---------- From: mrobinson To: UCS_LIST Subject: URGENT ACTION REQUESTED Date: Tuesday, March 03, 1998 10:18AM March 3, 1998 To: UCS activists From: Michelle Robinson, UCS Transportation Program Senate Debate happening now on Federal Transportation Bill (ISTEA) - URGENT ACTION REQUESTED Issue: The federal transportation bill (S. 1173), known as the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) was brought to the Senate floor unexpectedly for debate and votes at the end of last week. Debate is expected to continue this week with key amendments expected to come up over the next couple of days. Since its passage in 1991, ISTEA has enabled local governments and citizens around the country to make cleaner, safer transportation choices. For the first time, federal transportation dollars could be shifted away from more highway development to projects which reduced air pollution and increased public access to efficient, affordable transportation alternatives. Several amendments are expected that would cripple or rollback the environmental and local community control elements of ISTEA. Action: Call or e-mail your Senators today to express your support for ISTEA 2 (S. 1173) Urge them to retain ISTEA's decision making structure and strong environmental programs and to oppose any amendments (see details below) that would gut the environment and transit programs in ISTEA 2 The Capitol Switchboard number is 202-224-3121. Background: The most important piece of environmental transportation legislation at the federal level in 1998 will be the reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). ISTEA fundamentally changed the way federal transportation funds were allocated and spent - shifting the focus from constructing highways to a more balanced transportation system that included bike and pedestrian access, public transit, road maintenance, and allowed more local control and community input. Finally, cleaner, more efficient and environmentally sustainable transportation projects could compete with highway and car-oriented projects. UCS has been working for over a year with a national coalition working to preserve and strengthen ISTEA. Powerful industry associations, including the highway interests, AAA, and the auto and oil industries are lobbying hard this week to dismantle the progressive provisions and environmental protections built into ISTEA 2. It is critical that Senators hear from their constituents that the highway and asphalt interests should not dictate transportation funding for their communities. Major Threats: Senate leaders announced an agreement yesterday to add $28 billion over six years to the proposed funding levels under ISTEA 2 (S.1173) of $145 billion for the six year reauthorization of ISTEA. None of these new funds will be given to transit. This agreement ignores the historical precedent, established under the Reagan administration in 1981, to give at least 20% of any new transportation spending increases to mass transit. One third of the new funding will go to special road projects, like Senator Byrd's (D-WV) Appalachian Roads Program (including West Virginia's controversial Corridor H highway) and NAFTA Trade Corridor and Border Infrastructure highway building programs. The remaining two thirds of the new money will be spread across ISTEA program categories, excluding transit. This funding proposal unfairly impacts public transit, local control, and the environment. There are several amendments expected that would undermine the goals of ISTEA and would gut its environmental programs. 1. Anti-transit amendments: Senators Lauch Faircloth (R-NC) and Tim Johnson (D-SD) are offering amendments which would slash transit funding. Under their proposal, communities would receive transit funding based on how much driving was done instead of how much transit was used or needed. For more details on this visit the American Public Transit Association's website at http://www.apta.com or call 202-898-4000. 2. Anti-enhancements amendment: Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) has an anti-local control amendment that would allow state Departments of Transportation to opt out of the enhancements program. This program is the source of support for popular bike and recreation trails and community-building projects around the country. 3. Making highway building eligible for CMAQ funds: Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) is expected to introduce an amendment to allow state Departments of Transportation to shift scarce dollars dedicated to projects which reduce air pollution into highway widening projects. This might provide temporary relief of congestion but would worsen air pollution problems. The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) program is the primary program channeling federal funds into transportation projects which will lessen, not worsen, the environmental and public health impact of transportation. Inhofe's amendment would cripple CMAQ. 4. Attacks on NEPA provisions: Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) is proposing an amendment which would seriously undermine the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in the name of streamlining environmental reviews. It would limit environmental agencies participation in assuring that reasonable alternatives to a transportation project are considered. In addition, Senator Inhofe (R-OK) is expected to offer an amendment to dismantle the Clinton administration's new air quality standards. Urge your Senators to reject this anti-clean air/public health amendment. Senator Bumpers may offer an amendment that would raise miles per gallon standards (CAFE) for sport utility vehicles and light trucks (currently set at 20.7 mpg) to the same level as that of passenger cars (27.5 mpg). The standards would be phased in over 5 years, giving automakers ample time to adapt. This initiative alone would eliminate 180 million metric tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide per year. Bumpers' argument is simple: automakers are building and marketing these vehicles as replacements for passenger cars. If they are to be used as passenger cars, they should be no more polluting than passenger cars. Getting a strong bill in the Senate is critical to success in the House and in the House/Senate Conference Committee. PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL (see list below) YOUR SENATORS TODAY AND ASK THEM TO REJECT THE ANTI-ENVIRONMENT AMENDMENTS LISTED ABOVE AND TO SUPPORT THE BUMPERS AMENDMENT IF OFFERED. The House could take up the bill anytime in the next few months. If you have questions on this, contact Michelle Robinson at 617-547-5552. If you can, please cc your e-mail notes to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more information on this and other transportation issues, check out UCS' website at http://www.ucsusa.org. For more details on ISTEA, go to http://www.istea.org. Senate e-mail addresses found at http://www.lib.umich.edu/libhome/Documents.center/congress/sen97.txt UNITED STATES CONGRESS SENATE DIRECTORY 105th Congress 1997-98 R AK Murkowski, Frank H [EMAIL PROTECTED] R AK Stevens, Ted [EMAIL PROTECTED] R AL Sessions, Jeff [EMAIL PROTECTED] R AL Shelby, Richard C [EMAIL PROTECTED] D AR Bumpers, Dale [EMAIL PROTECTED] R AR Hutchinson, Tim [EMAIL PROTECTED] R AZ Kyl, Jon [EMAIL PROTECTED] R AZ McCain, John [EMAIL PROTECTED] D CA Boxer, Barbara [EMAIL PROTECTED] D CA Feinstein, Dianne [EMAIL PROTECTED] R CO Campbell, Ben N. [EMAIL PROTECTED] R CO Allard, Wayne none D CT Dodd, Christopher J. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D CT Lieberman, Joseph I [EMAIL PROTECTED] D DE Biden Jr., Joseph R [EMAIL PROTECTED] R DE Roth Jr. William V. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D FL Graham, Robert [EMAIL PROTECTED] R FL Mack, Connie [EMAIL PROTECTED] D GA Cleland, Max [EMAIL PROTECTED] R GA Coverdell, Paul [EMAIL PROTECTED] D HI Akaka, Daniel K. none D HI Inouye, Daniel K. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D IA Harkin, Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED] R IA Grassley, Charles E. [EMAIL PROTECTED] R ID Craig, Larry E. [EMAIL PROTECTED] R ID Kempthorne, Dirk [EMAIL PROTECTED] D IL Moseley-Braun, Carol [EMAIL PROTECTED] D IL Durbin, Richard [EMAIL PROTECTED] R IN Coats, Daniel R. [EMAIL PROTECTED] R IN Lugar, Richard G. [EMAIL PROTECTED] R KS Brownback, Sam [EMAIL PROTECTED] R KS Roberts, Pat [EMAIL PROTECTED] D KY Ford, Wendell H. [EMAIL PROTECTED] R KY McConnell, Mitch [EMAIL PROTECTED] D LA Breaux, John B. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D LA Landrieu, Mary [EMAIL PROTECTED] D MA Kennedy, Edward M. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D MA Kerry, John F. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D MD Mikulski, Barbara A. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D MD Sarbanes, Paul S. [EMAIL PROTECTED] R ME Snowe, Olympia [EMAIL PROTECTED] R ME Collins, Susan [EMAIL PROTECTED] D MI Levin, Carl [EMAIL PROTECTED] R MI Abraham, Spencer [EMAIL PROTECTED] D MN Wellstone, Paul [EMAIL PROTECTED] R MN Grams, Rod [EMAIL PROTECTED] R MO Bond, Christopher S. [EMAIL PROTECTED] R MO Ashcroft, John [EMAIL PROTECTED] R MS Cochran, Thad [EMAIL PROTECTED] R MS Lott, Trent [EMAIL PROTECTED] D MT Baucus, Max [EMAIL PROTECTED] R MT Burns, Conrad R. [EMAIL PROTECTED] R NC Faircloth, D. M. [EMAIL PROTECTED] R NC Helms, Jesse [EMAIL PROTECTED] D ND Conrad, Kent [EMAIL PROTECTED] D ND Dorgan, Byron L. [EMAIL PROTECTED] R NE Hagel, Chuck [EMAIL PROTECTED] D NE Kerrey, Bob none R NH Gregg, Judd [EMAIL PROTECTED] R NH Smith, Bob [EMAIL PROTECTED] D NJ Torricelli, Robert [EMAIL PROTECTED] D NJ Lautenberg, Frank R. Frank_Lautenberg@Lautenberg D NM Bingaman, Jeff Senator_Bingaman@bingaman. R NM Domenici, Pete V. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D NV Bryan, Richard H. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D NV Reid, Harry [EMAIL PROTECTED] D NY Moynihan, Daniel P. [EMAIL PROTECTED] R NY D'Amato, Alfonse M. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D OH Glenn, John [EMAIL PROTECTED] R OH DeWine, Michael [EMAIL PROTECTED] R OK Inhofe, James [EMAIL PROTECTED] R OK Nickles, Donald [EMAIL PROTECTED] R OR Smith, Gordon [EMAIL PROTECTED] D OR Wyden, Ron [EMAIL PROTECTED] R PA Santorum, Rick [EMAIL PROTECTED] R PA Specter, Arlen [EMAIL PROTECTED] D RI Reed, Jack [EMAIL PROTECTED] R RI Chafee, John H. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D SC Hollings, Ernest F. [EMAIL PROTECTED] R SC Thurmond, Strom [EMAIL PROTECTED] D SD Daschle, Thomas A. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D SD Johnson, Tim [EMAIL PROTECTED] R TN Thompson, Fred [EMAIL PROTECTED] R TN Frist, Bill [EMAIL PROTECTED] R TX Hutchison, Kay Bailey [EMAIL PROTECTED] R TX Gramm, Phil none R UT Bennett, Robert [EMAIL PROTECTED] R UT Hatch, Orrin G. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D VA Robb, Charles S. none R VA Warner, John W. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D VT Leahy, Patrick J. [EMAIL PROTECTED] R VT Jeffords, James M. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D WA Murray, Patty [EMAIL PROTECTED] R WA Gorton, Slade [EMAIL PROTECTED] D WI Feingold, Russell [EMAIL PROTECTED] D WI Kohl, Herbert H. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D WV Byrd, Robert C. [EMAIL PROTECTED] D WV Rockefeller, John D. [EMAIL PROTECTED] R WY Enzi, Michael [EMAIL PROTECTED] R WY Thomas, Craig [EMAIL PROTECTED]
