May 26, 1998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. ---- FALEOMAVAEGA ANNOUNCES AMERICAN SAMOA TO RECEIVE $33.84 MILLION IN HIGHWAY BILL PASSED BY CONGRESS

CONGRESSMAN ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA ANNOUNCED THAT THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND U.S. SENATE ADOPTED A SIX- YEAR TRANSPORTATION BILL LATE FRIDAY EVENING. THE BILL INCLUDES $33.84 MILLION IN FEDERAL HIGHWAY FUNDING FOR AMERICAN SAMOA.

THE NEWLY-NAMED LEGISLATION -- THE "TRANSPORTATION AND EQUITY ACT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY" (TEA-21) -- REPLACES THE "INTERMODAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION EFFICIENCY ACT" (ISTEA), WHICH EXPIRED LAST YEAR. AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF HOUSE- SENATE CONFERENCE NEGOTIATIONS ON COMPETING TRANSPORTATION BILLS, THE HOUSE APPROVED THE COMPROMISE LEGISLATION, 297 TO 86, WITH THE SENATE VOTING IN ITS FAVOR, 88 TO 5. THE MASSIVE TRANSPORTA- TION BILL ADOPTED BY CONGRESS IS EXPECTED TO BE SIGNED INTO LAW SHORTLY BY PRESIDENT CLINTON.

"I AM EXTREMELY PLEASED THAT AMERICAN SAMOA CAN EXPECT TO RECEIVE ALMOST $34 MILLION OVER THE NEXT 6 YEARS TO ADDRESS THE TERRITORY'S HIGHWAY NEEDS UNDER "TEA-21," THE NEW TRANSPORTATION BILL," STATED CONGRESSMAN FALEOMAVAEGA. "DURING THIS CONGRESS, I HAVE WORKED HARD WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE TO ENSURE THAT SAMOA'S PRESSING TRANSPORTATION NEEDS ARE MET."

"THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION BILL WAS CUT $13 BILLION IN CONFERENCE WITH THE SENATE, WHICH ELIMINATED OR SEVERELY REDUCED SEVERAL HIGHWAY AND TRANSIT PROGRAMS. IN SPITE OF CUTS ACROSS THE BOARD, I AM GLAD TO REPORT WE HAVE RETAINED $12 MILLION FOR HIGH PRIORITY DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FUNDING FOR AMERICAN SAMOA," STATED FALEOMAVAEGA. "THESE FUNDS ARE SPECIFICALLY EARMARKED AND SET-ASIDE TO, FIRST, PAVE AND IMPROVE RURAL ROADS LEADING FROM THE MAIN HIGHWAY TO OUR VILLAGES, AND, SECOND, TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TERRITORIAL HIGHWAY'S DRAINAGE SYSTEM."

"THE TRANSPORTATION BILL WHICH WAS ADOPTED ALSO PROVIDES AMERICAN SAMOA WITH CLOSE TO $22 MILLION OVER 6 YEARS FROM THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SYSTEM PROGRAM, PROTECTING OUR ANNUAL FEDERAL HIGHWAY ALLOCATION AND INCREASING IT BY 10 PERCENT," CONTINUED FALEOMAVAEGA.

"THE DEBATE AND NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE TRANSPORTATION LEGISLATION WERE ESPECIALLY ACRIMONIOUS IN THIS CONGRESS BECAUSE OF THE 18.4 CENTS-A-GALLON FEDERAL GAS TAX, WHICH IS COLLECTED NATIONALLY AND WHICH FUNDS THE TRANSPORTATION BILL," NOTED FALEOMAVAEGA. "IN MANY STATES, RESIDENTS CONTRIBUTE MORE IN FEDERAL GAS TAXES THAN THE STATE RECEIVES THROUGH THE THE HIGHWAY PROGRAMS WHICH ARE FUNDED BY THE TRANSPORTATION BILL. OTHER STATES RECEIVE MORE THAN THEY CONTRIBUTE. THE FUNDING INEQUALITY HAS CREATED RESENTMENT, PITTING STATES AGAINST EACH OTHER. GIVEN THIS HEATED ATMOSPHERE IN CONGRESS AND THE FACT THAT THE FEDERAL GAS TAX IS NOT COLLECTED IN NOR CONTRIBUTED BY THE TERRITORIES, WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO RECEIVE $34 MILLION IN BENEFITS UNDER THE TRANSPORTATION BILL."

"LOOKING AT IT FROM A PER CAPITA BASIS," SAID THE CONGRESSMAN, " WHILE AMERICAN SAMOA HAS 56,000 RESIDENTS, WE ARE RECEIVING $12 MILLION IN DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FUNDING. THIS IS THE SAME AMOUNT ALLOCATED TO PUERTO RICO, WHICH HAS OVER 3.7 MILLION RESIDENTS. IN SOME CASES, AMERICAN SAMOA IS RECEIVING MORE IN EARMARKED DEMONSTRATION PROJECT FUNDING THAN AN ENTIRE STATE, SUCH AS DELAWARE."

"I ESPECIALLY WISH TO THANK THE HONORABLE NICK RAHALL, RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER OF THE HOUSE SURFACE TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE, THE HONORABLE BUD SHUSTER, CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE AND THE HONORABLE

JAMES OBERSTAR, RANKING DEMOCRATIC MEMBER OF THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE," STATED FALEOMAVAEGA, "FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF OUR MEASURES IN THE "TEA-21" TRANSPORTATION BILL."

"IN CONCLUDING, I ALSO WANT TO THANK AGAIN GOVERNOR TAUESE AND HIS STAFF FOR WORKING CLOSELY WITH US ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE. WITHOUT THE GOVERNOR'S SUPPORT, AND THE TIMELY SUBMISSION OF CRITICALLY-NEEDED DATA, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SECURE THESE TRANSPORTATION FUNDS FOR THE PEOPLE OF AMERICAN SAMOA," FALEOMAVAEGA ADDED.