Political Quotes

“I rise to bring attention to the tragic Amtrak derailment that took at least 7 lives and caused over 140 injuries, including an Associated Press member from New Jersey, Jim Gaines of Plainsboro, NJ. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their lives. To those of us from New Jersey and those who live along the Northeast corridor, they are our neighbors, our friends, our relatives. They could be us. It hits especially close to home. I know, because I take Amtrak virtually every week back to New Jersey. There was a period of time last night when I did not know the whereabouts of my son Rob, who was scheduled to be on Amtrak back to New York. But I later found out that he was on the next train immediately behind the one that derailed, and thankfully, he was safe. I am grateful for that. But others were not so lucky. But luck should not be America's transportation policy. It is imperative that the cause of the derailment be fully investigated so that we can prevent tragedies such as these in the future. I have already been on the phone with Secretary of Transportation Anthony Fox and continue to monitor closely the situation. I want to recognize the extraordinary work of our first responders. Once again, firefighters, police officers, and emergency responders showed us what bravery is all about. They ran to the crash site to save lives while others were running away. For that, we should all be grateful.…”