Today, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is launching a paid digital ad campaign calling attention to Ryan Costello’s recent vote against allocating an additional $750 million to install positive train control (PTC) on Amtrak. PTC is a safety measure that the National Transportation Safety Board has said could have prevented the recent tragic Amtrak accident and many other serious accidents like it , yet Congressman Costello joined his Republican colleagues in voting against funding for the installation of PTC, despite the critical importance of passenger rail to his constituents and his promise to oppose funding cuts to Amtrak.
This week, digital ads will highlight Ryan Costello’s vote against additional PTC funding, targeting transportation – and Amtrak- focused users in PA-06.
“It defies logic that Congressman Costello would vote against critical safety equipment that would make passenger rail travel dramatically safer for southeastern Pennsylvania residents. Experts agree, Positive Train Control would have prevented numerous fatal rail accidents across the country yet even with that information Congressman Costello voted against allocating funding for the installation of this critical safety feature on our trains,” said Matt Thornton of the DCCC. “Southeastern Pennsylvania voters deserve to know that their Member of Congress actually voted against making Amtrak safer.”
Background
Costello Voted Against Amendment To Authorize $750 Million In Positive Train Control That Could Have Prevented Amtrak Collision And Many Other Serious Crashes. In May 2015, Costello voted against an amendment to authorize $750 million in positive train control. “House Democrats wanted increased funding for an automated train control system that could have prevented last week’s deadly Amtrak crash included in a surface transportation bill being voted on Tuesday. . . . A spokesman for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Democrats were offering a motion to recommit on the road and transit measure that the House is voting on Tuesday that would boost the federal government’s funding for the automated train control system to $750 million.” [The Hill, 5/19/15; HR 2353, Roll Call #248, 5/19/15]
NTSB Investigator: Positive Train Control System Would Have Prevented Pennsylvania Crash. “‘Based on what we know right now, we feel that had such a system been installed in this section of track, this accident would not have occurred,’ National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt told reporters Wednesday evening. Sumwalt, who is leading the crash probe, spoke hours after the House Appropriations Committee voted down a Democratic amendment that would have offered $825 million for the technology known as positive train control.” [Politico, 5/13/15]