[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 86 (Tuesday, June 25, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5995-S5996]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMMEDIATE ACTION FOR AMTRAK
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, the Nation faces a transportation crisis.
Amtrak, the country's passenger rail service, is running out of dough--
D-O-U-G-H--money, that green stuff, funds, what makes the cash
registers ring, funds, and its passengers are running out of time.
Without an infusion of funding quickly, Amtrak will stop all operations
within the next very few days.
If Amtrak closes, the Nation's transportation system will be thrown
into chaos. All of Amtrak's 68,000 daily riders will be without
service. Thousands of vacation passengers who have already paid money
for Amtrak tickets will be left stranded at the station. Commuter
railroads from East to West will be completely shut down.
For example, Washington's Union Station is just a few blocks from
this Capitol. None of the Maryland or Virginia commuter rail trains
will be able to access Union Station. Why? Because Amtrak owns the
station. The Virginia trains will not operate at all because Amtrak
runs the trains.
The commuter rail authorities in Philadelphia, New York City, and in
many parts of New Jersey will stop running. Why? Why will they stop
running? Because Amtrak provides the electricity for those trains to
operate.
Access to Penn Station in New York City the single busiest rail
station in the country will be limited. Why? Because Amtrak already has
mortgaged away parts of that station.
In Boston, tens of thousands of commuters daily rely on Amtrak
because it operates commuter lines under contract with the State of
Massachusetts. Those commuters will have to find a new way to get to
work. Why? Because their trains will not be running.
Out West, in California, all ``Caltrains'' service will be halted.
Why? Why, I ask? Because Amtrak operates those trains. That is why. The
same can be said for the ``Sounder Commuter Rail Service'' in Seattle.
Without Amtrak service, these passengers will take to the highways
and
[[Page S5996]]
the airways. The traffic jams that are already difficult to navigate
will grow by thousands, tens of thousands of cars. How would you like
that? The airways between Boston, New York, and Washington already
comprise the most congested airspace in the entire country. The air
traffic control system cannot simply absorb dozens of additional
flights during peak business travel times.
Mr. President, the July 4th holiday is almost upon us. As the
celebrations approach, the warnings for potential terrorist attacks
grow louder. We should heed those warnings and ensure that Amtrak stays
open. Amtrak has a vital homeland security role. The railroad is a
viable transportation alternative to highways and airways. To allow
Amtrak to close its doors now, when the terrorist threats and the
attack warnings come almost daily, would be irresponsible, wouldn't it?
It seems to me it would be. To take away the safety net for the
traveling public would be foolhardy, wouldn't it? Wouldn't it be? I
would think so.
We also must consider the ramifications to the Nation's economy if
Amtrak is allowed to file for bankruptcy. Immediately, more than 20,000
Amtrak employees would lose their jobs. That is 20,000 families without
paychecks, 20,000 families without health care benefits. Thousands more
jobs at commuter lines, suppliers, and vendors would be in jeopardy. In
the blink of an eye, the Nation's economy would be dealt a devastating
blow in States from coast to coast. With the economy in a precarious
state as it is, with the markets fluctuating by the day, it makes no
sense--none--to allow Amtrak to close.
With the support of the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations
Committee, Senator Stevens of Alaska, I have proposed, in our
discussions with House conferees on the supplemental appropriations
bill, that the supplemental appropriations bill, currently pending in
conference, include at least $205 million for Amtrak to keep trains
running through the end of the fiscal year. With the looming crisis
facing the Nation's passenger rail service, we should insist that this
funding for Amtrak be part of the final version of the bill, hopefully
to be considered by Congress this week.
The Senate included $55 million for Amtrak emergency repairs in its
version of the supplemental bill which passed on June 7 by an
overwhelming margin of 71 to 22. The House did not include any funds
for Amtrak in its bill. The conference report on the supplemental bill
would build on the package already approved by the Senate and provide
sufficient funding to keep Amtrak on track through the end of this
fiscal year.
Last week, Amtrak's new president, David Gunn, testified before the
Senate Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee. At that hearing, Mr.
Gunn said:
The urgency of this is enormous. We are very near the point
of no return.
Those are not Robert Byrd's words. They are the words of Mr. David
Gunn, new president of Amtrak. Let me repeat them:
The urgency of this is enormous. We are very near the point
of no return.
In the days since that hearing, there has been no news that I know
about to change Mr. Gunn's assessment of the situation. Amtrak's board
of directors has been involved in discussions with Transportation
Secretary Norman Mineta and the Federal Railroad Administration. But
the national administration, instead of stepping up to the plate and
providing Amtrak with the funding that it needs, has pushed for a half-
way approach that only delays the crisis.
I have spoken with Secretary Mineta. I have spoken with President
Gunn. Following those conversations, it is clear that the best
alternative is an emergency appropriation of $205 million. That is cash
on the barrel head. There is no time for creative accounting. There is
no time for posturing. There is no time for so-called reforms. We can
talk about reforms and improvements later, but we cannot reform a dead
railroad. Amtrak needs help. It needs help now.
Last September, when the nation's airline industry was shut down, to
whom did Americans turn for transportation? To Amtrak. Since then,
Amtrak's ridership has continued to increase, with record numbers of
Americans turning to passenger rail service. At a time when the Nation
is turning to Amtrak, the Federal Government should not turn its back.
On September 21, after just a few hours of debate, Senators approved
$15 billion for the airline industry. Of those funds, $10 billion was
made available in loan guarantees and $5 billion in cash for emergency
grants. Few questions were asked. The airlines needed this infusion;
the airlines got it. Congress acted; the administration acted. We
should do the same now.
We did not blink when the airline industry faced a financial crisis.
The administration did not urge grand reforms of the airline industry
in order to qualify for these funds. Congress did not urge grand
reforms of the airline industry in order to qualify for these funds.
When asked for help, when the need was clear, Congress and the
administration provided help to the airlines. We ought to show the same
leadership for the Nation's rail passengers and employees.
The truth of the matter is that none of this has to happen. We can
provide a short-term immediate solution for Amtrak to carry it through
the fiscal year by enacting the proposal I have made, with the support
of Senator Stevens, in the supplemental appropriations conference, for
$205 million in the supplemental appropriations bill.
I have joined with more than 40 Senators to urge President Bush to
support the $205 million supplemental appropriation. As the letter
states: The Nation's economy and the Nation's morale have suffered
enough since September 11. Allowing the Nation's passenger rail service
to shut down would idle more than 20,000 employees and throw the lives
of tens of thousands of passengers into disarray. The administration
and Congress must not allow this to happen.
Quite simply, Amtrak is vital. It is vital to those Americans who
rely on Amtrak for their daily commute to and from work. It is vital to
those Americans who use Amtrak for their vacation travel. It is vital
to thousands of rail employees. It is vital to our Nation's homeland
security. Congress should move ahead with an emergency appropriation
for Amtrak and stave off the bankruptcy that would result in absolute
chaos for the Nation's transportation network and would give certitude
and assurance to Amtrak that the Federal Government, Congress, and the
administration do not intend to let it happen to Amtrak; that the
Federal Government, that Congress and the administration, stand ready
to act, and act quickly. The administration and the congressional
leadership should support the addition of $205 million in the
supplemental appropriations bill for Amtrak.
I yield the floor.
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