Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, rail safety is critical to the transport of goods and services throughout our country. As chairman of the Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, I have consistently worked to improve the safety of transporting hazardous materials by rail, especially crude by rail. In the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015, and later in the FAST Act, Congress required response plans and adopted strong national standards for transporting hazardous materials by rail. Additionally, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has held several hearings at both the full committee and subcommittee level to examine how Congress can improve upon what is already a very safe rail network. I personally have facilitated training for dozens of first responders in my district to ensure they are prepared to respond in the unlikely event of an accident involving hazardous materials transported by rail. Recently, I traveled with my good friends, Ranking Member Capuano and Congressman Farenthold, to Colorado and the Transportation Technology Center to see how the first responder community trains for tank car accidents and the investments our Nation's freight railroad are making to build a safer network. The bill before us today is an extension of these efforts to build and advance rail safety across our Nation.…”