Joe Biden: “Do we continue to underfund a national passenger rail system? Or do we finally stand behind the system, committing to it…”

“Do we continue to underfund a national passenger rail system? Or do we finally stand behind the system, committing to it once and for all? I agree with my good friend, the chairman of the Commerce Committee, and that's why I joined him in introducing this important bill. For 30 years, I have witnessed Congress dangling a carrot in front of Amtrak's eyes, funding it just enough for it to limp along. And I'll tell you, this has to stop. Now is the time to commit politically and financially to a strong, safe, and efficient passenger rail system. And now is the time to determine once and for all, what exactly it is that we want out of passenger rail service in the country. Should this be a truly national system? And should we devote the resources necessary to maintain and expand this networks? ...the events of September 11 further demonstrated, in stark and rigid terms, the necessity of transportation choices.”