[nfb-talk] {Disarmed} Fw: The Transportation Reauthorization Bill

[Kenneth Chrane]

Email
----- Original Message ----- 
From: senator at mikulski.senate.gov 
To: kenneth.chrane at verizon.net 
Sent: Monday, June 18, 2012 3:12 PM
Subject: The Transportation Reauthorization Bill


 
 

Dear Mr. Chrane: 

 

Thank you for writing to express your support for the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (S. 1813), also known as the Transportation Reauthorization bill.  It's great to hear from you. 

 

On March 14, 2012, the Senate passed S. 1813 by a vote of 74-22.  I was proud to vote for this bill because the best way to put Americans back to work is by making long-term investments in our nation's infrastructure. S. 1813 would save 1.8 million jobs, while also creating 1 million new jobs.  In Maryland alone, this bill would create 10,000 new jobs. At a time when many Americans are struggling to find work and families are cutting costs and making difficult choices, it is more important than ever for Congress to find ways to work together and achieve results.   S. 1813 puts Americans back to work and gets the economy back on track, and I'm thrilled that the Senate was able to work across party lines and act in the best interests of the American people. 

 

This bill is also critically important to fixing our nation's crumbling infrastructure. 700,000 bridges in the U.S. are structurally deficient.  50% of our country's roads are in need of serious repair.  In Maryland, 759 bridges are currently in need of restoration and repairs.  This is simply unacceptable.  These problems need to be addressed, and S. 1813 provides states with the resources they need to tackle these issues and keep people safe.  

 

I am also proud to have supported this legislation because it creates Federal safety standards for Metro systems nationwide.  On June 22, 2009, we were shocked and horrified when a Red Line metro train struck another train, killing 9 people and injuring 50 more.  Since this tragic accident, I have worked tirelessly to reform the Metro to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.   After the 2009 crash, I introduced the first ever bill to give the Federal Transit Administration the authority to establish and enforce national safety standards for mass transit.  Later that year, I chaired an aggressive oversight and funding hearing on Metro.  In 2010, I worked closely with Senators Menendez and Cardin to introduce new metro safety legislation.  Metro systems need national safety standards, and I am happy that S. 1813 includes language to establish them.  This legislation gives the Secretary of Transportation authority to establish and enforce safety standards, and allows federal funding for safety improvements.  This is a huge step forward in our on-going effort to reform our nation's mass transit systems, and I want to assure you that I will not rest until the Metro is safe and reliable for everyone who rides it and everyone who works on it. 

 

S. 1813 is a great example of what we can accomplish when we work together. This legislation creates millions of jobs, boosts our economy, and helps to restore our aging infrastructure.  It increases public transit safety, encourages environmental protection, and reduces our dependence on foreign oil. This is smart funding in Maryland's highways and byways, ports and bridges that is laying the ground work for our future.  With this bill, we are standing up for hundreds of thousands of jobs across Maryland and across our country. 

 

Thanks once again for writing.  Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance in the future. 


Sincerely, 
Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Senator 


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