June 23, 1977
Page 20560
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, the Senate has before it H.R. 7557, the transportation and related agencies appropriation bill for fiscal 1978. I would like to comment on the relationship between this bill and the first budget resolution. But first, I want to say that I support this bill.
Under section 302(b) of the Budget Act, the Appropriations Committee divides among its subcommittees the total budget authority and outlays allocated to it under the budget resolution. This bill is under the subcommittee's section 302(b) allocation, and is consistent with the first budget resolution targets.
The Transportation Subcommittee's allocation under section 302(b) of the Budget Act amounts to $6.7 billion in budget authority and $15.5 billion in outlays. The reported bill provides $6.3 billion in budget authority and $15.2 billion in outlays, including $10.9 billion in outlays from prior year authority. In addition, legislative actions concluded in prior years that are included in the Transportation Subcommittee's allocation total $0.3 billion in budget authority and less than $50 million in outlays. Enactment of H.R. 7557 as reported therefore would leave $0.1 billion in budget authority and $0.3 billion in outlays available within the subcommittee's allocation.
There are a number of potential claims on this remaining allocation which could produce supplemental appropriations. For example, there could be additional appropriations required for various highway, rail, and mass transit programs that might require an estimated $300 million in budget authority and $100 million in outlays. However, the first budget resolution anticipated these additional requirements, and therefore their appropriation should not result in a breach of the budget resolution targets.
There is a potential problem in that these supplemental appropriations could cause the Transportation Subcommittee to exceed its section 302(b) allocation for budget authority by perhaps $200 million. I believe that this overage can be accommodated by savings in other areas, but I would point out that such savings will have to come from other subcommittees since the full Appropriations Committee has not held any of its allocation in reserve except a small amount for pay raises.
Finally, Mr. President, I am pleased to note that the reported bill includes obligation ceilings for the highway and airport development programs funded through trust funds. These are valuable programs and it is important that they be adequately funded to satisfy our transportation needs.
But it is also important that the Congress apply some practical limitations on program growth in any one year. If it did not, then there would be little protection against an unexpected temporary upsurge in new program commitments that could threaten our budget resolution outlay and deficit targets.
I wish to thank the distinguished chairman, Senator BAYH, for his support of the budget process, and to commend him and the other members of the Transportation Subcommittee for reporting a bill that is consistent with the first budget resolution. I urge my colleagues to join with me in voting for passage of H.R. 7557.