Mr. REED. Mr. President, let me begin by commending Senator Collins
and Senator Murray for their extraordinary leadership on this TIGER
program in particular but in so many different aspects, particularly
with respect to transportation policy. They have done an extraordinary
job, and today is no exception. I am delighted to be able to join them
on their amendment to increase resources for TIGER grants.
I am disappointed, as are my colleagues, that this is merely, in some
respects, a discussion amendment--we can't bring it up for a vote--
because I think this is an effort, as Senator Collins pointed out, that
would be supported strongly by both sides of the aisle.
Since 2009, the TIGER program has helped State and local governments
make critical investments in their infrastructure all across this
country. In many respects, it is the final piece of a puzzle of how we
get needed, necessary infrastructure in place. It has been that
catalyst that has brought private funds and State funds and local funds
together to accomplish something that makes sense to our economy and to
the efficiency and productivity of our States.
TIGER is able to leverage additional resources. It is a program that
has been wildly popular to construct roads and bridges, public transit,
ports, and passenger and freight railroads. It is very flexible. Its
flexibility, its adaptability, and its ability to coalesce other
resources has been remarkable. As a result, it has been extraordinarily
popular.
Through the TIGER program, the U.S. Department of Transportation has
supported more than 340 different projects in all 50 States and in the
District of Columbia. These projects have improved safety, they have
connected workers to jobs, and they have supported economic
development. By the way, they put people to work right away in an
economy that needs people to be working right now.
As Senator Collins pointed out, the demand has far outstripped the
resources: 6,700 applications for the roughly 300 grants. We can do
more. The appetite is there, the need is there, and the competitive
process ensures that these needed resources are targeted to
extraordinarily important programs. So for many of these reasons this
is one of those programs that is just win-win-win. Unfortunately, we
cannot bring it forward on this legislation. This funding is absolutely
necessary.
I have seen in my home State of Rhode Island that without the TIGER
grant we would not have been able to jump-start a project which is the
Interstate 95 viaduct. It sounds interesting, but it is actually
critical. It is the center of I-95 in Providence, RI, which is the
major north-south highway in New England. If this viaduct project could
not be funded, then essentially there would be a roadblock on I-95.
TIGER has helped this project move forward. We have to do more, but it
has helped to move this project forward.
It has helped ports in Providence and at Quonset Point. All of these
are so necessary because they improve our economic competitiveness
globally, regionally, nationally; they put people to work, and they
prepare us for much more complicated issues in the world economy. As I
said before, we are all disappointed that because of this process we
can't have a debate and have a vote. We are also disappointed because
we bypassed in this process the committees that typically do these
things--the Banking Committee for transit, the Finance Committee for
the pay-fors for this legislation. Again, I am disappointed we could
not have done it the old fashioned way, through the committees and
bring it to the floor. If we had that approach, we could have improved
the offsets that we are using to pay for these programs. We could have
considered amendments like this. We could have done a lot of things.
Now we all have additional amendments that we are filing, but we
won't be able to take them up. I have got one in terms of pay-fors that
would produce $55 billion over 10 years--robust funding for a score of
highway programs--and it is by capping the deduction of publicly traded
corporations for employee salaries over $1 million. I think most
Americans would say if someone is getting over $1 million we shouldn't
be subsidizing that with tax reimbursement. They very well may be worth
that money, but that is a judgment the corporation should make, and if
they think it is worthwhile, they are the ones who should put the money
up, not with a subsidy from the tax code. That is just an example of
some of the ways we could generate real resources.
Again, let me say how strongly I support this amendment, how much we
really owe the determination, the vision, and the thoughtfulness of
Senator Collins and Senator Murray. I must also thank Senator Inhofe
and Senator Boxer for their work on getting us at least this far. We
have got to go further, but they have got us at least this far.
It looks as if, given that the House is leaving, this bill will not
be enacted this week. Certainly, we have got a template which I hope we
can improve on as we spend the few months' extension that will be the
ultimate result of this week. In that time I think one of the measures
that will be improved is the TIGER program and other things that we can
and must do.
Let me conclude where I began and thank very sincerely Senator
Collins and Senator Murray.
I yield the floor.
