{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-kaine-and-colleagues-push-to-fund-wmata-national-security-needs", "Warner, Kaine, & Colleagues Push to Fund WMATA National Security Needs", "2023-12-18", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", "kaine", "https://www.kaine.senate.gov/news", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner, Tim Kaine, Ben Cardin, and Chris Van Hollen wrote to President Biden requesting that the administration include at least $30 million in their FY25 budget request for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to specifically address the agency\u2019s operational costs related to national security and counterterrorism. This request comes as WMATA faces a $750 million budget shortfall that threatens safety and services starting next summer.\n\nIn their letter, the senators stress that WMATA, more than other transit authorities, shoulders a heavy security burden because of its role in federal government operations and national security activities. The agency estimates that it spends between $30 and $33 million annually on operations relating to its national security and counterterrorism mission.\n\n\u201cGiven this sui generis role played by WMATA, it should come as no surprise that the agency shoulders some burdens that are unique among transit providers. Perhaps most important of these burdens is WMATA\u2019s responsibility to prevent terrorism targeting our Nation\u2019s capital\u2014a responsibility far out of proportion to the size of the system,\u201d the senators wrote.\n\nThey continued, \u201cUnfortunately, this responsibility is more than hypothetical. In 2010, an anti-government extremist opened fire at the Pentagon station. A year later, a man was convicted in connection with the targeting of four WMATA stations in a terrorist bomb plot. And let us not forget that it was a Metro Transit Police officer who, while assisting Capitol Police, discovered the bomb planted at the Democratic National Committee on January 6, 2021.\u201d\n\nSens. Warner, Kaine, Cardin, and Van Hollen have long been active supporters of WMATA, working to secure critical funding, expand service, and improve safety.\n\nA copy of the letter is available here and below:\n\nDear President Biden:\n\nWe write today to respectfully request that the President\u2019s budget request for Fiscal Year 2025 include at least $30 million for transfer to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for the agency\u2019s operational costs associated with national security activities and countering terrorism on the system.\n\nWMATA\u2019s operations are critical to the functioning of the federal government in the National Capital Region. A majority of WMATA\u2019s 19.6 million riders are federal workers. Over one-third of all Metrorail stations are located on federal property, serving federal facilities. Two stations on Capitol Hill serve Members of Congress and their staffs. Federal facilities served by WMATA include our most sensitive national security installations, like the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security. Pentagon Station, for example, provides convenient rail access to the global headquarters of our Nation\u2019s Department of Defense and uniformed services.\n\nGiven this sui generis role played by WMATA, it should come as no surprise that the agency shoulders some burdens that are unique among transit providers. Perhaps most important of these burdens is WMATA\u2019s responsibility to prevent terrorism targeting our Nation\u2019s capital\u2014a responsibility far out of proportion to the size of the system. Unfortunately, this responsibility is more than hypothetical. In 2010, an anti-government extremist opened fire at the Pentagon station. A year later, a man was convicted in connection with the targeting of four WMATA stations in a terrorist bomb plot. And let us not forget that it was a Metro Transit Police officer who, while assisting Capitol Police, discovered the bomb planted at the Democratic National Committee on January 6, 2021.\n\nWMATA estimates that it spends between $30 and $33 million on operations relating to its national security and counterterrorism mission. Similar to the Federal Payment for Emergency Planning and Security Costs for the District of Columbia, these costs are directly attributable to the unique role WMATA plays in ensuring the safety and smooth operation of our Nation\u2019s federal government. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the federal government provide funding to WMATA for these expenses. Therefore, we respectfully request that the President\u2019s budget for FY25 include at least $30 million to support WMATA\u2019s national security operational expenses necessary to keep the system and the National Capital Region safe.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/warner-kaine-and-colleagues-push-to-fund-wmata-national-security-needs"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5324640553444624, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}