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“IN RECOGNITION OF MR. DAVID M. LANEY” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E19 on Jan. 6, 2001.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN RECOGNITION OF MR. DAVID M. LANEY
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HON. TOM DeLAY
of texas
in the house of representatives
Saturday, January 6, 2001
Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize Mr. David M. Laney, who will soon complete his term as a member of the Texas Transportation Commission. Governor George W. Bush appointed Mr. Laney to the commission in April 1995, designating him its chairman and Commissioner of Transportation. In April 2000, he stepped down as Commissioner of Transportation, serving the remainder of his term as a member of the commission.
During his term on the commission, Mr. Laney has been the champion of the State's efforts to increase the state's share of federal transportation dollars returning to Texas. He was instrumental in promoting the STEP 21 Coalition's successful efforts to guarantee that every state receive a fairer return on its contributions to the Highway Trust Fund. As a result, the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21) provides a guarantee of at least a 90.5 percent return. When this guarantee was combined with a significant increase in national highway program funding and the use of more real world funding formula factors, Texas received an increase of more than $700 million annually in federal highway funds. In addition, he promoted increased federal funding for the nation's general aviation and reliever airports, which Congress provided in the historic Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR 21). Finally, Mr. Laney has been a strong advocate for the state's small urban and rural transit systems, working with Congress to provide much needed discretionary funding to address the vehicle replacement needs of these vital transportation systems, the most extensive in the nation. With these additional funds for Texas transportation programs, the commission will be better able to meet the tremendous transportation demands of the growing regional and international trade traffic in Texas.
With a look to the future, as Commissioner of Transportation Mr. Laney led the Texas Department of Transportation in its efforts to obtain the flexible financing tools it needs to help address the multitude of transportation needs in Texas. He was successful in working with the Texas Legislature to create the Texas Turnpike Authority Division of the department, which provides toll-funding options for the state's major transportation projects. With this strong support and encouragement, the division has applied for and expects to receive an $800 million loan under the federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act for a major Central Texas turnpike project. Under Mr. Laney's leadership, the commission has used the Texas State Infrastructure Bank, authorized under the National Highway System Designation Act of 1995, to provide needed assistance to localities to help move forward important transportation projects. Mr. Laney also initiated a major Texas border strategy, which provides more than $1.8 billion in priority highway funding to the state's border region to address the demands of international trade traffic.
Throughout his tenure on the commission, Mr. Laney has provided strong, confident, and visionary leadership to the Texas Department of Transportation, promoting the development of a first-class Texas transportation system. His legacy is a transportation agency with a menu of solid financial and operational tools to provide a safe, effective, and environmentally sensitive transportation system for the people of Texas and the nation. His dedication to transportation and his strong leadership on the commission will be missed.
Mr. Speaker, I know my fellow Texans join me in this expression of appreciation to David Laney for his exemplary leadership. I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating him and wishing him the best in his future endeavors.
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