Patty Murray

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, at this time, then, we will move to those two amendments. We have several other Senators who have notified us they wish to offer amendments. For the information of all Members, we hope to have votes on at least the two amendments I have just spoken of, the Landrieu and Gregg amendments, at 2:30. If there are other amendments we are able to move at that time, we will then vote on those as well. But, again, we are making great progress. We have a few amendments left, and I urge any Senator who has an amendment, you have a few hours left to get it to us so we can work it out. Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mrs. MURRAY. I yield my 1 minute to the Senator from Delaware.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I would let all fellow Senators know, we have two more votes remaining. If the Senators would allow the speakers to speak, we will be able to move through these expeditiously. I ask unanimous consent that the remaining amendment votes be 10 minutes in length.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, the Senator from California will be here shortly to respond to a number of these amendments, since they fall into the jurisdiction of her full committee. The Senator from Oklahoma has offered three amendments to this bill that are related to transportation. Each of those amendments would limit the ability of States and local governments to spend their highway grants on activities that are eligible for funding under the Federal aid highway program. Those limitations would not only apply to funds that have been earmarked in this bill. I think Senators should understand they would also apply to the formula grants that go to our States and local governments, which plan their own transportation investments. The Senator's amendments would take away funding from transportation enhancement, especially streetscaping, bike and pedestrian paths, and the mitigation of highway runoff pollution. Today, all of these activities are eligible for funding under the current highway authorization law, the SAFETEA-LU Act. Under that act, communities are required to prepare and provide comprehensive transportation plans in order to receive their Federal highway and transit grants. Those plans have to include the communities' plans for bike and pedestrian pathways, because those transportation plans are meant to be comprehensive, and our national policy, which has been debated on the floor of the Senate and the House, has been to recognize bike and pedestrian paths as one component of a complete transportation system. They cannot constitute the largest part of the system but a plan that ignores that element is incomplete. When we provide bike paths and walkways, we help keep our families and our neighbors safe. Without these paths, many more bicyclists, pedestrians, people who commute to work that way would compete with vehicle traffic. Everybody on a bike or footpath is vulnerable when they are mixed in with heavy traffic. But school-age children are the most vulnerable. When we debated this policy under SAFETEA-LU, we determined that bikeways and walkways are an important part and are components of our transportation system for people who cannot afford a car and have to walk to work. People who walk to school are impacted by the Senator's amendment. I don't believe that this bill--the current transportation appropriations bill--is an appropriate time that we should be debating and changing our highway policy, which is so important to all of our communities across the country. The chairman of the appropriate committee is on the floor. I know she wants to respond. I yield the floor to her at this time.

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

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, we are now here on our fifth day of considering the transportation and housing appropriations bill. We do have a number of amendments that have been offered. The Senator from Oklahoma is here. He has the first 30 minutes under the previous order. I have the following 10 minutes. I would like all Senators to know that if all time is not used, we intend to yield back and we expect that these votes may occur as early as 11:30.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I have talked with the Senator from Oklahoma, and two of the amendments he has offered, No. 2374 and No. 2377, are amendments the committee agrees to. I ask unanimous consent that both of these amendments be adopted.

Mrs. MURRAY. I would ask all our Senators to pay attention to what we are being asked to vote on. We did vote on a similar amendment during the budget debate. But these amendments are very different. The amendment to the budget resolution never put Amtrak's funding at risk. That amendment would have only prohibited an extra reserve fund from going to Amtrak if it did not allow firearms. The amendment we are now considering does something much more drastic, it will put at risk Amtrak's appropriations. In order to receive any Federal funding under this amendment, Amtrak would have 6 months to build a process for checking and tracking firearms, it would have to find the manpower necessary to screen and guard firearms, and would have to purchase the equipment necessary. There is nothing in the underlying appropriations to pay for any of that. So this amendment is going to put a severe burden on them, and if they do not comply, Amtrak will shut down. I think it is very important that we be careful what we are voting on. I ask my colleagues to oppose the Wicker amendment.

Mrs. MURRAY. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 2376

Mrs. MURRAY. The Senator from Louisiana is offering an amendment that would require continued enforcement of public service for people who live in public housing. I oppose this amendment for two reasons. First, it is current law. Secondly, I am concerned, in this economic downturn, when we have a lot of families struggling, the most struggling families, we are putting this requirement on them. Therefore, I am going to oppose this amendment and will be voting no. I yield the floor.

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

Mrs. MURRAY. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, for the information of my colleagues, the funding levels contained in the bill are consistent with the budget resolution the Senate passed and agreed to this Spring. We are $1.2 billion below the level of funding requested by the President. We worked very hard to balance the important safety, transportation and accounting needs of this Nation. We urge you to defeat this amendment.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, with that, I would like all Members to know that what we have just agreed to is the final amendments of this bill. If any Senator would like to speak on any of them, they are welcome to come to the floor to do so this evening. But with this agreement, all those amendments will be voted on tomorrow morning, as will be announced at the end of the session today. Mr. President, just to let all Senators know, with this agreement, there will be no further rollcall votes tonight.

Mrs. MURRAY

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

Mr. MURRAY

Mr. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on September 16, 2009, at 10 a.m. in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.''

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 16, 2009.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Science and Space of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 16, 2009, at 2:30 p.m. in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 16, 2009, at 2:30 p.m., to hold a hearing entitled ``Exploring Three Strategies for Afghanistan.''

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 16, 2009, at 10 a.m.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 16, 2009, at 2 p.m.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, if there are no other Senators who wish to speak on that--I know a number of Senators are waiting to speak in morning business--I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I wish to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Safe Streets Campaign of Pierce County, WA. Twenty years ago, Pierce County residents from all walks of life banded together to form the Safe Streets Campaign and to demonstrate the willpower and strength needed to take back their streets from a plague of drug- and gang-related violence and to improve the quality of life in Pierce County. Over the next two decades, the Safe Streets Campaign has shown itself to be an effective citizen-led initiative to pressing community problems. It has organized over 250,000 residents throughout Pierce County to fight crime, substance abuse, and youth violence in partnership with local law enforcement, State and local government, community-based organizations, faith-based groups, businesses, Native American Tribes, schools, and youth. For example, Safe Streets established the Youth Leading Change Initiative in Pierce County high schools to empower young people to lead efforts to address the problems of youth substance abuse and violence. These young people engage their peers and community members in a number of valuable ways. They march against violence. They work to reduce blight in high-risk communities. They engage in peer education on the dangers of youth substance abuse. And they work with Washington State lawmakers to craft innovative solutions to these social problems. I have met with many of these young leaders and been impressed with the work that they do. The proactive community and neighborhood involvement by the Safe Streets Campaign and similar organizations improves the quality of life for families and helps provide a safe environment to raise and educate our children. Its work has led to lower crime rates, reduced 911 emergency calls, helped close thousands of drug houses, sustained ongoing graffiti removal, supported recovering addicts and healthy neighborhoods, and helped youth involved with gangs choose a life of hope rather than a life of crime. Safe Streets is a shining example of citizen initiative where communities stand up for themselves and take their neighborhoods back from the control of drug pushers, gang members, and associated violence. It has been sustained over the past 20 years through a mix of State, Federal, and local government funding and corporate and individual donor support. I commend the staff, founders, board of directors, and volunteers of the Safe Streets Campaign of Pierce County for the dedication that has fueled this community initiative from the beginning, and I congratulate them as they celebrate 20 years of commitment to safe communities.