Stephanie Herseth Sandlin: “I rise tonight. And the Democrats rise tonight, to stress the importance of maintaining a Federal commitment to support…”

“I rise tonight. And the Democrats rise tonight, to stress the importance of maintaining a Federal commitment to support Amtrak. I, along with 150 of our colleagues, support providing Amtrak with the $1.2 billion it needs to maintain its current success on into 2003. A working national passenger rail network is essential for east Texas and America, but the Federal Government must provide resources for capital improvements if Amtrak is to continue to service the Nation at affordable, competitive rates. According to Amtrak, without this funding Amtrak will be forced to eliminate nearly all long-distance passenger trains by October 2002, which would be disastrous for rural America. Rural America and east Texas support a national rail service. We do not approve of shutting down rural routes while funding only a northeast corridor commuter route. Under Amtrak's proposal, service between Boston and Washington will remain, while lines like the Texas Eagle route will be shut down if Congress fails to provide sufficient resources for fiscal year 2003. Amtrak's long-distance passenger line provides critical transportation options for rural areas like east Texas, allowing rural residents as great an access to transportation as residents of fully urbanized areas. In many cases, Amtrak's Texas Eagle is the only means east Texans have to travel long distances.”