In the News

Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, released the following statement on the Federal Transit Administration’s decision to certify the Metro Safety Commission and release $48.5 million in grant funding that had been withheld:

“I welcome the FTA’s announcement that it will certify the Metro Safety Commission. I helped lead the effort in Congress to establish this oversight body, because the safety of our national capital transit system is paramount. However, I remain deeply critical of the FTA’s decision to withhold transit grant funding as a way to punish our region for not standing up the MSC according to an arbitrary timeline set by the agency. Nothing better demonstrates the absurdity of the FTA’s overly punitive approach than the fact that it will now release $48.5 million in grant funding, while the MSC is getting certified one month ahead of the statutory deadline for doing so.”