The transportation sector is consuming energy at a rate much faster than any other sector of our economy. Unless we take steps to control and reduce energy use in transportation, the risks of global warming will only grow worse. The Surface Transportation Reauthorization (S. 1204) offered a tremendous opportunity to re-tool the way we look at transportation methods and focus the nation's energy on efficient means of transportation.

Both rational transportation policy and sensible energy policy result from promoting more efficient use of our existing transportation infrastructure and less energy-intensive methods, such as mass transit, to address increased energy demand and transportation needs. In particular, S. 1204 allocated funds to states based on formulas that rewarded them for reducing vehicle use and energy consumption. The legislation penalized states that failed to control vehicle use.

Senator Bob Graham (D-FL) offered an amendment to replace the apportionment formulas of S. 1204 with formulas the would allocate funds based largely on each state's fuel consumption and vehicle use. The more fuel a state consumed, the more money it would receive. Under the Graham amendment, states investing in mass transportation, car pooling, high occupancy vehicle lanes, and other programs to control congestion, energy consumption, and pollution, would have their allocation of transportation funds decreased, while states that allowed vehicle use to grow out of control would be rewarded with increased funding.

The Graham Amendment was rejected 41-57 on June 18, 1991. NO is the pro-environment vote.