[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 52 (Wednesday, April 14, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2521-H2522]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT REGULATION COMPACT AMENDMENTS

  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
joint resolution (S.J. Res. 25) granting the consent and approval of 
Congress to amendments made by the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth 
of Virginia, and the District of Columbia to the Washington 
Metropolitan Area Transit Regulation Compact.
  The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
  The text of the joint resolution is as follows:

                              S.J. Res. 25

       Whereas the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of 
     Virginia, and the District of Columbia entered into the 
     Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Regulation Compact in 
     1960 with the consent of Congress in Public Law No. 86-794, 
     74 Stat. 1031;
       Whereas the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of 
     Virginia, and the District of Columbia amended titles I and 
     II of the Compact in 1962 and 1990 with the consent of 
     Congress in Public Law No. 87-767, 76 Stat. 764, and Public 
     Law No. 101-505, 104 Stat. 1300, respectively;
       Whereas legislation enacted by the State of Maryland (2008 
     Md. Laws c. 32 and 2009 Md. Laws c. 76) the Commonwealth of 
     Virginia

[[Page H2522]]

     (2007 Va. Acts c. 378 and 2009 Va. Acts c. 540) and the 
     District of Columbia (D.C. Act 17-622) contain amendments to 
     article III of title I of the Compact regarding appointment 
     of members to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit 
     Commission; and
       Whereas the consent of Congress is required in order to 
     implement such amendments: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. CONSENT OF CONGRESS TO COMPACT AMENDMENTS.

       (a) Consent.--Consent of Congress is given to the 
     amendments of the State of Maryland, the amendments of the 
     Commonwealth of Virginia, and the amendments of the District 
     of Columbia to article III of title I of the Washington 
     Metropolitan Area Transit Regulation Compact.
       (b) Amendments.--The amendments referred to in subsection 
     (a) are substantially as follows:
       (1) Section 1(a) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(a) The Commission shall be composed of 3 members, 1 
     member appointed by the Governor of Virginia from the 
     Department of Motor Vehicles of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 
     1 member appointed by the Governor of Maryland from the 
     Maryland Public Service Commission, and 1 member appointed by 
     the Mayor of the District of Columbia from a District of 
     Columbia agency with oversight of matters relating to the 
     Commission.''.
       (2) Section 1 is amended by inserting at the end the 
     following:
       ``(d) An amendment to section 1(a) of this article shall 
     not affect any member in office on the amendment's effective 
     date.''.

     SEC. 2. RIGHT TO ALTER, AMEND, OR REPEAL.

       The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is expressly 
     reserved.

     SEC. 3. CONSTRUCTION AND SEVERABILITY.

       It is intended that the provisions of this compact shall be 
     reasonably and liberally construed to effectuate the purposes 
     thereof. If any part or application of this compact, or 
     legislation enabling the compact, is held invalid, the 
     remainder of the compact or its application to other 
     situations or persons shall not be affected.

     SEC. 4. INCONSISTENCY OF LANGUAGE.

       The validity of these amendments to the compact shall not 
     be affected by any insubstantial differences in its form or 
     language as adopted by the State of Maryland, Commonwealth of 
     Virginia and District of Columbia.

     SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       This Act shall take effect on the date of enactment of this 
     Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  This jurisdiction comes to the Judiciary Committee under the commerce 
clause, which says that all compacts must come through the committee. 
The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia is being 
replaced with the District of Columbia agency with oversight of matters 
relating to the commission. The State Corporation Commission of the 
Commonwealth of Virginia is being replaced with the Commonwealth's 
Department of Motor Vehicles.
  There are a number of our colleagues in the Senate that should be 
thanked for helping expedite this matter: Senators Cardin, Mikulski, 
Mark Warner, and Jim Webb. We are grateful to them all.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution because it is 
obviously in the interests of all that this commission be governed by a 
three-member board with one representative each from the District of 
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the State of Maryland. I 
urge its support.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, it is always nice to agree with 
the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. I too support Senate Joint 
Resolution 25.
  This resolution grants Congress' approval to amendments that the 
State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of 
Columbia have made to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit 
Regulation Compact.
  Under the amendments, the District of Columbia may appoint its member 
of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission from any 
District agency with oversight of matters relating to the commission.
  The District is thus freed from the requirement to appoint its member 
from the District's Public Service Commission, which no longer has 
responsibility for affairs regulated by the Washington Metropolitan 
Area Transit Commission.
  Similarly, the amendments allow Virginia to appoint its commission 
member from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, rather than the 
State's Corporation Commission.
  The amendments perform a desirable piece of housekeeping regarding 
the compact. All of the jurisdictions that are party to the compact 
have agreed to the amendments.
  I urge all Members to support the resolution, which aids the 
operation of this important interstate body.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONYERS. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the joint resolution, S.J. Res. 25.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the joint resolution was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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