CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -- SENATE

August 11, 1966

Page 19064

Mr. RIBICOFF. Madam President, I should like to address a query to the Senator from Maine.

In section 301 of title III, authorization is made granting a credit of 25 percent of the cost of public facilities for cultural, exhibition, or civic purposes, if those facilities are located within, adjacent to, or in the immediate vicinity of urban renewal projects, and are found to contribute materially to the objectives of the urban renewal plan.

Under that provision of the bill, if the city of Hartford, Conn., and the city of New Haven, Conn., construct such facilities, then both New Haven and Hartford would receive grant-in-aid credits under that provision; is that correct?

Mr. MUSKIE. That is my understanding.

Mr. RIBICOFF. I have introduced in the Senate two bills. The first, S. 3232, would count 100 percent of the expenses incurred by the city of New Haven in building a coliseum convention center within urban renewal project R2, as grant-in-aid toward the project even though the benefits of the center may extend beyond the project. The other bill, S. 3629, would count the expenses of Hartford in building a civic center coliseum as a 100 percent credit allowance in the same way.

It is my understanding that the committee has accepted the provisions of my bill, S. 3629, as an amendment to the bill, thus including the city of Hartford for 100 percent credit; is that correct?

Mr. MUSKIE. That is correct. That is, we are taking it to conference. The Senator understands that the Senate conferees will press for the general legislation which the committee has written, and if we are unable to prevail with the House conferees on that point, then we will be in a fallback position to consider the specific projects the Senator has mentioned.

Mr. RIBICOFF. I thank the Senator. Now, I understand the reason the city of New Haven was not included in the list of projects in the Senate bill is because the House bill covering the same provisions includes the city of New Haven. Is that correct?

Mr. MUSKIE. That is correct.

Mr. RIBICOFF. So the Senate committee has been very careful to make sure that there is no duplication in the House and Senate bills. Any city in one bill does not appear in the other. The Senate bill covers a certain number of cities, and the House bill covers another list of cities?

Mr. MUSKIE. The Senator has stated the situation correctly.

Mr. RIBICOFF. So therefore, there will be an equality of treatment of all cities when the Senate takes the bill to conference? All cities are subject to conference in the same way, on an equal basis.

Mr. MUSKIE. The Senator may be sure of that.

Mr. RIBICOFF. I thank the Senator very much. Of course, it is my hope that in conference, the Senate can work out the provisions to see to it that both the city of Hartford and the city of New Haven receive a full credit of 100 percent to help them with these very worthwhile projects.

Mr. MUSKIE. We will do our best to protect the Senator's interests.