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Rep. Don Beyer Urges Employers to be Generous and Flexible in the Face of Tomorrow’s Unprecedented Metro Shutdown

Washington, March 15, 2016 | Thomas Scanlon (202 225 4376)

Congressman Don Beyer released the following statement after the announcement this afternoon that the Washington Metropolitan Area Metro Authority (WMATA) will suspend Metrorail service for 29 hours beginning at midnight tonight:

Our office has been in contact with the Office of Personnel Management.  We have urged them to allow unscheduled leave for federal employees, and I urge other employers in the region to be equally flexible, allowing employees to take unscheduled leave or to work from home if at all possible.

I have confidence in the new leadership of Paul Wiedefeld and look forward learning more about the technical details behind this decision. We must overhaul this critical public transit system, and we must continue our federal investment in Metro in order for that to happen.  Tomorrow we will get a glimpse of what our nation’s capital will look like without this essential system.