Mr. Speaker, today I rise to introduce an amendment to strike section 165 from the underlying bill. Section 165 states that no funds in this or any other act may be available for light or heavy rail projects in Houston, Texas if the route goes through Richmond or down Post Oak Boulevard. This language is contrary to the will of the voters of Harris County Texas and should not be included in this Federal Government appropriations bill.

Houstonians voted in support of new transportation options for the Houston area in a local referendum in 2003. Some disagree with the results of that referendum, but local voters have made their decision and I rise to support their right to make these decisions in Houston, Texas and in local elections without the interference of Congress.

If the Federal government has the right to overrule a local election referendum, then what is next? Blocking Federal funds via obscure riders in Appropriation bills in order to try and steer routing decisions is wrong. It is an inappropriate overreach by the Federal government. It violates the will of the voters of Harris County and ultimately hurts the City of Houston, Texas. For members outside of Texas, that may be unfamiliar with this debate, the precedent that this language will set if followed to remain in the bill is far reaching and will affect more than just Texas.

Passage of this language as is means that local votes just don’t matter to congress, that local officials don’t really decide transportation matters in each states and cities, because these decisions can be toyed with and overruled by Congress. This language is also bad policy. It is a throw back to the old Houston when our only transportation plan was to build more highways as far as the eye can see and block attempts to do anything else.

Houston is one of the most expansive and efficient highway systems in the world and with soon to be completed Grand Parkway, the system will be even better, but we can only build so many roads, we can only build so many concrete monstrosities like the I-10 West Corridor. Over 130,000 people moved to Harris County last year. That’s as many as in Charleston, South Carolina. And an estimated 150,000 will move in again next year. Houston will soon be the third largest city in the country overtaking Chicago. and with this increasing population, we need solutions for transportation, not attempts to stonewall options from Washington.

The debate that we are having on the floor is not about whether or not Metro is doing a good job or even about Metro. We know that Metro’s had its fare share of problems over the years. It must get its financial house in order. It must become efficient and it also must get the credibility it needs from the voters once again. But its not our job to debate that local issue in congress. The voters in a local referendum made that decision eleven years ago. It’s inappropriate misuse of authority to divert money from Houston because the federal government disagrees with the outcome of a local election.

As the saying goes, we need to let Texans run Texas. These decisions should be made at the local level. Supporters of this language may try to argue that this is an attempt at fiscal responsibility. That is nonsense. This money is already appropriated for Houston. If Houston doesn’t use it, its not going back into the coffers, its not going to pay down the national debt. The moneys going to some other city that will take the money.

The idea that we will not take available transportation money to Houston sets a bad precedent for Houston, because next time Houston wants some federal money, which is taxpayer money, then we may not be so fortunate to get that money, because the folks up here said well, we offered you money once before and you didn’t take it. No more money for transportation. Houston is a donor state. 91% of the funds that we send up here is all we get back. We don’t get the other 9%. This is about the availability of transportation money to Houston, Texas.

The underlying bill prohibits that money because of certain factors in the Houston area that don’t like the outcome of this election and don’t like light rail. Debate that issue in the City. Let city officials make that decision. Let Metro make that decision. Let there be a lively debate among the citizens that are effected by light rail, but don’t let congress come in and overrule the will of the people of Houston, Texas in an election that they had eleven years ago to accept federal funding when its appropriate for us to take it. And that’s just the way it is.