Congressman
Henry E. Brown, Jr.

Posted by: Henry E. Brown (November 07, 2008, 07:02 PM)

As news broke that U.S. companies cut 240,000 jobs in October and unemployment has spiked to 6.5 percent, the highest since March 1994, I urge Congress that we must resist steps that would only deepen the economic pain felt by famlies and small businesses.

As a long-time supporter of an ‘all of the above’ energy solution, I believe that committing ourselves to addressing our nation’s energy crisis is a major step towards correcting our economic woes.

I was proud to have worked with my Republican colleagues to force the Democratic Congress to open the door to more American energy by allowing the outdated ban on energy production on the Outer Continental Shefl to expire.  By opening up domestic energy sources off our coasts and on our soil we can begin providing Americans with American energy. In addition, we will not only keep billions of dollars that we are currently paying, often, enemy nations for their resources, but we will be able to create thousands of jobs for the American people and begin rebuilding our economy with the resulting infrastructure.

While allowing the bans to expire was a significant first step, there are many Democrats in Congress who are already talking about renewing them once the 111th Congress comes into session.  Not only will I stand against those efforts, but I will work to ensure that those who want us to be dependent upon foreign sources of energy do not use the court system to block energy production with endless lawsits. 

Addressing our domestic energy deficit will result in the ultimate strengthening of our economy however, we must also ensure that we get to the root of our economic problems. 

Despite Democrat efforts to cover up the facts, hearings over the month of October showed that the failure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were at the root of the financial crisis.  I, along with my Republican colleagues in the House are demanding a complete review of these two institutions. The American people deserve the opportunity to do their own investigation into the decisions made by the executives at these two companies – decisions that have imperiled our nation’s economy.  Once we find that out, we need to fix what is broken in the system.

What we must resist are efforts by Congressional Democrats to use the economic challenges facing our nation to raise taxes.  Their tax increases would cost the average South Carolina taxpayer some $2,000, and would target married couples, small businesses,and seniors.  Instead, we need to enact tax relief that is focused on working families and small businesses.

Reducing our energy deficit, addressing our infrastructure challenges, attacking the root causes behind the crisis, and enacting tax relief are essential steps to return our economy to the path of prosperity and growth.

Posted in Economy, Energy, Transportation | View Full Posting

Posted by: Brown Staff (October 06, 2008, 12:47 PM)

An oped in today's LA Daily News discusses the need to improve safety at the thousands of rail-highway grade crossings across the country.  In the recently passed Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, Congressman Brown worked to get legislative language that would make developing and deploying new technology warning systems at these grade crossings a priority.  Specifically, Brown's language will get DOT focused on working with the private sector to develop new grade crossing safety technologies, such as systems that can warn a train miles away that a car is stuck on the tracks, allowing it time to stop before the crossing.  Brown also worked to add additional language that will give states and technology companies the legal protection necessary to install these systems at crossings, instead of simply keeping them in the lab. 

Read LA Daily News OPED: Grade-crossing deaths are true rail problem

Language from Rail Safety Improvement Act:

(a) Amendment- Subchapter II of chapter 201, as amended by section 204 of this division, is further amended by adding at the end the following:

`Sec. 20161. Fostering introduction of new technology to improve safety at highway-rail grade crossings

`(a) Findings-

`(1) Collisions between highway users and trains at highway-rail grade crossings continue to cause an unacceptable loss of life, serious personal injury, and property damage.

`(2) While elimination of at-grade crossings through consolidation of crossings and grade separations offers the greatest long-term promise for optimizing the safety and efficiency of the two modes of transportation, over 140,000 public grade crossings remain on the general rail system--approximately one for each route mile on the general rail system.

`(3) Conventional highway traffic control devices such as flashing lights and gates are often effective in warning motorists of a train's approach to an equipped crossing.

`(4) Since enactment of the Highway Safety Act of 1973, over $4,200,000,000 of Federal funding has been invested in safety improvements at highway-rail grade crossings, yet a majority of public highway-rail grade crossings are not yet equipped with active warning systems.

`(5) The emergence of new technologies presents opportunities for more effective and affordable warnings and safer passage of highway users and trains at remaining highway-rail grade crossings.

`(6) Implementation of new crossing safety technology will require extensive cooperation between highway authorities and railroad carriers.

`(7) Federal Railroad Administration regulations establishing performance standards for processor-based signal and train control systems provide a suitable framework for qualification of new or novel technology at highway-rail grade crossings, and the Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices provides an appropriate means of determining highway user interface with such new technology.

`(b) Policy- It is the policy of the United States to encourage the development of new technology that can prevent loss of life and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings. The Secretary of Transportation is designated to carry out this policy in consultation with States and necessary public and private entities.

`(c) Submission of New Technology Proposals- Railroad carriers and railroad suppliers may submit for review and approval to the Secretary such new technology designed to improve safety at highway-rail grade crossings. The Secretary shall approve by order the new technology designed to improve safety at highway-rail grade crossings in accordance with Federal Railroad Administration standards for the development and use of processor-based signal and train control systems and shall consider the effects on safety of highway-user interface with the new technology.

`(d) Effect of Secretarial Approval- If the Secretary approves by order new technology to provide warning to highway users at a highway-rail grade crossing and such technology is installed at a highway-rail grade crossing in accordance with the conditions of the approval, this determination preempts any State statute or regulation concerning the adequacy of the technology in providing warning at the crossing.'.

(b) Conforming Amendment- The chapter analysis for chapter 201, as amended by section 204 of this division, is further amended by inserting after the item relating to section 20160, the following:

`20161. Fostering introduction of new technology to improve safety at highway-rail grade crossings.'.

Posted in Transportation | View Full Posting

Posted by: Henry E. Brown (September 03, 2008, 01:51 PM)

As I have heard from so many of you regarding the impact of high energy costs, I have heard some of the most powerful stories from First District residents who drive a truck for a living.  Be it the independent operator who moves cargo in and out of the Port of Charleston or the trucker driver who works for one of the major firms hauling food to the hotels along the Grand Strand, American truckers are currently seeing the highest prolonged fuel prices in history.  It takes $1,400 to fill up the average 18-wheeler. 

Because of this, I was glad to see that the American Trucking Associations has endorsed bipartisan legislation that I and a number of my colleagues wrote and introduced in July.  H.R. 6709, the National Conservation, Environment, and Energy Independence Act, is bipartisan, balanced legislation that increases domestic production of energy and invests billions into renewable and alternative fuels, while providing incentives for the American people to conserve and use energy more wisely.  In announcing ATA’s support for the legislation, ATA First Vice Chairman Charles “Shorty” Whittington said “We need a comprehensive energy plan. The National Conservation, Environment, and Energy Independence Act is part of this comprehensive solution.”  You can read ATA’s full announcement online at their website.

Posted in Energy, Transportation | View Full Posting

Posted by: Henry E. Brown (July 23, 2008, 06:50 PM)

When our service men and women return home from combat zones all over the world, they never expect to be denied entrance into the airports of their own country.

Believe it or not, this has been occurring to our nation’s bravest. In September 2007, soldiers returning home from Iraq were denied access to the terminal building at Oakland International Airport.  The passengers aboard this military charter had already been screened in Kuwait and granted access to the terminal at Kennedy International Airport in New York. 

My colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and I took particular notice of this occurrence.  After looking into things, we requested that the Department of Transportation investigate the incident. 

The report revealed the need for a uniform process for handling members of the Armed Forces coming into U.S. commercial airports. As a result, the Department of Defense, the Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration signed a Memorandum of Understanding that outlines proper protocols for ensuring that our soldiers are always treated with respect at commercial airports.

This new policy will be going into effect immediately.  Our fighting men and women should be able to see the families as soon as possible after landing – and not have to sit through a security line.  For more information on the Memorandum of Understanding go to http://republicans.transportation.house.gov/News/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=441.

Posted in Defense, Transportation, Veterans | View Full Posting