Rep. Gerlach Votes to Save Amtrak

Rep. Gerlach Votes to Save Amtrak

Washington, Jun 30 - Despite Administration efforts to cut Amtrak's FY '06 funding entirely, Congressman Jim Gerlach cast key votes yesterday that will ensure the nation's largest passenger rail service has the funding necessary to continue transporting thousands of people everyday.

"Thousands of people throughout the country rely on Amtrak every day as a means of getting to and from work," Rep. Gerlach said. "Certainly there are areas where Amtrak can improve its operating procedures to ensure a better use of its funding, but that doesn't mean we don't fund Amtrak. It was reassuring to see that so many of my colleagues in the House also realize the benefits of Amtrak, and voted to keep funding the nation's largest passenger rail line."

The first amendment vote, which passed the House by a voice vote Wednesday, provides Amtrak with an additional $626 million in the $135 billion FY '06 Transportation-Housing appropriations bill. All told, Amtrak's funding for next year will be nearly $1.2 billion. Congressman Gerlach also voted for an amendment stripping language from the appropriations bill that would have restricted federal funding to only Amtrak's most popular and profitable lines.

http://gerlach.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=29765