Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin), my good friend, for yielding time. I rise today in support of this legislation, which I was happy to cosponsor with Mr. Hoyer and our colleagues in the metropolitan region. The joint resolution would establish an independent safety oversight commission for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority that will be empowered to create new safety rules, impose fines, issue subpoenas, and direct additional funding toward safety priorities. Consideration of the joint resolution in the United States House follows the passage of companion legislation in the Virginia and Maryland General Assemblies, the Council of the District of Columbia, and the United States Senate. The joint resolution before us represents the culmination of more than a year of multijurisdictional, multistakeholder collaboration, and is an example of the kind of bipartisan cooperation we need moving forward for Metro. For several years now, Metro has been a system in crisis, all lights blinking red. The lack of a strict safety culture has resulted in derailments, falsified track inspection reports, fires, track defects, and, as Ms. Norton just indicated, has tragically claimed lives. The previous safety oversight body, the Tri-State Oversight Committee, was admittedly ineffective and failed to safeguard Metro personnel and customers. It was clear the safety crisis at Metro needed further Federal intervention. While I am glad that the U.S.…”