Byron Dorgan: “Mr. President, how could something so wrong sound so good? Well, the answer is the label doesn't describe the problem.…”

“Mr. President, how could something so wrong sound so good? Well, the answer is the label doesn't describe the problem. This label says it is going to be fine, but the product says: Let's get rid of rail passenger service in this country, except for Boston to Florida, the eastern corridor. Let me describe it in the context of the Empire Builder, a wonderful train that goes up through my part of the country. One hundred thousand North Dakotans rode the Empire Builder last year. That train has a great history, it has a past, and it also has a great future in my judgment. But there are those who come to this Chamber time after time after time and want to get rid of long-distance train service in this country. Why? Because they believe the country is crowded on the east coast and they ought to have good train service on the east coast and the rest of it doesn't quite match up. Look: Every country in the world virtually that has rail service, rail passenger service, has some subsidy for it. We subsidize most transportation services in this country. I don't have a problem with doing that. I think a national rail passenger system contributes to this country in a very significant way.”