Chris Coons: “I would like to start this afternoon by thanking Chairman Murray for her tireless work on the Budget Committee--on which…”

“I would like to start this afternoon by thanking Chairman Murray for her tireless work on the Budget Committee--on which I serve--to develop and pass a bipartisan budget, a budget that sets us on a path to return to regular order. Senator Murray has also been a tireless advocate for transportation and infrastructure programs, and as chair of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee--on which I also serve--she fought tirelessly to include adequate funding for Amtrak back in the fiscal year 2014 omnibus and moving forward. The topic I would like to take up today is the role of Amtrak in our country and our communities and its appropriate role as a central piece of Federal transportation policy going forward. Senator Murray has been a terrific advocate for investing across a wide range of transportation modalities. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I look forward to working with her and our leading full committee chair Senator Mikulski to make sure we are successful in fighting ardently and steadfastly for Amtrak this year and into the future. I come to talk on the floor today about the importance of our national passenger rail system--Amtrak--because this is not just about getting people from point A to point B. Investing in Amtrak also means creating jobs, making our whole economy more dynamic, and making America more competitive.…”