[sustran] Highway Bill Update

[Jessica Vallette]

***** Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy Project *****

SENATE TO TAKE UP ISTEA2 NEXT WEEK
The Senate continues to work on its six year version of the Intermodal
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), which compiles with the
balanced budget agreement.  Senate Majority Leader, Trent Lott (R-MS) is
committed to a six year bill and no extension.  The Senate Committee on the
Environment and Public Works passed its reauthorization bill last week and
the full Senate is expected to take it up next week.

Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) is threatening to amend the Congestion
Mitigation and Air Quality provision to allow increased  highway capacity
for single occupancy vehicles.  This amendment would gut the program and
allow state departments of transportation yet another avenue to increase
their overall highway spending without a need to consider the negative air
impacts of more driving.  We need to pressure the Senate to support a full
strength CMAQ program because it is the only provision that links automobile
travel with bad air quality by funding programs to increase the number of
less polluting and more efficient, alternatively fueled busses on our
nation's roads and other methods to improve transportation's impact on air
quality.

Other issues that are of great concern to the environmental community are
proposals to weaken metropolitan planning provisions and "streamline"
provisions that link with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
For more information on these issues contact Michael Replogle at the
Environmental Defense Fund, 202-387-3500 or michaelr at edf.org.

HOUSE TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE PASSES 6 MONTH HIGHWAY
EXTENSION BILL
MARKS-UP BESTEA
On 24 September, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
passed a bill that extends the original Intermodal Surface Transportation
Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 for an additional 6 months from October 1,
1997 to March 31, 1998.   This bill, H.R. 2519, maintains ISTEA's policy
structure and extends FY 1997 funding levels for another 6 months. This move
is meant to pacify House leadership's concerns about the Shuster's
reauthorization proposal that would "bust the budget".   The committee
expects to use this additional time to work out budget levels that would be
acceptable to House Budget Committee chair, John Kaisch, and House Speaker
Gingrich.

The Committee also marked-up BESTEA without reporting it to the House Floor.
BESTEA was amended to take it from a three year bill  to a six year bill.
Thus far it retains large increases in transportation spending in the first
three years, but these levels have been reduced to levels near those
approved in the budget agreement passed earlier this year.  The Committee
also resolved to increase transportation funding by transfering 4.3 cents of
the federal gas tax currently used to balance the budget into the Highway
Trust Fund, without actually spending the money.  Since revenue projections
for FY98 are expected to be higher than anticipated under the balanced
budget agreement, there is a distinct possibility that more funds will be
available for transportation in next year's budget process.  The Committee
will take the bill back up in March when the extension expires.

WHAT ALL THIS MEANS
After the Senate passes their version of ISTEA, members of both the House
and the Senate could meet in conference to finalize legislation for the
President's signature.   However, this is unlikely since the House passed
only a 6 month extension.  Any further action won't likely occur until March
when the House will take up their version of the bill.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Call or write your Senator and ask that they:

*Support a fully reauthorized ISTEA that would last for 6 years and would:
	- Fully fund an untouched Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program
	- Keeps spending within the limits agreed to in the Balanced Budget
Agreement

Since the bill will be taken up by the full Senate starting October 1,
please FAX your letter if your Senator is listed below (all area codes are
202):

Senator				Phone				FAX
John W. Warner (R-VA)		224-2023			224-6269
Olympia Snowe (R-ME)		224-5344			224-2946
Susan Collins (R-ME)		224-2523			224-2963
Jim Jeffords (R-VT)		224-4242			228-1967
Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY)		224-6542			224-5871
William Roth (R-DE)		224-2441			224-0354
Harry Reid (D-NV)		224-3542			224-7327
John Breaux (D-LA)		224-4623			228-2577
Mary Landrieu (D-DE)		224-5824			224-9735
James Inhofe (R-OK)		224-4721			228-0380
Daniel Inouye (D-HI)		224-3934			224-6747
Phil Gramm (R-TX)		224-2934			228-2856
Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX)	224-5922			224-0776
Wendell Ford (D-KY)		224-4343			224-0046
Bob Graham (D-FL)		224-3041			224-2237
Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) 	224-4744			224-9707
Daniel P. Moynihan (D-NY)	224-4451			228-0406
John Chafee (R-RI)		224-2921			228-2853

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jessica Vallette
Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy Project
202-546-4996
vallette at citizen.org
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