WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Chair of the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, announced today that the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report would prohibit federal funds from being used by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) to purchase railcars and buses from state-owned corporations. Norton has raised alarms at the possibility of Metro purchasing railcars manufactured in China, citing serious cybersecurity and surveillance concerns for the nation’s capital. In June, Norton filed an amendment to the fiscal year 2020 transportation appropriations bill that would prohibit Metro from purchasing Chinese-made railcars. The House is expected to vote on the NDAA bill later this week.
“The security of public transit in the nation’s capital must be a top priority,” Norton said. “China is not making these railcars so cheaply out of the goodness of their hearts. Until we have irrefutable evidence, we must not turn a blind eye to the clear incentive China has to monitor our capital and undermine our security.”
Source: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton
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