Rail is essential to the movement of goods and people in America.

Positive Train Control will even make this industry even safer.

And just like your state is so dependent upon railroads, so are so many of our states.

We're appreciative to the Committee and, certainly, your sponsorship or co-sponsorship and Senator Thune and Senator Blunt's sponsorship of the extension that you introduced in the last session.

Rail is already one of the safest ways of moving people and goods, but there are challenges.

It's all about connectivity. It's all about the ability to reach markets faster and safer.

The extension will be used for the following. The next handful of years, say 3 years or so, will be the continued deployment in the infrastructure side.

This is a successful project because it was a public-private partnership.

The Army has already undertaken significant cost cutting efforts and reduced personnel and equipment requirements during the first 2 years of sequestration.

My state of Florida actually developed a railroad. It was Henry Flagler that brought his railroad south.

U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that the tonnage of freight moving by rail is going to increase by 88 percent through 2035.