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(The following is a press release from NARP dated June 29, discussing the Amtrak vote on the House floor that day:)

The National Association of Railroad Passengers today praised Reps. Steven 
LaTourette (R-OH), James Oberstar (D-MN), Corinne Brown (D-FL), Nick
Rahall (D-WV) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) for their leadership in efforts to
prevent the permanent loss of intercity passenger rail service in the U.S.

The House of Representatives this afternoon on voice vote adopted the LaTourette/Oberstar amendment to increase Amtrak's FY06 federal grant to nearly $1.2 billion. Steve LaTourette (R-OH) chairs the Railroads Subcommittee and James Oberstar (D-MN) is the top Democrat on the full
House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.

The committee-passed level of $550 million would have assured shutdown, bankruptcy and chaos. As Amtrak President and CEO David L. Gunn wrote to House members yesterday, "faced with a $550 million appropriation, we would have no choice but to begin an orderly shut down of the railroad."

NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon said, "It is unfortunate that Amtrak must continually operate under the threat of shutdown at the end of the fiscal year. However, we are lucky to have leaders like Reps. LaTourette, Oberstar, Brown, Rahall and Menendez who understand both the importance of keeping Amtrak running and how close we are to losing the entire
system."

The House voted 269-152 for an amendment by Reps. Corinne Brown (D-FL), Nick 
Rahall (D-WV) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) to eliminate a committee-passed
prohibition against spending federal funds on most of Amtrak's route miles-all long-distance routes plus Chicago-Detroit, Chicago-Indianapolis and New York-Charlotte. Absent the rown/Rahall/Menendez amendment, the 
House would have voted against any service in 23 or 25 states (depending on whether one assumes that the Oklahoma City-Fort Worth train, not identified, could operate in isolation after termination of the Texas Eagle). At
least 70 Republicans voted for the amendment.

The language this amendment deleted was mischievous for two reasons. First, it would have ended all passenger rail service in so many states as to undercut Congress's ability to provide any funding for intercity passenger 
rail. Second, the language fostered the false notion that the committee-passed bill would allow some services to operate when that
clearly is not the case.

Finally, the House overwhelmingly rejected (59-362) an amendment by Rep. Mark Kennedy (R-MN) to partially undue the LaTourette/Oberstar amendment by 
transferring $100 million from Amtrak to programs for the homeless. Brown 
delivered an impassioned speech against the amendment. LaTourette likewise called the amendment a "wolf in sheep's clothing amendment" intended to hurt Amtrak.

The counterpart Senate bill may get subcommittee and full committee 
consideration the week of July 11.
 (NARP's website is 
http://www.narprail.org)
                              * * *
   Amtrak President David Gunn said that the vote  "sends a strong message that many in Congress believe that we need to maintain a national passenger rail system." 

   Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said the amendment "enables and encourages the wasteful spending and inefficient operations that have come to define Amtrak. Handing over more than a billion dollars with no reforms attached only gives Amtrak a blank check to continue misspending taxpayer money."

   Amtrak trains 798-799, the Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo Surfliners, have been designated to use Amtrak full-length dome car 10031, a "Great Dome" and Amtrak's only current dome car.  The car will be used as an extra coach.

SUMMER SOLSTICE IN BERLIN 1971

President Gunn Reacts to House Subcommittee's Anti-Amtrak Vote

Amtrak President Talks of Acela and Food Service (see complete article)

Amtrak computer outage creates problems with trains, reservations, tickets
   (see complete article)

RailPAC endorses Amtrak-Laney funding proposal with reservations
 (See complete article here)

Sources of hostility to Amtrak funding: Analysis

AMTRAK VERSUS MINETA IN MONTANA: THE STRANGE BATTLE OVER THE EMPIRE BUILDER
 
 
 
 
 
 

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DOT'S MINETA HARASSING AMTRAK &  AMTRAK'S REPLY TO THE MINETA LETTER
NARP: DOT OVERSTATES LONG DISTANCE TRAIN PRICE TAG BY $600 MILLION
SENATE HEARING UNDERLINES AMTRAK FUNDING CRUNCH; LONG-DISTANCE TRAINS NOT THE PROBLEM
The shape of long distance trains to come.
AMTRAK HEARINGS BEGIN; AMTRAK SUBMITS BUDGET REQUEST
MESSAGE FROM AMTRAK PRESIDENT DAVID GUNN TO EMPLOYEES APRIL 18 ON THE ACELA EXPRESS PROBLEM
FRA NOMINEE FACES SENATE COMMITTEE, SAYS AMTRAK'S BUDGET WILL NOT BE ZERO
EMPIRE BUILDER DERAILMENT BELIEVED CAUSED BY TRACK PROBLEM
COLORADO HIT BY MASSIVE SNOW STORM--TRAINS CONTINUE RUNNING
AMTRAK APRIL 25 SCHEDULE CHANGES
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