For immediate release: CORNYN: TRANSPORTATION IS LIFEBLOOD OF TEXAS ECONOMY U.S. Sen. John Cornyn delivered the keynote address Friday in Houston at the 10th Annual Meeting of The Alliance for I-69 Texas. The Alliance for I-69 Texas includes government and business interests from 34 counties in East and South Texas, with administrative support provided by the Greater Houston Partnership. --Below is the text of Sen. Cornyn’s keynote address as prepared -- Nationally, we have turned a corner on the economy. We’ve had several months of recovery, and I’m glad to say that the economy grew in the third quarter at its fastest rate in 19 years. That’s good news. We’re seeing the results of the tax cuts we passed earlier this year, tax cuts that have helped taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned money to spend as they see fit. I don’t believe that we should stop with tax cuts, though. We also need to recognize that in Texas, transportation is the lifeblood of our economy. The movement of goods and people across our state and our borders to a great degree decides the kind of opportunities Texas businesses will have, both now and in future generations. In particular, I know that TEA-21 reauthorization is an important issue for all of us in this room, so I want to say a few words about it. I am absolutely committed to making sure that Texas gets a fair share of transportation funding. As I’m sure you all know, our current share of federal highway funds in the nation is unacceptable given our transportation needs. We deserve increased funding for local transportation projects to relieve congestion, encourage increased trade and economic growth, and ensure highway safety. That’s why I’m also dedicated to fighting for a return of 95 percent of gas tax revenue that Texas motorists send to Washington. TEA-21 was progress over ISTEA, but we still have a lot of work to do to get there. I believe we must finish Interstate 69. We must recognize that this is a key project, particularly for the future of our economy and the success of Texas businesses. You will be pleased to know that, in a tight budget year, I worked with Senator Hutchison and Majority Leader Delay to secure $7.4 million in FY 2004 funding for I-69 projects. As a member of the Environment and Public Works committee in the Senate, I was glad to work on the EPW re-authorization bill (SAFETEA/S. 1072) earlier this year. This bill increases the investment in Texas transportation, facilitating the flow of north/south commerce and trade. It also builds on the President’s recommendation to replace the current National Corridor Planning & Development Program and the Coordinated Border Infrastructure Program (NCPD/CBI) with a separately funded Multi-state Corridor Planning program and a Border Planning, Operations, and Technology program. And while the multi-state corridor planning program is a good first step that would emphasize multi-state planning and corridor development for projects like I-69, I am particularly pleased with the new border program. This program should greatly improve bi-national transportation planning, operations, efficiency, information exchange, safety, and security for the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada, as well as benefiting the I-69 project. But transportation isn’t our only challenge here in Texas. There are many others. This week, I’ll be visiting health centers and hospitals all around Texas discussing the new health care issues to come out of the Medicare bill. I supported the bill because I believe it is good for the American people and good for Texas. While I still believe there is more work to be done, there are many good steps in this bill that will benefit Texas. This legislation will expand Medicare to allow for new choices in the form of Medical Savings Accounts. It will help solve the problems of immigrant health care reimbursement and increase health care access. For the first time in history, Medicare will begin to focus on putting prevention first, encouraging healthier living and giving at-risk Americans the tools they need to act to stop preventable diseases in their own lives. And it will provide comprehensive prescription drug relief for all Americans, especially those who need it most of all. I also wanted to tell you about another issue that’s very important to Texas: the issue of immigration. I am convinced that we must finally recognize the truth about our border with Mexico. Every day, families, businesses, and workers cross the border. They own property on both sides of the border. They marry and raise families across the border. They fill jobs and they create jobs. They work and they live across national boundaries. They are a major part of our free market economy. I believe that a comprehensive guest worker program is a critical first step towards improving this system, and that is why I have introduced the Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2003. My guest worker proposal gives undocumented immigrants a real incentive to come out of the shadows, to work within the law, and then to return to their homes and families with the pay and skills they acquire as guest workers in the United States. It will help guest workers receive the health care they need, without overburdening already strained health care providers. It will protect immigrants from exploitation and from violence. And it will allow hard-working undocumented immigrants to continue to play a vital role in our own economy. This legislation will also aid in strengthening our homeland and border security, another issue I’m working on in the Senate. There are as many as ten million individuals who are in this country illegally; our homeland security demands an accounting of the identities of these individuals and their reasons for being here, so we can make a judgment as to whether they pose a danger to our citizens. I believe we need to spend our time chasing down the real bad guys – the smugglers, the drug dealers, and the terrorists – not those who are merely looking for a better life for themselves and their loved ones. I also believe that we need to take great care to give Texas first responders – our hometown security – everything they need to make sure that we are prepared for any attack. I’m fighting for increased grants for our firefighters and police departments, and I won’t rest until all of our regional personnel are fully funded. We have some great obstacles to overcome for the good people of Texas. If we are to remain a leader in trade with other states and other nations, we will need to continue the modernization that TEA-21 provides. We must remain dedicated to opening new avenues and competitive opportunities for Texas businesses. We must work to fulfill the health care and homeland security needs of our state. Yet I am confident we will succeed, because I know that we live in the greatest state in the greatest nation on earth, a land of innovation and enterprise. And I truly believe if we work together, we can achieve real, lasting change for the good of Texas. -30- John Drogin Press Office of U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) 517 Senate Hart Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Tel: 202-224-2934 Fax: 202-228-2856 Website: http://www.cornyn.senate.gov |