Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 76. This resolution would grant the consent and approval of Congress for Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia to enter into a compact establishing the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission. I support this bipartisan measure for several reasons. Most importantly, this Commission will help improve the safety of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority--also known as WMATA, which provides transportation services for millions of people each year. Last year alone, nearly 180 million riders traveled on WMATA's commuter rail system. In fact, more than 760,000 riders used that system on just a single day in March of last year. Unfortunately, there have been a series of serious safety violations at WMATA in recent years, some of which have tragically led to deaths and injuries. Even though such dangerous conditions are obviously inexcusable, they nevertheless have persisted for many years. There are numerous causes, which range from aging infrastructure, years of neglected maintenance, uncertain funding, and poor oversight and management. In response to these critical concerns, the District of Columbia-- together with the states of Virginia and Maryland--have each passed legislation agreeing to enter into an interstate compact establishing an oversight commission dedicated to improving the safety of WMATA.…”