I don't think we want to settle for that. We will get back to good but we want to get to excellent.

Without continued Federal participation, however, this successful capital funding stream would unravel, leaving a massive shortfall in WMATA's budget.

If you want to bring back ridership and rebuild confidence, I have got to know that I am dealing with a friendly work force that cares about me as a passenger.

It is the national capital transit system serving the capital of the free world.

the Federal Government is a free rider. It doesn't provide operating subsidies and everyone else has to basically underwrite Federal employees using metro.

We have designed $10 million of the $50 operating subsidy for your office, to address the very point you make.

It just is essential that the person we are dealing with, you know, be above reproach.

I appreciate that very much, and I know riders will appreciate it as well.

He was very much loved on both sides of the aisle, and I know that he would say the work doesn't stop.

Together we have been supportive of General Manger Paul Wiedefeld's reforms to the system.

I have talked about what had crept up as becoming a culture of mediocrity, and with respect to customer services, sometimes indifference.

Steny Hoyer has just been a pivotal figure in making sure that happens over the years.

Safety for riders and employees must remain Metro's No. 1 priority.

That suggests to me a system that is woefully inadequate, in terms of self-policing, and what goes wrong with that is loss of confidence.

I thank the distinguished majority leader, and also just thank him for his consistent ongoing leadership and support for Metro.

The Federal Government in one way is a free rider. We do not subsidize the operations of Metro.

It is not often I find myself praising anything in the Trump budget, but in this one case, I do.

I was proud to work closely with Mr. Wiedefeld, and with the union, and with commuter advocates.

Congress was instrumental in establishing this new safety oversight body.

The bill would authorize the $150 million in annual capital funding for 10 more years, contingent on the local jurisdictions bringing in matching dollars.

I believe Barbara Mikulski played a key role in that.

This is not a theoretical question.

They have got to see themselves as a resource in the event of something emergent.

I think we have got to focus on that as something that is key to revitalizing and optimizing the comeback we are seeing.

We cannot allow shoddy construction by cost-cutting contractors to saddle Metro and its ridership with long-term costly maintenance problems.