By Ron Thaniel
March 28, 2005

Joined by a bipartisan group of senators, labor, business, and environmentalist March 15, Conference of Mayors Trustee North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Henry Hays urged Congress to take immediate steps to protect Amtrak from a national shutdown by restoring funding in the Fiscal Year 2006 Budget.

Under the President's budget released February 7, all spending for Amtrak would be eliminated leading to a shutdown of the national system with the start of the 2006 Fiscal Year on October 1.

The budget states, "With no subsidies, Amtrak would quickly enter bankruptcy, which would likely lead to the elimination of inefficient operations and the reorganization of the railroad through bankruptcy procedures."

Joined by Senators Thomas Carper (DE), Hillary Clinton (NY), Lincoln Chafee (RI), John Corzine (NJ), and Max Baucus (MT), Hays said "given our dependence on foreign oil, gas prices at record levels and the congestion we see on our highways, the Administration and Congress should be investing in Amtrak, not dismantling."

Joining Hays was John Porcari on behalf of the Greater Washington Board of Trade; Tom Caramanico, CEO of McCormick Taylor; and Ed Wytkind, President of the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO.

Senate Amtrak Amendment Failed; House Budget Resolution Supports Amtrak

A bipartisan amendment to add $1.04 billion to the Senate budget resolution raising Amtrak's funding to $1.4 billion, including the $360 million in the President's budget for the Surface Transportation Board to maintain commuter rail service in the event of an Amtrak shutdown, failed March 16 by a 46-52 vote.

Following the disappointing Senate vote and intense lobbying by the Conference of Mayors and other Amtrak supporters, The House of Representatives included $1.2 billion in discretionary spending for Amtrak in its Fiscal Year 2006 budget resolution passed March 17. The $1.2 billion for Amtrak is the same as this year's funding.

In a March 15 letter to the U.S. Senate, Conference President Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic said, "Mayors across the nation, in cities large and small, have a direct economic and social interest in not having an interruption, even a temporary interruption, of essential intercity rail service."