On the recordFebruary 16, 2011
The underlying bill that we have before us profoundly limits the transportation options that are available for the American people and imposes deep cuts upon the very programs with the greatest potential for creating jobs and providing the necessary foundation on which a strong economic recovery depends. The underlying bill terminates, completely defunds the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail program that was authorized under the PRIIA rail safety bill in the fall of 2008 and signed by then President Bush. That's 28 months ago. It rescinds those items that were in the Recovery Act. In the legislation that was passed in February of 2009, the Recovery Act, it rescinds all of the unobligated funds from that Recovery Act, and it rescinds in the high-speed rail program the $2.5 billion of grants that were awarded in September of last year that were passed in the December '09 2010 appropriations bill. Those grants were awarded but have not yet been obligated. It also happens to shut down all of the new funding for light rail and commuter rail and bus rapid transit, only providing money for those projects already in place that have received full funding grant agreements.
