Committee confirms Brad Belzak as alternate board member for Washington Metro Rail Safety Commission

The Committee on Transportation and the Environment voted unanimously Thursday, Sept. 25, to approve PR 26-227, the confirmation resolution appointing Brad Belzak as an alternate member of the Washington Metro Rail Safety Commission for a term ending Feb. 9, 2029.

Chairman Charles Allen described Belzak as a security professional with more than 22 years of experience in senior management, policy development and operational leadership across federal agencies, the private sector and international work. Allen said Belzak most recently served as senior vice president and chief of staff at the Export-Import Bank of the United States, overseeing day-to-day operations for a 550-person workforce, an operating budget of about $140 million and a loan portfolio of about $135 billion.

Allen told the committee he met with the nominee on Sept. 16 along with committee staff and a member of the Mayor's Office of Talent and Appointments. The committee did not hold a formal roundtable on the nomination. Allen recommended that the committee confirm the nominee: “I recommend that Mr. Belzak's nomination to the commission be confirmed.”

The committee's report summarized Belzak's federal experience, including roles at the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, and noted his work on air-traffic safety issues with the Biden administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. The report said Belzak holds a Master of Science in security and resiliency from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Elon University; he is also a certified fraud examiner and a Ward 2 resident.

The Washington Metro Rail Safety Commission was created through an interstate compact among the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia and established in the District by the Washington Metro Rail Safety Commission Establishment Act of 2016. Congress granted consent in 2017, and the Federal Transit Administration certified the commission in March 2019 to assume direct oversight responsibility for Metrorail. The commission is governed by a six-member board with two members and one alternate appointed by each jurisdiction. PR 26-227 was introduced June 13, 2025, at the request of the mayor and referred to the committee on June 17, 2025.

The committee approved and released the committee report and committee print for PR 26-227 with staff directed to make technical editorial and conforming changes; the transcript records a unanimous voice vote in favor and records the outcome as unanimous approval.