Political Quotes

“as we speak this morning, the administration is distributing a statement that will cut ground out from underneath the efforts of Amtrak to deal with its $200 million shortfall. They are ignoring the wishes of over 160 Members of this House who have joined with us, and a majority of the Senate, to support the bipartisan compromise that has been worked out by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Quinn) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Clement). We can long debate the merits of their destructive proposals to gut long runs across the country, to privatize the most profitable lines, and to abandon any semblance of a rail system in this country, but every Member should push back now to protect Amtrak. The irony of our giving $5 billion to the airlines after we give them $11 billion in subsidy, despite declining passengers, yet we are going to cut Amtrak off when it is growing, is the worst possible message at the worst possible time. I hope this House will reject the proposals from the administration.”