ms. feinberg. as i mentioned, and i'll start with some questions, and we'll go around with five-minute round here. just to alert members of the committee. as i mentioned, the committee has conducted extensive outreach with freight commuter railroads to understand the effects of failing to extend the deadline to implement pct. and it's clear that there will be widespread rail service reduction if congress fails to act. for example, metra in chicago with over 70 million riders annually have stated there is a strong possibility that it will cease service altogether, a concern that is echoed by long island railroad, metro north in new york and connecticut. and so i want to get a couple of numbers on the record. based on your outreach to railroads, approximately how many have informed the fra that they nay reduce or suspend service? >> senator, i think you the most recent numbers because they've been responding to your most recent letter. but to put hit the way, i have not had a recent conversation with

ms. feinberg would appreciate that, too. senator wicker? >> thank you, ms. feinberg. i think we have been kind today but i do think the committee on both sides of the aisle, the members are a little confused and frustrated by a lack -- the lack of a specific proposal concerning the extension. now, the chairman came in and clarified that apparently fra still stands by the grow america recommendation concerning extensions on a case by case basis. is that your position? >> well, we ask -- what we asked for in the grow america act was not a blanket extension but flexibility to work with railroads so that we could prioritize where ptc would be turned on. so the statute is very black and white an offers literally really no wriggle room and soo what we asked for in the grow america act was flexibility to work with railroads, post-january 1 to turn on portions of ptc before waiting for an entire system. >> you know, if i were a railroad and struggling to meet the deadline, i would find that so uncertain that i don't know if i could develop a business plan. it seems to me that

ms. feinberg, despite some of the credit -- criticisms, ms. feinberg will receive if she's concerned. i would like to let him make any remarks before we turn to -- >> what i am going to do is insert into the record my opening statement. let me say at a critical time a time in which there are questions of safety, the millions of people that use commuter rail at a time of essential to the economy of this country that we have healthy railroads that they can be competitive, they can operate safely, reliably and safety be central to the fra's commission. indeed, we've seen train accidents decline and fatalities decline, but then we have huge incidents of fatalities that bring it back to the floor, and so ms. feinberg for you to be willing to step in to the breech and try to offer the leadership that is so des -- desperately needed of the federal administration which oversees the safety and development of the nation's freight and intercity passenger rail networks, so it's a critical aappointment. it's a critical time. it's a time that the fra cannot let anything be slack and drop. so aisle

ms. feinberg. i mentioned, and i'll start with some questions, and we'll go around with five-minute round here. just to alert members of the committee. as i mentioned, the committee has conducted extensive outreach with freight commuter railroads to understand the effects of failing to extend the deadline to implement pct. and it's clear that there will be widespread rail service reduction if congress fails to act. for example, metra in chicago with over 70 million riders annually have stated there is a strong possibility that it will cease service altogether, a concern that is echoed by long island railroad, metro north in new york and connecticut. and so i want to get a couple of numbers on the record. based on your outreach to railroads, approximately how many have informed the fra that they nay reduce or suspend service? >> senator, i think you the most recent numbers because they've been responding to your most recent letter. but to put hit the way, i have not had a recent conversation with a

ms. feinberg was the policy and communications director facebook. and 2009-2010 she served as special stoont the president and adviser rahm emanuel. before that she served as mr. emanuel's communications director for the house caucus. ms. feinberg clearly has commitment and admiral commitment to public service, some are concerned her background does not include deep expertise or experience regarding