Frank Lautenberg: “However, we neglect to talk about the fact that there is over $2 billion a year that goes into maintaining FAA's…”

“However, we neglect to talk about the fact that there is over $2 billion a year that goes into maintaining FAA's services. That has nothing to do with the trust fund. That is out of the taxpayers' pocket--$2 billion a year. Those who are paying into the trust fund by virtue of a ticket tax, when that is operating, pay into the fund when, in fact, they may not use a particular routing or particular region when they pay that tax. If we start to cut up the country into how much did you pay for how much service--I think the Senator from Delaware made the point very clearly when he described the need to subsidize water projects, irrigation projects, and flood control projects out West. It is a very divisive approach, I think, to what this country of ours is supposed to be as a single nation. Just to remind those who are concerned about what would happen if we did not have the Amtrak service that is now available--those services would not be available, I assure you, if we further diminish the assistance that the Federal Government gives to Amtrak.”