Good News And Bad News For Amtrak

Good News And Bad News For Amtrak -- (House Of Representatives - February 11, 2004)

(Mr. BLUMENAUER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon with some good news and bad news for Amtrak. I congratulate Amtrak for having the highest ridership ever experienced in the Nation's intercity passenger rail service in its 32-year history. In my region of the Pacific Northwest, we have seen ridership increase 520 percent since the inception just 10 years ago of service between Eugene and Seattle and on to Vancouver, BC. It has had massive improvements in its infrastructure; very, very exciting.

The bad news is that, despite all of this progress with Amtrak, we have a proposal from the administration that would break it apart, it would privatize it, it would lease out its assets and abandon some of its routes, which would jeopardize the very existence of this important transportation mode. It would place heavy financial burdens on the States to fund what is essentially a national system, the only country in the world that has abandoned its commitment to rail passenger service.

I sincerely hope, Mr. Speaker, that this Chamber will once again rise to the support of a strong intercity rail passenger system, support Amtrak, support the new leadership there under President David Gunn, and provide a service that the American public desperately wants.

END