Kay Bailey Hutchison: “We have seen the subsidies. Some are user fees but some are not. We just bailed out the airline industry because we knew…”

“We have seen the subsidies. Some are user fees but some are not. We just bailed out the airline industry because we knew it was essential for our economy. In Texas, we send billions of dollars to the highway trust fund. We get 88 cents on the dollar back. We are subsidizing other States' highways. I don't mean that I want Texas to have to get 100 percent. Our National Highway System is built on a national system concept. That is what we need for Amtrak. We need to say: Yes, some States are getting more than others. Maybe States should step to the plate more. I would be willing to say that my State should step to the plate and help in these subsidies, just as I think every State that receives service should. That would be a worthy reform. The bottom line is, this should be a national system that we support as part of our national security, our homeland security, a multimodal system that provides transportation for all the people of our country in a convenient way and in a way that is most necessary. We have aviation; we have highways. Rail is an important third part of our overall transportation system.”