Sen. Donnelly: Transportation Plan, Boston Marathon Statement

On Saturday the Senate voted on a transportation financing plan. I voted yes to the Senate plan as it represented $300 million more than the House version and contained an amendment I filed that would require the MBTA to bring the transit system into a "state of good repair". This is a federal standard and would include things like new red line, green line and orange line cars, upgrades to power stations and new buses. The amendment required the MBTA to include this work in their capital plan beginning in FY14. My district relies heavily on the MBTA and we need to invest to ensure the system is efficient and reliable. 

The bill now goes to a small conference committee of House and Senate members who will reconcile the differences in the two versions of the bill. I will review what comes out of the conference committee very carefully. If the additional $300 million voted by the Senate is reduced or if the funding is not dependable or predictable, I will vote no on the conferenced bill.

While this is an important issue, my focus right now is on what happen on yesterday in Boston. There are no words to express how deeply saddened I am by this horrible act. All of us are affected by the act of violence that took place at a wonderful public event that represents the best of Boston and our Commonwealth. It is times like these that test our resolve to strive toward an open and free society. But our history proves that our ability to face difficult challenges is strong and I know that, standing together, this time will be no different.