Rehberg: President's Amtrak Budget a Good Start

Rehberg: President's Amtrak Budget a Good Start

February 1, 2006

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana's Congressman, Denny Rehberg said the White House's decision to back away from its previous plans to curtail Amtrak funding is a good start on maintaining the Empire Builder line. The Administration today proposed spending $900 million for the passenger rail service in its fiscal 2007 budget proposal.

"This is a step in the right direction. I have continually fought to defend this critical service for Montana, and I am prepared to do so again," said Rehberg, who led the successful effort in Congress last year to fend-off the administration's 2006 budget plan that would have virtually eliminated the annual operating funds, save for some commuter rail and maintenance support funding.

The White House's 2006 budget proposal had called for moving most of the funding responsibility for passenger rail service to the states, eliminating some routes, and privatizing some services. From his position on the Appropriations Committee, Rehberg pressed for funding for the Empire Builder route, which crosses Montana's Hi-line, and also organized a bipartisan coalition that eventually won approval of legislation restoring full-funding for Amtrak, resulting in $1.3 billion for fiscal year 2006. The 2007 budget is expected to include $900 million for Amtrak.

"Last year, we were facing basically a zero-funding scenario for Amtrak, and my colleagues and I were able to convince Congress of the absolute necessity for this service in rural areas like Montana,' said Rehberg. "We won back the funding for Amtrak last year, and it looks like that hard work is continuing to pay dividends, as the fiscal 2007 budget proposal will give us a much better starting point."

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/mt00_rehberg/020106_Amtrak.html