Janice Hahn: “Today we will vote on what, hopefully, will be this Congress' last short-term extension of the highway bill. We have…”

“Today we will vote on what, hopefully, will be this Congress' last short-term extension of the highway bill. We have made progress on a long-term bill, and the House should consider that legislation next week. This is good news. But the short-term bill also includes an inevitable but disappointing extension of the deadline for railroads to install positive train control technology. This technology can prevent train accidents and is designed to save lives. Originally, Congress gave railroads 7 years to install positive train control, but as that deadline approaches, the railroads are woefully behind schedule. With the railroad industry's threat to shut down over our heads, we have no choice but to go through with this extension. I worry what the consequences will be for this. This has to be the last delay that we give to the railroads. Congress did not mandate positive train control to be a thorn in the railroads' side. It was done to save lives. ____________________”