Eleanor Holmes Norton: “I strongly oppose this amendment. This amendment would eliminate $150 million in Passenger Rail Investment and…”

“I strongly oppose this amendment. This amendment would eliminate $150 million in Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act funding for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. This funding, which Congress has provided annually since 2008, supports much-needed high-priority capital and preventive maintenance projects, including rehabilitating crumbling rail station platforms, supporting first responder safety, repairing elevators and escalators, mitigating tunnel water leaks, and replacing aging and obsolete equipment on railcars. Hundreds of thousands of national capital region residents, visitors, and Federal Government employees rely on the Metro daily. Without this funding, there could be reductions in rail service and increased risk to the safety of riders, as well as increased road traffic emissions. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this reckless amendment.”