Bring the Fight for A Connected America to Your Town

NARP’s staff and Council of Representatives are already preparing four our April 25th Day on the Hill, where advocates from all over the country fly in to represent America’s passengers at the highest level. With a new president and a new congress, it’s crucial that they hear from their constituents demanding investment in a modern, people-focused passenger rail system.

We need you to join us in asking your elected officials to invest in better trains and transit—for A Connected America.

We’re making advocacy easy, with a list of resources, including links to NARP-created legislative asks, a guide to effective engagement, and a list of rail “shovel-ready” rail infrastructure projects—all available on our Membership Materials page.

And stay tuned for alerts as NARP continues the march toward April... and beyond!

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NARP's 1-2-3 Guide for Local Engagement

In 2017, we plan to aggressively lay a foundation for our Day on the Hill activities. In the past, NARP’s leadership has traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for passenger rail in the U.S. This year we’re asking the entire NARP membership to help initiate these conversations starting now, in your own town, with direct conversations with in-district staffers. By talking with in-state Congressional offices, you can expand your local network of engaged policymakers to better demand investment in passenger trains and transit.

NARP is is providing you with the tools, but we need your help doing three things this February:

1. Meet with your in-district staff contacts for all three congressional representatives (one representative, two senators), either in-person or over the phone, to issue the following asks:
   • Keep pressure on Congress and Administration to move on an infrastructure bill, discuss benefits of local shovel-ready rail and transit projects
   • Support full funding authorized by FAST Act rail grants in FY2018
   • Support full funding authorized by FAST Act rail grants in FY2017
2. And importantly: communicate significant points of agreement, disagreement, and intelligence back to NARP staff
3. Post a photo of yourself visiting + calling your Members of Congress, and post it online using the tag #MyTrainMyTown and #AConnectedAmerica (or email it to us at NARP[@]narprail.org, subject line "My Train, My Town")

Thank you for all the work you do!

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Congressional Calendar of Events

February

Congressional Items

• First Monday in February: President submits his budget
• February 15: Congressional Budget Office submits report to Budget Committees
• February 15: Amtrak submits budget request (or outline)

NARP Agenda Items

• Meet with your in-district staff contacts for all three congressional representatives (one representative, two senators)
  • Communication points:
    • Support full funding authorized by FAST Act rail grants in FY2017
    • Support full funding authorized by FAST Act rail grants in FY2018
    • Keep pressure on Congress and Administration to move on an infrastructure bill, discuss benefits of local shovel-ready rail and transit projects
  • Necessary materials:
    • NARP FY 2017/2018 budget table
    • Preliminary 2017 legislative asks
    • List of NARP rail and transit infrastructure projects
    • Guide to Effective Engagement
• Communicate significant points of agreement, disagreement, and intelligence back to NARP staff

March

Congressional Items

• Not later than 6 weeks after the President submits the budget: Committees submit views and estimates to Budget Committees. (Frequently, the House Budget Committee sets own date based on Legislative Calendar)
• March 16: Debt Limit suspension expires

NARP Agenda Items

• Meet with your local transportation staffer for your mayor’s office (and/or council member overseeing transportation, where applicable)

April

Congressional Items

• Early April: House GOP release tax reform proposal (projected, uncertain)
• April 1: Senate Budget Committee reports concurrent resolution on the budget.
• April 15: Congress completes action on the concurrent resolution on the budget. (This is not signed by the President).
• April 28: FY2017 Continuing Resolution expires

NARP Agenda Items

• Speak with your state representatives’ offices (state representative and state senator)

May

Congressional Items

May 15: Annual appropriation bills may be considered in House.

June

Congressional Items

• June 10: House Appropriations Committee reports last annual appropriation bill.
• June 15: Congress completes action on reconciliation legislation.
• (If required by the budget resolution).
• June 30: House completes action on annual appropriation bills.

October

Congressional Items

October 1: Fiscal year begins.