Senate Passes $52.4-Billion Highway Bill

The Senate Wednesday unanimously authorized a four-year, $52.4-billion program for federal highway and transportation projects, laying the groundwork for final passage by Congress within the next two weeks.

Sens. Steven D. Symms (R-Ida.) and Robert T. Stafford (R-Vt.), who led the fight for approval, said that Senate and House conferees would be appointed promptly to work out differences in legislation enacted by the two chambers so that President Reagan can have a highway bill to sign before Congress adjourns in early October.

Although the dollar amounts in the two bills are nearly the same, the House bill contains a provision--defeated in the Senate--allowing states and counties to reject low bids from highway contractors who do business with South Africa.

Foreign Policy Matters

Symms complained that the provision had little to do with building highways, and Sen. Malcolm Wallop (R-Wyo.) said that matters of foreign policy should be left to the federal government and not to city councils.

However, Sens. Alfonse M. D’Amato (R-N. Y.) and Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-N. Y.) argued that local governments building roads with some federal funding should have the right “not to do business with those who may be giving aid and comfort to South Africa.” The number of contractors falling into this category is believed to be small.

The Senate measure, which was passed 99 to 0, earmarks $12 billion over the next four years for construction of interstate highways; the House bill provides $18.2 billion over a six-year period. California officials said they hope the House version, which would provide more funding, prevails because California needs $2 billion to complete ongoing projects, including Los Angeles’ Century Freeway.

All expenditures would come from the federal Highway Trust Fund, which derives its money mainly from gasoline taxes.

Mass Transit Money

Besides highway funds, the Senate legislation includes money for mass transit, some of which is earmarked for the federal government’s share of the costs of Los Angeles’ Metro Rail subway project.

The Senate measure includes an amendment, approved Tuesday night, allowing states to raise speed limits to 65 m.p.h. from 55 m.p.h. on rural sections of interstate highways. But, because this amendment applies only to sections of road that are not near cities of 50,000 population or more, it would allow the speed limit to be raised on only 1,300 of California’s 4,000 freeway miles, according to the California Department of Transportation.

In any event, this amendment now must be taken up by the Senate-House conference committee because a similar measure was defeated in the House last month. In addition, the two chambers enacted slightly different provisions to regulate billboards along interstate routes.