Conference Report On H.J. Res. 2, Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me the time, and let me say at the outset how much we appreciate the work of our great chairman. This has been a long, tortuous path that he has had to lead us through. He has got us here…
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me the time, and let me say at the outset how much we appreciate the work of our great chairman.
This has been a long, tortuous path that he has had to lead us through. He has got us here against all odds, and we owe a great debt of gratitude to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) for the fine work that he has done in bringing this bill to us.
The gentleman who spoke just before the chairman, we have got to be sure that we come here with clean hands when we speak. Yes, this bill is big and we would like to have had it in a different form here, but we had to work with what we had to work with.
The gentleman from Arizona who says he is against the bill because he does not like all the spending in it, well, he requested 10 items in the defense bill. I do not know whether they
were granted or not, but he requested spending in the sum of $160 million, and now he says he is against the bill.
I yield to the gentleman from Arizona.
Well, there are 10 of them. Would the gentleman like to read them?
Mr. Speaker, here they are. While the gentleman is reading, I will proceed.
Mr. Speaker, this is an excellent conference report. It has significant benefits for homeland security and transportation activities in this country. I would like to take a minute, if I could, to highlight some of the aspects of the bill that I have just referred to.
Homeland security. We include $5.2 billion for the Transportation Security Administration, slightly more than the House figure, but it is $400 million more than what the President's asking in next fiscal year 2004. So TSA is going to have to slim down over the next few months to hit the President's target. They will also have to begin addressing security needs outside the aviation sector, and the bill funds several programs in port security and land security and other areas to help provide that focus.
Within this $5.2 billion for transportation security, we have $440 million to procure more of the airport bomb detection systems and install them with inline systems with baggage handling systems at the airports so we can get these systems out of the lobbies of our airports.
There is $100 million to reimburse the airlines to armor the cockpit doors to prevent another 9-11, and there is $8 million for commercial pilots to receive firearms training so that they can carry the weapons into the cockpit.
There is $150 million for port security grants and $10 million more for port security research and development.
There is $35 million to improve the security of commercial trucking and intercity passenger buses.
And then the Coast Guard, very important to our homeland security, we include $4.3 billion for their operating needs. That is higher than either the House level or the Senate-passed level as we went into conference. We increased them above either one of our levels and well above the administration request.
It includes significant new funding for homeland security activities, including new maritime safety and security teams at the Nation's larger ports and upgraded infrared sensors so the Coast Guard can patrol more effectively after dark.
Now, in transportation we include $31.8 billion for Federal-aid highways. That is $8.6 billion above the administration's request and $4.1 billion above the level guaranteed in authorizing legislation. Let me repeat that. We are above the level stipulated in the authorization. According to the Federal Highway Administration, under this bill every State will receive more formula highway money in 2003 than they got in 2002.
The conferees deserve a lot of credit for placing such a high priority on highway spending. This will be a significant boost for the economy and a huge boost for communities around the country who are mired in traffic congestion problems.
The bill also includes high-priority projects in response to the thousands of requests we had from Members of this body. No one knows the needs of our districts better than the Members of this House who are elected from those districts, and we have tried to be as responsive to those requests as we could.
Mr. Speaker, we should all be pleased about the Amtrak provisions of this bill. For the first time in at least a decade, this bill forces some real reforms on Amtrak. It allows the Secretary of Transportation to take a much more active and authoritative role.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the conference report.