we've had a few projects that had fta, fhwa and fra oversight on the same project.nd some of the compliance issues got a little complex and i, for one got a little confused. are there any efforts going on to kind of simplify or coordinate compliance issues across the modes? >> yes. and we use the term -- we use the term harmonization. there's actually been a number of areas where coordination of programs and/or oversight between the modes have -- i'm very familiar with the circumstance that you're working on. and frankly, each -- any particular project will have its own circumstances and in this case, we had fhwa and fta up through washington leadership working to figure out a way to deal with that circumstance. there's been a lot of discussion, for example between fta and fra in terms of better coordinate coordinating reviews and requirements for projects where there, will be a freight element and a passenger rail element and the project serves both and we need to0w=s make sure we're not making people do things twice. certainly on a case by case basis we've tried t

fhwa or fta would be sort of a lead agency. but coordinating with the local community to identify the nature of the problem and the array of solution that's could be brought to bear. and i know a key point of that is the coordination between the various agencies that need to be involved to bring it together. one of the reasons why again, this safety management system approach i think is going to be so valuable for our transit agencies in terms of safety is that you'll need to ask the question for my system how important is the connection with pedestrian interface? is this a centerpiece for my new bike network i'm building in my community because i'm actually encouraging lots of people to come to my station in bikes? therefore, who i would work with at the public works department in the jurisdiction where i am to ensure the right lighting and fixtures are in place? i think all of that is to say we're recognizing it's a very dynamic and very sort of taste-specific area like so much of what we need to do. there's not a blanket, oh

we get to beat up on fta. first step is fta acting administrator therese mcmillan, therese is representing secretary of transportation anthony foxx today who could not be with us. she will also speak specifically about fta's initiatives for 2015. therese joined fta's dispute administrator on july 9th, 2009. she has assisted the administrator in leading a staff of more than 500 in the washington, d.c. headquarters office and ten regional offices throughout the united states. with the passage of map 21, she assumed a key role in guiding fta's implementation of transit-related provisions in the lot and overseeing the development of critical guidance. she's also played an integral leadership role in advancing several critical fta priorities to improve and the quality and delivery of transit services to the american public. including assisting in a streamline process for the new and small stats program and secure new funding opportunities for state and government transit assets. she took the lead in working with ft

fta and their project manager oversight contractor will also participate with us in going through the risks and reassessing, and then our risk management consultant will rerun the model to help determine what the appropriate amounts of contingencies and reserves are as mark mentioned so that will be done in march with the results available in april. also in april the sponsorship proposals will be received towards the ends of the month so we know how much funding is available from that source, and by may we will have bids received for all packages except the ip network which is a later package to take advantage of advances in technology and then in june we will be coming with the construction costs of the design packages you will be awarding or considering and the curtain wall and ceilings. you will have awarded the contracts and the costs will be finalized by june so those are the drivers behind the proposed schedule with the outlook in may, drafts in june and adopting the one month interim budget and under our policy is 1/12 of the previous fiscal year budget and then final in july f

we get to beat up on fta. first up is fta acting administrator trees mcmillan.y who could not be with us. she will also speak specifically about fta's initiatives for 2015. ter ees joint fta's deputy administrator on july 9, 2009. she has assisted the administrator in leading a staff of more than 500 in the washington d.c. headquarters office and ten regional offices throughout the united states. with the passage of map 21 she assumed a key role in guiding fta's implementation of transit-related provisions in the law and overseeing the development of critical guidance. she has also played an integral leadership role in advancing several critical fta priorities to improve the quality and the american public( including assisting in the development of a streamline process for the new and small starts program and securing new funding responsibilities for state of good repair of transit assets. she took the lead in working with staff across the country to ensure the timely accurate allocation of 8.78 billion for 1,072 recovery act grants. she represented federal tran

you said that the fta has not authorised this medication in this way.there an option. >> it's considered an off approved use, there's another method an autoinjector coming in a little box. it talks to you, telling you the instructions that you need to do. you have to go through training to get a prescription for it. it's a needle in jected in the leg, i think. most insurance companies cover it. the cost pocket is $30. >> it's almost like an epipen. >> similar to an epipen six to use. the one that is out there as well. >> "america tonight"s lori jane gliha. >> next an art heist on the street. one of the world's most celebrated and secretive artists, banksy and the caper that led his latest twork disappear. later, a spot in south-east asia - western tourists and tribal tensions. long hidden from the world, burma re opens. we get an insiders view of the fight against the government still under way >>> and hot on "america tonight"s website now. rosa park's revealed. five things you didn't know about the mother of the civil rights movement. her lift of defin

congress both in the house and in the senate with the senior staff as well as the representatives of the fta, and to talk about the critical importance of the federal government funding transportation projects and to really make real for folks on capitol hill, about what the challenges are that we face in san francisco. and as a region. and in terms of all of our major transit systems being over capacity, and the need to expand the capacity, and to invest in the system, and the need for the federal government to be a strong partner in doing that. and as you may know the federal gas tax, which is what funds the federal highway trust fund has not been raised for inflation since 1993, and so in real terms, it is diminishing, and so, there, and we were advocating strongly for congress to take action by increasing the federal gas tax and indexing it to inflation and there are several bills tending including one from the congressman of oregon and we made a strong case for that to move forward, there is some momentum for the republicans of coming forward to using the gas tax as a way to fund transp

so i am the chief point of contact when dealing with the fta for a variety of reasons and i was appointed for this process. i think that we are never going to get it right the first time. we put in a detectable pathway and we made a right turn. every time it deviated and made a right turn. it's a zigzag that is really hard to follow. it seems like we are always going to have to -- we have to try it in a small area. so with the new cars, our current fleet, if you look at our current fleet we have reconfigured it. even though there is controversy, it can be adjusted. it's a change order to bart. the solutions are we can remove a pole, we can take out a seat very easily with these new trains. we are going to have a lot more cars with this new fleet in service and hopefully that will ease crowding but when it gets crowding again, there are options. i am the coordinator. i intend to voice my opinion, not that they will listen to me all the time. [ laughter ] . >> well, i have to ask that question and one final question. it's always the elephant in the room in san francisco when we talk about b

it means there's going to be more need for taa especially now that we've included non-fta countries. and second, as senator portman and i know, when a plant is closed in sandusky or toledo, ohio public sector worker are -- are directly impacted by trade because property tax revenues are down police and fire and teachers get laid off. and those layoffs are due directly to trade issues. that's why public sector workers should be included. i ask for support for the amendment. >> let me just say that the agreed-to taa bill offers a generous extension for taa firms authorizing appropriations of $16 million for each year from 2015 through 2021. but i really can't support expanding this program at this time. and one reason is we've got to get the -- this through the house, as well. so keep in mind i understand what the distinguished senator is saying does the senator want to vote on this -- >> i do. i ask for roll call. >> you want a roll call vote? >> please. >> any comments on the amendment? the clerk will call the roll. >> mr. grassley? >> no. >> no. mr. crapo? >> no. >> mr. roberts? mr.

we're very pleased that joining us at the conference today will be fta acting administrator theresa mcmillannd joining her will be acting administrator director sarah feinberg. they will be acting on proposals and taking your questions from the audience. we're also thrilled that joining us here on the stage will be two great leaders in the transportation field that work tirelessly here in washington, d.c. when you see me testify up on capitol hill, there is very often two people standing right there next to me, janet kavinoky and dr. pete ruane. great transportation leaders. they're going to help tell the story about how we have to work together to move the ball forward. now, passage of a surface transportation bill, it's a lengthy process. the first stage, we passed that in december of 2013. we gathered the information, we gathered the needs, we put the data together, and we brought it to the hill and we brought it to our partners so we could all see together what those needs were. now we're in the second stage of that process when different ideas are put together that start to coalesce int

the budget includes nearly 1.3 billion for fta capital investment brands. i recognize your interest in promoting public transit and other service programs. i knology a reauthorization would shift funding to mandatory. this subcommittee must stop in the real world, one which this program must be funded with discretionary appropriation and where we continue to face severe's that severe fiscal challenges. let me turn over the podium to my colleague, senator reid, and say once again what a great pleasure it is to have him as our ranking member. senator reid: thank you for your leadership. welcome secretary foxx. this is a lesson on gridlock. exhibit one, thank you very much. we really do appreciate your leadership and look forward to discussing this budget request with you. it includes robust long-term reauthorization programs. before i get any further let me thank you for coming to rhode island and seeing some of our transportation issues. thank you very much. our airport as a catalyst for economic growth. we are still lagging in the country in terms of employ

i understand there are concerns surrounding bahrain's compliance under the fta. senator nelson raised one of those concerns. we should not reward countries that do not take these commitments seriously by extended additional preferential access. i think that many of my colleagues might agree with that. fiejly, these t lyly ly finally, these tpo's will require significant amounts to offset. i would urge my colleagues to vote no. any other comments. >> thank you. it seems dealing with these trade level preferences there was a process we thought would be used to consider whether we should extend them or not. there are jobs that are depen dent upon the extension of that law. i would hope we had a regular process working with the ustr as to what is the policies on extension of these programs. i have an amendment to deal. i would like to see that considered. i think there are unintended consequences of failure to pay attention to the deadline. >> any further comments? >> may i close in at the appropriate time i would like to close. i would second the comments. there's g

had four people in his office of labor affairs who in addition to enforcing labor provisions of our fta's were also responsible for negotiating them. they relied on the department of labor and state for day-to-day monitoring and deal well has 528 full-time staff people monitoring and enforcing trade agreements. so essentially. mr. chairman? essentially between dll and ustr we have fewer staff enforcing these provisions then we have the number of countries we have free trade agreements with. agency staff told gao the limited staffing and resources were placing great, severe constraints on ability to monitor and enforce our free trade agreements and now in addition they all have what they are doing on enforcement of our current agreements because shooting the transpacific partnership with countries like vietnam and malaysia which have serious labor issues which also need to be closely monitored. if we can't enforce our trade agreements because we don't have enough staff when he to make sure we are funding with our countervailing duties collecting the focus of making sure we enforcing these

and sometimes not a describe to trade with countries of who we have fta's.offset with the application of the statute of limitations and a some say that 4 50 million the amount included in an unlying bill of enough to operate the program there. is no reason to increase the funding. we do not know 450 will be enough. the cost for taa workers is -- if you take the average funding levels for the three years when eligibility was nearly the same as considering the day. expenditures averaged $570 million a year. the reduction is cuts for the sake of cuts. taa works. participants that completed training in fiscal year 2013 received a degree or industry recognized credential that means it does work. during the same year the workers found employment within the months and over 90% were still employed at the end of the year. the package ensures that all workers including the public sector workers and eligible for the taa. all workers that are impacted by the trade should be able to apply. it increases funding for taa for firms. 16 to 50 million and provides assistance a

third, no fta should include obligations that could be interpreted as limiting access to medicine, an established policy of this congress and the administration, i believe. and fourth governments have the right to regulate and pass laws in the interest of public health without the threat of trade-related penalties. think about some of the cases on tobacco aimed at the australian government for instance. governments have responsibility -- >> mr. chairman, the committee's -- i can't hear senator brown. >> let's have order. >> thank you. governments have a responsibility to protect public health. that includes making sure people have the medicines they need to treat infections. tb malaria, hiv/aids and others that affect the poorest and most vulnerable. there's a way to strike balance between protecting intellectual property and preserving public health and access to medicines our agreement shouldn't favor corporate interests overt health of people in developing countries. the negotiating objective of this amendment calls for and provides instruction touchltz str to negotiate trade agree

trade unionists and violence against trade unionists is not a violation of the labor provisions in our ftas. so, when people say this is the highest standard yet, talking about labor you'll have to excuse me if i'm unmoved or unsatisfied when they tell us directly, without any equivocation, that violence and the murder of trade unions for exercising their rights is not a violation of these agreements. now, we've asked for reasonable measures to strengthen the laborer chantpter but usta has ignored those requests. they're not there. i'd also say that the human rights in the hatch-wyden-ryan is not winding. vietnam, malaysia and mexico are already in the tpp demonstrates that the fast track objectives are ignored or irrelevant. in sum, to get this thing right congress should not be constrained by misguided secrecy or speed or unaccountability of fast track. we really urge congress to reject the outdated and undemocratic process known as fast track. and develop instead a new trade negotiating authority it for the 21st century. this is going to affect 40% of the world's gdp. it may well be the

. >> she wants to do without going through the long fta process of the. she wants the fda process, we've got to talk about safety. you want the fda process that? >> i think the fda process can be revised. >> it has been revised. you can do it fast track -- >> even for -- that's a great example. so there are ways to look into the way it is being done now. can we identify delivery vehicles that can be approved? similar to influenza vaccines for today. we use the same kind of trojan horse influence of iris and just slot in a new gene for the particular virus that is the flavor of the moment. weekend certainty that for bioterror. i think we are not we are one of many companies proposing that the we got to rethink the way that we approve these vaccines. with all due respect to the animal rule, in many instances of the vaccines that we are producing cannot be tested in animals because human responses are different. there are new models available that should be evaluated as means of testing vaccines before moving them into -- >> is the fda process the only path

we're very pleased that joining us at the conference today will be fta acting administrator teresa millerand joining her will be acting administrator sarah feinberg. they will be acting on proposals and taking your questions from the audience. we're also thrilled that joining us here on the stage will be two great leaders in the transportation field that work tirelessly here in washington, d.c. when you see me testify up on capitol hill, there is very often two people standing right there next to me, janet kavinoky and dr. pete ruane. great transportation leaders. they're going to help tell the story about how we have to work together to move the ball forward. now, passage of a surface transportation bill, it's a lengthy process. the first stage, we passed that in december of 2013. we gathered the information, we gathered the needs, we put the data together, and we brought it to the hill and we brought it to our partners so we could all see together what those needs were. now we're in the second stage of that process when different ideas are put together that start to coalesce into what w