[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 27139]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                                 AMTRAK

  Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, I will not require more than a few 
moments to thank my friend from New Jersey and express confidence in 
the Senators from Massachusetts and Delaware who have just spoken, to 
thank the distinguished chairman of the Appropriations Committee and my 
revered friend, the ranking member, the Senator from West Virginia, and 
the majority leader.
  May I say, sir--something we often lose sight of--this is a national 
issue and ought to be addressed by the Congress. We are the only major 
industrial state in the world that has not sought to recreate and 
revivify its rail system in the last generation.
  The Committee on Environment and Public Works in the last 20 years 
has turned to this. In 1989, we passed the Intermodal Surface 
Transportation Efficiency Act, calling for just such measures--later 
the Transportation Efficiency Act. We created financial instruments and 
the possibility of investments to be involved.
  We can do this. We are on the verge of it. To miss it at this moment 
would be to miss a moment in history for which I think we will not be 
happy. But I am so confident, from what I have heard today, that I 
leave the Senate yet more proud of having been here 24 years, thanking 
all--thanking particularly the Presiding Officer for his friendship and 
leadership in so many important matters.
  I yield the floor with great satisfaction of what has just 
transpired. If this is the kind of mode we enter into in January, there 
is much to expect from the 107th.
  Thanks to my friend from New Jersey.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from New York.
  The majority leader made a private statement to me, which I will 
state publicly. He said, as we ready for my departure, bipartisanship 
is breaking out all over. And I am not quite sure how that is meant. 
But I yield up to 3 minutes to the Senator from Pennsylvania, with the 
understanding I retain the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The 
Senator from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. SPECTER. I thank the distinguished Senator from New Jersey for 
yielding to me. I compliment him for his leadership on Amtrak generally 
and especially on this current plan for financing.
  I support Amtrak and believe the proposal to provide this additional 
funding is very much in the national interest. I think it is a very 
salutary thing, as some have already commented, that we have people 
extending their hands across the aisle on a matter of great national 
importance.
  The Senator from Delaware, I think, characterized the situation very 
aptly when he talked about federalism; and that is, one region helping 
another region.
  There is no doubt that those of us who live in the eastern corridor--
and I am a beneficiary of Amtrak. It is 1 hour and 37 civilized minutes 
from Washington, DC, to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. But it is 
more than my convenience; it is the infrastructure of the country.
  I think this is very good for the country that we are going to be 
moving ahead with this legislation next year, and a very good sign for 
the 107th Congress that hands are being extended across the aisle to 
show bipartisanship. If this carries forward in the next year 
generally, it will be very good for the American people.
  I, again, thank my colleague from New Jersey.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. I thank the Senator from Pennsylvania for not only 
his comments but for his help. He is someone we counted on to work so 
closely with us, to bring seriously a bipartisan aspect to the 
protection that we are looking for to make sure that Amtrak--the 
national goal for railroading all across this country--will be able to 
continue.
  It is obvious to me, as we have listened to the comments, that unless 
these investments are made now, or very soon, we will be unable to 
fulfill the objectives of having Amtrak as a self-sufficient entity 
operating with its operating budget met by the revenues that it 
derives. The funds that we will be able to get from this proposed bond 
issue will enable it to make the capital investment it so desperately 
needs.




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