REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE NORMAN Y. MINETA
SECRETARY
OF TRANSPORTATION
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
UNITED STATES SENATE
REAUTHORIZATION OF SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS
May 21, 2003
2:30
PM
Chairman
McCain, Senator Hollings, and Members of the Committee, thank you very much for
this opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the Bush
Administration’s proposal to reauthorize our surface transportation programs.
Before
I begin, I’d like to introduce our National Highway Traffic Safety
Administrator Dr. Jeff Runge, and Acting Federal Motor Carrier Administrator
Annette Sandberg, both of whom are here to assist me with any details of your
questions.
Last
week I sent to Congress the Administration’s reauthorization proposal, the
Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003, or
“SAFETEA.”
This
six-year, $247 billion proposal is the largest surface and public
transportation commitment in American history. It builds on the successes of the
landmark legislation, ISTEA, which I co-authored during my days on the other
side of this microphone, and its successor, TEA-21.
Our
reauthorization proposal serves as a true blueprint for investment in our
future, supplying the funds and the framework for needed investments to maintain
and grow our national transportation system, while protecting the environment
for future generations of Americans.
In
addition, our proposal places a central focus on transportation safety. Although
we have made improvements in the rates of fatalities and injuries on our
highways, the total numbers remain intolerable, and they are rising. In 2002,
nearly 43,000 people lost their lives on our highways and roads. These are
numbers that I simply will not accept.
That
is why I have challenged the dedicated men and women of the Department of
Transportation to dramatically reduce the number of injuries and
fatalities on our Nation’s highways, starting right now.
For
the past year and a half, this Department, with the critical and timely help of
this Committee, has dedicated itself to improving transportation security for
Americans. Faced with the scourge of terrorism, our Department responded by
creating unprecedented partnerships with the private sector, Congress, interest
groups, and Federal, State, and local agencies. Together we succeeded in
decreasing the dangers of terrorism through new and better technology, more
personnel, improved laws, and increased education.
Mr.
Chairman, we are going to do the same thing with car crashes. This year, we are
going to take the same passion, call on similar partnerships, and build the same
record of success through enforcement, education, and engineering.
Nothing
would make a greater difference in reducing injuries and fatalities than to
increase the use of safety belts everywhere in America. If safety belt use were
to increase from the present national average of 75 percent to 90 percent – an
achievable goal – 4,000 lives would be saved each year.
We
have a moral, as well as an economic, obligation to immediately address the
problem of transportation safety. The total economic impact of all motor vehicle
crashes exceeds $230 billion a year, a staggering figure. That is why the
President and
I
have made saving lives an essential priority for the Department and for the
reauthorization of TEA-21.
Our
bill would improve safety by creating a new core safety program, consolidating
and simplifying the safety programs administered by NHTSA, and providing new
incentive bonuses to reward States that achieve demonstrable safety results.
SAFETEA
also increases funding for important commercial vehicle safety and enforcement
programs, and strengthens safety auditing of new entrant motor carriers.
Enactment
of our proposal would be an important step in reducing highway fatalities and
injuries, and providing greater flexibility to State and local governments.
Mr.
Chairman, I also believe that enactment of SAFETEA would help strengthen
stewardship of Federal resources. The American people, and the Congress,
rightfully hold our Department accountable for ensuring that Federal funds are
used in the most efficient and effective manner possible. Our proposal would
help ensure that every dollar spent yields the maximum benefit, in terms of the
number of lives saved, reduced congestion, and increased mobility.
SAFETEA
would establish an oversight program for monitoring the effective and efficient
use of title 23-authorized funds, with a specific focus on financial integrity
and project delivery.
Our
Nation’s transportation system faces significant challenges in other areas as
well, such as congestion, project delivery, freight movement and intermodal
connectivity. SAFETEA would create a safer, simpler, and smarter Federal surface
transportation program by addressing transportation problems of national
significance, while giving State and local transportation decision makers more
flexibility to solve transportation problems in their communities.
To
accomplish all of these goals, SAFETEA calls for a record Federal investment in
surface transportation, spending over $201 billion on highway and safety
programs, and nearly $46 billion on public transportation programs, from fiscal
year 2004 through fiscal year 2009.
I
firmly believe that our proposal provides an excellent framework to tackle the
surface transportation challenges that lie ahead.
SAFETEA
will help ensure needed repairs to our roads and bridges. It will ensure that
new transportation projects are completed on budget and on time. It ensures the
continued growth of our Nation’s economy, without imposing costly new taxes.
And, Mr. Chairman, I am proud to say that SAFETEA includes a strong program for
protecting and preserving the environment.
Our
proposal funds our Nation’s transportation infrastructure needs in a fiscally
responsible manner. SAFETEA
continues the funding guarantees of TEA-21 that linked highway funding with
transportation excise tax receipts, and redirects the 2.5 cents per gallon of
the General Fund’s gasohol tax to the Highway Trust Fund.
SAFETEA
also improves highway infrastructure performance and maintenance by dedicating
an additional $1 billion a year of Highway Trust Fund dollars over and above
each year’s estimated receipts into the Highway Trust Fund.
Obviously,
the total size of the program is and will continue to be a matter of debate.
That debate should not, however, be permitted to cloud a meaningful and
necessary discussion of the many programmatic reforms contained in SAFETEA.
Moreover,
any proposal that jettisons the important linkage between tax revenues and
spending in an effort to achieve higher overall funding puts the landmark
victory of guaranteed funding at risk.
My
written statement, which has been submitted for the record, contains a much more
detailed explanation of the programmatic reforms that are included in our
SAFETEA proposal. I hope that you will give these proposals serious
consideration as the committee moves to develop its version of this legislation.
I would like to conclude by
stressing the fact that the Bush Administration is committed to securing
approval of a multi-year reauthorization bill this year, and I look forward to
working with Congress to achieve that very important goal. Again, thank you very
much for having me here today, and I look forward to answering your questions.
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