Jim Nussle: “I share the concern that the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) is raising about Mexican trucks. This is the wrong…”

“I share the concern that the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) is raising about Mexican trucks. This is the wrong place and the wrong way to address it, in an appropriations bill. I think there is a lot of concern over the Mexican truck issue, and we need to find a way to resolve that. This is not the place. I rise in support of the underlying bill, H.R. 2299, making transportation appropriations for fiscal year 2002. As the chairman of the Committee on the Budget, I want to report to my colleagues that this bill is consistent with the budget resolution, and it complies with the applicable sections under the Congressional Budget Act. H.R. 2299 provides $14.9 billion for the Department of Transportation and several transportation-related agencies. The bill includes $307 billion in rescission of previously enacted budget authority. The bill is within the 302(a) allocations of the Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Transportation and, therefore, complies with section 302(f) of the Budget Act, which prohibits the consideration of appropriation measures that exceed the appropriate subcommittee's 302(b) allocation.”