House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer might be perched near the zenith of national politics but he still puts his home district ahead of Washington concerns.
Case in point: The Maryland Democrat called foul today when a National Capital Planning Commission report suggested steering freight trains -- which often carry hazardous materials -- away from the Washington's busy downtown and into Mr. Hoyer's home district in neighboring Prince George's and Calvert counties.
"While I remain supportive of efforts to secure the National Capital Region by reducing the threats posed by hazardous cargo," he said, "I would be strongly opposed to any plan that would only shift the potential risk to other parts of the region or that would come at the expense of the communities along the alternative routes."
Mr. Hoyer advised that alternative train routes should only be assessed with knowledge of "the precise environmental, economic, security and quality-of-life impact that they might have on the communities along the identified corridors."
-- S.A. Miller, Capitol Hill correspondent, The Washington Times