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“DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 1996” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1555 on July 28, 1995.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT,
1996
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speech of
HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY
of new york
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, July 25, 1995
The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2002) making appropriations for the Department of Transportation and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1996, and for other purposes:
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise to articulate my objections to the Transportation appropriations bill.
In my view, H.R. 2002, next year's funding bill, takes our Nation in the wrong direction on transportation policy. This is particularly true for New York City, because the bill imposes devastating cuts on the mass transit budget.
The bill passed by the House increases funding for our highway system by over $800 million while at the same time decreasing funding for mass transit by $500 million--a 20 percent reduction over last year's budget.
The impact of these cuts on New York City will be dramatic. Currently, the city receives $87.5 million in mass transit operating assistance funding. This will be slashed by over $38 million--an incredible 44 percent cut. The city estimates that it will lose another
$40.7 million in Federal capital assistance funding.
In addition to these general budget cuts, I'm particularly displeased that the appropriators removed $40 million in funding to renovate Penn Station that was in the President's budget. Without this funding, we will be unable to continue with our efforts to replace the aging central train station in New York with the refurbished station that our city and the millions of passengers so desperately need.
In addition, over $30 million in cuts to Amtrak will reduce the ability of our citizens to travel up and down the heavily used east coast routes between Washington, New York, and Boston.
For those of us who represent urban and suburban communities, it is clear that mass transit must be a priority, and that we should be investing in services and technologies which will make our buses and trains run more efficiently and more safely. Mass transit moves millions of Americans to and from their jobs each day. It is also the only transportation alternative available to seniors on fixed incomes and students getting to school. Under the bill, subway and bus fares would most likely increase dramatically, effectively putting travel out of the reach of those who most need it.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to express my support for the objectives of my colleagues from the Philadelphia area, Mr. Foglietta and Mr. Fox, who sought to offer amendments to restore mass transit operating subsidies. In the end, however, I could not vote for their amendment because, rather than shifting money from the highway fund, it took money from the Federal aviation authority. With New York's airports in dire need of assistance, I could not in good conscience vote to help one important element of our infrastructure by harming another.
As this bill moves on to the Senate and then to the President's desk, I will fight hard to restore as much funding for mass transit as possible.
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