Advocates of a Metro funding bill scrambled Monday night to overcome objections from fiscal conservatives, one of whom called the legislation “provincial pork.”
U.S. Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., sponsored the bill, which would give $1.5 billion over 10 years so that Metro could buy new equipment, do repairs and add staff. Davis and his supporters said the bill was vital to the federal government. More than half of Metro’s peak-time riders are federal workers or contractors.
The bill would expand Metro’s board of directors and create an inspector general’s office for the rail system. In order to take effect, Maryland, D.C. and Virginia had to come up with matching funds. As of Monday, only D.C. had made a matching-funds pledge.
