The Washington Hotline
Op-Ed
The Washington Hotline
This Thursday marked the 7th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Our lives were changed forever as we watched with horror the devastation being inflicted on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. This week, we remember the heroes of Flight 93 who laid down their own lives to save thousands of others. We honor the hundreds of rescue workers, firefighters and police who perished as they were working at the site of the terrorist attacks. We mourn the innocents who were lost in the World Trade Towers, the Pentagon and aboard the planes, which became bombs. As we remember, let us reflect not only on our loss, but on the unity and sense of purpose now guiding the American public and let us renew our commitment to be good citizens and serve our community and our country.
Read on to learn more about my week.
PA Motorists: "Keep the Change"
Thursday, I was delighted to announce that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) decided to reject the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission's application for tolling Interstate 80. This is a huge victory for rural Pennsylvania and a blow to Harrisburg's attempt to turn I-80 into a cash cow for unrelated transportation programs, like mass transit.
Tolling I-80 would have been a direct hit to the local economies in western Pennsylvania and have done nothing more than pit rural regions against urban regions. This decision pulls the rug out from underneath PennDoT and the Turnpike Commission, halting their misguided efforts to treat rural communities as second class citizens and to stretch the federal law.
This decision means Act 44 is a dead letter and state policymakers have to go back to square one in addressing transportation needs in our state. I call on Governor Rendell and the state legislature to convene a transportation summit that brings together our federal and state leaders to come up with a real solution for addressing Pennsylvania's real transportation needs rather than make another mistake.
Funding Research Program
Monday, I was pleased to announce that the House Committee on Appropriations has approved $1.25 million in federal funds for Penn State to continue advancing its research program to expand development of energy-efficient diesel locomotives at GE Transportation in Erie. We have crossed the first hurdle in securing critical funding to help develop our next generation of energy leaders, and ensure our region has a pipeline of engineering talent to continue to fuel employer competitiveness and innovation. More of story
3rd District Services
Don't forget, my 3rd district staff can assist local residents with problems they might have with federal agencies such as Social Security, Medicare, military and veteran's affairs and immigration. U.S. Flags can be purchased through my office and we can even assist you with your visit to the nation's capital.
For more information contact one of my offices today.
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