James Oberstar: “I tip my hat also to the Member of Congress whom I call ``Ms. Amtrak,'' ``Ms. Passenger Rail,'' whose passion is…”

“I tip my hat also to the Member of Congress whom I call ``Ms. Amtrak,'' ``Ms. Passenger Rail,'' whose passion is evident; who works tirelessly day and night, week after week, to advance the cause of passenger rail in this country, and has been very successful at it, mobilizing public opinion, igniting public imagination. While the Bush administration twice submitted bankruptcy budgets for Amtrak and twice proposed putting Amtrak up for sale in the private marketplace, there were Members on both sides of the aisle who joined together... to restore funding for Amtrak to keep it going. That same President Bush, who once said we should terminate Amtrak, signed the bill with a whole new future for Amtrak. Mr. Mica... played a very significant role in shaping a new future for Amtrak and... opening the door for private investment in each of the corridors that we crafted in the Amtrak authorization.”