II 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2735

To require a study and report regarding the designation of a new interstate 

route from Augusta, Georgia to Natchez, Mississippi. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 22, 2004

Mr. MILLER (for himself and Mr. CHAMBLISS) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and 

Public Works 

A BILL

To require a study and report regarding the designation 

of a new interstate route from Augusta, Georgia to 

Natchez, Mississippi.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘14th Amendment 

5 Interstate Highway Initiation Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

7 It is the sense of Congress that—

8 (1) the 11-State region in the Southeast that 

9 has been known historically as the ‘‘Southern Black 
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•S 2735 IS 

1 Belt’’ is, as of 2004, in need of the same regional 

2 economic development plans as the plans modeled by 

3 the Appalachian Regional Commission in 1965; 

4 (2) the Southern Black Belt has an African5 American population that is twice the national aver6 age, because of historic population concentrations 

7 dating to the pre-Emancipation period; 

8 (3) Congress passed and the States ratified the 

9 14th Amendment to the Constitution in 1868, guar10 anteeing equal rights to all persons in the United 

11 States, including those formerly held in involuntary 

12 servitude, largely with the protection and economic 

13 advancement of the residents of that region in mind; 

14 (4) despite the 14th Amendment, that region 

15 and the residents of that region, particularly the de16 scendants of freed slaves, remain characterized by 

17 low employment, low incomes, low education levels, 

18 poor health, and high infant mortality; 

19 (5) Congress recognizes the studies, findings, 

20 and recommendations on the problems of the South21 ern Black Belt by the University of Georgia, 

22 Tuskegee Institute, North Carolina State University, 

23 and the University of Kentucky; 
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1 (6) disparity in transportation infrastructure 

2 investment has been a key contributing factor to the 

3 persistent poverty and social ills of that region; 

4 (7) the lack of adequate east-west interstate 

5 highway access has—

6 (A) provided a significant impediment to 

7 travel throughout the region; 

8 (B) served as a severe obstacle to the at9 traction of industry and jobs; and 

10 (C) been a detriment to public health and 

11 transportation safety; 

12 (8) a new interstate highway designated 

13 ‘‘United States Interstate 14’’ should be constructed 

14 through the heart of the Southern Black Belt, link15 ing Augusta, Georgia to Natchez, Mississippi, and 

16 following a route generally defined through Macon 

17 and Columbus, Georgia, Montgomery, Alabama, and 

18 Laurel and Natchez, Mississippi; and 

19 (9) in light of the promise of economic parity 

20 made by the United States to that region in the 

21 14th Amendment, that new interstate highway 

22 should be known as the ‘‘14th Amendment High23 way’’. 
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1 SEC. 3. STUDY AND REPORT. 

2 Not later than December 31, 2004, the Secretary of 

3 Transportation shall complete a study and submit to the 

4 appropriate committees of Congress a report that de5 scribes the steps and estimated funding necessary to con6 struct a new interstate route to be designated as ‘‘Inter7 state Route I–14’’ and known as the 14th Amendment 

8 Highway, from Augusta, Georgia to Natchez, Mississippi 

9 (formerly designated the Fall Line Freeway in the State 

10 of Georgia).

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