Corrine Brown

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have, sir?

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I participated in laying a wreath at the Arlington Cemetery to honor our fallen veterans and military members. Today, we need to do more than a ceremony. We need to honor our veterans now by passing the VA budget legislation. I support this draft legislation because it addresses the $3 billion shortfall for fiscal year 2015 that veterans had, and it keeps hospital and medical facilities open for our veterans through the end of the fiscal year. This legislation allows the VA to use the dollars for health care provided to veterans and family members under the program provided by the non-VA provision. This bill allows VA to access this money. In addition, $500 million may be used for pharmaceutical expenses related to the treatment of hepatitis C at the VA. This is a cure many of the veterans need, especially those who served in Vietnam; and I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation before we go home. As the Army says, this is one team, one fight; and we need to look out for the VA and veterans.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 2256, the Veterans Information Modernization Act, as amended. This bill does a number of things to improve access and quality of services to our Nation's veterans. This bill requires the Secretary to submit an annual report on the Department's furnishing of hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to veterans. One of our priorities on the committee is to ensure that safe, quality health care is provided to veterans and their families. This report will assist us in our oversight duties of the Department. This bill expands the definition of a ``homeless veteran'' to include veterans fleeing from domestic violence. As you know, veterans who experience domestic violence are considered at high risk for homelessness. This is a very vulnerable population, and anytime we find a barrier to care, we should remove it. Further, one of my biggest priorities as ranking member is to ensure that we provide safe, quality housing for homeless women veterans. Women veterans are an underserved population, and there is a serious lack of housing options for those who become homeless. There is an even greater crisis in attempting to find housing for women veterans who have children. This is largely due to the fact that many facilities do not allow women and children to be in the same facilities as men. This must be corrected immediately. I have encountered several women--those who have been forced to live on the streets--in weekly motels and in other housing places that are not fit to live in due to domestic violence. This is completely unacceptable. We should be working closely with the VA and HUD to ensure that there is transitional and emergency housing available for women veterans during their greatest time of need. This bill addresses gaps in the identification, tracking, and the procurement of biological implants at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Finally, this bill would establish a commission to examine the effectiveness of the evidence-based therapy model for treating veterans' mental health illnesses. I would like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their interest and support of veterans' issues. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the constituents of the Fifth Congressional District of Florida and myself, I rise to offer a tribute to the life and accomplishments of a great American, Maureen Viola Percival Williams, who has, and continues to act as a mentor, devout Christian and loving mother. On July 1, 2015, Maureen will celebrate her 71st birthday. We exalt Mrs. Maureen Viola Percival Williams first for the determination and perseverance that she has exhibited throughout her life. Maureen has been no stranger to hard work. At an early age the importance of hard work and dedication were introduced to Maureen on her father's agricultural farms in the mountains of Molyneux in St. Kitts West Indies. Arriving at the farm at 5:00 a.m., Maureen would weed the land and feed the livestock before school each day. These displays of commitment were not reserved solely for the weekdays. Mrs. Maureen Viola Percival Williams would spend Saturdays by her mother's side assisting in the selling of produce at the local market. Few would be able to handle the manual labor of Maureen's day-to-day activities, let alone balancing academics alongside of it. Mrs. Percival Williams' rigorous work schedule did not deter her from successfully completing Primary School and obtaining her certificate, which is equivalent to a high school diploma. Maureen Viola Percival was then enrolled in typing classes at the Catholic Church of Molyneux, where she completed a one year program. After marrying Ralph J. A. Williams in 1964, the family moved to the U.S. Virgin Islands where her life as a public servant and model citizen continued. She became the first member of her family to have children born as citizens of the United States after giving birth to her seven children: (Vallyn J. A. Williams, Artlyn K. J. Williams, Ralph J. A. Williams, Jr., M. Louisa Williams, Barbara N. Williams, Maural F. Williams and Jayar D. Williams). In spite of challenges faced balancing motherhood and her career, Maureen continued to dedicate her life to the church and bettering the lives of others. Volunteering as a member of the AFM--Cottage Meeting Group, Maureen also spent time as a phone intercessor for the sick and disabled. This sort of selflessness is primarily the reason for which I deem this tribute necessary. Unfortunately, life often proves to not be as fair and just as Mrs. Maureen Percival Williams. In 1987 her husband and two daughters were involved in an automobile accident which rendered them incapacitated. Yet, amidst Maureen Williams' personal struggles, she persevered. Determined to become a citizen of the United States, on July 1, 1998 she fulfilled the requirements for naturalization and received her Certification of Naturalization. Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer tribute to Mrs. Percival Williams because she represents a group of citizens that are more deserving of recognition than any other. Men and women like Mrs. Percival Williams are what silently hold this nation together. Those who struggle and persevere and those who give back are exactly what this country needs. Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Percival Williams acts as a representative for all of these groups. Simply put, Mrs Williams is a model citizen. In 1999, Maureen once again displayed her caring nature when she rushed to the aid of her son in Orlando, Florida who had recently experienced an aneurism. These extenuating circumstances are what brought Mrs. Maureen Percival Williams to my district. Her love and care brought her to our country and the values of perseverance and determination instilled to her on her father's farm in the West Indies have aided her in face of recent struggles. Mrs. Percival Williams has endured the loss of family members, and overcome her own near death medical challenges and yet, she perseveres. Though Maureen is celebrated for her persistence and determination, the title that suits her best is that of which she is most proud; caregiver. Mrs. Percival Williams holds her relationship with her children with the utmost regard, and prides herself on being a mother not only to her own but for the children of others. The lives of those directly and indirectly affected by the actions and care of Maureen Viola Percival Williams are undoubtedly better. Today we pay tribute to a woman of God. Today we recognize Mrs. Maureen Viola Percival Williams, a humanitarian, a woman, a wife, a mother, and a citizen of the United States of America. Simply put, Mr. Speaker, we are here to pay tribute to a hero.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the constituents of the Fifth Congressional District of Florida and myself, I rise to offer a tribute to the life and accomplishments of a great American, Jeanette Wynn, who continues to act as a mentor and leader in the community at large. On June 21, 2015, Jeanette celebrated her 67th birthday. We exalt Mrs. Jeanette Wynn first for the determination and perseverance that she has exhibited throughout her life. Jeanette's rise to her current title as the president of AFSCME deserves recognition. In September 1970, she began work at Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee. Here, in the state's largest public mental institution, she treated the mentally ill and criminally insane. Her exceptional work was recognized and as a rehabilitative specialist, President Wynn was responsible not only for treatment of mentally ill individuals but also played a role in the judicial process. Mrs. Wynn was given the responsibility of evaluating whether they were competent to stand trial. President Wynn was one of the first state employees to join AFSCME in 1976. She was a member of Council 79's first executive board and was the first secretary/treasurer of Local 1963. In 1981, she was elected Local 1963's second president. In 1983, she earned her first AFSCME Florida statewide office as Council 79 secretary/ treasurer. As Council 79 secretary/treasurer, President Wynn served until 1996, the same year she won a spot as International Vice President Caribbean. In 1998, President Wynn ascended to Council 79's highest office and has distinguished herself in leading fights to help all working families. Drawing on her experiences in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, President Wynn played a crucial role in forging a coalition of African- American and Latino farm workers that led to the successful organizing drive in 1998 at Quincy Farms. The United Farm Workers later awarded President Wynn for her incredible effort. Though President Wynn is celebrated for her accomplishments, we must not forget her effect on the community at large. The lives of those directly and indirectly affected by the actions and oversight of Mrs. Jeanette Wynn are undoubtedly better. Today we pay tribute to a strong woman, a compassionate leader, and a tireless worker.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, here we go again, trying to destroy passenger rail in this country. I don't understand why Republicans refuse to support transportation infrastructure. Let me tell the gentleman from Florida that our competition is not Georgia, and it is certainly not Alabama. It is Europe. It is Japan. It is China. The people in Florida support All Aboard Florida. This is a system that will go from Orlando to Miami. The studies indicate it is an economic boom to our State. I just for the life of me don't understand why, without vision, the people perish? Why is it that you can go to Europe and you can get on a train to go from London to Paris--2 hours, 1 hour and 15 minutes--and we don't want that same system here? Our competition is spending close to 8 percent--8 percent--of their economics for passenger rail, and we fight about 1 percent; yet we can spend close to $300 billion for tax breaks; yet we don't even want to encourage public-private partnerships. Shame on you. The people in Florida need to be able to move around our State, and this is not just a Florida issue; it is a national issue. Here we are, $2 billion that could fix Amtrak; yet we can do a tax break for close to $300 billion and don't pay for it. I don't understand. What is wrong with the people's House? Why is it that we don't support transportation infrastructure? This is not just a Florida issue. When we had 9/11, Amtrak was the only entity that was moving people. When we had Katrina, we had over 3,000 people die because they couldn't move around the area. We need a train that leaves New Orleans to go to Orlando and on down to Miami. That is the future. Shame on you.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. I thought I was speaking to the point of order, sir. That is my point. We cut $269 billion, and we can't find $2 billion to make Amtrak safe? That is the point.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Chairman, when I was coming up, I used to like this television show, ``Robin Hood.'' My colleagues practice what I call reverse Robin Hood, robbing from the working people and the poor people and the transit people to give tax breaks to the rich. Just a few weeks ago, the House Republicans passed a bill cutting taxes by $269 billion--I guess that didn't affect the deficit--for their wealthiest friends, but can't find the $2 billion that we need for Amtrak--shameful. The funding cuts proposed in this amendment would simply force Amtrak to shut down, strand millions of rail passengers, disrupt commuter operations, add to our already congested roads and airports, eliminate over 20,000 jobs nationwide, and jeopardize local economies and businesses that depend on Amtrak's service. Amtrak provides the majority of all intercity passenger rail service in the United States, with more States and localities across America turning to passenger rail to meet the transportation needs of our citizens. Amtrak has done an excellent job, based on the fact that 9/11, when we were attacked, Amtrak was the only means that you could move away. When we had Hurricane Katrina, Amtrak is the only way that we could move people out of harm's way by evacuating and delivering food and water and supplies. Amtrak has made significant improvement in its system over the last several years, has steady increase in ridership numbers, played a vital role in disaster recovery, and has an ambitious agenda for future growth. I encourage all Members to vote against this ill-willed and ill- thought-out amendment.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, just a few short weeks ago, House Republicans passed a bill cutting taxes by $269 billion for their wealthiest friends, yet we can't find $2 billion for Amtrak to make it safe? My friend from Florida, this is unacceptable; shame.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, my amendment increases capital grants to Amtrak by $861 million. This will bring the total funding for Amtrak in the bill to $2 billion, equal to Amtrak's fiscal year 2016 budget request to Congress. This bill, as if it wasn't bad enough, cut $290 million from Amtrak's capital program, which is used to repair and replace aging infrastructure on the Northeast corridor, including 140-year-old bridges and tunnels, and implement positive train control, a system that, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, would have prevented the recent Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia. According to the April 2015 report to Congress, ``At the current rate of available funding, it would take over 300 years to replace all of the bridges on the Northeast corridor, well beyond the timeframe in which assets would simply be shut down.'' The list of critical needs extends far beyond just bridges and tunnels. Major portions of Amtrak's electrical power supply system date back to 1930. According to the commission, in total, $21.1 billion is needed to achieve a state of good repair on the corridor, $8.7 billion of which is needed to address critical infrastructure needs over the next 5 years. We cannot point to the recent Amtrak derailment and say that it was directly caused by a lack of investment. That is true. But we do know from the NTSB that it was preventable had positive train control been installed on that section of track. Amtrak included $36.4 million in their $2 billion fiscal year 2016 budget request to Congress. Amtrak testified at a hearing in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee yesterday that had they been provided adequate funding from the get-go, they would have been able to implement positive train control sooner. The impact of this tragic accident could also have been lessened had the Republican-controlled Congress not denied Amtrak's request for funding to replace passenger cars that date back to 1975 with newer cars. At this time, I yield to the gentleman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah).

Ms. BROWN of Florida. I reserve the balance of my time. point of order

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I wish to be heard on the point of order.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Nadler, first of all, I want to thank you for your comprehensive information about transportation infrastructure. In my home State of Florida, we bring many visitors to Florida through Amtrak through the Auto Train. We have colleagues on the other side that want to privatize that system, and I want to know how that will affect New York, privatizing that Northeast corridor.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Nadler, when I travel to different countries, they always ask us about our freight rail. We are the caboose when it comes to funding Amtrak, and we started the rail system, and they don't use cabooses any more. I don't understand why it is that we, as Members of Congress, don't understand the importance of having a safe, efficient transportation system. Rail has to be a part of it. When I think about Katrina and I think about over 3,000 people died because they couldn't move out of harm's way, that is a reason why we need a comprehensive transportation system in this country. Our competition in Florida is not Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi-- nothing personal to the people here from Georgia. We are competing with people from other countries, and we must develop an efficient rail system in conjunction with all of our other transportation needs

Ms. BROWN of Florida. I thank the gentleman for his contribution. Mr. Speaker, Congresswoman Watson Coleman, and Members of the House, it amazes me that the House practices what I call ``Reverse Robin Hood.'' In other words, robbing from transportation to give tax breaks to their friends. Recently, they passed close to $300 billion for tax breaks. But, yet, we can't pass a comprehensive transportation bill that will put people to work. Yesterday, in the House, we passed another extension of surface transportation programs, once again, failing in our duties to provide a world-class transportation system for our country. Transportation programs are much too critical to our economy to be delayed any longer. Unfortunately, the Republican leadership in Washington continue its long-running failure to fund surface transportation infrastructure programs. While our international competition is investing heavily in transportation and infrastructure to move people, goods, and services, the leadership of this House is passing tax cuts for their wealthy contributors, while Congress sticks their heads in the sand and passed another continuing resolution. Just a few weeks ago, House Republicans passed a bill cutting taxes by $269 billion for the richest 1 percent of Americans, with no offsets. But we have failed to pass a real transportation reauthorization bill since 2005 because they can't find the money. Clearly, this Nation's transportation infrastructure is not a priority for the Republican leadership in this House. Transportation infrastructure funding is absolutely critical to this Nation and, if properly funded, serves as a tremendous economic boost and job creator. In fact, the Department of Transportation statistics show that for every billion dollars that we invest in transportation infrastructure, it creates 44,000 permanent jobs, along with $6.2 billion in economic activity. Mr. Speaker, the traveling public is pleading with you to make transportation infrastructure a priority. When this happens, we can put millions of hard-working Americans back to work fixing our Nation's crumbling infrastructure, and preparing our country for the future. In the words of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx: ``All of us have a role to play in shaping our Nation's infrastructure.'' And as we saw during the last tragic train derailment in Philadelphia, Congress urgently needs to increase funding for our Nation's passenger rail systems to make them safe for the traveling public and prevent future tragedies on our Nation's rail system. Madam Coleman, I understand that the gentleman from New Jersey wants to join us. And as he joins us, I would like for him to answer that question, as he makes his remarks, How would prioritizing Amtrak affect New Jersey?

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to talk a little bit more about Amtrak, because I am the past chair and ranking member of the Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, and I think Amtrak is more and more important. As more Americans are turning to rail as their preferred mode of transportation, Amtrak is building the infrastructure and organization to meet that demand. Amtrak carried a record total of 31.6 million passengers in 2013. Their ridership has been growing across the system for over a decade, with last year's ridership being the largest in the history. Currently, they serve more than 500 destinations in 46 States and provide the only public transportation option for millions of people in rural areas. Let me repeat. Amtrak is the only mode of transportation for people in certain rural areas. Amtrak has increased their revenue, reduced debt, has new passengers, improved their infrastructure, and purchased trains that are built 100 percent in America. That is where those parts are made, 100 percent in America. Amtrak reduces congestion and improves our energy independence and plays a vital role in emergency preparation. And I often talk about 9/11. Amtrak was moving. It was the only way people could move in this country. And Katrina. So Amtrak plays a very important part in making sure that we can continue to move people, goods and services. Madam, I want to thank you for your leadership in this area. This Is Our Watch

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Before you close out, I want to mention something about veterans because we are getting ready to have a recess, and I have to thank all of the veterans for their service. This morning at 9 a.m. we went over to the Women's Memorial Wall. And it is what we have done for 18 years to honor women veterans who have served in this country. I want to thank all who have served America. We have the freedoms because of their service. I want to, once again, thank them. But I must mention the fact that on the 24th of this month, if the House does not move, the project in Denver will shut down, and it will cost over $20 million to shut down. In addition, it will be $2 million a month. We are talking about the VA facility in Denver, Colorado. Now, we want to blame the VA, but this is our watch. The Denver hospital has been a political hot potato for over 10 years; different secretaries, different administrations. But the point is, this is our watch, and it is unacceptable that we shut down this project. One of the slogans of the Army is, ``Failure is not an option.'' We need to get it done. We appreciate the service that the men and women have provided for our freedom, but we need to do our part in making sure that we take care of them. I want to paraphrase the comments of the first President of the United States, George Washington. He said, No matter how justified we think a war may be, what is important is how we treat the veterans. Now, this is our watch. This is our responsibility. And we have to make sure that we take care of the veterans. With that, I want to thank the gentlewoman from New Jersey for her leadership and for providing this opportunity to discuss transportation infrastructure, Amtrak, and also to thank the veterans for their service. A lot of us talk the talk, but we need to walk the walk and roll the roll for the veterans.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, here we go again, passing another extension and failing in our duty to provide a world-class transportation system. Transportation programs are much too critical to our economy to be delayed any longer. Unfortunately, the Republican leadership in Washington continues its long-running failure to fund surface transportation infrastructure programs. Just last week, House Republicans passed a bill, with no offsets, that cut taxes by $269 billion for the richest 1 percent of Americans, but they failed to pass a real transportation authorization bill that would put Americans to work. We know, for every billion dollars we invest in transportation, it generates 44,000 permanent jobs. In closing, Secretary Anthony Foxx said that all of us have roles to play in shaping our Nation's infrastructure. As we saw last week during the tragic train derailment in Philadelphia, Congress urgently needs to increase funding for our Nation's passenger rail system in order to make it safer for all of the traveling public and to prevent future tragedies on our Nation's rails.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as a member for 22 years on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and supporter of rail, my heart goes out to the families and individuals who suffered in the wake of the Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia. The Republican leadership in Washington continues its long-term failure to adequately fund transportation infrastructure in this country, and starving Amtrak from the funds that it truly needs to operate a national system is one example of the failure of this House. It is sad that the Republicans, on the day that seven or eight people died and 200 were injured, voted to cut funding for Amtrak. It is a shame that in the people's House--the people's House--that the people who represent the people are stuck on stupid. We need a comprehensive transportation system, and we need to stop starving Amtrak. It is amazing that this House voted the day of the accident to cut Amtrak. It is unacceptable. This is the people's House, and the people should be in charge. To whom God has given much, much is expected, and they expect more from the people's House than what happened yesterday in this House of Representatives. [From the New York Times, May 13, 2015] Amtrak Crash and America's Declining Construction Spending (By David Leonhardt) Investigators into the Amtrak crash in Philadelphia are focusing on excess speed, but there is a related issue: the overall condition of Amtrak and the nation's infrastructure. One of the reasons that American trains should not travel 100 miles an hour in many places is that the state of our rail system--like the state of our bridges, highways and airports--is not good. Many airports here look dilapidated relative to those in Asia and Europe. Roads are choked with traffic. The fastest train from Boston to Washington takes about six and a half hours. The fastest train from Paris to Marseille--a slightly longer distance--takes just over three hours. The train that derailed on Tuesday was thought to be traveling at least 100 miles an hour--twice the speed limit on that section of track. That is about half the French train's average speed on the trip from Paris to Marseille. (Reuters has also reported that the section of the track where the crash occurred lacked advanced braking technology designed to prevent derailments.) Much of the problem of crumbling infrastructure has existed for years. There is, however, a new development that has made things worse. The combined money that federal, state and local governments spend on construction has dropped significantly, relative to the size of the economy, in the last five years. And only part of the decline stems from the end of the stimulus program, which temporarily lifted infrastructure spending. Such spending now represents about 1.5 percent of total economic activity, down from about 1.8 percent on average from 1993 through 2008. It's at its lowest level in at least 22 years. (A hat-tip to Joe Weisenthal, of Business Insider, who calculated this statistic in 2013, after the collapse of a bridge near Seattle.) Lawrence Summers, the former Treasury secretary and Harvard president, sent an email to us today making an argument similar to Mr. Weisenthal's. More infrastructure spending would both make accidents less likely and bring economic benefits. ``Projections for the first half of this year now almost universally suggest the U.S. economy will have grown at an annual rate of well under 1 percent,'' Mr. Summers wrote. ``If this isn't stagnation, I wonder what would be.'' He added: ``A major infrastructure investment program would reduce long-run deferred maintenance liabilities, raise demand and G.D.P., put construction workers back to work and raise investment. Interest rates may not always be as low as they are now, so it's high time to get started.'' Other Democrats have begun making similar arguments today. Many congressional Republicans have historically supported infrastructure spending as well, but have been more reluctant recently. The Upshot provides news, analysis and graphics about politics, policy and everyday life. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our weekly newsletter. [From the New York Times, May 13, 2015] One Day After Wreck, Increased Funding for Amtrak Fails in a House Panel (By Michael D. Shear and Jad Mouawad) Washington.--The bodies had not yet been fully recovered from the Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia before Capitol Hill erupted hours later into its usual partisan clash over how much money to spend on the long-struggling national rail service. As investigators picked through the rubble on Wednesday morning, Democratic lawmakers in Washington angrily demanded an increase in Amtrak funding, calling Tuesday night's accident a result of congressional failure to support the rail system. Republicans refused, defeating the request in a morning committee hearing and accusing Democrats of using a tragedy for political reasons. ``It was beneath you,'' Representative Mike Simpson, Republican of Idaho, snapped at a Democratic colleague after the funding increase was defeated in a 30-to-21 vote. The scene in the hearing room was a replay of the swirling politics that have threatened to consume Amtrak in the four decades since it was nationalized by the United States government. Like the rest of the country's crumbling public infrastructure, its aging rail beds and decades-old trains are sagging under increased use, especially in the Northeast, where nearly three-quarters of all travel takes place on the trains, not on planes. And the immediate political rancor foreshadowed another fight to come soon: whether Congress will delay a mandate to install equipment that would have automatically reduced the speed of Northeast Regional train No. 188. The deadline for installing the system, called positive train control, is the end of 2015, but Congress is considering extending the deadline to 2020 at the urging of freight, and passenger rail systems that say the costs could rise to $10 billion. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, said in a statement on Wednesday that delaying the technology ``only leads to preventable and predictable tragedy.'' Investigators said they were examining the speed of the derailed Amtrak train, which they said was going 106 miles an hour on a stretch of track where the speed limit was half that. But they said no firm conclusion had been reached on what caused the derailment. Edward G. Rendell, the Democratic former governor of Pennsylvania, lashed out at Republican lawmakers on Wednesday for refusing to increase Amtrak funding. He said the requested increase of $251 million over the Republican budget of $1.14 billion could significantly improve safety by upgrading tracks and installing positive train control systems in the busiest part of the system. ``It is absolutely stunning to me,'' Mr. Rendell said of the funding vote. ``It shows that ideology trumps reality, and it shows that cowardice reigns in Washington. The callousness and disregard was shockingly contemporaneous.'' Representative Steve Israel, Democrat of New York, also criticized his Republican colleagues, saying they should have used the aftermath of the Amtrak accident ``as an opportunity to do the right thing, instead of sticking to their ideology.'' The Northeast Corridor is the nation's busiest rail corridor and accounts for more than a third of Amtrak's ridership. It is also the most profitable part of its national network. But some bridges, like the Portal Bridge near New York, for instance, are more than a century old and in desperate need of replacement. Trains come to a crawl when they travel through Baltimore's 100-year-old tunnel. Some parts of the tracks still have wooden ties. Meanwhile, the Acela--Amtrak's high-speed train that runs between Washington and Boston--can reach its top speed only in a handful of places. On a 30-mile stretch near Cranston, R.I., for example, the Acela speeds up to 150 m.p.h. About five minutes later, it needs to slow down. ``These trains have to be thought of as a national asset,'' said Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a professor at the Harvard Business School. ``Amtrak is a political whipping boy for Congress. But how much is it going to take to wake up Congress that this stuff has to be invested in? It is aging, it is not properly maintained.'' Amtrak has its passionate supporters, including Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who often joins many lawmakers who race to Union Station for a quick trip home. But the rail system also has many detractors, who say its annual losses are a drain on the public treasury. Many argue that privatization of the rail lines would improve service, cut costs and create innovation that could rival the gleaming train systems in Japan, China and across Europe. Representative John L. Mica, Republican of Florida, is pushing a plan to privatize the improvement of Amtrak's system in the Northeast region. He said that the rail system needed money for improvements, but that lawmakers did not trust Amtrak to spend it well. ``What they own is poorly maintained and outdated infrastructure,'' Mr. Mica said. But he added, ``They don't have the trust of Congress to get substantial money because they've not spent the money well that they've gotten.'' ``When you give them money, they squander it,'' he said. In the meantime, however, Amtrak's funding is failing to catch up to its ridership, which peaked at 32 million last year, up nearly 50 percent since 2000. In 2014, its latest fiscal year, Amtrak lost $1 billion with revenue of $3.2 billion. ``Amtrak has really suffered from congressional schizophrenia over funding levels,'' said Ray LaHood, the Republican former member of Congress who served as President Obama's first secretary of transportation. Mr. LaHood said much of the blame rested with lawmakers who came to Washington from states where Amtrak does not run. ``They think Amtrak is just the easy place to cut,'' he said, adding that he had little optimism that anything would change without pressure from voters during election time. ``All Americans should be concerned that there is no vision,'' Mr. LaHood said. ``There is no plan. There is no courage for taking up what needs to be done in terms of fully funding infrastructure. We are limping along.'' Since the passage of the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, as Amtrak is officially called, is the only provider of national passenger rail service in the country. Successive Amtrak chief executives--there have been six since 2002--contend with a dual mandate: to provide a public service while also trying to make money, which has proved an impossible task, Ms. Kanter said. Her latest book, ``Move: Putting America's Infrastructure Back in the Lead,'' addresses the importance of investing in transportation infrastructure. ``We have to do something big instead of just repairing. We need to repair, of course, but we have to reinvent, too, because the whole model is broken,'' she said. ``We don't want to be stuck with the same crummy, shabby system after we fix Philadelphia. We have to do something more, and better.''

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and work of Calvin Peete. Mr. Peete was one of the most successful black professionals in the history of the PGA. Mr. Peete won 12 PGA tournaments over a 25-year career on the tour that began in 1976, and continued on the Champions Tour until 2001. His most successful year was 1982, when he won four tournaments. Calvin did not begin playing golf until he was in his 20s, but immediately excelled at a game most pros learn as young children. He learned the game while peddling goods to migrant workers in Rochester, New York, playing on the public course at Genesee Valley Park. He was in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking for several weeks when they debuted in 1986. He was the leader in driving accuracy for 10 straight years. This is even more incredible due to the fact that he could not straighten his left arm. In addition to his playing accomplishments, Mr. Peete supported The First Tee and junior golf in Jacksonville, in addition to other charities. Mr. Peete passed away after a long battle with lung cancer on April 29, 2015. He was exemplary as a golfer and even more as a person. Throughout his life, he displayed grit and determination in relentless pursuit of his goals. Calvin is survived by his wife, Pepper, and seven children.