[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 6 (Monday, January 13, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H99-H100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMTRAK EXECUTIVE BONUS DISCLOSURE ACT
Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 192) to amend title 49, United States Code, to require
Amtrak to include information on base pay and bonus compensation of
certain Amtrak executives, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 192
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Amtrak Executive Bonus
Disclosure Act''.
SEC. 2. AMTRAK REPORTS AND AUDITS.
Section 24315(a) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) by inserting ``, and make available to the public on
the website of Amtrak,'' after ``submit to Congress''; and
(2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
``(2) provide the annual base pay and any bonus
compensation paid to a member of the executive leadership
team (including the chief executive officer, president, and
officers) of Amtrak, including the criteria and metrics used
to determine any such bonus compensation; and''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Graves) and the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hoyle) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.
General Leave
Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5
legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert
extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 192.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
H.R. 192 was introduced by Representative Rouzer, and I am very proud
to be a cosponsor on this bill. The bill is intended to ensure that
annual bonuses awarded to Amtrak's top executives are made public at
the beginning of every calendar year.
Amtrak relies heavily on government subsidies, and during more than
50 years of existence, it has never made a profit. Nonetheless, Amtrak
executives have been awarded generous six-figure bonuses despite
financial losses and service issues.
The disclosure of such huge payouts rightfully outrages the public
and members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This
bill is a
[[Page H100]]
strong step toward transparency and accountability for Amtrak
executives and Amtrak's board of directors, which awards the bonuses.
I very much appreciate the gentleman from North Carolina
Representative Rouzer's work on this legislation, and I would urge
adoption by the House.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise in support of the Amtrak Executive Bonus Disclosure Act. This
bill would require Amtrak to post the executive leadership team
compensation annually on the Amtrak website.
Congress already requires the Nation's intercity passenger railroad
to submit this information to Congress. This bill would increase
transparency of the information to the public and require it to be
posted online as well, as Amtrak has now done for the last 2 years.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
North Carolina (Mr. Rouzer), the bill's sponsor.
Mr. ROUZER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, the Amtrak
Executive Bonus Disclosure Act, which increases accountability and
transparency at Amtrak by requiring public disclosure of taxpayer-
funded bonuses given to its top executives.
Amtrak was created 55 years ago by Congress as a for-profit entity to
relieve our Nation's vital freight railroads of their obligation under
law to provide what had proved to be an unprofitable intercity
passenger rail service.
Since then, Amtrak has done no better. They have failed to ever make
a profit and struggle to provide adequate service.
Even with the post-pandemic improvements in ridership, staggering
financial losses remain. In 2023, Amtrak lost more than $1.7 billion
despite collecting $11 billion in taxpayer subsidies and almost $22
billion in advanced funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
Act.
Amtrak's delays and customer service failures were front and center
the day after Christmas just a month ago when the Northeast Corridor
train didn't board any passengers at Washington's Union Station. Mr.
Speaker, 100 customers were stranded during the busiest travel time of
the year when operations should be the most efficient.
Amtrak is also hampered with project delays. Delayed projects lead to
cost overruns and significant revenue losses. For example, its new
Acela II train service for the Northeast Corridor is more than 3 years
behind schedule with no firm date on when it will enter service. This
delay has led to a $140 million loss in revenue according to a 2023 OIG
report. Relying on government bailouts to make up for losses must end.
Despite this track record, no pun intended, the Amtrak board of
directors awarded the company's 15 executives more than $9 million in
bonuses during the last 2 years. Congress, Amtrak employees, and the
public were shocked and outraged, and rightly so, to discover such
generous and questionable awards paid largely by taxpayers.
The Transportation Workers Union, which represents 1,500 Amtrak
service workers, said that these bonuses are an affront to every Amtrak
worker and American taxpayers, which is why the TWU endorsed this bill
during the previous Congress when it last passed the House.
While Amtrak has taken steps to be more transparent about their
executives' bonuses, they only did so after a hearing before the
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Congressional oversight and influence should not be necessary for
this information to be made public, but unfortunately, it is. It is why
this bill has been brought to the floor today, to require Amtrak to
publish its annual executive bonus awards on its website, providing
passengers, employees, and taxpayers with transparency regarding how
their tax dollars are being spent.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation.
Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Graves,
Representatives Frederica Wilson, Troy Nehls, and David Rouzer for
working together to bring this very important legislation forward to
increase transparency for the American people. I urge my colleagues to
support this legislation. It is a good bill. It should pass.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 192 provides the necessary transparency
for Amtrak. This legislation passed the House last Congress under
suspension of the rules by voice vote, and I look forward to it passing
again today.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 192.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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