Senate Floor: ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

Mr. President, today I wish to honor Wes Wilkins, of Middleton, DE, who will on May 2, 2007, receive the Dr. Gary Burch Memorial Award, given annually to the railroad worker who has done the most to improve the safety of railroad passengers. For more than 30 years, Wes has worked on our Nation's railroads. As one of Amtrak's most talented and innovative maintenance of way employees, he helped design the Switch Exchange System and provided input on every operational procedure involved with this new system of switching. The result of his talent helped to ensure reliable and safe train travel on virtually every mile of track between here and Boston, as well as across the Nation. Wes also formed the Production and Construction Safety Committee, whose purpose is to help ensure safe practices throughout Amtrak's Production Unit, which oversees installations. He is known for his countless hours of double- and triple-checking, of traveling to trouble spots, and of helping teach others about safety. His ability to operate almost every piece of maintenance equipment Amtrak uses and his success in instilling safety in the minds of his coworkers make him quite worthy of this award. As someone who rides Amtrak to work, I can testify to the importance rail transportation plays in providing affordable, reliable, safe transportation and I feel safer knowing someone like Wes is working on the front lines. Delaware is home to two of Amtrak's most important maintenance shops, and I congratulate all of the Amtrak employees of Delaware who helped Wes earn this award. Wes should be proud of all he has done to make this possible and I wish him the best as he continues a distinguished career of public service.