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C-SPAN Poll on Amtrak Funding
Monday, October 29, 2007
As the Senate debates S.294, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act that would reauthorize Amtrak, C-SPAN has a poll on its CapitalNews web site asking, “Should Amtrak receive federal funding?” So far, over 1100 respondents have voted, with “Yes” leading “No” by a margin of 74% to 26%.
While this is not a scientific poll, we encourage you to vote and show your support for passenger rail and parity in transportation funding!
Most importantly, please contact your Senators’ offices by telephone tomorrow after 9 AM Eastern time. The Senate should move to a final vote on S.294 by tomorrow, and Wednesday morning at the latest. As was the case last week, the message to your Senators continues to be: Please support S.294 and please vote against any other anti-passenger rail amendment that is offered, especially amendments to cut funding or add micromanaging language to the bill. Press reports today indicate that Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO) may offer an amendment to reinstate the disastrous “Self-Sufficiency” language from the 1997 Amtrak reauthorization. (S.294 specifically eliminates this requirement.)
--Matthew Melzer
Posted by NARP
Tags: amtrak reauthorization, c-span, polls, senate action,Senate Politics Impeding Rail Safety and Reauthorization Bill
Friday, September 26, 2008
On Wednesday, the House passed by voice vote H.R. 2095, which combines the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 and the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (the latter incorporating provisions from S. 294). Yesterday, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) placed a hold on the bill, preventing an up-or-down vote in the Senate without cloture.
In a Wall Street Journal article posted yesterday afternoon, “Senator Holds Up Bill on Train Safety Device,” Sen. Coburn is quoted saying “Amtrak loses $2 billion a year subsidizing food.”
This is an absurd figure, since Amtrak’s total operating grant is under $500 million--$490 million in the FY 06 and 07 appropriations bills, and $475 million this year.
No one thinks operations generate a $2.5 billion profit that mostly goes to offsetting food losses, yet that’s what Coburn’s math implies.
While Amtrak has reduced food losses since the June 9, 2005 House hearing on this issue, it is important to remember what Amtrak Senior Vice President—Operations William L. Crosbie said in his testimony then: “Amtrak’s food and beverage service is a fundamental part of the service that we offer on board the majority of the trains that we operate on a daily basis. Its primary purpose is to enhance ticket sales and ridership, not serve as a profit center.”
It would be nice if Senators could get the facts right, especially ones who are trying to deny the Senate the chance to vote on this bill.
--Ross Capon
Posted by NARP
Tags: amtrak, amtrak reauthorization, news media, safety, senate action, wall street journal,©2006 National Association of Railroad Passengers | » NARP website
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