Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 3129 - Surface Transportation and UniformRelocation Assistance Act of 1986

(House Rules)
(Anderson (D) California and 47 others)

The Administration strongly opposes H.R. 3129 and, if presented to the President in its current form, the President's senior advisers would recommend that it be vetoed.

The Administration urges that H.R. 3129 be amended to:

— authorize obligations for highway, transit, and highway safety activities of $70.7 billion for fiscal years 1987-1991, instead of $91.7 billion as contained in H.R. 3129;

— delete provisions that undermine the purpose of highway and transit obligation limitations;

— delete authorizations for over 100 expensive special interest projects;

— delete authorizations for two Boston projects to be designated as part of Interstate System which increase the cost to complete the Interstate by $1.4 billion;

— delete the provisions which continue discretionary transit grants and authorize multi-year contracts, as well as effectively exempt these funds from sequestration and annual appropriated obligation limitations;

— delete provisions increasing the Federal matching share and waiving non-Federal matching requirements in certain cases;

— delete provisions (1) increasing domestic content requirements, (2) preventing States from accepting the lowest bidder on architectural and engineering contracts, (3) limiting the use of convict-produced materials, and (4) reauthorizing rather than terminating the compensation requirements of the highway beauty program;

— incorporate Administration proposals to increase Federal and State flexibility in the use of highway and transit funds and to allocate Mass Transit Account funds by formula;

— delete the provision that would permit States or localities to prohibit or restrict the awarding of Federally-funded highway and transit construction contracts to businesses conducting business in South Africa; and

— delete definitions and requirements under the Uniform Relocation Act which increase Federal costs, restrict State and local flexibility, and are inconsistent with Federalism principles.

The Administration is strongly opposed to any amendments to H.R. 3129 that would increase spending levels or place the Highway Trust Fund off-budget or remove it from the budget controls contained in Gramm-Rudman-Hollings.

The Administration also urges the adoption of amendments to reduce tax evasion and to repeal the current tax exemptions enjoyed by gasohol and bus operators, thereby assuring sufficient Highway Trust Fund revenues.