair appoints the 
following conferees:
  Messrs. Knollenberg, Wolf, Rogers of Kentucky, Tiahrt, Mrs. Northup, 
Messrs. Aderholt, Sweeney, Culberson, Regula, Lewis of California, 
Olver, Hoyer, Pastor, Ms. Kilpatrick of Michigan, Messrs. Clyburn, 
Rothman, and Obey.
  There was no objection.

[[Page 25322]]



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