Bill Clinton: “I am in support of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007. The passage of this critical legislation…”

“I am in support of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007. The passage of this critical legislation is truly a great achievement. For New Yorkers, Amtrak is not just a commodity but a life source. Passenger rail is an essential element of our transportation network that provides irreplaceable capacity and mobility to New York and the Nation. For the past near 7 years, we have had to fight the administration's constant attempts to privatize and dismantle our Nation's premier passenger rail service, Amtrak. Eliminating Amtrak service would be an economic disaster and an irresponsible policy. Today, as gas prices continue to climb and airline delays are at an alltime high, Amtrak not only provides a necessary and affordable alternative to our congested airways, it links commuters to local locations not serviced by the airline industry. The enactment of Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007 will end the stop-gap funding process for Amtrak and will provide the traveling public with the security of a comprehensive plan for improving our nation's passenger rail system. No country in the world has ever developed and maintained a successful passenger railroad system without assistance from their national government. Without offering an alternative, President Bush has aimed to simply shut down passenger rail in the US.”