A joint resolution granting the consent and approval of Congress to amendments made by the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the District of Columbia to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Regulation Compact.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 25) granting the consent and approval of Congress to amendments made by the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the District of Columbia to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Regulation Compact.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

This jurisdiction comes to the Judiciary Committee under the commerce clause, which says that all compacts must come through the committee. The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia is being replaced with the District of Columbia agency with oversight of matters relating to the commission. The State Corporation Commission of the Commonwealth of Virginia is being replaced with the Commonwealth's Department of Motor Vehicles.

There are a number of our colleagues in the Senate that should be thanked for helping expedite this matter: Senators Cardin, Mikulski, Mark Warner, and Jim Webb. We are grateful to them all.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution because it is obviously in the interests of all that this commission be governed by a three-member board with one representative each from the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the State of Maryland. I urge its support.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it is always nice to agree with the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. I too support Senate Joint Resolution 25.

This resolution grants Congress' approval to amendments that the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia have made to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Regulation Compact.

Under the amendments, the District of Columbia may appoint its member of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission from any District agency with oversight of matters relating to the commission.

The District is thus freed from the requirement to appoint its member from the District's Public Service Commission, which no longer has responsibility for affairs regulated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission.

Similarly, the amendments allow Virginia to appoint its commission member from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, rather than the State's Corporation Commission.

The amendments perform a desirable piece of housekeeping regarding the compact. All of the jurisdictions that are party to the compact have agreed to the amendments.

I urge all Members to support the resolution, which aids the operation of this important interstate body.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further

consideration of S.J. Res. 25 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the joint resolution be read a third time and passed, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to the measure be printed in the Record.