House increases funding to 1.17 billion!

[saxman]

This just in:

To NARP members, June 29, 2005, 2:15 p.m.--
The LaTourette-Oberstar amendment to increase Amtrak funding to $1.17 billion just passed the full House on a voice vote.  Thank you for all your calls of support!

However we are not yet out of the woods:

1) Later on today, the Brown-Rahall-Menendez amendment to strike the language that does not permit Amtrak to fund any route losing over $30 per passenger (all long distance routes and Chicago-Detroit, Chicago-Indianapolis, and The Carolinian) will be offered.  We need "YES" votes on this amendment to eliminate this language.

2) We also understand that anti-Amtrak amendments may still be offered to slash funding.  Thus, we need "NO" votes on any amendment to slash Amtrak funding.

Calls to your House members are still relevant!  Use our toll-free action hotline at 1-800-679-1581, code 1189 to contact your House member.

--David Johnson

Assistant Director

National Association of Railroad Passengers

Keep your calls coming!

 

[MrFSS]

Here is the full article:

NARP provided the following summary of what transpired in the House today regarding Amtrak funding for FY06.

--

To NARP Members, June 29, 2005, 7:55 p.m.--

First of all, thanks to all NARP members for their patience and

diligence in contacting their House members today, and for digesting

multiple messages from the NARP office.

Today, the full House of Representatives took up the fiscal 2006

Transportation/Treasury/HUD funding bill.  Several amendments were

offered related to Amtrak:

1) Early on in the debate, an amendment was offered by Rep. Steve

LaTourette (R-OH) and James Oberstar (D-MN) to raise Amtrak funding to

$1.17 billion.  This amendment passed on a voice vote; no recorded vote

was taken.  While $1.17 billion is less than Amtrak needs to operate in

fiscal 2006, the symbolism of a significant funding increase by the

House of Representatives sends a critical signal to the Senate, who will

take up Amtrak funding after the July 4th recess.  A higher level was

not attainable because more offsets--spending reductions in other

programs to pay for the increase--could not be found without increasing

taxes (a non-starter with this Congress).  This was a very important

victory; thank you again for all your efforts!

2) The bill as passed from the House Appropriations committee included

language forbidding Amtrak from spending federal funds on any route

losing more than $30.00 per passengers.  This was an attack on all long

distance routes; it also would kill Chicago-Detroit,

Chicago-Indianapolis, and the New York-Richmond-Charlotte Carolinian.

Reps. Corrine Brown (D-FL), Nick Rahall (D-WV), Robert Menendez (D-NJ),

and Gerald Nadler (D-NY) offered an amendment to strike this language.

Rep. Brown called for a recorded vote.  In the last few minutes of the

vote, the Capitol Hill police ordered evacuation of the entire Capitol

due to a small plane violating restricted airspace and voting time was

extended to a total of 30 minutes.  Despite this, the amendment passed

on a vote of 269-152, a --very-- strong margin of support, with over 70

Republicans voting for the amendment.

3) Finally, Rep. Mark Kennedy (R-MN) offered an amendment to strip $100

million of Amtrak funding and transfer it to funding for the homeless.

While everyone can appreciate the sensitive nature of voting against

homeless funding, the fact is that this was--as Representative Steve

LaTourette (R-OH) said--a "wolf in sheep's clothing amendment" intended

to hurt Amtrak.  Rep. Kennedy called for a recorded vote (which turned

out to be much shorter than the previous vote!) and his amendment failed

by a wide margin: 51-362.

While the full bill continues debate tomorrow and possibly Friday, NARP

is nearly certain that this is the end of any action on Amtrak issues.

However, please keep you eyes on your e-mail in case of any last-minute

efforts to slash Amtrak.  

NARP WISHES TO THANK ALL OF ITS MEMBERS FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN CONTACTING

THEIR HOUSE MEMBERS TO IMPROVE THIS BILL!  Your voice DID make a

difference!

We are very pleased with the implementation of our automated phone

banking system and toll-free Congressional Action line.  Thousands of

calls have been placed to Capitol Hill through one of these two methods.

We heard from many Hill offices that they were getting a loud and clear

message to support Amtrak funding.

What's next?  The Senate will take up consideration of Amtrak's

appropriations request after the Fourth of July recess; Congress returns

on July 11.  NARP will let you know when to begin communicating with

your Senators regarding Amtrak's appropriation.

--Ross B. Capon

NARP Executive Director

 

[lepearso]

I wish I could personally thank all 70 Republicans who stood in favor of Amtrak despite all the pressure from the White House!!! They have made me very, very proud for standing firm!!!

 

[AmtrakFan]

YES! This is a good day but I want AT LEAST $1.5 BIllion but $1.825 Billion. But I will take $1.2 Billion

 

[Midland Valley]

I wish I could personally thank all 70 Republicans who stood in favor of Amtrak despite all the pressure from the White House!!! They have made me very, very proud for standing firm!!!

Since it was a voice vote, is there a list of the yea votes anywhere?

 

[PRR 60]

Since it was a voice vote, is there a list of the yea votes anywhere?

There were two major votes relative to Amtrak. The first was to increase the appropration to $1.2 billion. That was by voice vote and, of course, there is no list of voters. The second was to strip the bill of language prohibiting expendatures on trains losing more than $30 per passenger. That was by recorded vote and you can view the vote HERE.

There was a third vote, not ever a factor, to strip $100 million from Amtrak to fund homeless shelters. That ammendment was defeated overwhelmingly. No word on whether the homeless would have been sheltered in idled Superliners.

 

[Midland Valley]

Thank you PRR 60. It was good to see my R. Representative from the big First District of Kansas voted yes!

 

[capltd29]

I was glad to see my Republican Representative Randy Forbes from the 4th district in Virginia, voted yes, i guess my calls paid off!

 

[rile42]

I also was happy to see my representative Tiberi from Ohio buck the administration and vote pro-Amtrak. I was concerned after one response to an e-mail that I sent him.

 

[National Limited]

Any chance the amount could be "upped" somewhere along the line?

 

[Viewliner]

I was very happy to see my representative, Pascrell (D-NJ) was very solidly pro-Amtrak when in came to voting for (and speaking on) the amendments to increase funding and remove the requirements limiting funding per passenger, as well as voting against the amendment to take $100 million from Amtrak. B)

 

[PRR 60]

Any chance the amount could be "upped" somewhere along the line?

It can go up or down. The Senate has the second say. The two bills will not be the same. Then the conference committee (made up of Representatives and Senators) drafts a compromise bill. That is the final bill that goes to both the House and the Senate, and if passed, goes to the President for signature. So, this is step one.

One: House passes their bill. Done

Two: Senate passes their bill.

Three: Conference Committee drafts common bill based on House and Senate bill.

Four: House and Senate pass final bill.

Five: President signs bill

The bill can be derailed (sorry) at any of these steps.

 

[rile42]

I received a phone call this afternoon from the office of Rep. Tiberi that I mentioned in an ealier post. I was not available to take the call but a message was left saying he would call in a couple of days. Anybody want to lay odds that the call is about his favorable Amtrak vote and to reassure me of his pro-Amtrak stance. Jeez, I hate to admit this but once, just this once, I might vote for a Republican in the next Congressional election. My father, an ex-railroader is probably rolling over in his grave.

 

[Steve4031]

Barack Obama sent me an email reassuring me that he was supporting Amtrak. This was in response to an email I had sent months ago. I am impressed with that.

 

[MrFSS]

Here's what I received from the my other senator. McConnell had already answered.