Happening Now
Ask Senators to Support Two Important Transportation Bills
June 25, 2015
The Senate moved two critical transportation bills today, and we need America’s passengers to rally support for Congressional leaders who are working to strengthen investment in Amtrak.
The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously passed an exciting passenger rail authorization bill—the multiyear framework that provides the structure for Amtrak's existence and intercity rail investment. You can read about what this bill would mean for a strong national network on the NARP Blog.
Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed a $55.7 billion FY2016 Transportation & Housing Appropriations bill, which provides the yearly operating and capital budgets for Amtrak, transit, highway, and air transportation. That bill is a big improvement over the House Appropriations Committee’s efforts to slash Amtrak funding by $262 million—but we can make it better! The Appropriations Committee voted down an amendment offered by Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) to increase funding to match Amtrak's F Y2016 budget request of $2 billion.
Write your Senators now to ask them to support this sensible plan for supporting America's national network!
"The National Association of Railroad Passengers has done yeoman work over the years and in fact if it weren’t for NARP, I'd be surprised if Amtrak were still in possession of as a large a network as they have. So they've done good work, they're very good on the factual case."
Robert Gallamore, Director of Transportation Center at Northwestern University and former Federal Railroad Administration official, Director of Transportation Center at Northwestern University
November 17, 2005, on The Leonard Lopate Show (with guest host Chris Bannon), WNYC New York.
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