Fritz Hollings

Mr. HOLLINGS

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, it has been cleared on both sides. This is just to conform the Burns amendment relative to the Department of Justice having certain authorities. This is to conform, then to report back to the Judiciary Committees of both Houses. I urge its adoption.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. HOLLINGS. I ask unanimous consent the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, on behalf of myself and the distinguished Senator, Mr. McCain, I send an amendment to the desk.

Mr. HOLLINGS. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. HOLLINGS. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, on behalf of the Senator from Vermont, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, I send an amendment to the desk and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. HOLLINGS. I ask unanimous consent the reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, we support the amendment on this side. It has been cleared. I urge its adoption.

Mr. HOLLINGS. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 1879 (Purpose: To require expanded utilization of current security technologies, establish short-term assessment and deployment of emergency security technologies, and for other purposes)

Mr. HOLLINGS. Very definitely we will be supporting that on the stimulus package, or some other bill that comes up that is appropriate and germane.

Mr. HOLLINGS. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. HOLLINGS. I appreciate the Senator's leadership and support. Arizona obviously doesn't have very many seaports. But Senator Graham of Florida and myself have been on this issue for at least 2 years. We have had all kinds of hearings long before September 11, and we have produced a seaport security bill that we have been trying to fashion because it is a many-splendored thing. You have to get the entities, namely the Port Authorities, to connect with the Customs, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coast Guard, and the captain of the port, who really has legal authority and responsibility. We have to get them all working together rather than just moving, moving, moving cargo but actually having as a primary concern, safety and security. We will be moving that.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Mr. HOLLINGS

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, in urging the adoption of the Breaux amendment, there is one colleague at the memorial exercise who would want to be heard and perhaps have an amendment. The adoption of the Breaux amendment will not forgo any consideration he may have, if he thinks it is an improvement. I wanted to say that publicly because we are not trying, on the one hand, to disregard the desire of all of us to be at that memorial service and at the same time overriding the duty we have here on the floor to move this legislation. In that light, I then urge the adoption of the Breaux amendment.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, we all realize this morning that a month has passed since the disaster of September 11, and we still are confronted with the need for airline security, as the headlines in Roll Call state, ``Airport Firms Form Alliance''; as well as, ``Baggage Screening Companies Take Case to the Hill.'' So one month after this fanatical killing of 5,000 to 6,000 Americans, thousands more casualties, and as many as 10,000 children left without a parent, some without 2 parents, we are being delayed by the contractors and the lobbyists. One of them particularly, cited in this case, has banded together in a lobbying drive that so far has succeeded--Argenbright. There is also an article in the Miami Herald published Thursday, September 13 about their efforts. I ask unanimous consent that the article in full be printed in the Record.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we set aside the Daschle-Carnahan amendment so that we can consider both the Inouye and the Rockefeller amendments.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, with respect to the three Rockefeller amendments, one has to do with safety and security of onboard supplies that the flight personnel and pilots are concerned with. The other Rockefeller amendment has to do with property and passengers. We have prescribed, everyone can see it on page 18 of the managers' amendment, whereby every bit of passenger luggage, cargo, and property will be screened. This provision would guarantee that all objects are checked, as I read it, by adding language on page 18, insert ``cargo, carry-on, and checked baggage, other articles.'' The other articles would be anything else. So there would be no dispute on that particular amendment. With the third amendment, the reference is to the Secretary ensuring that the training curriculum is developed in consultation with Federal law enforcement. The Federal law enforcement has the expertise necessary. We want to make sure of this. The distinguished Senator and chairman of our Aviation Subcommittee, the Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Rockefeller, wants to make sure of it. I send these three amendments to the desk and ask the clerk to report each.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. HOLLINGS. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. HOLLINGS. I yield to the distinguished Senator from West Virginia.

Mr. HOLLINGS

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I thank our distinguished ranking member, Senator McCain, for his total cooperation and leadership on this measure, along with Senator Hutchison of Texas and Senator Rockefeller of West Virginia who lead our Aviation Subcommittee. It is not only an important safety measure but, in a sense, an airport and airline stimulus bill because now, if the House can take this up in judicious fashion, we can move forward and everyone can be assured immediately of security in air travel. For example, the American people will know once and forever that a domestic airliner is never going to be used as a weapon of mass destruction because we will have that cockpit secured, never to be opened in flight, so then we can economize on our requirements for the military patrolling over flights, ready to shoot down a domestic airline because it cannot be hijacked in the sense of taken over and directed anywhere, beyond a particular discord or disruption in the cabin itself. Once that occurs, the pilots will be informed, they will land, law enforcement will be there, and that will end hijacking in America, as it has in Israel. It is a very important measure with which we move forward promptly. I am delighted and pleased, particularly with the cooperation I mentioned, the staffs on both sides. But the whip, Democratic whip, Harry Reid, Lord knows--I have been here 35 years; I am still 20 years younger than Strom; he was here a minute ago--he is the best whip I have seen. I yield the floor.

Mr. HOLLINGS

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, one month ago today, the United States was attacked by terrorists who hijacked airplanes and used them as weapons against the World Trade Center, Pentagon and another unknown target which was crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. After the Federal Aviation Administration grounded the airlines following the terrorist attacks, travelers flocked to Amtrak. Whether people had to travel for business, to help with rescue efforts, or just to get home, Amtrak kept our American citizens moving during a time of national emergency. The situation not only proved that Amtrak works, but that Amtrak is a critical part of our transportation infrastructure during a national emergency. Now that airlines have reduced their flights on the East Coast and throughout the country, more of the passenger burden has fallen on Amtrak, which carries 35,000 passengers along the Northeast Corridor everyday. Even the U.S. Postal Office carried 237 extra carloads of mail in the days following the terrorist attacks. Today I am introducing the Railroad Advancement and Infrastructure Law of the 21st Century, or RAIL-21. In the short run, this bill will provide emergency security assistance to Amtrak, a key part of our national transportation infrastructure. In the long run, this bill will spark the building of important high-speed rail infrastructure in high- volume corridors across the United States, reducing our dependence on air and highway travel. In light of the events of September 11, it is important to look at the entire transportation system. Transportation security requires a balanced and competitive system of transportation alternatives. Three weeks ago we found out that our dependence on the aviation system almost crippled us. We cannot be overly reliant on any single mode of transportation; we need to ensure that we have a balanced system. Today we are trying to pass the airline security bill to make airline passengers feel safe so they will fly again. We need to make passengers feel just as safe when they travel by train. And we need to make sure we have transportation alternatives. To address Amtrak's immediate concerns, the bill would authorize $3.2 billion in emergency spending for Amtrak's security and capacity needs. The money will pay for more police, surveillance, fencing and lighting at the train stations and train yards; life-safety improvements and more fire-fighting capacity for tunnels in New York, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.; and more passenger cars and capacity improvements to meet the growing demand for train service. RAIL-21 would reauthorize Amtrak for one year with $1.2 billion for capital and operating expenses. The bill would allow Amtrak to continue its GSA vehicle lease agreements and would suspend Amtrak's redemption requirements for common stock until the end of FY2004. Additionally, the bill would remove the operational self-sufficiency requirement passed three years ago. Let me talk about that for a moment. There is no truly national passenger train service in the world that makes a profit. Requiring Amtrak to do so has forced the railroad to short-change critical infrastructure investments in order to meet a questionable economic model. We must free Amtrak from this requirement so they can go back to running a passenger railroad with modern and safe equipment, not juggling bond payments and taking out mortgages on Penn Station just to meet an impossible self-sufficiency deadline. Nations invest in passenger rail service because it increases the opportunities to travel and thus a Nation's quality of life. Rail service also reduces car congestion and pollution. And we saw last month that, during a national emergency, having a viable, operating national train system can be a strategic asset. Kenneth Mead, the Inspector General for the Department of Transportation, has said the drive for self-sufficiency has forced Amtrak to spend money on quick projects that improve the short-term bottom line while cutting back on maintenance and investments. Those who want Amtrak to operate without Federal assistance, ultimately forcing the railroad's passengers onto cars, buses and airplanes, always cry that we should not ``subsidize'' Amtrak. But we subsidize the building of roads and highways with tax dollars. We subsidize the building of airports and pay flight controllers with tax dollars. We consider those subsidies to be worthwhile investments in our economy and our quality of life. We must make the same investment that other countries make it passenger rail service. While that argument should stand on its own, here's something the highway and airplane crowd can take to the bank: moving more short-haul travelers to rail service reduces congestion on our already overcrowded highways and eases congestion at airports, allowing airlines to focus on more-profitable, long-distance routes. Investing in passenger rail improves conditions for highway and airport users at a fraction of the cost per mile traveled. According to some experts, Amtrak has reduced air traffic congestion out of Philadelphia's airport by 50 flights a day. Rail service between New York and Washington carries enough passengers to fill 121 airline flights per day. Now, with reduced flights out of East Coast airports, it makes more sense to look at Amtrak not only as a transportation alternative, but as a transportation mainstay for regional corridors all over the U.S. Amtrak has been severely under-capitalized since its inception in 1971. We would not be talking about many of these problems with Amtrak if it had been given the proper seed money for capital and annual funding from the very beginning. And that leads me to the second part of this bill, in which we look to passenger rail's long-term future. The passenger railroad system that has worked on the Northeast Coast can work in other high- congestion areas of the country: the South, the Midwest, California and the Northwest. Thirty years ago, those areas did not have the population to support high-speed intercity rail. But today those areas are growing by leaps and bounds. As the highways in those areas clog up and the planes run three hours late, their governors, many of them Republicans, are asking us for help to build high speed rail. RAIL-21 authorizes $35 billion in direct loans and loan guarantees for passenger rail, freight rail, and rail security enhancements. The criteria for these loans will replace language contained three years ago in TEA-21. TEA-21 directed the Department of Transportation to establish a program to replace the old Title V loan guarantee program which was used to build, rehabilitate or upgrade primarily short line railroads. On September 5, 2000, the DOT issued a final rule on the Railroad Rehabilitation and improvement Financing Program (RRIF) to provide direct loans and loan guarantees to State and local governments, government sponsored authorities and corporations, railroads, and joint ventures that include at least one railroad. Eligible projects for RRIF include: 1. acquisition, improvement or rehabilitation of intermodal or rail equipment of facilities (including tracks, components of tracks, bridges, yards, buildings, and shops), 2. the refinancing of outstanding debt incurred for these purposes; 3. development or establishment of new intermodal or railroad facilities, 4. and security purposes. RAIL-21 eliminates much of the bureaucratic red tape that has delayed any TEA-21 loans or loan guarantees from being issued. Under RAIL-21, Class 1 railroads, regional railroads, short lines, and passenger projects would be eligible for loans and loan guarantees. The bill would set aside $7 billion of the loans and loan guarantees for short lines. RAIL-21 also establishes a $350 million grant program for rehabilitating, preserving or improving railroad tracks for regional and short line railroads. Short line railroads have saved tens of thousands of miles of light density rail line from abandonment. In 1980, there were 220 short line railroads in the U.S. Today there are over 500 short line railroads, due in part to the mergers and streamlining of Class I operations which encouraged the larger companies to sell off their little-used or abandoned branch lines. Short line and regional railroads are an important and growing component of the railroad industry. Today they operate and maintain 29 percent of the American railroad industry's route mileage and account for 9 percent of the rail industry's freight revenue and 11 percent of railroad employment. These line railroads employ approximately 25,000 workers, serve thousands of local and rural shippers, and are often the only connection these shippers have to the national rail network. To survive, this infrastructure needs to be upgraded in order to move the heavier cars that are currently being moved by the Class I railroads. The revenues of the smaller railroads are not sufficient to get the job done. Since 1982, the short lines and regional railroads have maintained the track in rural areas where rail service would have been abandoned by the Class I railroads. Because of their relatively low traffic levels, the Class I railroads could not afford to invest in this infrastructure and, as a result, allowed these lines to slowly deteriorate. With a lower cost structure and more flexible service, short line companies that bought the track have been able to keep them going. However, the revenue is still not high enough to make up for past years of neglect. Today, two factors have combined to bring this situation to a head. First, the advent of the heavier 286,000-pound cars that are becoming the standard of the Class I industry require substantially higher investment in the track. Second, as the Class I industry puts a greater premium on speed and precisely scheduled operations, the short line railroads must meet these higher standards or be cut off from the national system. This legislation does not create a long-term program to fix this problem, but instead it creates a one-time fix for this problem. While these small railroads have enough traffic to operate profitably on an ongoing basis, they do not earn enough to make the large capital investment required by the advent of the 286,000-pound cars or the need to significantly increase speed. This legislation would authorize a program that could provide grants to the nation's smaller railroads to help them make the improvements needed to stay in business and continue to serve small shippers. RAIL-21 also would authorize $50 million in matching grants annually during FY02 through FY04: $25 million would be available for security and technology research and development; $25 million would be available for corridor planning and acquisition of rolling stock, with preference given to designated corridors. RAIL-21 identifies existing high-speed corridors for priority consideration. Many of these corridors are in the South, Midwest and California where people are now driving cars or taking airplanes on trips of 200 miles or less. In these areas, like the East Coast, travelers could take a high-speed train instead, and arrive about the same time. But right now they don't have that option. Therefore, we have a problem here: They can't use it if we don't build it. We built high speed rail on the East Coast, and the people have used it. If we build rail corridors around Chicago and the Midwestern cities, they will use it. If we build rail lines in the South from Washington, D.C. through the Carolinas to Atlanta and Florida, they will ride it. If we build a corridor in California from San Diego to Sacramento, they will ride it. This bill does not only support Amtrak. It is intended for commuter rail, freight railroads, and short line operators. That's what many Senators, governors and constituents have asked for. In the long term, travel in the United States will outpace the ability of airports and highways to handle the volume. With the tighter security checks at the airports, it will be faster to make trips of 200-300 miles by train than by air. More train travel will reduce congestion at our most crowded airports and our most gridlocked Interstate highways. I am pleased my colleagues have joined with me to introduce this bill, which we hope to move quickly. Modernizing Amtrak now will create jobs in the short run to stimulate our economy. And by modernizing our transportation infrastructure, high-speed rail corridors will play a key role in our long-term prosperity. I would ask that the text of my bill and a summary of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. HOLLINGS

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, if there are no further amendments, we are ready for third reading.