Trent Lott: “today the Senate acted in a fully bipartisan manner to adopt meaningful and genuine legal, labor, and management reforms…”

“today the Senate acted in a fully bipartisan manner to adopt meaningful and genuine legal, labor, and management reforms for America's national passenger railroad. It offers legislative solutions that could begin to restore the fiscal health of this failing railroad. American taxpayers have already invested over $20 million in this railroad. Let me be clear: the Senate is sending a bipartisan message to this railroad--the management and the workers must fundamentally change both their culture and operating methods. Amtrak cannot continue getting subsidies. The legislation adopted today is an amendment to the bill reported by the Commerce Committee earlier this year. It is the bill sponsored by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. The amendment was a joint effort of several members of the Commerce Committee on both sides of the aisle. I want to personally commend the Senate's Commerce Committee for their leadership on this important transportation issue.”