[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 119 (Wednesday, September 11, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S6380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KIRK:
  S. 1496. A bill to enhance taxpayer accountability at public 
transportation agencies; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs.
  Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, I rise to address a crisis of confidence at 
Chicagoland's suburban commuter railroad--Metra. Metra plays a vital 
role for our area--reducing congestion and carrying thousands of 
suburban residents to and from Chicago each day. But recent 
developments highlight a troubled transit system and a misuse of public 
dollars.
  Earlier this summer it was reported that Metra CEO Alex Clifford 
received a severance package worth nearly $750,000 following 
allegations of political influence at the agency. Clifford received 
$442,237 alone just to buyout the remaining term of his contract, on 
top of $307,390 for an additional 12 months if he is unable to find new 
employment.
  This is a gross misuse of public dollars. With this action, Metra's 
former CEO makes more than President Obama, who currently makes 
$400,000 a year. I asked the Congressional Research Service how this 
golden parachute ranks compared to the annual salary of the top ten 
largest transit agencies in the country, and the results were 
surprising. Each of the top 10 largest transit systems pays their chief 
executive no more than $350,000, meaning Metra, the 24th largest 
transit agency in the country, had the highest earning CEO.
  Fortunately federal taxpayer dollars did not contribute to Clifford's 
golden parachute. But Metra is expected to receive more than $135 
million in federal capital dollars. If our local government bodies 
can't be trusted to be good stewards of the public, then the Congress 
should step in to put in place reasonable taxpayer protections.
  Today I have introduced the Public Transportation Accountability Act 
which for the first time will put limits on executive compensation at 
public transit agencies that receive federal funds. No executive or 
employee of a transit agency would be able to receive annual 
compensation that is greater than that of the President of the United 
States. This is a common sense bill that sadly is necessary to 
safeguard taxpayers' pocketbooks.

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