By Ron Thaniel
July 14, 2003

The week leading up to the July 4 congressional recess saw both the House and Senate take significant steps to address the reauthorization of Amtrak.

In the House, Representative Jack Quinn (NY), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, and Representative James Oberstar (MN), Ranking Member On the House Transportation Committee, sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee on June 25 in support of Amtrak's $1.8 billion FY04 federal grant request. Over 200 bi-partisan Members of Congress signed the letter. Two additional members sent individual letter, bringing the total to 221. Go to the Conference's homepage, www.usmayors.org, to view the Amtrak support letter.

In addition, Amtrak reauthorization legislation passed in both the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Senate Commerce Committee.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed on June 25 an Amtrak reauthorization bill that would fund Amtrak at $2 billion per year over three years beginning in FY04. The bill passed by voice vote. Floor action on the measure is uncertain although Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young (AK) indicated his desire to bring the bill to the floor in July. This is roughly the annual amount identified by Amtrak in its five-year plan to bring its infrastructure and equipment to a state of good repair.

"It is my hope that the funding authorized in this bill will allow a last-chance window of opportunity for an Amtrak turnaround," said Young.

"Years of deferred maintenance have left Amtrak with a deteriorated physical structure," said Quinn. "The Amtrak Reauthorization Act of 2003 provides funds for the continued operation of the national Amtrak system, as well as enough money to begin restoring the Northeast Corridor and other assets to a state of good repair," he added.

The bill, H.R. 2572, sets authorized funding levels and codifies reporting requirements already being followed as a result of the USDOT loan last year and the FY03 appropriations.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee considered on June 26 its sections of the Administration's TEA-21 proposal and passed a placeholder amendment offered by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX), Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Chair and Senator Fritz Hollings, Ranking Member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee creating a "Rail Title" in TEA-21, authorizing Amtrak at $2 billion annually for six years and creates a "Rail Infrastructure Finance Corporation" to support rail capital projects by issuing infrastructure bonds.