Chris Sununu: “This is not a wholesale privatization of Amtrak--far from it. The provision in the legislation allows two routes under…”

“This is not a wholesale privatization of Amtrak--far from it. The provision in the legislation allows two routes under supervision, oversight as described by Senator Lautenberg, to be put out for competitive bid to see if there is another service provider that can run the trains on those routes, delivering better service at a better cost. That makes good sense--good sense for riders and taxpayers. It is not a wholesale privatization by any stretch, especially considering the supervision and oversight that would have to be in place for this competitive bidding process. I think I understand what he was trying to suggest, but I listened to that phrase and it implies to a certain degree that the management team at Amtrak is a bunch of amateurs that can't be trusted. That is not the case at all. They understand these routes, the operation, the nature of the service they are providing. They are in the best position to help determine how routes should be put out for competitive bid.”