[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 110 (Wednesday, July 15, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S5092]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE HIGHWAY BILL

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, more than 62 million vehicles were recalled 
last year in our country--twice the previous record. The number of 
safety complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 
doubled. Over the past year, for example, faulty ignition switches led 
to the recall of 2.6 million cars. At least 124 people died and almost 
300 were injured by this ignition switch problem, which did many 
different things, one of which was to stall a car in traffic and during 
the process disable the airbags. The manufacturer was aware of the 
defect for more than a decade and did nothing about it. Exploding 
airbags--another problem--claimed the lives of at least 8 people and 
led to the recall of 34 million vehicles--the largest recall of any 
consumer product in the United States ever. Once again, it appears the 
manufacturer knew of the defect years before notifying Federal 
regulators.
  Given the number of recalls, Congress should be investing the 
resources to improve public safety and give regulators the tools to 
keep us safe. But it appears Senate Republicans have learned nothing 
from the many recalls just this year. The Republican highway safety 
bill, which is being considered in the committee on commerce today, 
does not increase funding for Federal traffic programs. In fact, it 
cuts them back. Why? The bill does not provide any new resources to 
address the record level of safety recalls and consumer complaints. 
Under the Republican bill that is being considered, automakers that 
cover up defects will continue to face the same very limited penalties. 
Their executives will be able to continue to escape accountability.
  But that isn't all of it. The highway bill the Republicans are 
pushing forward is loaded with harmful provisions that roll back 
efforts to strengthen public safety. The bill would allow 18-year-old 
young men and women--18 years old--to drive commercial 18-wheelers 
across State lines. Think about that. Despite studies which show that 
these young drivers have a fatal crash rate almost 70 percent higher 
than older drivers, the Republican safety plan would allow these 
inexperienced teenagers to drive the largest trucks that appear on the 
road.
  If this odyssey of the Republicans in the commerce committee is 
signed into law, it will lead to more crashes and, sadly, more injuries 
and more deaths.
  Every day, 30 people in our great country are killed by drunk 
drivers--30 people killed by drunk drivers. I just learned a couple of 
days ago of a person who worked for me, who was a tremendously great 
employee of the Senate--their brother-in-law was killed by a drunk 
driver. It is so sad that we are not doing more to not only stop drunk 
driving but to punish drunk drivers. The policy Republicans propose 
today hurts our efforts to combat drunk driving.
  Listen to this one. The Republicans' bill would lessen incentives for 
States that develop programs to prevent people who have been convicted 
of drunk driving from starting their cars if they have been drinking--
for example, just a simple, inexpensive device on a car. If someone has 
been drinking too much, the car won't start. But Republicans are going 
to take care of this and get rid of it. No longer will States have the 
ability to do that. The Federal Government should not be involved in 
programs like that.
  The Republicans' plan also undermines safety measures that protect 
passengers and trains and, of course, the safety of all of us because 
of the problems we have with freight trains. There is a program that 
was designed by science--it has been available for a long time--called 
positive train control which overrides operator error. A perfect 
example of this is what happened in Philadelphia. If that had been in 
effect, that accident would not have occurred. But the Republicans 
fixed this--they are going to stop the program for 3 years.
  Under the present law, these programs had to be implemented by the 
end of this year--not with the Republicans in the commerce committee, 
which will be part of any highway bill we have. They will just stop it 
for 3 years, and that will lead to more deaths, more injuries, and more 
terror.
  I can't understand why the Republicans would propose doing that--
delaying the deadline for positive train control by more than 3 years. 
I said 3 years, but it is actually more than that. There is no reason 
to roll back deadlines for important safety measures for our passenger 
trains. Is this the best Republicans can do? I ask that.
  For Americans who live near rail lines, trains are increasingly 
carrying more and more flammable materials--oil, ethanol, and other 
explosive products. In February of this year, a train carrying oil 
derailed in West Virginia, sending exploding fireballs into the air and 
causing large necessary evacuations.
  This and other crashes led the Department of Transportation to 
require the installation of new electronic brakes for any train moving 
flammable materials. Requiring better brakes when carrying these 
materials seems like a commonsense safety measure.
  What do the Republicans do? Their bill repeals an important freight 
rail provision, jeopardizing communities across the country with tragic 
spills. We don't need more accidents. We need fewer accidents. We need 
to move forward and to continue the minimal programs we have, not roll 
them back. It is clear the Republicans have not learned anything from 
the auto recalls or the train crashes. The Senate can do better than 
adopting the Republican's attack on public safety. If the Republicans 
choose to put those measures in the highway bill that I am told is 
coming forward, it will not survive the Senate. We can't have stuff 
like that. It would be just untoward and wrong.
  Mr. President, there is no one on the floor, and I ask that the Chair 
announce the business of the day.

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