Date: 2006-07-17
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I want to thank my colleague. Mr. DAVIS. the chairman of the Government Reform Committee. for his leadership on this very important national issue. As my colleague Ms. NORTON pointed out. the Federal Government was there at the creation of the Washington Metro system. and has a huge investment already in the Washington Metro system. This legislation is designed to help protect the Federal investment. the investment taxpayers have already made in that national system. I dont know why anybody would not want to provide the accountability measures to ensure that this investment is protected going forward. We have. as we know. a system that the Federal Government relies upon to bring thousands of employees to work every day: workers who work in our national security agencies. workers who work at the Department of Health and Human Services. and all the other Federal agencies that help provide services to the American people every day. This system is also a critical link in any evacuation plan of the Nations Capital. Imagine everyone trying to get out of this city without using the Metro system to take thousands of people out. You would have gridlock. You wouldnt be able to do it. Now. Mr. DAVIS has already pointed out this House is already on record just a few weeks ago in providing the Federal investment. We have done that. The only question now is whether we are going to provide the accountability piece. whether we are going to say to the Washington Metro system. you are going to be held accountable for that Federal investment in order to protect the Federal taxpayers. That is what it is all about. I think it is worth underscoring the four major accountability provisions. Number one. we are asking the local jurisdictions that contribute to the system to make sure that they do it. Why would we. the Federal Government. want to be at the whim. on a yeartoyear basis. of whether local jurisdictions are going to be able to provide their part of this Federallocal partnership? That doesnt make any sense from the point of view of the Federal Government. Second. it requires the establishment of the inspector general. Dont we want somebody there to make sure we protect that investment. an independent auditor who can look after that Federal taxpayer investment? Third. we add four new members to WMATAs board. Right now. none of the board members are accountable to the Federal Government. Dont we want board members who are accountable to the Federal taxpayer. as well as board members who are accountable to the other contributing jurisdictions? Fourth. it requires that Metro take on some other issues that have festered over a period of time and which make it more difficult t6 fulfill its Federal mandate and its responsibilities to the Federal Government. Now. I want to commend the Metro system for doing what they have done with the budget they have got. But there is no doubt in order to keep. the system viable going forward. the Federal Government needs to maintain its historic contribution and the local partners ileed to continue to make theirs. The only question with this bill is whether we are going to be asking WMATA to make sure it has accountability provisions in place to protect that very important Federal investment. I would say. why wouldnt we want to protect the taxpayers who have made an investment in this very important national transportation infrastructure right from the beginning?