[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Pages 22206-22210]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              THE ECONOMY

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I seek recognition under morning 
business and wish to speak about the economic crisis facing the Nation. 
I will be brief because I think we need less deeds and more action.
  Mr. President, we do have an economic crisis. We do have a credit 
crisis. We need to be able to protect our economy, we need to act to 
protect the taxpayer, and we need to act to protect the distressed 
homeowner.
  I am frustrated and deeply troubled. I am deeply troubled by where we 
find ourselves when I observe that House Republicans are defying their 
own President. Our economy is in trouble.
  Yesterday, leadership on both sides of the aisle and both sides of 
the dome went to the White House at the President's request to try to 
deal with this issue. To my surprise, House Republicans poked their own 
President in the eye and derailed a plan that we were developing. Now 
we need action. And I say to President Bush, we need Presidential 
leadership. We need a situation room. We need a situation room not at 
CNN, we need an economic situation room at the White House.
  I ask the President, while all of this hubbub is going on on Capitol 
Hill, to

[[Page 22207]]

be the commander in chief of the economy. We need a commander in chief 
of the economy. I ask him to do what he has done as Commander in Chief, 
to listen to his generals. He has Paulson, he has Bernanke, and he also 
needs to get his Republican troops in line.
  Yesterday we had a method and we had momentum for working on this 
problem. I salute my Senate colleagues, Senator Dodd, the chairman of 
the Banking Committee, and his Democrats. But I also salute the 
Republicans in the Senate, on a bipartisan basis. They were working 
methodically, they were working steadily, and they were acting 
responsibly. We had a plan.
  What happened is the Republican House became afraid of voters. I know 
we need to listen to voters. I am getting the same kind of e-mails they 
are. In the last 72 hours, I have received close to 8,000 e-mails and 
only 30 were for this plan.
  I have received over 1,300 phone calls and almost all were against 
the bailout and why they are against the bailout. They wonder who is on 
their side, who is looking out for them; who is going to bail them out 
of their stagnant wages; who is going to bail them out of their rising, 
escalating health care; who is going to bail them out when they are 
trying to pay their utility and put gas in their car and buy groceries. 
Seniors are wondering who is going to bail them out as they try to make 
sure they do not outlive their income. We listened to them loudly and 
clearly. Yet what we need to be able to do is not only respond to them, 
we need to be able to respond to this credit crisis.
  Make no mistake, if we do not act we could lose jobs that could 
affect small business and ordinary homeowners. It could cause massive 
or significant temporary layoffs.
  Now, I am for reform. I absolutely do want reform. I believe we were 
working to get it. We have to get back on track, and the President 
needs to get us back on track.
  I believe what the Senate was doing protected the economy by putting 
capital where it needed to go. It also protected the taxpayer by making 
sure that we had a stake in the outcome. We absolutely also forbade 
golden parachutes and put a cap on compensation. Again, we made sure 
that those who created the crisis do not further gouge us by profiting 
off the crisis. We had methods and we had momentum for both solving the 
crisis and at the same time bringing reform. But in the midst of it, 
the House Republicans decided they were going to do their own plan and 
come up with some kind of insurance plan. Well, where were they 2 days 
before that?
  Then, the Republican Presidential nominee parachuted in, ran back and 
forth on both sides of the Capitol and huffed and puffed. Huffing and 
puffing will not do it. We have had too much huff, we have had too much 
puff, and there is now a need for Presidential leadership.
  I am glad the Republican nominee decided to go to Mississippi and 
debate. That is where we will debate the economic future of the United 
States of America. Tonight's topic should be on the economy. We should 
listen to the Republican nominee and the Democratic nominee. We need to 
hear their ideas on the future of the economy of the United States, how 
they will be the next commander in chief of the economy; how that will 
create jobs that stay in the United States of America and pay a living 
wage, not a survivable wage; how they will deal with the skyrocketing 
cost of health care.
  How are we going to deal with energy? It affects utilities and gas 
and, therefore, groceries. We need that debate because it is on the 
economic future, and I am glad he is going.
  And here, while they are in Mississippi debating, we should begin to 
act. I ask that the President create this economic situation room. I am 
proud of my Senate colleagues. I salute the Republicans on the other 
side for working. We all worked together. We have all had to set aside, 
in these last couple of days, the outcome we wanted.
  I am at heart and soul a reformer. I wanted more reform. I want more 
teeth in the Securities and Exchange Commission where they do not just 
bark, that they bite. I was one of the people 10 years ago who voted 
against deregulation of the financial institutions. But we could not 
get that much reform in this package. We can do that on another day.
  I stood on the floor of the Senate and said I wanted retribution for 
those who created fraud and engaged in predatory practices against 
unsuspecting homeowners. I want them investigated. I want people to go 
to jail. That is why, as chair of the committee that funds the FBI, we 
put money into the Federal checkbook so we can now have the FBI agents 
out there doing forensics, looking at the books of those people who 
tried to cook the books.
  So, sure, I am for reform, and I am for retribution. But right now we 
have to focus on rescue. So let's get it together. Let's put politics 
aside. I believe the Senate is acting that way. The House Republicans 
need to act that way. But the one person who has called us to come 
together, the President of the United States, has now got to go hands 
on, to listen to his generals, get his troops in line, and let's win 
this battle for America.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I want to say to Senator Mikulski how much 
I appreciate her words of passion, of leadership. I think she laid it 
out for the American people. We are on their side. We want to make sure 
we address their concerns.
  The fact is, it looked as though we had a framework, I say to my 
friend, that was workable. The fact is, we had brought together people 
from both sides. Sadly, that was all disrupted when Presidential 
politics got involved.
  Now, I want to say something from the heart. I know all of my 
colleagues agree with what I say. On an issue such as this one, which 
is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime--we certainly hope for us--issue, where 
we are in a crisis situation, where we are being told by the 
President's men who have not handled this economy with any, in my 
opinion, skill at this moment in time, it is one of those votes that is 
going to be a vote of conscience for each of us. It is going to be a 
vote we think about. A lot of us are already losing sleep about this 
subject. This is tough stuff. And no Presidential candidate is going to 
tell me how to vote--with all due respect to John McCain--whether he 
flies in or flies out or whatever he does. This Senator, and, frankly, 
I think Senators--Republicans, Democrats, Independents--each Senator 
will vote their constituents' interests, what they think is best for 
their families, for the small businesses, to keep the economy going, 
what is right for taxpayers, what is right to get to the root cause of 
the problem.
  I want to say that as far as I am concerned, frankly, Senator McCain 
has one vote, and so do I. My vote will be my vote and no one else is 
going to tell me how to vote for my people. I felt that passion in my 
friend's remarks. It is very sad that we have lost the momentum that 
she talked about. But I believe we will get it back.
  I know our chairman of the Banking Committee, Chris Dodd, has an open 
door. I know he is waiting for the Republicans to walk back in and say: 
Let's get to work across party lines. We hope they will do that.


                  Unanimous Consent Request--H.R. 3999

  Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Klobuchar and myself, I ask 
unanimous consent to move a bill that would be very important for this 
economy that we know is suffering, very important for jobs, and very 
important to save lives. It is a bill that would immediately make $1 
billion available to rebuild our Nation's bridges.
  It passed out of the Environment and Public Works Committee, and it 
passed the full House of Representatives. Why? Because we do not want 
to see another bridge go down in Minnesota or any other place. Yes, we 
believe it is important to move in this direction to save lives, to 
rebuild our infrastructure, and to create jobs.
  I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate 
consideration of Calendar No. 1050, H.R. 3999; that the bill be read a 
third time

[[Page 22208]]

and passed, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with 
no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am very disturbed and disheartened that 
our Republican friends would object to such a bill at such a time. 
During rush hour on August 1, 2007, the I-35 West bridge in Minneapolis 
collapsed, sending dozens of cars into the Mississippi River. This 
tragedy, which every American remembers well, claimed the lives of 13 
people.
  Just to see that bridge go down broke your heart. It served, though, 
as a wake-up call--at least we thought it did--that we cannot neglect 
our Nation's crumbling infrastructure. Half of all the bridges in this 
country were built before 1964, the average age of a bridge in the 
national bridge inventory is 43 years old, and 26 percent of our 
bridges are deficient. Yet the Republicans will not allow this 
bipartisan bill to go through. It shouldn't take a tragedy such as the 
one in Minneapolis to remind us that the safety of our bridges and 
highways and other infrastructure can be a matter of life and death.
  Senator Klobuchar and Chairman Oberstar have worked to address these 
problems. That bill I asked unanimous consent to pass today, the 
National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act of 2008, will 
begin those repairs.
  I beg my Republican friends to wake up and smell the roses. A bridge 
collapsed. We need to rebuild our bridges and put people to work to do 
it. If we have enough money to rebuild Iraq, we ought to have enough 
money to rebuild bridges in this country that are a danger to our 
people.
  The I-35 tragedy claimed the lives of 13 people. It has also served 
as an urgent wake-up call that we cannot neglect our Nation's crumbling 
infrastructure.
  The National Transportation Safety Board has not yet issued the 
results of its investigation into the Minnesota bridge collapse, but we 
do know that additional resources are needed to repair and replace 
aging bridges and highways across our Nation.
  Half of all bridges in this country were built before 1964, and the 
average age of a bridge in the National Bridge Inventory is 43 years 
old.
  Of approximately 600,000 bridges nationwide, about 26 percent are 
considered deficient.
  This means we need to make significant investments just to maintain 
our bridges at safe functioning levels, followed by even larger 
investments over the next 20 to 30 years to completely replace aging 
bridges.
  It should not take a tragedy like the one in Minneapolis to remind us 
that the safety of our bridges, highways, and other infrastructure can 
be a matter of life and death.
  Senator Klobuchar and Chairman Oberstar have worked together to 
address problems with our Nation's bridges by introducing legislation 
entitled, the National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act 
of 2008.
  The House version of this legislation, H.R. 3999, was approved by an 
overwhelming bipartisan vote of 357 to 55 in the House of 
Representatives on July 24 and was approved the Senate Committee on 
Environment and Public Works by voice vote on September 17.
  This legislation makes changes to the requirements set forth in the 
Highway Bridge Program, while authorizing a one-time additional $1 
billion for bridge repair and replacement.
  One key provision in this legislation is a requirement for the 
Department of Transportation to develop a national risk-based priority 
system for the repair, rehabilitation or replacement of each 
structurally deficient or functionally obsolete bridge.
  We have great challenges before us. But at the end of the day it is a 
matter of setting priorities.
  If we are going to keep our people safe and our economy strong and 
healthy, we need to make a serious investment in our transportation 
infrastructure.
  I ask unanimous consent to have the following letters of support 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                          American Society of Civil Engineers,

                                    Washington, DC, July 16, 2008.
     Hon. James Oberstar,
     Chairman, House Committee on Transportation and 
         Infrastructure, Washington, DC.
     Hon. John Mica,
     Ranking Member, House Committee on Transportation and 
         Infrastructure, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica: On 
     behalf of the more than 140,000 members of the American 
     Society of Civil Engineers we offer our strong support for 
     the National Highway System Bridge Reconstruction Initiative 
     (H.R. 3999).
       According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), 
     approximately 74,000 U.S. bridges are classified as 
     structurally deficient. Furthermore, the U.S. DOT estimates 
     it would cost $65 billion to fix all existing bridge 
     deficiencies.
       This proposal is an important step toward addressing the 
     problem of our nation's crumbling infrastructure. It makes 
     constructive improvements to the current system by outlining 
     bridge inspector qualifications and improving federal 
     oversight of state inspections. Any bridge safety program 
     should be based on providing for public safety first.
       Successfully and efficiently addressing the nation's 
     failing infrastructure, bridges and highways and other public 
     works systems, will require a long-term, comprehensive 
     nationwide strategy--including identifying potential 
     financing methods and investment requirements. For the safety 
     and security of our families, we, as a nation, can no longer 
     afford to ignore this growing problem. We must demand 
     leadership from our elected officials, because without 
     action, aging infrastructure represents a growing threat to 
     public health, safety, and welfare, as well as to the 
     economic well-being of our nation.
       Once again, ASCE is grateful for your leadership on this 
     most important problem. If we can be of any assistance in 
     this matter, please do not hesitate to contact Brian 
     Pallasch, ASCE Managing Director of Government Relations & 
     Infrastructure Initiatives, at (202) 789-7842 or at 
     [email protected].
           Sincerely yours,
                                                  David G. Mongan,
     President.
                                  ____

                                    American Road & Transportation


                                         Builders Association,

                                    Washington, DC, July 15, 2008.
     Hon. James Oberstar,
     Chairman, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Oberstar: The American Road and 
     Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) strongly supports 
     the National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection 
     Act, H.R. 3999. Your proposal would generate federal 
     leadership in response to a national need, setting priorities 
     and establishing the accountability Americans demand and 
     deserve.
       The collapse of the 1-35 W Bridge August 1, 2007, is a 
     stark reminder the U.S. transportation system is not keeping 
     pace with the demands being placed on it and that tragic 
     consequences can occur when warning signs are not acted upon. 
     According to the Federal Highway Administration, more than 
     one-quarter of all bridges on the NHS are considered either 
     functionally obsolete or structurally deficient. The U.S. 
     Department of Transportation also estimates at least $65 
     billion could be invested immediately in a cost-beneficial 
     fashion to address existing bridge deficiencies.
       The nation has vast unmet bridge needs that are well 
     documented and irrefutable. The U.S., however, is not just 
     suffering from a bridge crisis; it is suffering from a 
     transportation infrastructure crisis. We need to dramatically 
     upgrade the nation's bridges, roadways and public 
     transportation facilities and increased investment is a 
     critical part of the solution. The U.S. transportation 
     network is a holistic system and we must begin the process of 
     addressing all of these needs in a meaningful way as soon as 
     possible. H.R. 3999 is a logical first step toward a 
     restructuring of the core federal highway and public 
     transportation programs to address unmet national needs in 
     the 2009 reauthorization of the federal highway and transit 
     programs.
       ARTBA commends your leadership on this critical national 
     issue and pledges to work with you to ensure all U.S. 
     transportation infrastructure needs are met.
           Sincerely,
                                                   T. Peter Ruane,
     President and CEO.
                                  ____



                                    Federation of State Pirgs,

                                    Washington, DC, July 16, 2008.
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative: One year after the tragic collapse of 
     the 1-35 W Bridge in Minneapolis, our country's bridges 
     remain in critical condition and in need of significant 
     funding for maintenance and repair. We

[[Page 22209]]

     strongly urge you to support H.R. 3999, The National Highway 
     Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act.
       The unmet needs of our nation's aging transportation 
     infrastructure endanger the safety and security of American 
     families. While billions in federal funds are spent annually 
     on new highway projects and lane expansion, our existing 
     assets have been left behind. According to the U.S. 
     Department of Transportation, approximately 74,000 bridges in 
     this country are classified as structurally deficient.
       H.R. 3999 is an important first step towards addressing 
     this national problem. The legislation authorizes dedicated 
     funding for bridge repairs throughout the country and 
     provides minimum inspection standards.
       The tragedy in Minnesota should serve as a wake-up call for 
     this Congress, which must embrace an approach to highway 
     spending that prioritizes maintenance and repair of our 
     existing roadways over new capacity. Our country can no 
     longer afford the cost of inaction as our bridges continue to 
     age and deteriorate. Please support H.R. 3999, The National 
     Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act.
           Thank You,

                                                 John Krieger,

                              Staff Attorney, U.S. Public Interest
     Research Group.
                                  ____

                                                   National Stone,


                                    Sand & Gravel Association,

                                                    July 15, 2008.
     Hon. James Oberstar,
     Chairman, House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, 
         House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Oberstar: On behalf of the National Stone, 
     Sand & Gravel Association (SSGA) I wish to commend you for 
     your continued efforts to address the nation's bridge 
     maintenance and repair problems so tragically highlighted by 
     the Minnesota bridge collapse. NSSGA joins our coalition 
     partners in supporting H.R. 3999, the ``National Highway 
     Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act.''
       A key part of the problem facing the nation's 
     transportation system is that it is old with over half of the 
     bridges built before 1964. Interstate bridges, which were 
     primarily constructed in the 1960s, are at the end of their 
     service lives (estimated to be 44 years for bridges built at 
     that time). NSSGA supports the key goals of the legislation 
     that establishes a risk-based priority for replacing bridges 
     along the National Highway System and improving the bridge 
     inspection program. This legislation will ultimately make 
     travel safer and more efficient for all users as older 
     bridges are upgraded to current safety standards and are 
     rebuilt to accommodate increases in traffic.
       As you are aware, from 1990 to 2005, there has been a 19 
     percent increase in the nation's population, a 39 percent 
     increase in vehicle miles traveled, but only a 4 percent 
     increase in highway capacity. As you are also aware, a number 
     of reports, including the National Surface Transportation 
     Policy and Revenue Study Commission final report, detail the 
     need for additional funding for the nation's infrastructure 
     along with a suggestion for restructuring the Department of 
     Transportation. H.R. 3999 is a positive step forward in 
     addressing the nation's aging surface transportation 
     infrastructure.
       According to the U.S. Geological Survey, NSSGA is the 
     largest mining association by product volume in the world and 
     represents the crushed stone, sand and gravel- or aggregate-
     industries. Our member companies produce more than 90 percent 
     of the crushed stone and 70 percent of the sand and gravel 
     consumed annually in the United States. More than three 
     billion tons of aggregates (or 2.95 billion metric tons) were 
     produced in 2007 at a value of approximately $21 billion, 
     contributing nearly $38 billion to the GDP of the Unites 
     States. Without these important materials, the nation's 
     infrastructure could not be built or maintained, and the 
     commerce and quality of life would be severely reduced. The 
     aggregates industry workforce is made up of about 118,000 men 
     and women. Every $1 million in aggregate sales creates 19.5 
     jobs, and every dollar of industry output returns $1.58 to 
     the economy. With over 11,000 operations nationwide, most 
     Congressional Districts are home to multiple operations.
       NSSGA looks forward to working with you and our coalition 
     partners to advance the bridge initiative to improve the 
     safety and stability of the nation's transportation 
     infrastructure.
           Sincerely,
                                              Jennifer Joy Wilson,
     President & CEO.
                                  ____

                                             Transportation Trades


                                           Department, AFL-CIO

                                    Washington, DC, July 16, 2008.
     Re: Support the National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and 
         Inspection Act.

       Dear Representative: On behalf of the Transportation Trades 
     Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I urge you to vote in favor of the 
     National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act (H. 
     R. 3999) when it is considered by the House. This important 
     measure will improve the safety of American bridges and 
     decrease the chance of another catastrophic bridge collapse 
     like the one we witnessed almost a year ago in Minneapolis.
       H.R. 3999 will improve bridge safety and invest in the 
     reconstruction of structurally deficient bridges. 
     Specifically, the bill requires the federal Department of 
     Transportation (DOT) to create a risk-based approach to 
     safety so that states may focus attention on bridges in need 
     of rehabilitation and replacement. In order to receive 
     federal assistance, states will be required to create a five-
     year performance plan for highway bridge inspection, 
     rehabilitation and replacement specifically for federal-aid 
     highway bridges which are structurally deficient or 
     functionally obsolete.
       For years, our nation's infrastructure has suffered from an 
     appalling lack of investment. The state of our nation's 
     highway bridges is just one example of what happens when we 
     neglect key aspects of our transportation system. According 
     to the DOT, one out of every eight bridges in the United 
     States is structurally deficient. While this classification 
     does not immediately imply that a bridge will collapse, 
     structurally deficient bridges require significant 
     maintenance and repair to remain in service and eventual 
     rehabilitation or replacement.
       H.R. 3999 will ensure that bridges are being properly 
     inspected and facilities in need of improvement are 
     identified and prioritized. In addition, the bill authorizes 
     $1 billion to repair, reconstruct and replace structurally 
     deficient bridges. While this money will not fully meet the 
     needs to fix existing bridge deficiencies, it does represent 
     an important down payment and will provide immediate 
     assistance to states in desperate need of bridge repair 
     funding.
       As we witnessed in Minneapolis, a bridge collapse can have 
     horrific consequences. In addition to the 13 people killed, 
     it is estimated that road user costs totaled $400,000 per day 
     in travel time delays and increased operational costs. 
     Overall, the state's economy lost $61 million for 2007 and 
     2008 as a result of the collapse. Transportation workers and 
     American motorists depend on a safe and reliable highway 
     network. It is clear that we must do more to support this 
     system.
       Again, I urge you to pass H. R. 3999 and to ensure that 
     this bill becomes law as quickly as possible. If you have any 
     questions or need additional information, please contact me 
     or Brendan Danaher at 202/628-9262.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Edward Wytkind,
     President.
                                  ____

                                            The Associated General


                                       Contractors of America,

                                     Arlington, VA, July 21, 2008.
     Hon. James Oberstar,
     Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
         House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: On behalf of the Associated General 
     Contractors of America (AGC), I am writing in support of H.R. 
     3999, the National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and 
     Inspection Act of 2008. As a targeted, nationwide bride 
     repair and reconstruction program, your initiative would 
     provide another $1 billion in critically-needed federal 
     resources for states to continue efforts to better identify 
     and address their most at-risk bridges.
       Nearly one year after the tragic collapse of a span of the 
     I-35 bridge in Minneapolis, which brought national attention 
     to the state of the nation's bridges, the country continues 
     to under invest in its transportation infrastructure. In 
     2007, in response to this tragedy, Congress provided an 
     additional $1 billion for states to begin addressing their 
     most at-risk bridges; however, estimates show that the 
     problem is much more widespread--more than a quarter of the 
     nation's bridges have structural problems or fail to meet 
     current design standards. State departments of transportation 
     have undertaken additional inspections and emergency repairs 
     to ensure there are not imminent failures, yet the system 
     still needs an infusion of $65 billion to repair or replace 
     the significant number of bridges that are 50 years or older.
       In addition, states are struggling to keep pace with the 
     rising prices of many construction inputs: asphalt prices 
     have more than doubled since the beginning of 2008, with 
     increases of as much as 40 percent announced in many regions 
     since July 1; on-highway diesel fuel costs have risen 68 
     percent in the past 12 month; reinforcing steel (rebar) has 
     roughly doubled since the beginning of 2008; and the price of 
     construction plastics, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe 
     and plastic fencing and moisture barriers, have risen 10 to 
     25 percent since early 2008.
       While bridges are a vital link in the nation's 
     transportation network, they are but one component of the 
     intermodal system that supports our $14 trillion economy. 
     Likewise, other system needs exist and require solutions to 
     address a variety of mobility challenges. Unfortunately, the 
     Minneapolis tragedy is but a symptom of a bigger, looming 
     infrastructure crisis in this country which involves all 
     modes of infrastructure in addition to surface 
     transportation, including aviation, water infrastructure, 
     flood control, and navigation. Recognizing the committee's 
     hard work to address these needs through other legislative 
     efforts, your bridge initiative is an important first step 
     towards fixing

[[Page 22210]]

     the long-term neglect of our nation's aging and deteriorating 
     infrastructure.
       Again, AGC strongly supports H.R. 3999, and looks forward 
     to working with you to enact this worthy legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                              Stephen E. Sandherr,
     Chief Executive Officer.
                                  ____

                                               American Council on


                                        Engineering Companies,

                                     Washingon, DC, July 15, 2008.
     Hon. James Oberstar,
     Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
         Washington, DC.
       Mr. Chairman: On behalf of the American Council of 
     Engineering Companies (ACEC)--the voice of America's 
     engineering industry--I wanted to express our strong support 
     for H.R. 3999, the National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and 
     Inspection Act and applaud your leadership in addressing the 
     shortcomings of our national bridge program.
       ACEC member firms are involved in every aspect of bridge 
     planning, design and inspection. As you know, ACEC members 
     testified before your committee and others about the need for 
     a risk-based approach to bridge inspections and repair and 
     rehabilitation decisions. Thank you for incorporating our 
     recommendations into the bill. Improving existing inspection 
     procedures and techniques, as called for in H.R. 3999, will 
     allow states and the federal government to better allocate 
     limited resources. The bill rightly calls for priority 
     consideration based on safety, serviceability, and the impact 
     on regional and national freight and passenger mobility.
       ACEC strongly supports the requirement in the bill that 
     bridge program managers and critical bridge inspection team 
     leaders be licensed professional engineers. While we 
     recognize the value of experience in bridge inspections, 
     there is no replacement for the rigorous education, testing 
     and standards for professional licensing. We firmly believe 
     that a licensed professional engineer, qualified to practice 
     structural engineering, should be in ``responsible charge'' 
     of every bridge safety inspection.
       Finally, ACEC appreciates the inclusion of a $5 million 
     grant program to evaluate the effectiveness, accuracy and 
     reliability of advanced condition assessment inspection 
     processes and technologies. As noted in our testimony, 
     inspectors are often limited in time and resources to visual 
     or other simple inspections that provide only an immediate 
     snapshot of bridge conditions, existing and emerging 
     deficiencies, and any potential hazards. Significant safety 
     improvements can be found in emerging technologies such as 
     fiber optic, vibrating wire, acoustical emissions, and peak 
     strain displacement for monitoring and evaluating the 
     structural health of a highway bridge. The pilot program in 
     the bill will help move these technologies forward.
       For these reasons, ACEC supports passage of H.R. 3999. We 
     look forward to working with you on this and other 
     transportation infrastructure legislation in the future.
           Sincerely,
                                                 David A. Raymond,
     President and CEO.

                          ____________________