Chuck Schumer: “I support his amendment, and I want to reiterate how important this will be to our State. Because of ISTEA, our State…”

“I support his amendment, and I want to reiterate how important this will be to our State. Because of ISTEA, our State gets a huge amount of money for road building. The Governors make that decision. We are desperately short in terms of help for rail in many parts of our State. In fact, in some of the rural areas they are looking for rail help now which they were not several years ago. As I understand the Senator's amendment, it will simply allow each Governor to make that choice so that in my State of New York, if Governor Pataki decides he has enough, or at least a higher priority than the bottom of the rung in terms of his highway decisions and wants to put some of this money into passenger rail service, he will be allowed to do it. It is simply his decision, no mandate, and will not affect any other State if this amendment is adopted.”