the city of houston alone, harris county, home damage, $8.5 billion worth of damage to homes in harris county. now, i ask for very little as a member of congress to try to help the people of houston. one area where we need help is in flood control. one where are with -- where we clearly need help is in mitigation, to help prevent additional damage. because of the work i've done as a member of the appropriations committee and the few areas i've asked for help on are on national security, border security, medical and scientific research and in flood control and in flood control the homes -- some didn't flood. the texas medical center did not flood as a result of this hurricane because of work that i was able to do with the help of my colleagues on the appropriations committee, the harris county delegation working together. mr. flake's amendment would strike all federal funding for all of harris county. flood control. his amendment not only would save no money to all my fellow fiscal conservatives out there watching, that would be one thing, your amendment saves nothing and would you elim

toll road department, the union pacific railroad, the houston harris county metropolitan authority, and the high-speed rail and right-of-way and share a common quarter. any idea where it's appropriate to lay a track and jason to the freight railroads and there are a number of places where it makes a lot of sense, particularly in those urban corridors where you have a constricted right-of-way to get in to the city to its population centers, it makes a lot of sense for us. as we move out it depends on the demand that we get from the freight side with the increased capacity in the future that we have found them to be very reluctant to give up that right-of-way claiming that they need that for future development and into theirs. it's a continuous problem, but we think it makes great sense. we are not taking a new right-of-way but we would like to consolidate a lot with texas dot and the railways to the extent we can meet the requirements and technical requirements. >> that's what i think coming to some realistic terms with the freight rail, it's going to be in everyone's interest becau

exles, the former county judge, which is the county executive, in texas, of our largest county, harris county. he's now heading up the effort for a high speed rail corridor, the texas t-bone, it's a great plan coming forward and i think could go right into amtrak. it could have a lot of great results and i hope that it is one of the first projects that can get some of the stimulus funding that would be available. i think that it's great that he's here to talk about the national system and i just want to recognize governor rendell, who also is someone with whom i've worked a long time and his brother is actually my constituent in dallas, robert, and also a good friend and someone that -- with whom i have worked also in dallas and in texas. so we have a lot of interest here and i look forward to hearing from the witnesses and it's a very distinguished panel. thank you very much, mr. chairman. >> we made a decision before that because of the size and the quality of the witnesses here today we would forgo additional opening statements and we'll try to deal with this expeditiously and have just fi

i just want to say that robert eckels is the former executive in texas of the largest county, harris county and he is now heading up the effort for high-speed rail corridor called e

described, in the urban corridors, the highway 290 corridor coming into houston we partner with the harris county toll authority, the yube pacific railroad, the houston met reauthority and the high speed rail and right of way and share a common corridor. the idea where it's appropriate to lay a track adjacent to freight railroads, and there's a number of places where that makes a lot of place, particularly in the urban areas where you have a limited right of way. as we move out, it depends on the demand we get from the freight side. we have found them to be reluctant to give up the right of way, claiming they need it for future development and it's theirs. it's a continuous problem. we're not for taking a lot of new right of way, we'd like to consolidate as much as possible with txdot as much as possible. >> that's what -- i just think coming to some realistic terms with the freight rail is going to be in everyone's interest. because they have a business to run and you can understand their wanting to keep control of their tracks. that's why i think getting sort of separated out where we can, but

and robert eckels is a former county judge which is a county executive in harris county. he is heading up the high speed rail quarter, the texas t bone. it is a great plan that is coming forward. and i think could go right into amtrak, could have a lot of great results and i hope it is one of the first projects that can get some of the stimulus funding that would be available. it would be easier to talk about the national system. i want to recognize governor rendell with whom i have worked, my constituent in dallas. also a good friend and someone i worked with in dallas and texas. we have a lot of interest and i look forward to hearing from the witnesses and it is a distinguished panel. thank you, mr. chairman. >> we made a decision, because of the size and quality of the witnesses today, we would forgo additional opening statements. we will try to deal with this expeditiously and have 5 minute or 6 minute rounds for use as members, and i want to introduce the witness now, a good friend, governor ed rendell of pennsylvania. just like the people of new jersey, neighbors fr

and just as they got up to pay an old county judge walked into the diner and recognized harry. t as a former president but as a former jackson county judge. and said, why there's judge truman. and then everybody in the restaurant wanted his autograph and had to shake his hand. and that's pretty much how it went the rest of the trip. just when they thought they were getting by as a big unknown couple as harry would say, somebody would recognize him and then as he'd like to see the incog was off. he handled all these onslaughts so well. people ask how could a trip like this take place today. you know, i guess it couldn't just in a practical sense but his personality was so well suited to a trip like this. he never refused any request -- when people pressed around him for autographs and handshakes and somebody asked him one time, you know, how do you deal with these onslaughts on the time i would imagine some big shot ignored me and he did have a sense of empathy like that i think that really made it possible for him to do a trip like this in a way that maybe it wouldn't be possibl