Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Rail and Public Transportation Security Act (H.R. 1401) which will significantly strengthen the safety of our nation’s rail and mass transit systems.

Mass transit systems worldwide have long been terrorist targets.  Within the past few years, terrorists have exploited security vulnerabilities to carry out attacks on mass transit systems in London, Madrid, and Mumbai. We are fortunate to have escaped attack here in the United States, but the threat continues to be very real. 

Each day over 11.3 million Americans utilize our nation’s rail and public transit systems.  Therefore we must strike a delicate balance between tightening security and allowing for the free flow of passengers heading to school, work and recreational activities.  One of the ways we can make a difference is in training our mass transit and railway personnel. 

Rail and mass transit security workers are our first line of defense in identifying abnormal activity and protecting passengers from potentially harmful situations.  It is therefore vital that we equip them with the training they need to be effective.  This legislation will create mandatory security training programs to prepare all front-line railroad and public transportation workers for potential threat conditions. 

I am also pleased that this bill authorizes additional funding for enhanced security efforts.  On average, we spend $9 per air passenger annually on security, but only one penny per rail and mass transit passenger.  This is clearly an unbalanced approach to our transportation security.  While we should continue to allocate sufficient funding to secure our aviation sector, we also must increase the resources we dedicate to rail and mass transit.  I am confident that H.R. 1401 will bring us another step closer to achieving this goal.

We have certainly come a long way in making our nation safer since September 11th, but we are still not yet safe.  This bill, combined with other homeland security measures passed in recent months, will close many of the existing gaps and make our nation safer.  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important piece of legislation.