Date: 1993-09-22
Speaker: FRANK WOLF (republican)
Chamber: H

for their leadership support for the continuation of rail in crafting this bill. freight service and track rehabilitation This bill was fairly and carefully on light density lines. written. The subcommittee spent a full The Coast Guard is provided with a 27 days in hearings with every adminis- total of $3.5 billion. An amendment will tration and agency funded in this bill. *be offered this afternoon to restore adA week was devoted to outside wit- ditional funds for operating expenses. nesses. the public. if you will. who pre- The Coast Guard has once again proven sented about 200 requests worth more its value to life. commerce. and propthan $5 billion. erty during the crisis in the Mississippi Funding decisions for these requests flood. and deserves our support. are based on a projects merits. Each We provided $8.4 billion for the Fedrequest underwent scrutiny based on eral Aviation Administration for coninvestment criteria developed by the tinuing operations. facilities. and subcommittee. We looked at such equipment. including modernization of things as whether the project is on a the air traffic control system. and States transportation plan. grants in aid for airports. The FAA In the case of Ohio. we went to the does a good job of maintaining air safedirector of highways and said do these ty and the committees recommendaprojects fulfill a pressing need in our tion reflects that. State. and that was part of the criteria For programs of the Federal Highway established by the chairman. We Administration. the committee prolooked at the cost/benefit ratio. the vides $19.7 billion. Most of this money share of the local match. are the com- comes from the highway trust fund munities and the States willing to put paid for by gas taxes. The amount recup the money. do they believe in the ommended in the bill is $1.3 billion less project enough to do that. and we than last year. Included are activities looked at the value of the benefits pro- such as motor carrier safety grants and duced by the project. railroadhighway crossings projects. The American Public has demanded Under the National Highway Safety that we change the way we do business Administration. we provided $123 milIn Washington and that means giving lion for section 402 safety grants dethem their moneys worth when it signed to assist States in reducing trafcomes to allocating taxpayers funds. fic crashes. fatalities. and injuries. This bill does that. We have heard today about a disaster The bill also rescinds money that has in one of the Southern States with been stuck in a funding pipeline and trains. an example of why safety is imwill not be spent. The projects have ei- portant. ther been completed without using all The Federal Transit Administration of their allocation. or have not as yet is provided with a total of $4.4 billion. obligated any funds. Rescissions also of which $2.4 billion is for formula affect projects which have only obli- grants. and $1.7 billion Is for discregated a small percentage and have been tionary grants. We have left $150 milidentified as being a low priority by lion of discretionary money the States department of transpor- unallocated to leave to the discretion tation. . of the Secretary as to its use. If you believe in a more prudent and In conclusion. I want to ask my coljudicious use of Federal funds. then leagues to take a thoughtful and comyou should support this bill. There is prehensive look at this bill. I believe no justifiable reason to let this money you will come to the same conclusion sit unused when there are so many as the members of the subcommittee other pressing needs to which it can be and the full committee. namely. that directed. this bill responds to the publics deThere are some provisions and pro- mand for wiser spending. fairness. and grams in this bill which are unauthor- accountability. as well as beginning a ized and Members will argue that they process of economicbased criteria that should be deleted. If this is your philos- has been endorsed by conservatives and ophy then lets be consistent. liberals alike. This bill is good transThe Coast Guard is not authorized. portation policy for the United States. but I do not believe any Member would Mr. CARR of Michigan. Mr. Chairsupport striking the funds they need to man. I yield such time as he may carry out their vital functions such as consume to the distinguished gensearch and rescues. responding to oil- tleman from Texas . a spills. intercepting smugglers ships member of the committee. filled with illegal immigrants. and (Mr. COLEMAN asked and was given their drug interdiction activities. permission to revise and extend his reThese are programs your constituents marks.) support. Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. Chairman. I rise today The Airport Improvement Grant Pro- In support of H.R. 2750. the Transportation gram is also not authorized. but I do appropriations bill for fiscal year 1994. and to not believe many Members would argue express my appreciation for the leadership of that we leave the Nations airports un- Chairman BOB CARR and the ranking member. FRANK WOLF. in crafting this important piece of legislation. These are new roles for these two members of the subcommittee. and I want to commend them for their diligence and hard work. I also want to thank my colleagues on the committee who worked so tirelessly on the many complex issues related to our Nations infrastructure and transportation needs. It is also important to express my gratitude to the Transportation Subcommittee staff who serve a critical function in the legislative process by their command of the budgets Intricacies as well as policy issues. This year. Chairman CARR and the subcommittee implemented a major initiative. economically based investment criteria. as a method of evaluating requests for special funding consideration. I want to congratulate the chairman for developing this criteria because it assisted Members representing communities across the country in structuring their requests and assisted the subcommittee in reviewing them. These were applied to highways. transit. and aviation projects. I would like to thank my colleagues on the subcommittee for their support for critical transportation projects In my district Including extension of the Border Highway in El Pago. a study of El Paso Airport and Loop 375 corridor regional transportation center. construction of a paratransit facility. and the purchase of alternative fuel buses by the city of El Paso. These projects all submitted economic information relative to the investment criteda and received scrutiny alongside of hundreds of other proposals. In addition to the local projects. the subcommittee -adopted language in its report which recognizes the great need In developing the infrastructure along the United States border regions with Mexico and Canada. and directs the Department of Transportation to give high priority to these areas in the allocation of discretionary funds and grant awards. I would like to commend my colleagues for. their support for this concept. and would urge the administration to reflect this concern in its budget submissions to the Congress. Finally. the subcommittee included my amendment which prohibits airports from collecting passenger facility charges from passengers flying on frequent flyer bonus awards. This reaffirms congressional intent that these charges were not to be collected from frequent flyers. and I would urge the House to maintain this position as it did last year. I recommend this bill to my colleagues. and urge its passage.