[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 10, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S1380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     PASSENGER RAIL REAUTHORIZATION

  Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, the House of Representatives recently 
passed H.R. 749, the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015.
  I am pleased to see the House take bipartisan action on this bill. 
Intercity passenger rail is a critical part of our transportation 
infrastructure. People in many regions of the country are in desperate 
need of better ways to travel between fast-growing cities, and 
passenger rail is our best hope at relieving congestion on highways and 
runways that don't have additional room to expand.
  The House bill is a good step forward. H.R. 749 would maintain 
current levels of Federal support for Amtrak to operate routes that 
connect the country. It would also authorize some additional funding to 
invest in passenger rail projects and improve a Federal loan program 
that can be used for rail infrastructure. This is a productive place to 
start.
  The authorization levels in this bill are too low to get our 
passenger rail network where it needs to be, let alone to keep up with 
the rest of the world by bringing high-speed rail to the United States. 
H.R. 749 also fails to address critical rail safety priorities or even 
reauthorize funding for the Federal Railroad Administration's safety 
oversight activities.
  We can and must do better than a flat-funded authorization bill that 
turns a blind eye to safety and to the growing needs of our country. I 
look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to improve 
this bill and make some real progress toward developing modern, safe, 
and efficient passenger rail options that America deserves.

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