Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users
TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT: A LEGACY FOR USERS -- (House of Representatives - March 10, 2005)
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Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the hard work of my colleagues, Chairman DON YOUNG, Ranking Member JIM OBERSTAR, Chairman TOM PETRI, and Ranking Member PETE DEFAZIO.
This legislation will help our nation keep up with its ever growing transportation needs, but I want to add that it does fall short.
It falls short because we have not indexed the gas tax or added the small increases necessary to allow the country to successfully grow.
The Department of Transportation estimated that it will take at least $350 billion to keep up with our transportation needs, but the Administration has drawn a line in the sand at $289 billion.
I would ask the President to look back at Texas, where the Republican leadership is now seriously considering indexing the Texas state gas tax, as I proposed many years ago in the state legislature.
The gas tax is the easiest tax to defend for a politician, because the benefit to drivers is obvious, and if you don't use your car or truck on the roads, you don't have to pay it.
Now we forced into a situation where every new highway in America will be tolled, something my middle and low-income commuters and professional truck drivers vigorously oppose.
So I support this legislation, but I also support the re-opener provision that allows us to consider a gas tax index proposal in the future.
I also support further efforts in conference to increase the scope of the minimum guarantee and increase the rate of return on that minimum guarantee. Texas deserves at least 95 percent of the gas tax revenue that we pay into the system.
I support the efforts of the Majority Leader to improve our rate of return, but I also encourage him to study what his colleagues, including the Speaker of the Texas House, are considering for the state gas tax.
This legislation also included two projects of critical importance to my area in Houston, the reconstruction of Clinton Dr. near the Port of Houston and the construction of US90 from the Beltway into Loop 610.
Clinton Dr. is currently in a state of disrepair causing safety concerns and the constant maintenance work is a drain on local resources.
US90 will provide much needed mobility for Northeast Harris County, by completing a project that has been on the books for many years. Development along this corridor will be encouraged and greatly improve the area.
I want to thank Congressman TED POE for working with us on the US90 project, which will also benefit his constituents by providing another route into central Houston and by relieving traffic on I-10 east and US 59 North.
Mr. Chairman, I encourage my colleagues to vote for the bill.
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