Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2012
Floor Speech
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Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I would very much like to thank the Senator for yielding me time and will take just a couple minutes in rising to speak in opposition to the McCain amendment No. 739.
I believe the intent of my colleague is to prohibit the use of funds communities across the Nation use for streetscaping and bike and pedestrian paths and transportation improvements that help separate motor vehicles from local wildlife.
I believe communities should determine for themselves, as they have done for decades, how to use those funds. And the proper place for updating these laws would be in the reauthorization process. So I oppose the amendment on those grounds alone.
However, the amendment goes much further than that. It actually prohibits the use of funds in the entire division C; that is, the Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, for any landscaping or historic preservation. So this impacts not just the Department of Transportation but also HUD. In particular, it would prohibit cities and towns from using their CDBG dollars for eligible activities, such as historic preservation or basic landscaping or streetscaping activities.
It actually prohibits the use of funds for the rehabilitation or operation of historic transportation buildings, structures, and facilities. That would cripple Amtrak. There are over 126 stations that Amtrak services in 41 States that are on the National Register of Historic Places. Under this amendment, Amtrak would not be able to operate or rehabilitate any of them. Amtrak could not make any improvements to stations to comply with access requirements for persons with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Amtrak could not even operate in Union Station.
The amendment would also prohibit the structural preservation and rehabilitation of historic bridges, such as the Brooklyn Bridge, or other covered bridges in the Northeast.
This amendment goes too far, and it is not appropriate for the Transportation-HUD appropriations bill we are currently considering. So I urge my colleagues to oppose the McCain amendment.
Again, I thank my colleague for yielding time to me.
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