National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2010

Floor Speech

National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act of 2010

I rise to support the National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act. This important legislation will give NTSB the tools it needs to investigate transportation accidents and make timely recommendations to improve safety.

NTSB is the federal agency responsible for determining the probable cause of aviation, railroad, marine, and selected highway accidents. They assist victims and families and make recommendations aimed at addressing systemic issues and improving safety of all transportation modes. NTSB recently completed a year-long investigation into a catastrophic accident on the Red Line of the Washington Metro. Throughout the process, I was impressed by the knowledge and professionalism of the Board and its staff.

Today's legislation will help NTSB complete its mission--expanding its staff, clarifying its authority to identify multiple causes of accidents, and ensuring that it can conduct necessary on-scene fact-finding and access the information it needs. Importantly, the bill also allows NTSB to release urgent and interim safety recommendations so that transportation agencies can address safety issues quickly.

Mr. Speaker, when accidents happen, NTSB is there to determine the cause and provide expert advice to strengthen transportation safety. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this reauthorization.

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