[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 21]
[Senate]
[Pages 28802-28803]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             PASSENGER RAIL INVESTMENT AND IMPROVEMENT ACT

  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I am in support of the Passenger Rail 
Investment and Improvement Act of 2007.
  The passage of this critical legislation is truly a great 
achievement. For New Yorkers, Amtrak is not just a commodity but a life 
source. Passenger rail is an essential element of our transportation 
network that provides irreplaceable capacity and mobility to New York 
and the Nation. For the past near 7 years, we have had to fight the 
administration's constant attempts to privatize and dismantle our 
Nation's premier passenger rail service, Amtrak. Eliminating Amtrak 
service would be an economic disaster and an irresponsible policy.
  Today, as gas prices continue to climb and airline delays are at an 
alltime high, Amtrak not only provides a necessary and affordable 
alternative to our congested airways, it links commuters to local 
locations not serviced by the airline industry. The enactment of 
Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007 will end the 
stop-gap funding process for Amtrak and will provide the traveling 
public with the security of a comprehensive plan for improving our 
nation's passenger rail system.
  No country in the world has ever developed and maintained a 
successful passenger railroad system without assistance from their 
national government. Without offering an alternative, President Bush 
has aimed to simply shut down passenger rail in the US.
  This plan will authorize $19.2 billion in Federal funds for Amtrak by 
providing $3.2 billion over the next 6 years and will allow Amtrak to 
make critical repairs and improvements to its service. Funding under 
this legislation will allow Amtrak to implement a comprehensive plan 
that will enhance rail security, reduce train delays, and improve 
customer service. It will also provide sufficient funding and direction 
to bring the Northeast corridor up to a ``state-of-good-repair,'' 
including vital tunnel life safety work in the Hudson River Tunnels.
  In recent years, attempts by Congress to improve and modernize 
Amtrak's operations were stalled by the Republican-controlled House, 
and earlier this year the President proposed cutting $493 million, more 
than 38 percent of Amtrak's operating funds. This sort of backward 
thinking would have severely jeopardized Amtrak's ability to serve 
their passenger lines in New York and throughout the Northeast.
  Mr. President, in the State of New York, Amtrak operates 140 routes, 
employs more than 1,900 people, and has 2 of the top 10 busiest 
stations in their rail system. Amtrak is an integral part of our 
transportation infrastructure and continues to service parts of the 
State that need the influx of tourists, business travelers, and others. 
The future without Amtrak for New York would be devastating.
  I am proud that the full Senate has rejected the administration's 
approach to Amtrak. As an original cosponsor of this legislation, I 
commend Senator Lautenberg and Senator Lott for their leadership in 
steering this critically important legislation through the Senate. As 
an original cosponsor of this legislation, I am pleased that my Senate 
colleagues have voted overwhelmingly to continue to provide critical 
funding for Amtrak, and I look forward to this legislation being signed 
into law.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, yesterday, the Senate made a strong 
and long-overdue investment in the future of public transit in Rhode 
Island and throughout the country. I am pleased to have cast my vote 
for the passage of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 
2007 (PRIIA), which will guide the maintenance, growth, and funding of 
the railroad through Fiscal Year 2012.
  Each year, over 12 million business and leisure travelers depend on 
Amtrak's Northeast Corridor service, which connects the great cities of 
New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. Providence is a vital link on 
this route, with more than half a million Amtrak passengers boarding 
and departing Amtrak trains in the city each year. Also on the 
Northeast corridor route are Kingston and Westerly, Rhode Island. 
Kingston is home to the University of Rhode Island, and Amtrak gives 
students, faculty, researchers, and visitors direct access to this 
thriving college town. The Westerly station provides rail service to 
residents of both Rhode Island and Connecticut who rely on public 
transportation.
  Despite its importance to millions of travelers, the Northeast 
Corridor has fallen into a state of disrepair in recent years. The 
infrastructure on this route is some of the oldest in the Nation, and a 
revitalization plan has been necessary for some time. This new Amtrak 
bill includes a strategy to restore the route to good condition by 
September of 2012--the first capital development plan put in place 
since Amtrak's previous authorization expired 5 years

[[Page 28803]]

ago--and authorizes full federal funding of necessary repairs and 
upgrades. The Amtrak bill also authorizes the formation of a commission 
to oversee the operation and maintenance of the Northeast Corridor. The 
commission will include Amtrak, the Federal Railroad Administration, 
and each state along the route. I am pleased that Rhode Island will 
have a voice in future planning for a resource so vital to us.
  In addition to funding operations and capital improvements, the 
Amtrak bill also addresses the congestion experienced on so many of the 
system's routes. By law, Amtrak passenger trains have the right of way 
over private freight trains, but this preference is often ignored. The 
bill the Senate passed today permits the Surface Transportation Board 
to assess fines against non-compliant freight railroads and to 
distribute damages to Amtrak. Congestion has increased in recent years, 
especially along the Northeast Corridor, and this provision should lead 
to fewer and shorter delays for passengers.
  Finally, let us celebrate a piece of good Rhode Island news--I have 
been informed that the escalators in the Providence train station, 
which have been broken and covered with dust since early 2005, are 
scheduled to be reopened and in service by the week of November 12.
  I congratulate Senators Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey and Trent Lott 
of Mississippi on the passage of this critical piece of legislation. I 
also want to recognize the contributions of Rhode Island's own Senator 
Jack Reed, who has been a strong and constant advocate for Amtrak. The 
new resources and clear development plan outlined in this bill reaffirm 
Congress's commitment to passenger rail service in the United States.

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