Political Quotes

“before Senator Boxer leaves the Senate floor, I want to thank her for her tenacity and leadership on this issue. I think we have come to a conclusion. I see my senior Senator, Senator Biden, has joined us as well. This is an issue he has worked on longer than I have been in the Senate. I want to say to my friend, job well done. I say to Senator Cochran and his staff on the Senate floor, and Senator Byrd as well, thank you very much for working with us in writing a very good compromise. A number of us have expressed concern upon learning that as money was added to this bill for transit security, there was an inability--in fact, no ability--for us to access these dollars to enhance security for inner-city passenger rail, on rails principally Amtrak, and to enhance the safety and security of freight railroad operations. As it turns out, the Northeast corridor, which runs from Washington, DC, up to Boston, MA, is owned by Amtrak. Not only do Amtrak trains ply these corridors from here to Baltimore to Wilmington to Philadelphia and New York, on to Boston, but you can stop in Providence, the State of the Presiding Officer. Also, a lot of freight rail use these tracks. The tracks themselves, the overhead wires, the tunnels through which these trains go, the bridges over which they cross are owned and operated by Amtrak. The commuter trains that use the tracks from here to New York City and on up to Boston in many cases are owned and operated by Amtrak.”