On the recordFebruary 15, 2011
I offer this amendment on behalf of myself, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Moran, Ms. Edwards, and Mr. Van Hollen. In his final term in Congress, my Republican predecessor Tom Davis helped broker an agreement to boost Metro funding by the Federal, State, and local governments. Under this agreement, the Federal Government would invest $150 million annually, to be matched by Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. This investment is essential for our region, as it has provided WMATA with funding to begin fixing the safety problems identified by the National Transportation Safety Board, which will cost over $1 billion, cumulatively. It also is essential for the Federal Government to function efficiently, even as the Federal Government fails to pay its fair share compared to local and State funding for Metro. Finally, unlike any other transit system in America, our Metro system serves 12 million tourists annually who come to visit their Nation's Capital. The Federal Government relies on a functional Metro system. Mr. Chairman, over half of all Metro stations serve Federal offices, and 40 percent of the entire Federal workforce uses Metro to get to work every day.
