Rep. Corrine Brown: “in this discussion we need to talk about the important role passenger rail plays in the lives of our citizens and our…”

“in this discussion we need to talk about the important role passenger rail plays in the lives of our citizens and our economy. What this Amtrak authorization bill really is about is keeping the vital links open. There are provisions in the authorizing bill that disregard labor agreements already agreed to by labor and management. If we are really serious about keeping Amtrak running, if we are really serious about supporting the working people of Amtrak and getting people to work, we must vote ``no'' on this Quinn amendment. Mr. Chairman, when I served in the Florida House of Representatives we had a saying: ``Loving a bill to death.'' That is what is happening here. We are talking about how we support Amtrak and we support Amtrak workers, but we are putting provisions in here that we know are a killer to the working people of Amtrak and the men and women of this country. This will kill the chance for a smooth labor negotiation and create a transportation nightmare.”