[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 83 (Friday, May 28, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E980]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     IN SUPPORT OF SECTION 45G, THE SHORT LINE RAILROAD TAX CREDIT

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                       HON. THOMAS S.P. PERRIELLO

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 27, 2010

  Mr. PERRIELLO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Section 
45G Short Line Railroad Tax Credit, which expired on December 31, 2009, 
so that we can support our nation's railway industry and the jobs that 
it creates.
  Section 45G was enacted in 2004 to help America's lighter-density 
freight rail lines invest in their infrastructure. Because this credit 
has not been extended for 2010, the Buckingham Branch Railroad in the 
5th district of Virginia has been unable to make track repairs and much 
needed upgrades, thereby affecting Amtrak schedules and long term 
planning. Fifty cents of every dollar that the Buckingham Branch 
Railroad spends on improving its rail infrastructure is directed to 
labor costs, keeping Virginians employed.
  The Short Line Railroad Tax Credit generates 6,890,000 rail track 
worker-hours each year and 3,305 full-time jobs nationwide. These 
numbers do not include the tens of thousands of jobs in the American 
steel, timber, and aggregate industries that make steel rail, railroad 
ties, and other railway equipment.
  Section 45G is vital to enabling railway companies to pay their track 
employees and invest in tracks that serve local businesses. Short line 
rail tracks connect many of America's small businesses to the national 
freight rail network and promote economic development in areas that 
need it most.
  I respectfully encourage the conference committee to ensure that the 
Short Line Railroad Tax Credit is successfully maintained.

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