Patty Murray

Mrs. MURRAY

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, 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 move to reconsider the vote and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, we have made great progress on the transportation and housing appropriations bill, and I thank all Senators for working with us. We have several amendments left to do. I now ask unanimous consent that Senator Landrieu be given 5 minutes to speak on amendment No. 2365, followed by Senator Gregg with 20 minutes equally divided on amendment No. 2361.

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

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. MURRAY. I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business for 10 minutes.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

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. 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

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs' Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 15, 2009, at 2:30 p.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``Security Clearance Reform: Moving Forward on Modernization.''

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 15, 2009 at 9:30 a.m.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law, be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate, on September 15, 2009, at 10 a.m. in room SD-226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``Human Rights at Home: Mental Illness in U.S. Prisons and Jails.''

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 15, 2009, at 2:30 p.m. in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. MURRAY

Mr. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee on armed services be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 15, 2009, at 9:30 a.m.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate to conduct a hearing on September 15, at 2:30 p.m., in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on September 15, 2009 at 10 a.m., in room 215 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to conduct a hearing entitled ``Unemployment Insurance Benefits: Where Do We Go From Here?''

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Mississippi for his remarks. As ranking member and former chairman of this committee, he knows full well we work very hard to accomplish and complete these bills and to get them done in a timely fashion. We are working our hearts out to get that done. To that point, the bill before us, the transportation and housing bill, has now been on the floor of the Senate Thursday afternoon and evening, Friday, Monday, all of today, and we will finish it tomorrow. So for any Senators who are sitting out there with issues, you need to come to the floor and get them resolved. We hope to start a series of votes tomorrow morning to get through a number of the amendments that are out there and finish this so we can move to the Interior appropriations bill tomorrow. So, again, for the notification of all Senators, to the point the Senator from Mississippi raised, come to the floor, resolve your disagreements, or help us schedule a vote. We are going to finish this bill tomorrow. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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

Mrs. MURRAY. The Senator from Louisiana offers an amendment that makes sure the community service requirement for people living in public housing remains in effect. This includes part of the existing law and is currently being enforced by public housing authorities. What the amendment of the Senator does is simply restate current law. I will be happy to accept it. If the Senator is willing, we can take it on a voice vote at the present time. I am willing to move forward with it.

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, in response to the Senator from California, the Senator from Oklahoma has offered a number of amendments. We are hoping to debate them this afternoon and vote on them tomorrow morning.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar Nos. 416, 417, 423, 424, 425, and 426; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table en bloc; that no further motions be in order; that any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the Record; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; and that the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mrs. MURRAY

Mrs. MURRAY. Madam President, the bill before us contains 50 percent fewer earmarks than in 2006. Importantly, these are priorities of Senators who have brought them to us. They are less than 1 percent of the bill. Even more important, what the amendment before us does, and I am a strong supporter of NextGen, is it puts money to the FAA that they cannot spend. This is a program that does need strong oversight. We have been told that in our committee time and time again by the IG and others before us. We want to move forward on the NextGen and we want to do it in a responsible way. This amendment will give them money that they will not be able to spend. I urge our colleagues to vote against this amendment. I yield all of our time, move to table the amendment and ask for the yeas and nays.