June 23, 1978
Page 18698
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, the Senate has before it H.R. 12933, the transportation and related agencies appropriation bill for fiscal 1979.
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. It represents an admirable example of proper appropriations restraint in a situation in which numerous programs — some of which could prove controversial — have not yet been authorized.
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 $10.8 billion in budget authority and $17.0 billion in outlays. In comparison, H.R. 12933 provides budget authority of only $8.6 billion, and outlays associated with the bill total only $15.7 billion, including $10.7 billion from prior year authority. In addition, legislative actions concluded in prior years that are included in the transportation subcommittee's allocation amount to just $0.1 billion in budget authority and $0.4 billion in outlays. Enactment of H.R. 12933 as reported therefore would leave $2.0 billion in budget authority and $1.0 billion in outlays available within the subcommittee's allocation.
There are a number of sizable potential claims on this remaining allocation which could produce supplemental appropriations. The most sizable is a possible appropriation of $850 million to replace existing UMTA contract authority with new appropriated budget authority. There could also be additional requirements totaling as much as $1.1 billion in budget authority and $1.0 billion in outlays for further investment in Con Rail, additional mass transit operating subsidies, District of Columbia Metro construction, Amtrak operating subsidies, highway programs, and other transportation programs. However, the first budget resolution anticipated that there would be additional requirements, and therefore it is not expected that they will result in a breach of the budget resolution targets.
Finally, Mr. President, I am pleased to note that the reported bill includes responsible 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 outlays and deficit targets.
I wish to thank the distinguished chairman of the subcommittee, Senator BAYH, for his support of the budget process, and to commend him and the other members of the Appropriations Committee for reporting a bill that is consistent with the first budget resolution. The American public is letting it be known that it expects the Congress to scrutinize spending programs more carefully before it funds them, and I feel certain that that public will approve of the careful and deliberate approach being undertaken by the Senate in this bill.
I urge all Senators to join with me in voting for passage of H.R. 12933.