The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Senate section on pages S3899 on June 23, 2014.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
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By Mr. McCONNELL (for himself and Mr. Paul):
S. 2512. A bill to establish an emergency transportation safety fund for the reconstruction of bridges along the Interstate Highway System, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Emergency Interstate Bridge Safety Fund Act, cosponsored by my friend and colleague from Kentucky, Senator Paul. This bill seeks to authorize additional funding for our Nation's critical transportation infrastructure through spending offsets provided by the repeal of the antiquated Davis-Bacon Act. Last year, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that over 10 years, repealing the Davis-Bacon Act would save the Federal Government some $13 billion.
Kentucky is home to a number of critical interstate bridges that are in need of replacement, including the Brent Spence Bridge in Northern Kentucky, the I-65 bridge in Louisville, and an I-69 bridge in Henderson. This bill seeks to create a fund to help advance these very types of interstate bridge projects without raising taxes, adding to the deficit, or by authorizing tolling. Federal funding saved through the repeal of the Davis-Bacon Act could be much better spent building a number of interstate bridges that are sorely needed in Kentucky and communities across America. I call on my Senate colleagues to support this measure to invest in our Nation's critical transportation infrastructure, on which American commerce depends.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2512
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Interstate Bridge Safety Fund Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Davis-Bacon Act requires that workers on all federally funded or federally assisted construction projects be paid what is commonly referred to as a prevailing wage, as calculated by the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor.
(2) According to the Congressional Budget Office, if the Davis-Bacon Act were repealed, the Federal Government could save an estimated $12,700,000,000 in discretionary outlays from 2015 through 2023.
(3) These savings could be redirected to the reconstruction of closed and functionally obsolete bridges along the Interstate Highway System, which would improve highway safety and interstate commerce.
TITLE I--ESTABLISHMENT AND FUNDING
SEC. 101. REPEAL OF DAVIS-BACON ACT OF 1931 WAGE
REQUIREMENTS.
(a) In General.--Subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code (40 U.S.C. 3141 et seq.), is repealed.
(b) Reference.--Beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, any reference in any law to a wage requirement under subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code, shall be null and void.
SEC. 102. EMERGENCY INTERSTATE BRIDGE SAFETY FUND.
(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as the ``Emergency Interstate Bridge Safety Fund''.
(b) Transfers to Emergency Interstate Bridge Safety Fund.--
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(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall regularly transfer amounts equal to the savings achieved through the repeal of the wage requirements under subsection
(a) from the capital budgets of each affected Federal agency to the Emergency Interstate Bridge Safety Fund.
(2) Emergency relief expenditures.--Section 125(c) of title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(3) Emergency interstate bridge safety fund.--Amounts deposited into the Emergency Interstate Bridge Safety Fund established under section 102(a) of the Emergency Interstate Bridge Safety Fund Act are authorized to be obligated to carry out, in priority order, the projects on the current list compiled by the Secretary under section 201(b)(1) of such Act that meet the eligibility requirements set forth in subsection (a).''.
TITLE II--EMERGENCY INTERSTATE BRIDGE SAFETY PRIORITY LIST
SEC. 201. EMERGENCY INTERSTATE BRIDGE PRIORITIES.
(a) List.--The Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with a representative sample of State and local government transportation officials, shall compile a prioritized list of emergency interstate bridge projects, which will guide the allocation of funding to the States from the Emergency Interstate Bridge Safety Fund established under section 102.
(b) Criteria.--In compiling the list under subsection (a), the Secretary of Transportation, in addition to any other criteria established by the Secretary, shall rank the emergency interstate bridge projects in descending order, beginning with projects that--
(1) are part of the Federal interstate highway system;
(2) involve a bridge that is closed or deemed functionally obsolete by the Federal Highway Administration for safety reasons;
(3) have a significant impact on interstate commerce;
(4) would affect a significant volume of traffic; and
(5) have the greatest overall value to the surrounding community.
(c) Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall submit a report to Congress that includes--
(1) a prioritized list of emergency interstate bridge projects to be funded through the Emergency Interstate Bridge Safety Fund; and
(2) a description of the criteria used to establish the list referred to in paragraph (1).
(d) Quarterly Updates.--Not less frequently than 4 times per year, the Secretary of Transportation shall--
(1) update the report submitted pursuant to subsection (c);
(2) send a copy of the report to Congress; and
(3) make a copy of the report available to the public through the Department of Transportation's website.
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