Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment. Our colleague from Texas has offered amendments like this in the past, an attempt to micromanage Amtrak from the floor of the House. I don't think it is a good idea. We had a vigorous debate last night on the importance of investing in inner city passenger rail. Of course, he will get no quarrel from me or other colleagues, I suspect, in arguing for improved service and arguing for making the service more attractive. What we are dealing with here--and have been through this whole debate--is a number of colleagues who simply want to defund passenger rail in this country, overlooking the fact that every mode of transportation is subsidized to some degree and that the national interest requires diverse modes of transportation. Colleagues seem intent on singling out passenger rail for elimination, and we have had amendments offered to this bill that would do just that. This one is more about micromanagement. It is more about a specific route, the Sunset Limited. This would eliminate the Sunset Limited's long-distance route. It serves communities along the southern tier of the United States. Actually, it serves more than 300,000 passengers annually in five States: Louisiana, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, and California. It is no way to run a railroad, if I might say so, and I urge rejection of the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.”