James Oberstar: “This is, as the chairman of the subcommittee has said, a shutdown amendment. It would totally eliminate operating grants…”

“This is, as the chairman of the subcommittee has said, a shutdown amendment. It would totally eliminate operating grants for Amtrak and guarantee a shutdown. I suppose that is what the gentleman wants as he offers the amendment. He knows what he is doing. He is a very astute Member of this body. But I want to widen the perspective here. The effects would ripple through our economy, through our national transportation system, stranding millions of passengers and force them onto already congested roadways and airways. People in 106 cities served by Amtrak who are without air service would have to find new means of transportation; 19,000 Amtrak workers would lose their jobs. Their local economies, businesses would suffer. The railroad retirement and unemployment programs that cover employees of freight rail as well as passenger rail would eventually be depleted. We would be scrambling around here trying to restore the railroad retirement fund. It would disrupt commuter operations with whom Amtrak has contractual arrangements, stranding millions more passengers. GAO has reported to our committee that an abrupt cessation of Amtrak would result in major disruptions or shutdowns of commuter rail service throughout the country, stranding and straining regional transportation systems as hundreds of thousands of regular commuter rail passengers would have to look for alternative transportation. It would increase costs for our freight rails.”