[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  INTRODUCTION OF THE UNION STATION REDEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FUNDING 
                            ELIGIBILITY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 9, 2025

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Union Station 
Redevelopment Corporation Funding Eligibility Act, which would make the 
Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC) eligible for funding 
under the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail (FSP) 
Program, the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements 
(CRISI) Program, the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage 
Development (BUILD) Program and the National Infrastructure Project 
Assistance Program, also known as the Mega Program. Funding under these 
transportation programs is essential to implement the planned expansion 
and modernization of Union Station in the District of Columbia, known 
as the Washington Union Station Expansion Project (USEP). Senator Chris 
Van Hollen has introduced this bill in the Senate.
  Union Station is owned by the federal government, and USRC, a 
nonprofit, manages and operates the station under a lease with the 
federal government. The members of USRC's board of directors are the 
Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak, the Federal City Council, the 
District of Columbia and the USRC President and CEO. USRC is the only 
entity exclusively dedicated to the management and operations of Union 
Station and therefore should be eligible for funding under the FSP 
Program, the CRISI Program, the BUILD Program and the Mega Program.
  Union Station is a vital local, regional and national intermodal 
transportation hub that, pre-pandemic, welcomed more than 100,000 
travelers and visitors each day--more than either Ronald Reagan 
Washington National Airport or Washington Dulles International Airport. 
Located five blocks from the U.S. Capitol, Union Station serves as a 
gateway to the Nation's Capital, as well as the backbone that connects 
East Coast passenger rail lines to the north and south. People rely on 
Union Station every day to get to work and to visit the Nation's 
Capital.
  Despite the vital role Union Station plays in the Nation's Capital, 
it has not undergone major renovation since the 1980s. The USEP 
represents a historic transportation and economic development 
opportunity for the Nation's Capital and the national capital region, 
but billions of dollars are needed to carry it out. This bill would 
give USRC access to critical funding.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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