[Pages S2275-S2279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

By Mr. DOMENICI (for himself, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Campbell, Mr.
Johnson, Mr. Murkowski, Mr. Stevens, and Mr. Bingaman):
S. 437. A bill to improve Indian reservation roads and related
transportation services, and for other purposes; to the Committee on
Indian Affairs.

THE AMERICAN INDIAN TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1997

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise to introduce a bill on behalf of
myself, Senator Inouye, Senator Campbell, Senator Johnson, Senator
Murkowski, Senator Stevens, and Senator Bingaman.
Our bill, the American Indian Transportation Improvement Act of 1997,
says that the U.S. Congress desires to treat the Indian people of the
United States fairly when we pass a new ISTEA; that is, a new highway
and transportation and transit bill. As everybody who knows anything
about our Indian reservations and Indian pueblos knows, the Indian
people buy gasoline just like average Americans. They have cars and
pickup trucks. But they have a road system that is maintained for the
most part by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Now, if there is not a
dedicated source of revenue, then obviously you have to take money out
of the Bureau of Indian Affairs general funding to build roads.
For a number of years we have decided--and I am pleased that I took
the leadership--to set aside some significant portion of money out of
the highway trust fund that should go to Indian roads.
Today, I am introducing a bill that says to our 557 Indian tribes and
the Alaskan Native villages, which are served by about 50,000 miles of
road--about 42 percent of these roads are Bureau of Indian Affairs
roads, as I indicated--we are going to try to begin a program that will
not only build some more roads but will maintain them and will give the
Indian people their share of each category of ISTEA money for their
road needs, be it construction of bridges, transit programs, highway
safety, scenic byways, or the like.
Mr. President, our Nation's 557 Indian tribes and Alaska Native
villages are served by over 50,000 miles of roads. About 42 percent of
these roads are Bureau of Indian Affairs [BIA] system roads. Beginning
in the 1982 Surface Transportation Assistance Act, these BIA system
roads were included in the national highway trust fund for the first
time in history. The gasoline tax, paid by every Indian who buys
gasoline, was invested on Indian reservations through the Indian
Reservation Roads [IRR] Program. Indian tribes were included in
subsequent major highway legislation, most recently in the Intermodal
Surface Transportation Efficiency Act [ISTEA], where annual funding has
been $191 million for the past 5 years. Prior to ISTEA, annual IRR
funding was $80 million per year.
Our best estimates indicate that at least $300 million is needed
annually to begin to bring the IRR system up to par with the rest of
American roads and highways. Today, I am proud to be joined by Senators
Inouye, Campbell, and Johnson in introducing the American Indian
Transportation Improvement Act of 1997. Our legislation increases the
Indian Reservation Roads Program from $191 million per year to $250
million in fiscal year 1998; $275 million in fiscal year 1999; and $300
million each year for fiscal years 2000 through 2002. These funds are
primarily used for the design and construction of the BIA road system
in Indian country. It is significant to most tribes that our bill also
includes road maintenance as an eligible activity.
In addition to increasing the planning, design, construction, and
maintenance money in our bill, we make other significant changes in the
IRR Program and related ISTEA Programs to improve the transportation
system on our Nation's Indian reservations. These changes will improve
the bridge construction program; provide a set-aside for transit
systems; allow DOT certification to directly operate DOT programs;
provide a set-aside for highway enhancements like lighting and transfer
points to buses; create a competitive grant process for scenic byways;
exclude State roads on tribal lands from the apportionment adjustment
provisions of ISTEA; and increase funding for Indian Technical Centers
from $200,000 each to one million dollars each for the six existing
centers.
In the ISTEA Bridge Program, which now requires each State to set
aside 1 percent of its ISTEA Bridge Program funds for Indian tribes,
our bill would consolidate the 50 separate State set-asides into one
national pool. This national set-aside is then distributed to all
tribes using to the BIA National Bridge Inventory Standards Program.
This BIA Bridge Program rates each Indian bridge and gives it a
national

[[Page S2276]]

ranking by deficiency. Funding priorities for all tribes would be set
through the BIA bridge ranking system.
To encourage and expand transit systems on Indian reservations, The
American Indian Transportation Improvement Act of 1997 [TAITIA] would
also establish a 1 percent set-aside from ISTEA--and its successor--
transit programs. While a national formula to allocate transit funds is
developed in consultation with tribes, the Federal Transit
Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation [DOT] would
allocate the funds. Without the new set-aside, tribes would have to
continue to compete within each State for transit moneys. Our bill also
allows the conversion of up to 3 percent of IRR construction and design
funds for local transit purposes.
Under current law, tribes are not included as eligible entities for
direct certification by DOT. This situation is clearly detrimental to
tribes hoping to directly operate DOT highway programs other than those
operated by the BIA. While only a handful of tribes, like the Navajo
Nation, are potentially capable of meeting the DOT certification
standards, none are allowed to be certified under the terms of current
law. Without changing any of DOT's certification standards, this bill
would allow tribes that qualify to become certified by DOT to directly
operate Federal highway programs.
In a related certification issue, any tribe certified by DOT, as
States are now certified, would be allowed direct access to DOT highway
safety program funds. Other tribes--most tribes--would continue to fund
their highway safety programs through the BIA-DOT program.
Indian tribes need better access to the Highway Enhancements Program
for such improvements as lighting, bike trails, transfer points to
buses, and other enhancements. States are allowed to use up to 10
percent of their ISTEA funds for these types of enhancements. Our bill
creates a national Indian set-aside of 1 percent and would be
administered through the Federal Highway Administration competitive
grant process. Each tribe would be eligible to compete for these funds.

The Scenic Byways Program of ISTEA is essential to many tribes for
enhanced access to scenic areas for improved economic development
activities and other purposes. The Jicarilla Apache Tribe in New
Mexico, for example, has committed $3 million of its IRR funds--about 2
years of its total allocations--to complete its portion of the narrow
gauge scenic highway to Colorado. To improve critical roads like this
one without detracting from the more basic highway needs, our bill
would create a 1 percent set-aside for Indian scenic byways. The
Federal Highway Administration would allocate these funds through a
competitive process with priority consideration given to tribes with
the greatest potential for tourism and other economic development
activities for tribal members.
Many States commit ISTEA resources to public lands highways on Indian
reservations. Under current law, there are apportionment adjustment
hold harmless provisions between donor and donee States. If a donee
State like New Mexico decides to allocate funds for a public land
highway through an Indian reservation, that donee State's allocation
for the following year is reduced by the amount of money committed to
the public land highway through the Indian reservation--as well as
public land highways elsewhere in the State. To encourage States to
commit their ISTEA resources to these critical highways on Indian land,
like New Mexico highway 537 on the Jicarilla Apache Tribe's
reservation, our bill exempts State commitments to public lands
highways that are built on Indian land.
If The American Indian Transportation Improvement Act of 1997 were
law today, the State of New Mexico and similar donee States would not
be penalized for committing their resources to State roads like New
Mexico highway 537. Our bill does not address the more general issue of
the apportionment adjustment hold harmless provisions in ISTEA, we
simply exempt Indian land highways from those provisions.
Finally, The American Indian Transportation Improvement Act of 1997
increases the allocation of IRR funds to the Indian technical centers
from $200,000 per center for six centers to $1 million per center for
the same six centers. These centers provide training to Indian tribes
in all phases of highway planning, design, construction, maintenance,
procurement, and related bridge programs. Increasing the ability of
these centers to train Indian highway administrators, engineers, and
others involved in the IRR Program will significantly enhance the
ability of tribes to operate their own programs and improve their
transportation systems.

Mr. President, The American Indian Transportation Improvement Act of
1997, was developed in close consultation with Indian leaders. I would
like to give special recognition to Paulson Chaco and Sam Johns of the
Navajo Nation Transportation Department and Arnold Cassador of the
Jicarilla Apache Tribe and Mark Wright, their tribal roads engineer.
Their assistance in developing this bill has been essential and their
knowledge of these highway programs is impressive.
The American Indian Transportation Improvement Act of 1997 will be a
considerable improvement in the current way we do business for the BIA
roads system. This system serves over a million American Indians who
live on or near a reservation. In my home State of New Mexico, IRR
funds have made a large difference in the past decade. It is time to
accelerate this effort for the direct benefit of Indian people in
America.
Under the current relative needs formula for distributing the IRR
money, the Navajo Nation--in New Mexico and Arizona--is now scheduled
to receive about $55 million annually in IRR funds. New Mexico Pueblos
receive about $12 million and the Apache Tribes receive about $3
million in New Mexico. I know from personal observation, that these
funds are generally well spent and much needed throughout Indian
country. I believe they are critical funds for improving the poor
employment opportunities on most Indian reservations. I urge my
colleagues to study the importance of Indian roads for economic
development opportunities, and support our effort to greatly improve
the Indian Reservation Road Program as described in our bill. Our bill
will go a long way toward helping American Indians make the best use of
our Nation's highway programs to improve their daily lives.
We have not heretofore broadly applied this degree of Indian
participation in the trust fund we set up for highways and mass
transit. We have, in the past, principally put money in to build roads.
This year, the new bill that we introduced with the cosponsors that I
have spoken of, will increase the ISTEA Indian Reservation Road Program
to $250 million in 1998, to $275 million in 1999, then $300 million in
each of the years 2000, 2001 and 2002. The ISTEA Indian Reservation
[IRR] Roads program is currently funded at $191 million per year.
I want to have a list printed in the Record at this point to show the
current distribution of IRR funds by the BIA regional offices. Mr.
President, I ask unanimous consent that this be printed in the Record,
and I ask that a program activity allocation, showing how this IRR
money is currently allocated among the participating Federal agencies,
be printed in the Record at this point.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:

INDIAN RESERVATION ROADS PROGRAM, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
[Dollars in millions]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
RNF
(percent) Amount
------------------------------------------------------\1\---------------
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Central Office, $191
million:
Aberdeen..................................... 9.109 $15.2
Anadarko..................................... 2.987 5.0
Billings..................................... 6.052 10.1
Juneau....................................... 9.460 15.8
Minneapolis.................................. 5.045 8.4
Muskogee..................................... 7.705 12.9
Phoenix...................................... 9.327 15.6
Sacramento................................... 2.863 4.8
Albuquerque.................................. 7.026 11.8
Navajo....................................... 32.752 54.8
Portland..................................... 5.700 9.5
Eastern...................................... 1.974 3.3
------------------------
Total...................................... 100 \2\ 167.2
5
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ RNF=Relative Needs Formula (Allocation distribution).
\2\ Approximate amount available for design and construction after
deductions for different categories.

[[Page S2277]]

INDIAN RESERVATION ROADS [IRR] PROGRAM ALLOCATION PLAN
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allocation
IRR Program Activity (percent) Million
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yearly Authorization......................... .......... $191.0
Less FHWA Administration......................... 3.00 5.7
Less BIA Administration.......................... 5.00 9.0
Less IRR Transportation Planning................. 2.00 3.8
Less 2 percent Tribal Transportation Planning *.. 2.00 3.8
Less Mapping..................................... .13 .25
Less LTAP........................................ .63 1.2
----------------------
Available for design and construction........ .......... 167.25
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* 23 U.S.C., Section 204(j)(b)-Up to 2% of funds made available for
Indian Reservation Roads for each fiscal year shall be allocated to
those Indian tribal governments applying for transportation planning
pursuant to the provisions of the Indian Self-Determination and
Education Assistance Act. The Indian tribal government, in cooperation
with the Secretary of the Interior, and, as may be appropriate, with a
State, local government, or metropolitan planning organization, shall
develop a transportation improvement program, that includes all Indian
reservation road projects proposed for funding. Projects shall be
selected by the Indian tribal government from the transportation
improvement program and shall be subject to the approval of the
Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary (of Transportation).

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I send the bill to the desk and ask it
be referred to the appropriate committee or committees.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill will be received and appropriately
referred.
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I send a summary of the provisions, the
purpose and various provisions. This document will show that Indian
reservation bridges, for example, will be handled in a better way. Our
bill continues the basic design and construction of Indian roads. We
also add road maintenance as an eligible activity. We also provide
transit, scenic byways, highway enhancements, and other Indian set-
asides in our bill.
We include scenic byways, especially those that will help to develop
reservation economies. We think if there are byways that are scenic in
Indian country and can add to the reservation economy, they ought to
get their share of these highway trust funds. We allow DOT
certification for tribes who can qualify to directly operate DOT
programs without going through the Bureau of Indian Affairs. We
increase funding for Indian technical centers to enhance tribal
capabilities in the entire range of highway planning, design,
construction, and maintenance.
I ask that this bill summary be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the summary was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:

The American Indian Transportation Improvement Act of 1997

Purpose

To increase the Indian Reservation Roads (IRR) Program of
the Intermodal Surface Transportation Improvement Act (ISTEA)
from $191,000,000 per year to $300,000,000 per year, and to
include Indian tribes in other relevant programs of ISTEA as
described below.

IRR Funding Amounts and Road Maintenance

IRR Program funding will be increased from $191 million in
fiscal year 1997 to $250 million in fiscal year 1998; $275
million in FY 1999; and $300 million in fiscal years 2000
through 2002. Road maintenance is made an eligible activity.

Indian Reservation Bridges

The current Indian reservation bridge program in ISTEA is
operated through the states. Each state has a set-aside of
one percent for Indian bridges. The American Indian
Transportation Improvement Act of 1997 (TAITIA) creates a
single national bridge program from amounts previously
allocated to the states. TAITIA allocates one percent to the
Secretary of Transportation for Indian bridges. Priorities
for distribution among tribes will be determined by the
Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) National Bridge Inspection
Standards Program which determines deficiency levels for
Indian reservation bridges. Priority for TAITIA funds will be
given to bridges with the highest level of deficiency.

Indian Transit Set-Aside

In The American Indian Transportation Improvement Act of
1997, one percent of the ISTEA Mass Transit funds will be set
aside for transportation services to Indian tribes. The
Secretary of Transportation will develop an allocation
formula in consultation with tribes. Until the allocation
formula is formally developed, the Administrator of the
Federal Transit Administration of DOT will establish a
temporary allocation formula. the funds through a temporary
formula.

Scenic Byways Program

One percent of the funds for scenic byways are set-aside
for Indian tribes in a competitive grant process for the
planning, design, and development of Indian tribe scenic
byway programs. These scenic byways are important for tribal
economic development programs.

Certification Acceptance and Highway Safety

The American Indian Transportation Improvement Act of 1997
allows tribes with advanced transportation planning and
construction capabilities to be certified by DOT for direct
participation in DOT programs in a manner that is now allowed
for qualified states. Under current law, even a qualified
tribe is not allowed to be certified by DOT. This
certification acceptance provision will allow tribes that are
able to meet the national standards to be accepted by DOT.
TAITIA makes no changes in the certification standards.
Tribes that are able to achieve certification acceptance by
DOT will also be eligible for direct access to DOT highway
safety funds, Section 402 of ISTEA. These activities include
traffic safety, traffic law education, seatbelt law
enforcement, and free infant restraints.

Indian Technical Centers

The six Indian Technical Centers are now funded at a level
of $200,000 each. To improve tribal capacity to plan, design,
construct, maintain, and otherwise operate their own Indian
Reservation Roads Programs, TAITIA will increase each
center's amount to one million dollars, adding $4.8 million
for this vital function.

Transportation Enhancement Activities

ISTEA allows each state to use up to ten percent of its
allocation for transportation enhancements such as bike
trails, transfer points to buses, and lighting. Tribes are
allowed to compete for these funds in each state. TAITIA sets
aside one percent of the national transportation enhancement
pool to be used by the Secretary of Transportation to make
competitive grants to Indian tribes.

Public Lands Highways

TAITIA exempts states from the apportionment adjustment
provisions of ISTEA for Public Lands Highways built on Indian
reservations. Although these are not IRR funds, states are
currently discouraged from committing their resources to
Public Lands Highways in Indian Country due to the hold
harmless provisions of the apportionment adjustment
requirements. This exemption is intended to encourage states
to make commitments of state ISTEA resources to Public Lands
Highways on Indian reservations.

Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I would like to indicate the
distinguished former chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, Senator
McCain, is very interested in the bill, and has indicated his support
when it reaches his committee.
<bullet> Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, as Chairman of the Committee on
Indian Affairs, I am pleased to join Senator Domenici and Vice Chairman
Inouye in introducing the American Indian Transportation Improvement
Act of 1997, to amend the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency
Act. [ISTEA].
More than any other communities in the United States, Indian tribes
and Alaska Native villages suffer from a lack of adequate
infrastructure, and the necessary tools to build and maintain that
infrastructure. The United States has a special responsibility to
Indian tribal governments to help them achieve economic self-
sufficiency and political self-determination.
Economies today, whether State, tribal, or national, are increasingly
dependent on interstate and international commerce for their
livelihoods. Solid physical infrastructure is the foundation for those
economies.
Federal ISTEA funding to tribal governments has lagged behind
spending for States and local governments over the years, despite acute
and unmet needs in Indian country. Poor and unsafe roads and highways,
crumbling bridges, and nonexistent transit and transportation systems
all contribute to and result in tribal economies that are third world
in nature.
In addition to facilitating the delivery of basic social services
such as health, education, and nutrition to tribal members, solid
physical infrastructures act as an incentive to outside investors to
invest in tribal economies and to locate their businesses on tribal
lands.
The legislation I am cosponsoring today recognizes the special
Federal obligations, and will assist in the development and maintenance
of Indian transportation infrastructures and in the process pave the
way for higher levels of economic growth and job creation.
By increasing the funds available for the Indian reservation roads
program, this bill will provide immediate relief to those tribes that
have a backlog of road development and maintenance. By strengthening
the capacity of tribes through transportation enhancement activities,
the reservation bridges programs, and technical centers, this
legislation will ensure that Indian tribes are not precluded from
building stronger, more vibrant communities.
I urge my colleagues to join in enacting this legislation so critical
to tribal governments and economies across the Nation.<bullet>

[[Page S2278]]

Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise today to join my esteemed
colleague, Senator Pete V. Domenici of New Mexico, as a cosponsor of
legislation that he has authored which proposes an increase in the
funding for the Indian Reservation Roads Program and which would
improve the quality of Indian roads by directly including Indian tribes
in Federal transportation service programs.
Indian reservation roads are the lifeline of tribal economic and
social wellbeing, with about 50,000 miles of roads serving Indian
tribes and Alaska Native villages nationwide. Over 90 percent of these
roads are comprised of State and county roads and roads constructed and
maintained by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs' road system includes approximately
21,000 miles of roads which comprise about 42 percent of all roads
serving Indian country. The overwhelming majority of these Bureau of
Indian Affairs' roads--about 89 percent--are rated as being in poor
condition. This is an alarming statistic which this legislation is
designed to remedy.
Historically, funding for the construction and maintenance of Bureau
of Indian Affairs' roads has failed to keep pace with tribal
transportation needs and the result has been inferior Indian road
conditions. In the 1950's, BIA funding reached a high of $10 million
per fiscal year. By 1979, funding levels rose to $80 million per year.
Thereafter, BIA funding significantly declined.
The Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982 made the Indian
Reservation Roads Program eligible for support from the Highway Trust
Fund at $100 million for fiscal years 1984 to 1986. Between 1987 and
1991, funding from the Highway Trust Fund decreased to $80 million. In
1992, funding rose to $159 million and from 1993 to 1997, funding for
Indian roads increased to $191 million.
Although funding for Indian reservation road construction and
maintenance improved, the increases were nonetheless woefully
inadequate to meet tribal construction needs and to improve Indian
roads so that they might be able to meet national standards.
Furthermore, the current funding level of $191 million falls well short
of the estimated national tribal transportation need of $300 million
annually. Unless funding is increased, tribal roads will continue to
fall behind national standards to the economic and social detriment of
Indian tribes.
The American Indian Transportation Improvement Act of 1997 includes
necessary funding increases and significant changes to the Indian
Reservation Roads Program and to relevant Federal transportation
programs that will provide Indian tribes with greater opportunities to
meet their transportation needs. The improvements to Indian
transportation include the following:
One, funding for the Indian Reservation Roads Program would be
increased from $191 million annually to $250 million for fiscal year
1998, $275 million for fiscal year 1999, and $300 million for fiscal
years 2000 through 2002. Funds are primarily to be used for the design
and construction of roads in the BIA system.
Two, identified as high priority by tribes, the bill includes Indian
reservation road maintenance as an eligible activity for funding under
the Indian Reservation Roads Program. For BIA roads, Indian Reservation
Roads Program funds would be used to supplement the nominal funding
provided for road maintenance.
Three, to encourage donee States to fund public land highway projects
that serve Indian country, the bill exempts funds expended on a public
land highway constructed on an Indian reservation from the
apportionment adjustment hold harmless requirement which has in the
past had the effect of decreasing a State's surface transportation
program allocation by the amount a State expended on a public land
highway located on or running through an Indian reservation.

Four, this bill would establish a 1-percent set-aside of funds
allocated for the National Scenic Byway Program for the development of
an Indian scenic byway program to enhance access to scenic areas for
economic development and other purposes with funding to be distributed
through competitive grants.
Five, currently, tribes qualified to meet the requirements of direct
certification in order to operate their own Federal highway programs
are not eligible to do so. The bill overcomes this impediment by
authorizing the eligibility of Indian tribes for certification by the
State or tribal highway department to directly operate Federal highway
programs. For example, certified tribal governments will have direct
access to Federal highway safety funds and be able to manage the
highway safety programs.
Six, to promote tribal highway enhancement activities on Indian
roads, including bus transfer points and highway lighting, the bill
authorizes the transfer of 1 percent of the funds available to States
for transportation enhancement for competitive grants to Indian tribes.
Seven, in order to remedy the inefficient distribution of Indian
bridge funds, the bill would establish a national Indian bridge program
by consolidating the 1 percent of funds the States set aside for Indian
bridges. The Secretary of Transportation would distribute the funding
with priority given to bridges with the highest level of deficiency as
determined by the BIA National Bridge Inspection Standards. This
process efficiently allocates Indian bridge funds based on demonstrable
need.
Eight, to enhance the capability of Indian tribes to improve their
transportation systems and qualify for direct certification, $1 million
per fiscal year is authorized for each of six Indian technical centers
where tribal members receive training in areas including highway
planning, construction, and maintenance.
Nine, finally, to address the inability of Indian tribes to apply
directly for mass transportation funds and to meet increasing transit
needs, the bill provides authority for a 1-percent set-aside of mass
transportation funding for tribes with the allocation formula to be
established by the Secretary of Transportation following negotiations
with the tribes. In addition, the bill authorizes the conversion of up
to 3 percent of Indian reservation road funds to provide mass
transportation services to Indian tribes.
The American Indian Transportation Improvement Act of 1997 will
significantly improve surface transportation service on or near Indian
Reservations--improvements that will provide greater mobility for
tribal members, increase economic opportunities for the tribe,
including much-needed employment, and improve the overall quality of
life.
Mr. President, I want to recognize the outstanding leadership
demonstrated by Senator Pete Domenici in developing this important
legislation. I urge my colleagues to join the chairman of the Indian
Affairs Committee, the Honorable Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell,
Senator Pete Domenici, and me in acting favorably on this bill when it
comes before the Senate for consideration.
Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise to speak briefly about the
American Indian Transportation Improvement Act of 1997. This is an act
that is long overdue. It would ensure that the native American
communities in our country received the necessary funding to keep up
with their growing infrastructure needs, in this case, roads. This bill
would also ensure that we continue the Federal responsibility and
commitment to native Americans. In addition, Mr. President, the
American Indian Transportation Improvement Act would go a long way
toward providing native American communities the necessary means toward
economic and rural development to attract more business enterprises,
tourism and thereby, job creation.
As my distinguished colleague from New Mexico, Senator Domenici, has
aptly described today, Indian tribes and Alaskan communities must
maintain over 50,000 miles of roadways. Many of our Nation's bridges
and roadways are in great need of repair and upgrade, and tribal roads
and bridges are by no means an exception. This year as we work toward
ISTEA reauthorization, we must address many complicated issues. For
example, we must determine whether and to what extent distribution
formulas should be adjusted, whether to provide States added
flexibility in administering programs, and whether and to what extent
current environmental protections should be enhanced.

[[Page S2279]]

But as we toil to address these issues, we must realize that tribal
communities are facing and must address transportation issues just as
challenging as those we address on a State and national Level. Tribes
have the same needs and are just as interested as our Nation's urban
dwellers in improving roads and bridges. Tribal communities are
interested in establishing and maintaining mass transit systems
especially to assist their elderly, disabled, and youth get to and from
places for goods, services, health care, and after-school activities.
Mr. President, our investment in city, State, county, and tribal
transportation systems is an investment from which we will certainly
reap larger economic benefits and a much greater quality of life for
communities greatly in need of help.
______