HIGHWAY ACTION PLEDGED; EMERSON: NEW BILL IMPORTANT TO STATE

ST. LOUIS - Members of a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Public Works and Transportation that will draft a new federal highway bill this year, promised quick action Friday so that a new highway authorization measure can be in place before the current one expires Sept. 30.

U.S. Rep. Norman Mineta, D-California, chairman of the subcommittee on surface transportation that held a field hearing in St. Louis Friday, explained the group was reviewing the president's plan now and gathering information in field hearings with the hope of going to the floor with a bill by mid-June.

Mineta stressed that by having the House act early this summer, there should be plenty of time to resolve differences in the Senate bill so that a final version can be approved in September. "I am committed to having a bill signed into law by Sept. 30 so there is no gap in service," declared Mineta.

He made the comments after House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt of St. Louis, who participated in the hearing with the subcommittee at the Crestwood Government Center, promised in his opening remarks, "to see that your bill hits the floor as soon as it is ready."

U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, a member of the subcommittee who requested the hearing be held in St. Louis, outlined the importance of the new highway bill to the state of Missouri.

"With our 30-year old interstate system now 99 percent complete, and with this year's landmark reauthorization of the Federal Surface Transportation Act, we as Missourians have an opportunity to address some of the very serious transportation challenges with which we are faced," observed Emerson.

"Missourians drove some 35 billion vehicle miles in 1989, the fourth highest in the nation. Moreover, Missouri is one of 19 `donor states' receiving only 78 cents back from the federal government for every dollar that Missouri motorists pay into the Highway Trust Fund. It is vital that Missouri is dealt a fair hand with the new act and that we receive our fair share of funding to build new highways, roads and bridges as well as adequate funding to improve and repair our existing roads."

The six-term representative also noted that Missouri has the most deficient bridges in the nation. He urged his colleagues to attempt to develop a special program to help Missouri and other states "repair or replace deficient bridges in cases where needs simply outweigh available resources."

Since Missouri was the first state to complete the interstate highway system, Emerson pointed out it therefore has the oldest system and is in serious need of renovation and repair.

Emerson called the president's highway proposal "an excellent starting point" for debate on transportation issues and said he strongly supports Bush's efforts to increase the flexibility states have over the use of highway funds.

"States and localities - not the federal government - are in the best position to identify the best mix of transportation improvements for their cities, towns and surrounding areas and I believe the Public Works Committee should build on this idea," he declared.

Emerson, and others who testified, stressed the importance of Missouri to the nation's highway system because of its central location. And, all members of the committee and those who testified were unanimous in their recognition that a good transportation system is vital to economic growth and development.

Other members of Congress participating in the hearing were: Glenn Poshard, D-Carterville, a member of the subcommittee; Joan Kelly Horn, D-Ladue, a member of the Public Works Committee; Bob Roe, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Public Works Committee, and John Paul Hammerschmidt, R-Arkansas, the ranking Republican member of the subcommittee.

Several members of the committee emphasized the bi-partisan spirit of the group and pledged their work would be focused on improving the nation's infrastructure and enable the United States to improve its productivity to compete in the global economy.

"What we achieve, or fail to achieve, will have an impact on our country," declared Mineta, who added that with projected transportation needs of $3 trillion over the next 20 years, the panel needs "to put together a visionary program.

"How we spend the money we have is as important as how much money we have to spend," he added.

Congressman Roe said the committee would need to look at the overall picture of rebuilding the infrastructure, developing intermodal transportation, more mass transit in the cities, and making the kind of transportation investment that will bolster the nation's economy.

Short of the military, Roe noted that the transportation system "is the biggest single investment of the people's capital going to the states with the people that creates the wealth of the country in the first place.

"We are not just authorizing a transportation bill," declared Roe. "We have an enormous opportunity if we use this vehicle wisely to move the nation ahead to achieve the goals we are talking about."

As the Public Works Committee looks toward consideration of the highway authorization bill, Roe noted that he is "finding an excitement" because of the opportunity "to invest the resources of our country to rebuild our own country to complete in a global economy."

Congressman Hammerschmidt said the committee would be drafting "landmark legislation." He noted that from the field hearings held around the country by the subcommittee, "we have learned a great deal about how our decisions in Washington affect state and local governments which implement many federal laws, and how people are affected by those decisions."

Hammerschmidt stressed the importance of listening to the people before drafting a final bill.

He also praised Emerson for his efforts and noted, "Bill is a great advocate for the interests of Missouri and will be an important player in drafting the new highway and mass transit legislation."

Gephardt, who offered the first testimony to the subcommittee before taking a seat with them for the rest of the day, said the new highway bill could be the most important piece of legislation passed by this session of Congress.

Gephardt promised to work to improve the president's proposal "in order to bring the greatest possible return on Missouri's investment in transportation infrastructure."

He added, "growth in infrastructure investment must go hand in hand with capital development in our industrial sector. Poor transportation facilities will significantly undermine the profitability of business and, as productivity falls off, we are left with a lower private investment and lower economic growth."

Gephardt pointed out that the United States now ranks 55th in the world in capital investment in infrastructure as a percentage of GNP, a situation he stressed needs to be corrected.

He cited figures from the U.S. Department of Transportation stating that for every $1 billion spent on highway construction, 30,000 to 50,000 jobs are created. Fully funding the state's highway needs in Missouri would create up to 8,500 new jobs, he noted.

By 2005, traffic delays caused by inadequate highways will cost $50 billion in lost wages and wasted gasoline, Gephardt said.

He joined St. Louis Mayor Vince Schoemehl and St. Louis County Executive Buzz Westfall in urging the committee to change the president's bill that would reduce operating subsidies for mass transit in metropolitan areas like St. Louis.

Schoemehl said the president's plan could cost St. Louis $20 million a year.

Congressman Poshard stressed the need of opening up transportation links between the St. Louis area and Illinois, and the need to provide some type of direct 4-lane access from Southern Illinois to St. Louis.

Poshard explained that counties in his district make up the fourth largest population center in the state of Illinois, "and yet we have no direct access to the largest metropolitan city near us St. Louis."