[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16703]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             TRANSPORTATION BILL AND POSITIVE TRAIN CONTROL

  Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I wish to speak about a piece of 
legislation that is pending before the Senate and is expected, as I 
understand it, to be considered tomorrow, and that would be a short-
term extension of the Transportation bill.
  While I am tired of short-term extensions of transportation bills, it 
is my understanding that in this particular case a short-term extension 
will lead us to a long-term transportation bill. I certainly welcome 
the opportunity to consider something that would meet the needs of our 
country--its infrastructure needs, our highways, roads, bridges--for a 
number of years to come. We have to get to the point at which we are 
dealing with issues over a longer period of time than we do when we do 
a short-term extension.
  It is also important for us to make certain there is certainty so 
that the Kansas Department of Transportation and other departments 
across the country, as well as highway contractors and those who use 
our highways, can have certainty in what the transportation system--the 
roads, bridges and highways--is going to be.
  There is another issue of uncertainty that is out there, and it has 
to do with positive train control. Included in the legislation, 
extending the time for us to consider a transportation bill, is a 
provision that extends the deadline for the final implementation of 
positive train control, a safety issue that has long had consideration 
here in Congress, and we are well on our way to having positive train 
control in our rail transportation system, both passenger and freight. 
But we need to have an opportunity for that implementation to occur 
over a slightly longer period of time than what was originally planned 
when positive train control became a mandate, a requirement upon our 
railroads.
  I am pleased that we are going to consider an extension of the 
Transportation bill that puts us in a position to deal with a long-term 
transportation bill. I am also pleased--and I wish to spend just a 
minute or two speaking--about a provision that is included in that 
extension, and that deals with extending the positive train control 
implementation.
  I wish to thank my colleague from South Dakota, Senator Thune. He is 
the chairman of the committee that I am on, the commerce committee. I 
thank him for his leadership in advancing this effort and allowing us 
the opportunity to deliver the certainty that we need on this important 
issue.
  There is no allegation that those who are implementing positive train 
control are inattentive or that they lack desire; there is no 
suggestion that it is an undue delay, that they are not doing what 
needs to be done. Every indication we have from all experts is it has 
nothing to do with a lack of commitment of the railroads; it has to do 
with the fact that we can't get there in the time that we had hoped for 
originally when we set forth this requirement.
  We know there is a pending implementation date, a deadline of 
December 31. We know it is unattainable. It is unattainable despite the 
fact that billions of dollars have already been spent to get PTC 
installed as quickly and as safely as possible. However, the reality is 
that without an extension of that deadline beyond December 31, 
railroads and shippers--that deadline to take the necessary precautions 
to alter their service standards is imminent. In other words, if they 
have to comply, they are going to change their schedules, and that has 
tremendous economic consequences to businesses that depend upon rail 
transportation. It creates a significant problem in contingency 
planning required by a shutdown of the supply chain that uses rail 
transportation. Congress needs to act now.
  There are suggestions that I understand from a number of my 
colleagues that the extension we are going to presumably be voting on 
in the next day--that the vote be delayed or that the extension be 
shortened. I want to express my conviction that it is necessary for 
Congress to act now, not later. Our Nation's economy cannot afford--
those who work in Kansas in agriculture, including our farmers and 
ranchers, and those who work in manufacturing, as well as our laborers 
in the aircraft industry--cannot afford a rail disruption that would 
occur if we don't do this extension immediately. We need to extend the 
deadline. As I say, it could have a devastating impact upon thousands 
of manufacturers, farmers, ranchers, and certainly the passengers who 
utilize rail transportation--who use Amtrak and other passenger 
services across the country.
  I would indicate to my colleagues that just a few weeks ago my 
colleague from Montana, Senator Tester, and I joined in a bipartisan 
effort to ask our colleagues to express the need for this extension, 
and we were successful in getting 43 Senators, 12 of whom were 
Democratic Senators, to sign a letter encouraging our leadership to 
bring forth this issue. So in a very bipartisan way, with broad 
agreement, this extension needs to occur.
  Incidentally, the House passed this extension by unanimous agreement. 
Again, apparently there was little controversy or no controversy; it 
passed by voice vote. So we have significant bipartisan support, 
bicameral support. The House has already acted, and it is time for us 
to do so.
  I wanted my colleagues to know that many in this Chamber have 
encouraged this to occur. We are on the precipice of it happening, and 
we ought not allow it to be delayed or shortened. The extension needs 
to occur this week. The vote needs to occur this week. The extension 
needs to be for a sufficient period of time to send that message of 
certainty and give the rail industry the opportunity to come into 
compliance in a timeframe that is reasonable and manageable.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Toomey). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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