Hotline #7-A - November 10, 1997

The Senate on November 7 passed on a voice vote S.738, the Senate Amtrak reauthorization bill. This important step towards Amtrak vitality was achieved after many hours of negotiation last week over the labor and liability issues. Principally, these are:

• Removing labor protection from statute, but continuing it for another 180 days while it is negotiated between labor and management.
• Removing the ban on contracting out from statute, making it part of current contracts that are up for renewal about two years from now.
• Placing a global liability cap of $200 million per Amtrak accident.

The issue the moved back over to the House. Apparently, House Democrats have accepted the Senate's compromises on labor and liability. However, there seems to be some disagreement over changing the composition of the Amtrak board -- some want to change it, as outlined in Chairman Shuster's bill, H.R.2247; and others want to leave the board alone, as done by the Senate bill.

Late last night, the House Rules Committee approved rules for debating the Amtrak bill on the House floor. This could happen after the House reconvenes at noon on November 12, after a short Veterans Day recess. Basically, the Rules Committee approved the concept of a Shuster substitute for S.738 to be debated on the House floor.

The most important thing to do right now is to call the Office of the Speaker of the House, and tell Speaker Gingrich that it is very important for an Amtrak bill to pass this week. The Speaker's phone number is 202/225-0600. Also -- if your Representative is a Republican -- tell him or her that same message, that it is very important to pass an Amtrak bill this week, to Speaker Gingrich and Chairman Shuster. The Capitol switchboard number is 202/224-3121.

The Senate has given up on passing a six-year ISTEA renewal bill, S.1173, this year. However, on November 7, the Senate passed a six-month ISTEA renewal similar, but not identical, to a six-month extension already passed by the House. House and Senate leaders reached a compromise over the weekend, and the Senate passed the compromise version this afternoon. The House will consider the compromise version when it returns November 12.