A congressional bill authorizing $1.5 billion in federal funding for Metro cleared a key vote in the Senate on Monday after passing a final vote in the House last week.
The Metro funding measure, which has died in Congress twice before, is wrapped into a large rail safety overhaul bill that has gained momentum in the wake of a Sept. 12 Metrolink commuter train accident that killed 25 people in California.
The Senate voted 69-17 Monday to close debate on the bill and proceed to a final vote, which Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., indicated would be held Wednesday.
To get the money, Virginia, Maryland, and the District would have to match the funds and establish dedicated funding streams (the groundwork for which has essentially been laid). So this is quite an important measure for the future of Metro.