National Capital Transportation Amendments Act of 2006

NATIONAL CAPITAL TRANSPORTATION AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2006

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Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3496, as amended, the National Capital Transportation Amendments Act of 2006. This important legislation would establish critical new oversight and accountability mechanisms for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, including an inspector general and an increased Federal presence on the Authority's board of directors. These steps are being taken to ensure that the funding provided to the Authority by Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia and the Federal Government are being spent as effectively and efficiently as possible. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

In 1960, President Eisenhower signed the National Capital Transportation Act to provide for the development of a regional rail system for the Nation's Capital. He did so in recognition of the need to provide reliable access to government facilities for Federal workers, contractors, and citizens. Over the years, other Presidents have also recognized this need: Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Carter, and most recently, President George H.W. Bush.

Past Congresses have done so as well. In 1969, the National Capital Transportation Act was signed into law. Subsequently, Congress passed amendments to this act in 1979 and 1990. The sentiment expressed by Congress in supporting Metro in 1979 remains the same today: ``Congress finds that an improved transportation system for the National Capital region is essential for the continued and effective performance of the functions of the Government of the United States, for the welfare of the District of Columbia, for the orderly growth and development of the National Capital region, and for the preservation of the beauty and dignity of the Nation's Capital.''

The sole purpose of the previous authorizations was to provide the easy and reliable access to government for Federal employees and citizens that President Eisenhower envisioned. Today, the Metro system remains an indispensable resource for the Federal Government. At peak times, over half of Metro riders are Federal employees and contractors. Metro's record riderships have occurred during historic events, where people from all over the country flocked to the Nation's Capital for the national gathering; President Reagan's funeral, the Fourth of July celebrations, Presidential inaugurations.

In times of national crisis, the Metro system has also proved indispensable to the Federal Government, such as during the September 11 terrorist attacks in which Metro served as the primary means out of a city under lock-down.

In many ways, the Metro system is the lifeblood of the Federal Government. More than 15 Federal agencies in the National Capital region are located adjacent to Metro stations. This is not a coincidence. Federal agencies rely on the Metro system to get their employees to and from the workplace year round in all types of weather. Unfortunately, as was recently evident when Metro suffered delays due to torrential rains that hit the region, when Metro shuts down, the Federal Government shuts down.

In 1965, 1969, 1979 and 1990, Congress recognized the unique relationship between the Federal Government and Metro, acknowledging the shared responsibility in maintaining the Metro system to make sure it keeps pace with the growing service demands.

Without a similar commitment today, Metro will no longer remain a viable transportation option to the Federal Government or the region. Last month, as part of the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act, the House voted to devote funds from future OCS receipts for Metro revitalization.

The bill today sets out other measures necessary to ensure that these dollars are well spent. Before I detail what this bill does, let me detail what it does not do. It does not authorize any additional appropriations for the Metro system. This bill is about good government, something I am sure we can all agree on.

Specifically, this bill requires the three jurisdictions comprising WMATA, Maryland, Virginia Virginia and the District, to come up with a dedicated revenue source to cover capital and operational expenses.

As GAO recently reported, Metro is unique among major transit systems in that it only derives a tiny amount of its budget from dedicated sources. This legislation would require the local jurisdictions to come together and rectify a long-standing discrepancy.

The bill also creates an Inspector General for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Most major transit systems have an IG in place already. There is no question Metro is a complex organization with many moving parts. Thus, it is especially important that appropriate controls are in place to identify and address managerial, financial, and operational discrepancies and problems.

Without the legislation we are considering today, the Federal funding for Metro that was authorized as part of the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act last month would have no strings attached to it. The purpose of H.R. 3496 is to establish an Inspector General to monitor the operations and to ensure that the Federal funding generated by the OCS receipts would not be allocated unless the local jurisdictions have committed to equally share the financial responsibilities with the Federal Government.

Finally, the bill adds four Federal members to the WMATA Board of Directors, including for the first time a Federal presence on the WMATA board. Since Metro is such an integral part of the Federal Government's day-to-day operations, it stands to reason there should be a direct Federal representation in Metro's affairs.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is not about funding; it is about the good use of funding. Congress has long recognized the national significance of the Metro system. The provisions of this bill will ensure our Nation's subway is a model of efficiency and good performance.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time

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Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, this is not a new program. This program was authorized in 1960 and signed by President Eisenhower. It has been reauthorized four times; and I hope it has a long life, a long productive life, taking commuters off clogged roads and using mass transit so we can reduce our energy dependency on foreign oil.

Mr. Speaker, this is not an authorization of funds. It is about making sure, as my colleagues have said, that this money is spent well. If this goes down, the money still goes through without any checks and balances and Inspector Generals or any of these being set up. If you vote against this bill, you are not saying we should not spend any extra dollars on the Metro system. You are not saying that. You are saying they can spend the extra dollars without the congressional oversight.

Statistics show that Metro is, in fact, one of the best run systems, but I am not willing to say they are so good that no improvements are required and additional oversight is not required.

The provisions in this came from a GAO report. It is our responsibility in Congress to ensure Federal dollars are well spent. There should be nothing contentious about requiring an Inspector General, adding Federal members to the board, or requiring the jurisdictions to truly provide stable funding to the system.

So I urge my colleagues to offer this bill their full support.

I appreciate the comments of my colleague. He has long been a supporter of no further Federal spending, but we are out the barn door on this. That happened under the previous legislation, under the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act. This refines it and controls it and makes sure the money is well spent.

I hope my colleagues will join us in legislation that scores zero with the Congressional Budget Office and reauthorizes this legislation.

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