[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 48 (Thursday, April 27, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H1873]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          RAILROAD TO NOWHERE

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, the President this week threatened to veto 
the emergency supplemental spending bill currently under consideration 
in the Senate, and rightfully so.
  Members of the other body have been busy adding billions of dollars 
in non-emergency pork to this emergency spending bill, and the price 
tag is simply unjustifiable.
  One particularly egregious earmark seeks $700 million in Federal 
funds to move a railroad track that has just been repaired at the cost 
of $250 million. Supporters of the project say the rail line needs to 
be moved because it is vulnerable to hurricane damage. Yet the proposed 
new location is just a short distance inland and was greatly damaged by 
Katrina last year.
  The real reason supporters want this newly repaired rail line moved 
is to make room for a casino gambling development along the gulf coast.
  Mr. Speaker, relocating a newly updated rail line to an equally 
vulnerable area simply to make room for casino gambling is not an 
emergency. The taxpayer should not have to pick up the tab for this 
railroad to nowhere.
  I urge the President to stand by his veto threat unless pork like 
this is removed from the bill.

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