Political Quotes

“I rise, today, to discuss a specific issue regarding H.R. 1140, the Railroad Retirement and Survivors' Improvement Act of 2001, specifically, the representation of commuter rail on the Board of Trustees for the Railroad Retirement Investment Trust that is created by the bill. My district is served by Metra, the nation's second largest commuter rail system in the country. Last year, Metra provided nearly 82 million passenger trips--setting a 32-year ridership record. Over the years, Metra has received numerous awards and accolades for its outstanding service, and none of those would have been possible were it not for the hard work and dedication of its more than 2,500 employees. These 2,500 employees of Metra join their counterparts in other commuter and passenger rail systems around the country, and together they account for approximately one-quarter of all employees in the rail industry. This percentage of commuter and passenger rail employees is only expected to increase in the near future as customer demand for more commuter rail service grows. I have long-supported Metra and commuter rail, and I believe their unique interests deserve a voice on the Board of Trustees created in this legislation.”