Senate Proceeding on Sep 16th, 2009 :: 1:49:05 to 1:56:30
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1:49:01 to 1:49:22( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: so i don't believe that this bill, the current appropriations bill, is appropriate time that we should be debating and changing our ghway policy that is so important to all communities across the country. mr. president, the chairman of the appropriate committee is on the floor and i know she wants to respond and i will yield to

1:49:05 to 1:56:30( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Barbara Boxer

1:49:23 to 1:49:44( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: her at this time. the presiding officer: the senator from california. mrs. boxer: how much time remains before we start voting? the presiding officer: there's 6 1/2 minutes remaining. mrs. boxer: okay. thank you, mr. president. i want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee for setting aside some time for me because, as the chairman -- because as

1:49:45 to 1:50:06( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: the chairman of the public works, environment and public works committee, i am concerned about the coburn amendments and i want the particular program that senator is going after is the t.e. program, the transportation enhancements program. it was created in 1991 in a

1:50:07 to 1:50:28( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: very, very bipartisan way in the transportation bill, and the purposes of the program is to encourage investment in some very important priorities for the nation. i want to talk about that. and i particularly want to say that on average, this program

1:50:29 to 1:50:53( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: provided $650 million for these activities each year, and i want to point out that $650 million to jobs, we're talking about many, many jobs here because $11 made available since 1992 and

1:50:54 to 1:51:14( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: that translates good-paying jobs, jobs that do important things, jobs that can't be shipped and of all the times to come to the floor and go after that is a job creator and in addition does many important things that actually save lives, i don't think this is

1:51:15 to 1:51:35( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: frankly, i don't think there's an now, for example, one of the uses for these funds is that we try to stop highway runoff runoff that has, you know, very harmful chemicals in it, pollution in it and it goes

1:51:36 to 1:51:56( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: right into waterways, and that's something we shouldn't stop. that's sething we owe to our children, to prote pollution. we also use the funds to reduce vehicle caused wildlife mortality. and anyone who's receive the results of a collision, as i have, believe it or not, in my

1:51:57 to 1:52:17( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: years in california, suburban unty, results of a collision with a deer ornother large animal, unyou're dealing with danger -- you know you're dealing with danger for all the parties involved. and so why on earth would we come down here and strike the funding for a program that protects our kids from pollution

1:52:18 to 1:52:39( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: pollution, that saves lives by making sure that our local people do the right thing to make sure that thee animals don't have ready access, easy access to our freeways? and let me put this numbers, because i know that my friend is an exacting debater and he's a great debater.

1:52:40 to 1:53:00( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: a study under the national cooperative highway research program estimated that each year year, wildlife collisions are responsible for 200 deaths, human deaths, 29,000 injuries, and more than a billion dollars in property damage. so even with the funding that we have, mr. president, this is an

1:53:01 to 1:53:23( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: issue and we don't want to make matters worse. in washington state, $75,000 in these funds that my friend wants to strike were provided for radio collars for elk and alert system for motorists to reduce elk-vehicle collisions on

1:53:24 to 1:53:45( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: highway 101 in the squimm vaey. as a result, the -- those collisions have dropped from an average of 2.5 every year tone in the past seven years. why on earth would we want to pull money from a fund that saves lives? in colorado, 108,000 provided to remove broken one-way deer gates and replace

1:53:46 to 1:54:06( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: them with escape ramps and extendhe fencing which was first set up in 1980. and that guided the wildlife off u.s. 550. so those funds certainly are improving safety and saving lives. now, bicycle paths, pedestrian facilities are provided and the

1:54:07 to 1:54:29( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: chairman spoke about that. in georgia, t.e. transform the 5th street bridge span over atlanta's i-75/i-85 into a pedestrian bicycle-friendly park, hovering 17 feet above the highway that safely connects buildings of georgia tech's campus. the bridge was widened to

1:54:30 to 1:54:52( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: incorporate bicycle paths, landscaping, lampposts, trelli trellises, and you know, i guess there's just a different view of what's essential. i think saving lives is essential and i think funds are used to save lives. and also, if i could say -- because i know think it should be a priority to

1:54:53 to 1:55:14( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: beautify our highways and our freeways and our roa. i want to point out that the taxpayers of this country care about their communities, care about how their highways and their provide freeways look. it is a big difference when you have a highway and a freeway that is taken care of, just as we take care of our homes.

1:55:15 to 1:55:39( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: that is our job. in illinois, a tunnel was constructed beneath busy center grove lead to will provide safer passage for students walking between their school and a nearby sports complex. the tunnel was constructed with the help of t.e. funds. the very funds that my friend

1:55:40 to 1:56:00( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: can now enjoy 2.2 miles of paved trails that meand the community connecting schools, parks, rivers and neighborhoods. and a grant of award helped fund the trail. it was matched by local dollars. in minneapolis, t.e. funds helped construct the midtown

1:56:01 to 1:56:21( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: greenway project in minneapolis that provides a safe bicycle commute freeway for un up to 4,500 cyclists a day. in oklahoma, new and existing businesses and shops are thriving after a streetscaping project in downtown norman. t.e. funds helped to renovate the down taken area which -- the presiding officer: the

1:56:22 to 1:56:30( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Boxer: senator's time has expired. mrs. boxer: and improvements to historical lighting. so i hope we will vote against the series of coburn amendments. i think they hurt, they will