Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users

TRANSPORTATION EQUITY ACT: A LEGACY FOR USERS -- (Senate - April 26, 2005)

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Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I hope my amendment will be included as part of the final bill. I know the managers intend to offer a managers' amendment. I want my colleagues to know I have been working with the chairman, the Senator from Oklahoma, the ranking member, Senator Jeffords from Vermont, of the Committee on Environment and Public Works concerning this issue since we marked up the underlying bill in committee last month.

While Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Jeffords, Subcommittee Chair Bond, and Ranking Subcommittee Member Baucus initially had questions regarding my amendment in committee, I understand now the staff has been able to work through all of those concerns.

Simply put, my amendment seeks to allow Native American tribes the ability to nominate roads to the Secretary of Transportation for designation as scenic byways, All-American Roads, or America's Byways.

Currently, Indian tribes are only allowed to nominate roads for designation under the Scenic Byways Program if they first go through their respective State Department of Transportation or Federal land management agencies such as the National Park Service or the Bureau of Indian Affairs. My amendment allows tribes to designate those roads over which they have jurisdiction or management responsibility as tribal scenic byways which then allows them to directly nominate the road for national designation with the Secretary of Transportation.

Additionally, my amendment calls on tribes to ensure the safety and quality of the roads that are designated as scenic byways similar to the requirements States currently have. In no way does this amendment impact the funding available for scenic byways. It simply grants Indian tribes the same ability States and Federal land management agencies currently have to nominate roads.

In closing, this is an issue of fairness and something I hope the managers of the bill will be able to accept. It does not impact current levels of funding. It simply allows for more flexibility for the Native American tribes in this country to designate roads that are under their jurisdiction and management.

I hope the managers will be able to accept the amendment. As I said earlier today, I hope we can proceed to get this bill through the process, through the Senate, into conference with the House, and on the President's desk because it is so important to this Nation's future, to my State of South Dakota, and to all those tribes, local governments, State highway departments, business groups, and those who are awaiting final action on the highway bill.

I yield back the remainder of my time and ask for favorable consideration of this amendment.

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