Jeremiah Smith: “this is one of these issues that gets convoluted. Unfortunately, in my role as the chairman of the Environment and…”

“this is one of these issues that gets convoluted. Unfortunately, in my role as the chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I must object to this authorizing amendment to the appropriations bill. I join several of my distinguished colleagues, including my ranking member, Senator Baucus, in this regard. I point out upfront I am a cosponsor of S. 1144. I support State flexibility. I support a cost-effective rail system that is efficient. And I encourage Amtrak to move towards privatization. The States do have an interest in developing passenger rail. I want the States to have that flexibility, which is why I cosponsored S. 1144. Rail funding flexibility is a complex subject central to the so-called TEA-21 legislation which was debated and negotiated over many months in the last Congress. This issue is squarely in the jurisdiction of the authorizing committee, not the Appropriations Committee. We have had this fight many times before. The majority leader has spoken eloquently on this matter time and time and time again. We basically render the authorizing committees powerless, useless. What is the purpose? I have spent days and days and days and weeks and weeks in an effort to resolve a matter that deals with buses, an amendment or some language that would be acceptable so we could vote for this. If we had done that, perhaps we wouldn't be here now. Instead, we are now faced with a decision.…”