Markup of Resolution for Victims of the Metro Collision Advancing Hearing on July 14th (7/9/09)
Markup of Resolution for Victims of the Metro Collision Friday in Advance of Metro Collision Hearing July 14th
July 9, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that her resolution, H. Res. 621, co-sponsored by regional Members of the House and other Members, in memory of the nine residents of the Metropolitan area who lost their lives in the June 22nd Metro collision and recognizing those injured, will be marked up tomorrow in the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and will go to the House Floor next week. Norton and regional Members of Congress were briefed yesterday by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) General Manager John Catoe and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Board Member Deborah Hersman. Norton also is preparing for the first congressional hearing on the collision, "Back on Track: WMATA Red Line Metrorail Accident and Continual Funding Challenges," on Tuesday, July 14, 2 p.m. Rayburn House Office Building, room 2154 before the Subcommittee on Federal Work Force, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia on which Norton serves. Both Catoe and Hersman will testify at the hearing,
Seven of the nine who died in the Metro collision were District residents. Norton included some personal information on each of the nine to make the resolution less formal and more meaningful. The resolution is attached.
The hearing will examine any progress that has been made in the ongoing investigations since the Metrorail accident last month, explore the steps WMATA has taken since the accident to ensure the safety of riders and employees, and provide an overview of various Metrorail systems, equipment, and safety policies and procedures. The hearing will also touch on such topics as WMATA's aging infrastructure, challenges to funding the transit authority's Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and industry-wide rail safety standards and practices. Also testifying will be D.C. Council Member Jim Graham, Chairman WMATA Board of Directors; Mark V. Rosenker, Acting Chair National Transportation Safety Board; Jackie Jeter, President Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689; Eric Madison, Chair, Tri-State Oversight Committee of the Transportation Planner Mass Transit Administration, District DOT; Thomas M. Davis III, former Member of Congress representing Virginia; Peter M. Rogoff, Administrator Federal Transit Administration; William Millar, President American Public Transportation Association.
H.RES.612
Expressing the profound sympathies of the House of Representatives for the victims of the tragic Metrorail accident on Monday, June 22, 2009, and for their families, friends, and associates. (Introduced in House)
HRES 612 IH
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 612
Expressing the profound sympathies of the House of Representatives for the victims of the tragic Metrorail accident on Monday, June 22, 2009, and for their families, friends, and associates.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 7, 2009
Ms. NORTON (for herself, Mr. HOYER, Mr. CANTOR, Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. BARTLETT, Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. KRATOVIL, Mr. NYE, Mr. PERRIELLO, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Mr. WOLF, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. DAVIS of Alabama, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. FATTAH, Mr. AL GREEN of Texas, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. CLEAVER, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Ms. CLARKE, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. CLYBURN, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan, Mr. MEEK of Florida, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. RICHARDSON, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. TOWNS, Ms. WATERS, Ms. WATSON, Mr. WATT, Mrs. SCHMIDT, Mr. RUSH, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Ms. FUDGE, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. CONYERS, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. BECERRA, Mr. BACA, Mr. CARDOZA, Mr. KENNEDY, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. FOSTER, and Mr. QUIGLEY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
RESOLUTION
Expressing the profound sympathies of the House of Representatives for the victims of the tragic Metrorail accident on Monday, June 22, 2009, and for their families, friends, and associates.
Whereas late in the afternoon on Monday, June 22, 2009, two 6-car trains on the Metrorail Red Line, Train 112 and Train 214, were on the same track headed toward the Shady Grove Station;
Whereas at 4:59 p.m., Train 112 crashed into Train 214, which was waiting for another train boarding at the Fort Totten Station;
Whereas 9 people died in this accident, including train operator Jeanice McMillan, 42, of Springfield, Virginia, who loved her job and was filled with pride when her son Jordan enrolled in college; Ana Fernandez, 40, originally from El Salvador, who lived in Hyattsville, Maryland, with her husband and 6 children and was on her way to one of her two jobs when she died in the collision; and 7 residents of the District of Columbia: Mary Doolittle, 59, of Northwest, who was the face of the American Nurses Association internationally and who was helping with global accreditation for nurses; Veronica Dubose, 29, of Northwest, who was headed to her first day of school for classes to become a certified nurse; Dennis Hawkins, 64, of Southeast, who worked as a non-instructional aide and a data entry clerk for Whittier Education Center and taught vacation Bible school at Bethesda Baptist Church; LaVonda (`Nikki') King, 23, of Northeast, a mother of 2 sons who was engaged to be married and who had just bought the hair salon LaVonda's House of Beauty; General David Wherley, 62, of Southeast, the recently retired commander of the D.C. Army and Air National Guard, a command pilot who converted the D.C. National Guard from weekend warriors to Army troops performing the duties of enlisted soldiers in fields of battle in both Iraq and Afghanistan while working tirelessly to improve conditions at home for the people of the District of Columbia, especially the children, and who decided to make the city his home; his wife, Ann Wherley, 62, who retired as a mortgage banker but did not retire as a mother, grandmother, and loving wife of General Wherley ever since they were high school sweethearts at York Catholic High School; and Cameron Williams, 37, of Northwest, who grew up in Takoma Park and who worked a night job in maintenance as a contract laborer;
Whereas according to emergency first responders, 76 people reported injuries and 51 people were taken to hospitals for treatment as a result of this accident; and
Whereas the Board of Directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority voted on June 23 to establish an emergency hardship relief fund of $250,000 from a reserve fund to provide financial help for the victims of the accident, including assistance with funeral, medical, and other expenses: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives expresses its profound sympathies for the victims of the tragic Metrorail accident on Monday, June 22, 2009, and for their families, friends, and associates.