John Joseph Moakley: “Mr. Speaker, Amtrak is one of the foundations of our national transportation system and it is a crucial part of our…”

“Mr. Speaker, Amtrak is one of the foundations of our national transportation system and it is a crucial part of our economic infrastructure. But this bill will hurt Amtrak. It will hurt Amtrak workers far more than it will help Amtrak. For that reason, I urge my colleagues to oppose this modified closed rule. Mr. Speaker, millions of Americans rely on Amtrak. They take the train to work. They take the train to meet their customers. They take the train to meet their clients. They take the train to college. They take the train to visit family and friends. The people who work on the railroad do an excellent job of making sure that the trains run on time. Mr. Speaker, rail travel is the transportation of the future. It is fast. It is convenient. It is energy-efficient, and it enables everyone to travel regardless of whether or not they can afford an automobile. The Northeast corridor is the most traveled rail route in the country. This corridor stretches from Boston to Washington, DC, and carries over 100 million passengers a year. Without Amtrak, Mr. Speaker, our infrastructure would be much more overloaded than it already is. Our air would be more polluted, and most people would have a much more difficult time getting from one destination to another.”