Political Quotes

“Mr. President, the House of Representatives recently passed H.R. 749, the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015. I am pleased to see the House take bipartisan action on this bill. Intercity passenger rail is a critical part of our transportation infrastructure. People in many regions of the country are in desperate need of better ways to travel between fast-growing cities, and passenger rail is our best hope at relieving congestion on highways and runways that don't have additional room to expand. The House bill is a good step forward. H.R. 749 would maintain current levels of Federal support for Amtrak to operate routes that connect the country. It would also authorize some additional funding to invest in passenger rail projects and improve a Federal loan program that can be used for rail infrastructure. This is a productive place to start. The authorization levels in this bill are too low to get our passenger rail network where it needs to be, let alone to keep up with the rest of the world by bringing high-speed rail to the United States. H.R. 749 also fails to address critical rail safety priorities or even reauthorize funding for the Federal Railroad Administration's safety oversight activities. We can and must do better than a flat-funded authorization bill that turns a blind eye to safety and to the growing needs of our country.…”