[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 128 (Wednesday, September 23, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S10834]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             NOMINATION OF AMY ROSEN TO AMTRAK REFORM BOARD

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, earlier today, I called in a hold on the 
nomination of Amy Rosen to the Amtrak Reform Board. Consistent with my 
policy of publicly disclosing holds, I am including the following 
statement in the Congressional Record, stating my reasons for placing a 
hold on this nomination:
  I am placing a hold on the nomination of Amy Rosen to the Amtrak 
Reform Board because of her role as an Amtrak Board member in voting to 
terminate Amtrak's Pioneer route. A subsequent GAO report indicates 
that at the time Ms. Rosen approved terminating the Pioneer, other 
Amtrak routes that were even less profitable than the Pioneer were kept 
in service. Before I will allow Ms. Rosen's nomination to move forward, 
I am seeking certain assurances from Ms. Rosen that if confirmed as a 
member of the Amtrak Reform Board, she will insist that Amtrak make 
decisions about passenger rail service on the basis of objective 
financial criteria.
  Subsequent to calling in my hold on Ms. Rosen's nomination, I and my 
staff had conversations with her to discuss my concerns. During those 
conversations, I received assurances from Ms. Rosen that as an Amtrak 
Board member, she would insist that decisions about Amtrak routes and 
services would be made on the basis of objective financial criteria and 
that she would work with me and other Members of Congress to address 
the needs of rural communities for passenger rail service. As a result 
of these conversations, I am withdrawing my hold on Amy Rosen's 
nomination to the Amtrak Reform Board.

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