Think Differently Transportation Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support the Think Differently Transportation Act. It is a bipartisan bill that will advance accessibility on Amtrak services. I am sure my words will not be as eloquent as those of Mr. Payne had he been here to speak on this bill himself.

Amtrak received $22 billion in the bipartisan infrastructure law to buy new equipment, invest in station accessibility, and make improvements in the backlog of capital projects and operating needs.

Congress set specific directions for how Amtrak can use its BIL funds.

With regard to station accessibility, the BIL states that Amtrak funds are to be used to make all the stations Amtrak serves accessible.

The bill we are considering today would require Amtrak to report annually to Congress on accessibility status, improvements, and plans at the more than 500 stations Amtrak serves, not just the ones where it has the responsibility to make accessibility a priority under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Thanks to the BIL, Amtrak is investing in new equipment and new stations. We need assurances that these investments will take into account people with disabilities, as required by the ADA. This bill helps to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support the Think Differently Transportation Act and to think differently about transportation so it is more accessible.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to say, again, that I support this bill, and I thank the sponsors of it. I wish Mr. Payne were here to see it pass, and I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor.

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