Richard Shelby

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. I would be happy to yield to the senior Senator from Georgia?

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I know of no further amendments to S. 1048 at this time.

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, the committee is aware that States have prefinanced construction projects authorized under the Appalachian highway program are reimbursed at 70 percent Federal share, while those States expending funds for the new mileage receive an 80-percent Federal share. The committee recognizes that this provision treats those States that have taken the initiative to prefinance these needed road projects differently and urges the appropriate authorizing committee to consider correcting this funding inequity over the period during which funds are made available to complete the ADHS.

Mr. SHELBY. I thank the senior Senator from Washington for his kind words, and assure him that I look forward to working with him during conference on the issue of TARDIS at Paine Field, and other issues of interest to Washington State. appalachian development highway

Mr. SHELBY. I thank the Senator from Kansas for his interest in this issue. I understand that the impact of the Union Pacific-Southern Pacific merger will continue to be a concern to the community of Wichita. I assure the Senator from Kansas that I will work with him during the House-Senate Conference Committee consideration of this issue.

Mr. SHELBY. I ask unanimous consent that the vote occur on passage of H.R. 2169 immediately following the vote with respect to S. 39, the tuna-dolphin bill, which will occur tomorrow morning.

Mr. SHELBY. We have assumed current law with respect to transit programs, until such time as a reauthorization bill is enacted. With respect to formula and discretionary grants, the bill sets obligation limitations on contract authority for both programs and appropriates $190 million for formula grants. It is our understanding that the only significant amount of contract authority for transit programs that is expected to carry over into fiscal year 1998 is $392 million for transit new start projects. In the absence of a reauthorization bill, the only significant new funding for transit formula and discretionary grant programs next year would be the amount appropriated for formula grants in this bill and the amount remaining available for new start projects. The Federal Transit Administration would apportion the appropriated funds for formula grants according to current formulas, and the new start funding would be distributed based on statutory direction in this bill. Both those distributions would be revisited when reauthorization legislation has been enacted and, presumably, has created new contract authority for these programs.

Mr. SHELBY. Again, the Senator from Michigan is correct. That distribution will be determined when Congress works out whatever transportation law will replace ISTEA.

Mr. SHELBY. The Senator from Michigan is correct. This bill simply provides an overall limitation on States' highway obligations from the highway trust fund of $21.8 billion and is completely silent on its distribution among the States.

Mr. SHELBY. I thank the Senator from Illinois. As Senator Durbin knows, the committee has worked with him over the years to fund various Metra expansion projects, most recently a new service line--the North Central Service. I appreciate his leadership on this project. Metra expansion is vitally important to the Chicago/Northern Illinois service region. The Metra project is certainly a priority new start transit project that is worthy of Federal funding. I will work with Senator Lautenberg and our House colleagues in the conference committee to make sure that the Senator's interests in this important project are represented at the conference committee. I look forward to working with Senator Durbin on this project in the years to come.

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, the Senator from Pennsylvania correctly notes that this will be an issue we address in conference with the House and I would be glad to work with him on exploring funding possibilities for an initiative which could protect our children from injuries sustained in automobile accidents.

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, what is the pending business?

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I know of no further discussion on amendment No. 1022.

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I send a managers' package of amendments to the desk and ask that they be considered, agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. SHELBY. I'm glad the Senate brought this matter to the attention of the full Senate. Although you and I discussed this matter during committee consideration of the bill, I am pleased to have the opportunity to explain this matter to the rest of our Senate colleagues. Many details of this new proposed agency performance based organization structure will have to be sorted out in the authorization process, including the funding proposal. In order to give the authorizing committees as much time as possible before making a final decision regarding this proposal, the Senate Appropriations Committee did not include any appropriated funds or bill language for the SLSDC for fiscal year 1998.

Mr. SHELBY. Yes, the Senate will ensure that the SLSDC is adequately funded and has the resources it needs to operate effectively and efficiently, whether or not the PBO legislation is enacted into law.

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there now be a period for the transaction of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak for up to 5 minutes each.

Mr. SHELBY

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

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, we are now resuming consideration of the fiscal year 1998 Transportation appropriations bill under a unanimous- consent agreement reached last evening. I believe this is important legislation that will have very significant effects on every State in this Union. It sets a record-high obligation ceiling on Federal highway spending. It provides the resources for the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard to operate our Nation's airways and waterways safely and efficiently. Mr. President, it increases, again, our commitment to improving highway safety in this Nation. We want to finish our deliberations on this bill and pass it, if we can, and I ask now for the cooperation of all my colleagues in the Senate who have the option to offer amendments under the consent agreement and have not yet brought them to our attention. I would like for them to come to the floor with their amendments. Later, I intend to seek a unanimous-consent agreement that all amendments must be offered this evening, that we debate any amendments on which there is disagreement this evening, and that we have a final vote tomorrow. Accordingly, I encourage all Members desiring to speak on the bill on any of the amendments that they propose to come to the floor as soon as possible. Further, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following amendments--we have a list of amendments and some of them we have worked out and will be stricken. If I could, I would like to go through the list of the ones that we worked on and we will not have to consider. First is the Hollings amendment on the list; the Graham transit amendment; the Durbin amendment; two amendments by Senator Enzi; the Mack amendment; one of the Abraham amendments; the Bond amendment--two of the Bond amendments. I believe that would take care of a number of them. Some of the other amendments still will be before us, we hope, in some form soon or will be disposed of in some way. Mr. BYRD addressed the Chair.

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

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, what is the pending business?

Mr. SHELBY. I ask unanimous consent that we temporarily set that amendment aside.

Mr. SHELBY

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

Mr. SHELBY

Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, what is the pending business before the Senate?

Mr. SHELBY

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