Kay Bailey Hutchison: “for the past 50 years U.S. transportation policy has focused on building a system designed to meet the needs of a…”

“for the past 50 years U.S. transportation policy has focused on building a system designed to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population that was still expanding westward. Today, I am pleased to introduce legislation that will ease congestion brought on by the North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, by reforming the Coordinate Border Infrastructure Program and the National Corridor Planning and Development Program. These two programs are commonly known, collectively, as the Border and Corridor program. Thanks to NAFTA, more of our trade crosses international borders, and 80 percent of that trade moves into and through the United States in trucks. Since the passage of NAFTA in 1993, traffic on America's trade corridors has doubled. Although this commerce has been a boon to the Nation's economy, it has been devastating to some of the country's infrastructure. With almost 80 percent of the NAFTA trade traveling through my home State of Texas, the increased volume has further congested and worn out our major highways including I-35, and created the need for new highways like I-69 and Ports-To-Plains. The loss of productivity resulting from increased time spent in traffic, and the declining condition of critical international corridors will have the long term effect of diminishing the economic benefits of NAFTA trade. It is also forcing border States to bear an unfair portion of the infrastructure cost.”