[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11461]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    SUPPORT EMERGENCY AMTRAK FUNDING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on a matter of utmost 
importance for the transportation, economic, and environmental needs of 
our Nation, and the Northeast in particular, and that is the survival 
of Amtrak.
  For 31 years the Amtrak rail system has provided an essential service 
to millions of Americans, providing safe, reliable travel at an 
affordable price. It has sought to balance competing public service and 
commercial objectives, but has never been given adequate resources to 
deliver either objective fully. And now, without an immediate infusion 
of $200 million in emergency funds, an Amtrak shutdown could occur 
within days. This will cause serious disruptions for commuters and 
travelers everywhere.
  The fact is, funding for Amtrak is not simply an issue of 
transportation. It is an issue of economics, commerce, and livability.
  In my State of Connecticut, Amtrak's service is a vital component of 
daily life, as it is to thousands of cities and towns along the east 
coast. Over 1 million Connecticut citizens rely on Amtrak annually, 
370,000 in my hometown of New Haven alone. So many people there rely on 
Amtrak to commute to work from New York City. Others rely on it to 
bring commerce and tourism into cities without commuter airline 
service. In the Northeast, people travel Amtrak because it is, quite 
simply, the most convenient and time-efficient method of traveling from 
city to city, alleviating the heavy rush-hour traffic faced by so many 
commuters today. In doing so, it is a major contributor to reducing 
emissions that contribute to respiratory illnesses like asthma. That 
helps us keep our air clean and our children healthy.
  Amtrak means jobs as well. They own and operate a rail yard in New 
Haven, Connecticut, where maintenance and equipment repair take place. 
One can only imagine how busy they are, given the continual 
underfunding of Amtrak. All in all, Amtrak employs nearly 700 employees 
in Connecticut alone.
  Since September 11, I might add, Americans are looking for 
alternatives to commercial airlines; and despite our best efforts to 
make our airline security the best in the world, many Americans still 
fear for their safety. Amtrak has proven that it is a viable 
transportation alternative.
  With so many concerns regarding air traffic congestion, from safety 
to overcrowded skies, it simply makes sense that we have in place an 
alternative mode of transportation that will alleviate the stress 
currently on our air traffic controllers and our airline security 
forces. The fact is, more choices means less risk to our people, less 
stress, healthier communities and, thus, a more livable region.
  For over 3 decades, funding for America's passenger railroad has 
nearly been enough to keep the system operating on a year-to-year 
basis, which prevents it from meeting its long-term public service 
mission, not to mention its capital obligations.
  The administration's budget for Amtrak requests $521 million for 
2003, less than half of what Amtrak says it needs to meet its long-term 
and short-term financial needs. Sadly, this amount would only maintain 
the current level of funding and represents less than half of what 
Amtrak needs.
  The fact is that the Federal Government dedicates resources for 
highways, airlines, airports, runways for capital improvements. Despite 
the popular myth, Amtrak has no such luxury. Amtrak is expected to pay 
for capital and track improvements, new cars, repairs and maintenance. 
With only a fraction of the Federal subsidies for airlines and 
highways, Amtrak is expected to do a lot more with a lot less.
  Recently, I sent a letter, along with 161 of my colleagues, asking 
Congress to fully fund Amtrak at $1.9 billion. This funding includes 
$1.2 billion in Federal funding for capital and operating expenses, as 
well as $375 million for much-needed rail security projects across the 
system, and $400 million for life-safety improvements in Amtrak tunnels 
along the northeast corridor.
  We are asking for $200 million to be made available immediately. If 
we can move heaven and Earth in order to provide the airlines with $15 
billion with very few strings attached, as we did last fall, surely we 
can find $200 million to keep Amtrak running when so many people rely 
on it.
  Failure to provide the necessary funds will not only mean the 
suspension of Amtrak service in the busy northeast corridor and the 
likely permanent loss of long-distance trains; it will mean that 
thousands of commuters around the Nation will be stranded; loss of 
production, loss of $1 million for communities and companies in areas 
where these areas need the services. It is unacceptable.
  Mr. Speaker, Amtrak is too important to our communities to let die. 
It needs reforms. Let us do it in a realistic timetable that does not 
ignore the needs of millions of Americans. Congress and the 
administration must send a clear signal that they will not allow Amtrak 
to go bankrupt. Let us give them the $200 million that it needs.

                          ____________________