Contact: Rob Ostrander 202.224.7627
Friday, November 18, 2005

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today announced that the Senate and House have completed negotiations on the 2006 transportation appropriations bill and are expected to pass the bill today. Bond said the bill removes the federal earmarking of two controversial Alaskan bridges, enacts significant Amtrak reforms, restricts the use of federal funds on eminent domain projects and exempts Missouri from the onerous Wright Amendment.

“This bill is the product of a lot of hard work and hard decisions,” said Bond, chairman of the Senate transportation appropriations subcommittee. “I set out to make this bill, my first bill as chairman of the new Transportation-Treasury subcommittee, one that recognizes fiscal realities. This bill funds programs ranging from low-income housing programs to the fight against terrorist financing. It was critically important to complete this bill as soon as possible and I thank my colleagues and staff for all their hard work.”

The bill removes the $452.5 million federal earmarking of the Anchorage and Ketchikan, Alaska bridges that was contained in highway reauthorization bill earlier this year, but will allow the state to receive the funding for use on other priority projects.

Bond said conferees were also able to reach an agreement with the Bush Administration to reform Amtrak and keep it running while demanding accountability.

Bond’s eminent domain provision specifically states that no funds provided in the bill may be used to support any federal, state or local projects that seek to use the power of eminent domain, unless eminent domain is employed only for a public use.

“This amendment seeks to put some guidelines in place when it comes to the use of federal funds on projects where eminent domain is used. We need to take a closer look at how the use of eminent domain is affecting our communities.”

The amendment allows the use of federal funds for public projects involving highways, mass transit, airports, utilities and similar projects which benefit or serve the general public. Bond drafted the measure in the wake of the Supreme Court decision on eminent domain.

Bond also attached a provision to the bill that would exempt Missouri from the onerous restrictions of the Wright Amendment. Currently, the Wright Amendment prevents direct flights from Love Field to most states. Under Bond’s provision, flights between Love Field and Kansas City and Love Field and St. Louis will be permitted.

“Twenty-five years ago the Wright Amendment was passed to prevent Southwest Airlines from offering nationwide service out of Dallas’ Love Field,” said Bond. “I am pleased that I was able to exempt Missouri from this anti-competitive, anti-consumer policy.”