The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“CELEBRATING THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF NEW HAVEN'S UNION STATION” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E831-E832 on Sept. 11, 2020.
The Department handles nearly all infrastructure crisscrossing the country. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department should be privatized to save money, reduce congestion and spur innovation.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
CELEBRATING THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF NEW HAVEN'S UNION STATION
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HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO
of connecticut
in the house of representatives
Friday, September 11, 2020
Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, it is with my heartfelt congratulations that I rise today to join the Connecticut Department of Transportation and the City of New Haven to celebrate the Centennial Anniversary of our very own Union Station--a remarkable milestone for this community treasure.
Union Station holds a special place in my heart as it has been of my life for many years. Having attended Lauralton Hall in Milford, I was at Union Station every day to catch the train to school. Today, as a Member of Congress, the train is how I commute to work every week. In fact, I would be remiss if I did not extend a special note of gratitude to the Red Caps of Union Station who have helped me with all of my luggage getting to and from the train on numerous occasions--without them I may have missed many trains. Designed by famed architect Cass Gilbert, with its vaulted ceilings and marbled brick, decorated with oblong benches upon which model trains are showcased, Union Station is not only a bustling intermodal center, it is a work of art. And though the original flip-card scheduling board has been replaced with an electronic version, that unique ticking sound of the flip-cards can still be heard throughout the Grand Hall as trains arrive and depart.
Now in its centennial year, Union Station is one of the busiest rail facilities in the State of Connecticut along one of the busiest rail lines in the United States. It serves more than one hundred-twenty-five thousand passengers weekly and more than forty million a year, generating nearly fifty million dollars in revenue a year into our local economy. But beyond its economic importance to our community, its value lies in the connection it brings to us. It connects the New Haven line into New York City, the Hartford Line into Hartford and Springfield. It also connects the Shoreline East into New London and Amtrak's Northeast Corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C. and points beyond.
Most importantly, Union Station connects our past to our future. Opened in the shadow of the Spanish Influenza pandemic, it is a particularly poignant reminder of what can be done and what must be done even amid calamity. We stand here today to both celebrate that old victory and to set our eyes forward to new ones. It is inspiring to see a local reminder of what America can do when we build toward a better future through infrastructure and when we at all levels of government support local priorities.
I extend my deepest thanks and sincere appreciation to all the workers who keep Union Station running every day--especially those declared essential at this difficult time. I am honored to stand today and join all of those gathered in wishing this remarkable institution a very happy 100th anniversary. As we say in Italian, Cent' Anni.
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