I am pleased to follow my friend and colleague from Vermont, Senator Sanders, and I want to begin by thanking him for his leadership, his persistence, and his perseverance in the face of resistance that should not exist. This cause ought…

Thank you to you for having this hearing and for your really instrumental work on a lot of this legislation.

This technology has huge promise, but also tremendous peril, and the awareness of the peril is sometimes difficult among young people who think of themselves as invincible.

So you would welcome this additional measure?

The critical questions that I've been raising are not directed at you, personally, or even solely at your agency.

So, here we are, 6 years later, and they still haven't been issued. What is the reason for that delay?

Well, I am not here to debate you. My point was not that it would have, not that there was any certainty that it would have prevented Spuyten Duyvil, but that it could have.

So, fair to say they're saying the right things, but the jury's still out on whether they're doing the right things.

I continue to believe that there has to be attention to the penalty provisions to make sure that they are commensurate with the kind of neglect and failing that we've seen at Metro-North on occasion to deter that kind of violation of basic…

As I said, at least at this point they are clearly on track to achieve what they have set out to do.

a lot of riders have lost trust and confidence, not only in the railroad, but also in the enforcement authority of the FRA

How long has that regulation been in the pipeline, as you----

It carries about 90,000 vehicles a day, and it will have a huge impact in creating congestion, from Florida to Maine.

Well, can you give us dates for when those rules will be issued?

I thank you all for being here today. And I hope that we can continue this conversation.

Rules that would have greatly enhanced inspection practices, which might have prevented the derailment in Bridgeport.

There has to be a balancing of competing interests.

The recommendations made by the NTSB should have been implemented long ago.

I want to come back, Mr. Szabo, to the penalty issue.

Wouldn't you agree with me that these rules have to be issued more quickly?

When the penalties aren't sufficient, there's no incentive to obey them.

Corporations are treated like people. They can give on an unlimited basis directly to candidates.

I think one of the problems we can agree--and maybe this is an issue that pertains to all your agencies--is the resources available for enforcement.

the Highway Trust Fund will go broke in July, just next month.

I truly believe that the GROW AMERICA Act is a logical and important step forward in improving hazardous materials transportation safety.