by Kevin McCarty
February 12, 2001

North Little Mayor Patrick Henry Hays joined with a dozen U.S. Senators January 31 at a Capitol Hill press event announcing the introduction of the "High-Speed Rail Investment Act of 2001" (S. 250), a top Conference legislative priority for the 107th Congress.

The legislation provides $12 billion over ten years to the states and Amtrak for investment in intercity high speed passenger rail systems. A similar measure was nearly enacted late last year in the closing days of the 106th Congress. Hays, co-chair of the Conference's Rail Restoration Transition Team, emphasized the strong support of the nation's mayors for swift action on the legislation. "The first priority of the mayors' call for a National Rail Policy is to enact the legislation that is being introduced today. Investing in high speed passenger rail between cities and in service improvements on non-high speed routes is needed to build the backbone of a true national system," Hays said.

Joining with twelve of the 51 original Senate cosponsors of the measure as well as Amtrak President and CEO George D. Warrington, Hays said, "I want to emphasize the very strong support of the nation's mayors for a renewed national commitment to passenger rail in America. It is absolutely crucial for the nation that we build out the third leg of our nation's transportation system."

WHO'S ON Baucus, Max (MT) Biden, Joseph (DE) Boxer, Barbara (CA) Breaux, John (CA) Burns, Conrad (MT) Byrd, Robert (WV) Carper, Thomas (DE) Chafee, Lincoln (RI) Cleland, Max (GA) Clinton, Hillary (NY) Cochran, Thad (MS) Collins, Susan (ME) Corzine, Jon (NJ) Daschle, Thomas (SD) DeWine, Mike (OH) Dodd, Christopher (CT) Dorgan, Byron (ND) Durbin, Richard (IL) Edwards, John (NC) Feingold, Russell (WI) Feinstein, Dianne (CA) Graham, Bob (FL) Helms, Jesse (NC) Hollings, Ernest (SC) Hutchison, Kay Bailey (TX) Inouye, Daniel (HI) Jeffords, James (VT) Johnson, Tim (SD) Kennedy, Edward (MA) Kerry, John (MA) Kohl, Herb (WI) Landrieu, Mary (LA) Leahy, Patrick (VT) Levin, Carl (MI) Lieberman, Joseph (CT) Lincoln, Blanche (AR) Lott, Trent (MS) Mikulski, Barbara (MD) Miller, Zell (GA) Murray, Patty (WA) Reid, Harry (NV) Rockefeller, John (WV) Santorum, Rick (PA) Sarbanes, Paul (MD) Schumer, Charles (NY) Snowe, Olympia (ME) Specter, Arlen (PA) Stabenow, Debbie (MI) Torriccelli, Robert (NJ) Warner, John (VA) Wellstone, Paul (MN)

WHO'S OFF Akaka, Daniel (HI) Allard, Wayne (CO) Allen, George (VA) Bayh, Evan (IN) Bennett, Robert (UT) Bingaman, Jeff (NM) Bond, Christopher (MO) Brownback, Sam (KS) Bunning, Jim (KY) Campbell, Ben Nighthorse (CO) Cantwell, Maria (WA) Carnahan, Jean (MO) Conrad, Kent (ND) Craig, Larry (ID) Crapo, Mike (ID) Dayton, Mark (MN) Domenici, Pete (NM) Ensign, John (NV) Enzi, Mike (WY) Fitzgerald, Peter (IL) Frist, William (TN) Gramm, Phil (TX) Grassley, Chuck (IA) Gregg, Judd (NH) Hagel, Charles (NE) Harkin, Tom (IA) Hatch, Orrin (UT) Hutchinson, Tim (AR) Inhofe, James (OK) Kyl, Jon (AZ) Lugar, Richard (IN) McCain, John (AZ) McConnell, Mitch (KY) Murkowski, Frank (AK) Nelson, Ben (NE) Nelson, Bill (FL) Nickles, Don (OK) Reed, Jack (RI) Roberts, Pat (KS) Sessions, Jeff (AL) Shelby, Richard (AL) Smith, Bob (NH) Smith, Gordon (OR) Stevens, Ted (AK) Thomas, Craig (WY) Thompson, Fred (TN) Thurmond, Strom (SC) Voinovich, George (OH) Wyden, Ron (OR)

The lead authors of S. 250 are Senators Joseph Biden, Jr. (DE) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX), Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (MS), Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (SD) and Senator John Kerry (MA). (See inset for the full listing of the 51 Senator sponsors of S. 250 and the other Senators who are not yet on the bill.)

Mayors' Rail Summit
Hays talked about the mayors' recent Rail Summit which was held January 17 at Washington's Union Station to kick off the Conference's 69th Winter Meeting. "To underscore this commitment of the mayors, just two weeks ago today, more than 300 of the nation's mayors come together at Union Station with Senate Majority Leader Lott and others to call for A National Rail Policy for the 21st Century," Hays said.

Hays also pointed out that "an equally important facet of rail development is our nation's investment in urban rail &151; commuter and heavy and light rail projects &151; which actually deliver our citizens to their end destinations whether from another city or to work, play, shop or home."

In concluding his remarks, Hays said, "I am pleased to join today in this important announcement, and to convey the strong support of the nation's mayors for this very important legislation, the first step in building A National Rail Policy for this nation."

Conference President and Boise Mayor H. Brent Coles, Conference Vice President and New Orleans Mayor Marc H. Morial and the Conference Leadership have made enactment of S. 250 a top legislative priority, citing this legislation as the first action in advancing the mayors' call for A National Rail Policy for the 21st Century.

Senators Call for High Speed Rail Investment
A lead author of the legislation, Senator Joseph Biden, Jr. (DE) said, "Every advanced economy in the world invests more than the United States in high-speed inter-city service. We like to think of ourselves as the most advanced country in the world, and I believe we are, but for years we have nickel-and-dimed passenger rail service in this country."

Biden explained the broad support for the legislation, stating, "We have the support of the many members all across the country because our country's transportation system is already stretched to the breaking point."

Joining with Biden as a lead sponsor, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX) said, "The message of this bill is simple &151; rail is an important transportation option in our country, a viable alternative to relieve traffic and airport congestion." Hutchison also emphasized that "this is a financing program for Amtrak's capital needs to upgrade tracks for high-speed rail." Echoing views that Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (MS) set forth at the Mayors' Rail Summit, Hutchison said, "We just can't starve Amtrak and expect it to succeed."

Among the speakers at the press event held in the U.S. Capitol, New York Senator Charles Schumer said, "It is vital for upstate cities to be connected to the rest of the country. Air service hasn't done the job. Downstate, we have three of the most congested airports in the country. If we had high-speed rail as Europe does, we wouldn't have these backlogs."

Georgia Senator Max Cleland said, "It's obvious that if metro Atlanta is going to move forward in the next 10 to 15 years, we've got to figure out how to move people." Cleland also said, "This train is leaving the station and picking up steam." In addition to Hays, Warrington and Senators Biden, Hutchison, Schumer and Cleland, eight other Senators took part in the announcement: Thomas Carper (DE), Lincoln Chafee (RI), Hillary Clinton (NY), Jon Corzine (NJ), Edward Kennedy (MA), John Kerry (MA), Barbara Mikulski (MD), and Paul Sarbanes (MD).

Features of S. 250
As proposed in the legislation, $1.1 billion bond funds would be available each year for investment by the states and Amtrak in designated high-speed rail corridors. (Please note accompanying map for description of designated corridors). An additional $100 million would be available each year for improvements in intercity rail service throughout the rest of the nation.

Participating states would be required to provide a 20 percent match of bond funds that are provided for track, rolling stock and other corridor investments in providing high speed rail service. This match would be held in escrow and used to retire the principal of the bond amounts. In the interim, federal tax credits would be provided to bond holders in lieu of interest payments they would otherwise receive.

The U.S. Department of Transportation would oversee the development of these corridors and ensure that the bond funds are invested in corridors improvements to achieve a balanced national system. The bill limits any one corridor to a maximum of $3 billion to guarantee that balanced investment is achieved. Last year's bill called for a $10 billion commitment, which was increased to $12 billion this year to account for the designation of two additional high speed corridors.

Key leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives are planning to introduce a similar bill later this month.