Political Quotes

“The members of the Amtrak board are tasked with leading our national passenger railroad, with stewardship over substantial Federal resources and the responsibility of ensuring that the needs of the corporation and the traveling public are met. A stable and competent board is critical for so many reasons. Now is not the time for the kind of uncertainty that would clearly come from an partially staffed or incapacitated board as my colleagues have mentioned. As vacancies occur on the Amtrak board, the Bush administration has two critically important obligations that they must meet to ensure that Amtrak has a chance to survive and prosper. First, they must allow the Senate to fulfill its constitutional role of reviewing nominees so that we have the most qualified and capable people for this important job. Second, while that process is underway, they must ensure that a strong, fully functional board remains in place to provide the direction and stability Amtrak needs.”