Joel Hefley: “the Federal Government is a master at creating Federal programs based upon good intentions, but for which the tax till…”

“the Federal Government is a master at creating Federal programs based upon good intentions, but for which the tax till has become a lifeline for survival. Congress created Amtrak back in 1970 with a one-time grant of $40 million, one-time grant, it was supposed to be. It was to be independent and was to be self-sufficient. As we all know, Amtrak has not become self-sufficient. It has turned into a $22 billion black hole for taxpayer dollars. What have we gotten for our money? Passenger trains in 1997 are slower than they were in the 1950's. Their average speed is slower than many Third World countries. Even tomorrow's version of high speed rail will be slower than France or Japan's trains in the 1970's. Amtrak has used the taxpayers' $22 billion and taken a giant step backward. How do we reward Amtrak for this? In Congress' infinite wisdom we have decided to give Amtrak, which has never paid any taxes, a $2.3 billion tax refund. But to kill the $2.3 billion now, we would have to kill this legislation. While I do not think this bill goes far enough and I know Amtrak will be right back at the Federal trough as soon as it gobbles up the next $2.3 billion, it does contain a number of items which make sense. With the passage of this bill, Amtrak will finally be able to adjust their system of routes without fear that Congress will tie their hands.”