[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 23, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1541]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  MOTION TO GO TO CONFERENCE ON S. 294, PASSENGER RAIL INVESTMENT AND 
                        IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. RUSH D. HOLT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 22, 2008

  Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 294, the 
Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, legislation that 
would authorize $14.9 billion in funding for Amtrak over the next 5 
years.
  Rail service has integrated small communities with large cities 
across the country providing opportunity for economic expansion, 
increased mobility, and environmentally sound transit. Since Amtrak was 
founded in 1971, our country has benefited from organized, reliable and 
safe service to individuals commuting to and from work and individuals 
using rail service for extended travel. Amtrak also serves as an 
essential component of easing traffic congestion, reducing wear and 
tear on roads, protecting our environment and preserving open space 
across the country. With the skyrocketing costs of airline flights and 
gas prices at over $4 a gallon, individuals are relying more and more 
on rail service.
  It is no exaggeration to say that rail service is the lifeline from 
which New Jersey's state economy draws nourishment. Our region's 
employers--small, medium, and large--depend upon an integrated rail 
operation to enable many of their employees to get to and from work. 
Clients, potential clients, and business partners use the train to come 
to New Jersey. Our local entrepreneurs use Amtrak to pitch their ideas 
and sell their products outside of our home state.
  It is thus of critical importance that we provide Amtrak with the 
funding it needs to support its growing ridership, both in New Jersey 
and throughout the country. For the last 12 years, Amtrak has been 
suffering from a lack of federal support and for the last 6 years it 
has been operating without Congressional authorization. In order to 
keep from going out of business, Amtrak was forced to delay crucial 
repairs and security improvements, freeze the salaries of its 
employees, renege on employee pensions and go billions of dollars into 
debt. The legislation before us today would authorize the funding 
necessary to improve Amtrak's operations throughout the country and 
bring our country's rail service into the 21st Century.
  S. 294 authorizes $14.9 billion for Amtrak over the next 5 years, 
$4.2 billion of which would be used for capital grants to help Amtrak 
afford to make necessary repairs and upgrades to the Northeast 
Corridor. It would also allow Amtrak to procure new rolling stock, 
rehabilitate existing bridges, as well as make additional capital 
improvements and maintenance over its entire network.
  As a regular Amtrak rider, I appreciate the professionalism and 
service that customers enjoy every day. Amtrak's hard working 
employees, including the over 1,300 employed in New Jersey, have 
continued to provide high quality service despite Amtrak's payroll 
freezes and pension problems. The Passenger Rail Investment and 
Improvement Act would provide Amtrak with $3 billion in operating 
grants, which would help Amtrak make good on its promises to these 
employees. A portion of these funds would be used to pay employees 
salaries, health costs, and overtime pay. It would also help Amtrak pay 
for increasing fuel costs, facilities, maintenance and train 
operations.
  This legislation would also create a new Capital Grant program to 
provide grants for States for intercity passenger rail capital 
projects. In New Jersey the demand for public transportation has 
increased dramatically, with NJ Transit providing 900,000 trips per 
weekday on its trains, buses and light-rail vehicles. S. 294 would 
authorize over $2.5 billion in grants to states over the next 5 years 
to help organizations like NJ Transit pay for the capital costs of 
facilities and the equipment necessary to provide new or improved 
intercity passenger rail.
  I am pleased that S. 294 includes language I wrote with 
Representative Murphy that would require Amtrak to study the 
feasibility of increasing passenger rail service between Princeton 
Junction, NJ, and Philadelphia, PA. The Princeton Junction station has 
seen a 90 percent decrease in Amtrak ridership since 2004 due to 
reductions in Amtrak service at the Princeton Junction Station. While 
NJ Transit was able to step in to fill the service void to New York 
City, commuters to Philadelphia no longer have access to direct. The 
demand for public transportation will continue to increase, and it is 
essential that we ensure that we are using existing transportation 
resources efficiently to meet this demand. This study would require 
Amtrak to ensure that they are using this station effectively.
  The Passenger Rail Investment Reauthorization Act would also provide 
$1.7 billion over the next 5 years to help Amtrak pay off the debt it 
incurred when Congress drastically cut its funding in 2000 and 2001. 
Amtrak has aggressively targeted this debt, paying down $600 million 
from 2002 through 2007. This bill would help Amtrak take further steps 
to reduce its debt, and allow Amtrak to focus its resources on 
improving existing services and making additional capital and 
operational improvements.
  S. 294 would bring American passenger rail into the 21st century, 
authorizing $1.7 billion for the construction of eleven high-speed rail 
networks spanning the entire Nation, the first of which would be a 
high-speed rail corridor between Washington, D.C. and New York City. 
Countries like France, England and Japan have greatly improved the 
experience of commuters through the utilization of high speed 
corridors. This would lead to more efficient public transportation and 
help the more than 1.5 million New Jerseyans who use Amtrak spend less 
time commuting and more time at home with their families.
  Supporting public transportation especially passenger rail, should be 
a crucial element of our national effort to slow the rate of global 
climate change and reduce our dependence on foreign fuels. Passenger 
rail consumes 21 percent less energy per passenger mile than 
automobiles and 17 percent less than airplanes. It releases half the 
amount of greenhouse gases per passenger mile as either air or car 
travel. The continued operation of Amtrak is an essential component of 
easing traffic congestion, reducing wear and tear on roads, protecting 
our environment and preserving open space in New Jersey and across the 
country.
  Rail service is a fundamental component of our Nation's continually 
growing transportation system, and Amtrak has demonstrated the capacity 
of integrated rail service to expand economic opportunity, commuter 
options, and make vital contributions to the fabric of our communities. 
I urge my colleagues to support S. 294.

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