1.5 billion for Amtrak in stimulus with daily service mandate (Passed in Congress)

[Amtrakfflyer]

Being marked up today in the House. Not surprisingly unfortunately some GOP members are fighting it as ideologues or under the guise of fiscal conservatism. Amazing how their tune changes when they are the minority.
This guy specifically wants to zero funding completely as per RPA.

1. Ask them to oppose the amendment offered by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), which would entirely strip out all funding and restoration mandates for Amtrak.

 

[Steve4031]

I called my democratic representative already. When do they require daily service to be return?

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

I called my democratic representative already. When do they require daily service to be return?

from RPA 2/10/21
Details: S. Con. Res. 5 - TITLE VII – Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure

• Amtrak - $1.5 billion
  • NEC - $820,388,160
  • National Network - $679,622,840
  • Not less than $165,926,000 from the combined amounts of the NEC and National Network shall be used to restore all long-distance service in effect as of July 1, 2020, and to recall all workers put on furlough on or after October 1, 2020. Restoration and re-employment to occur within 90 days of enactment.
  • Not less than $109,805,000 from the combined amounts of the NEC and National Network shall be used in lieu of capital payments that the state supported routes and commuter authorities were required to pay.
  • $174,850,000 from the National Network funds shall be used by Amtrak to offset amounts required to be paid by States for covered State-supported routes.
• Mass Transit - $30 billion
  • Funds shall be used to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus; includes eligibility for operating expenses to prevent layoffs and avoid cuts to service.

 

[Exvalley]

Assuming things go fairly smoothly, any idea on the timeframe for getting this signed into law?

 

[Cal]

Is it looking good for Amtrak so far? And would traditional dining be under "restoration"...

 

[zephyr17]

Assuming things go fairly smoothly, any idea on the timeframe for getting this signed into law?

Well, it is an amendment to to big COVID relief package that the President and Democratic leadership want to move quickly. It will likely be done under budget reconciliation rules and so not subject to filibuster in the Senate. Given those circumstances, my guesstimate would be the first half of March.

 

[NSC1109]

I wish the House would’ve done this sooner so it was ready for the new Admin in January...it would’ve significantly changed my career plans.

 

[MARC Rider]

I wish the House would’ve done this sooner so it was ready for the new Admin in January...it would’ve significantly changed my career plans.

Welcome to the world of Washington. That's just the way government process works, even things for which there is general agreement take time. First they had to pass the Budget Resolution. But then they need to actually appropriate the money. Plus they need to write an extremely complicated bill that is legally sound and doesn't have any unwanted surprises in it. The new administration has only been in office for 3 weeks and has had to spin up everything from scratch. In any event, the House wasn't in a position to do anything until they had the support of the new president and they had an idea of what the Senate was going to be like. The new Congress has barely been organized. (The Majority party didn't really become the Majority party until three new senators were sworn in after the presidential inauguration, and then the former Majority played political games to slow the reorganization of the Senate under the new Majority.) They also have a lot of other work, including confirming the new president's appointments and the impeachment trial. Actually, I think they're working on this pretty quickly, given the circumstances.

 

[NSC1109]

Welcome to the world of Washington. That's just the way government process works, even things for which there is general agreement take time. First they had to pass the Budget Resolution. But then they need to actually appropriate the money. Plus they need to write an extremely complicated bill that is legally sound and doesn't have any unwanted surprises in it. The new administration has only been in office for 3 weeks and has had to spin up everything from scratch. In any event, the House wasn't in a position to do anything until they had the support of the new president and they had an idea of what the Senate was going to be like. The new Congress has barely been organized. (The Majority party didn't really become the Majority party until three new senators were sworn in after the presidential inauguration, and then the former Majority played political games to slow the reorganization of the Senate under the new Majority.) They also have a lot of other work, including confirming the new president's appointments and the impeachment trial. Actually, I think they're working on this pretty quickly, given the circumstances.

I don’t disagree (and as an avid West Wing fan I’d like to think I’ve learned a decent amount of how things work in DC) but had this happened sooner, I probably wouldn’t have accepted with a major Class I and waited to see if Amtrak was going to start hiring conductors again.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

Passed the committee today. On to the full House and Senate now.

 

[Cal]

Passed the committee today. On to the full House and Senate now.

Is it looking good?

 

[WWW]

FROM: Rail Passengers Association Forum

Association News

Service Restoration Takes Big Leap Forward Restoration of Amtrak service to pre-pandemic levels took an important step forward today with passage of a pandemic relief bill out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The bill includes $1.5 billion for Amtrak—along with Congressional mandates to restore daily service on the long-distance routes and bring back employees furloughed due to COVID-19—and $30 billion for transit. These funds will be essential to restoring the trains we all count on. For long-distance trains, Amtrak is required to bring back daily service within 90 days of the passage of the bill into law. Prior to passage, passengers had to overcome two anti-Amtrak amendments. Rail Passengers asked our members to call their members of congress, and YOU DELIVERED! Rep. Scott Perry's (R-PA) amendment to eliminate all funding for Amtrak was DEFEATED! Thanks to everyone who reached out to their Rep on the T&I Committee to stand up for passengers! Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR), Ranking Member of the Rail Subcommittee, agreed to withdraw his amendment transferring Amtrak funds to a highway-rail grade crossings program after Chairman DeFazio agreed to work with him on the issue in the upcoming reauthorization bill. From here, the full House will have to advance the coronavirus legislation, and the Senate will have to take up its counterpart version. If you haven’t had the chance, now is the perfect time to reach out to your elected officials and encourage them to pass this bill into law.

Happening Now


House T&I Advances Bill to Restore Service







February 10, 2021
Restoration of Amtrak service to pre-pandemic levels took an important step forward today with passage of a pandemic relief bill out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The bill includes $1.5 billion for Amtrak—along with Congressional mandates to restore daily service on the long-distance routes and bring back employees furloughed due to COVID-19—and $30 billion for transit.








Restoration of Amtrak service to pre-pandemic levels took an important step forward today with passage of a pandemic relief bill out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The bill includes $1.5 billion for Amtrak—along with Congressional mandates to restore daily service on the long-distance routes and bring back employees furloughed due to COVID-19—and $30 billion for transit.
These funds will be essential to restoring the trains we all count on. For long-distance trains, Amtrak is required to bring back daily service within 90 days of the passage of the bill into law.
Prior to passage, passengers had to overcome two anti-Amtrak amendments. Rail Passengers asked our members to call their members of congress, and YOU DELIVERED!

• Rep. Scott Perry's (R-PA) amendment to eliminate all funding for Amtrak was DEFEATED! Thanks to everyone who reached out to their Rep on the T&I Committee to stand up for passengers!
• Rep. Rick Crawford. (R-AR), Ranking Member of the Rail Subcommittee, agreed to withdraw his amendment transferring Amtrak funds to a highway-rail grade crossings program after Chairman DeFazio agreed to work with him on the issue in reauthorization.

From here, the full House will have to advance the coronavirus legislation, and the Senate will have to take up its counterpart version. If you haven’t had the chance, now is the perfect time to reach out to your elected officials and encourage them to pass this bill into law.

 

[Dakota 400]

Passed the committee today. On to the full House and Senate now.

I am impressed that a congressional committee could do its work that quickly. Who's the Chairperson of the Committee? Someone who must have been "cracking the whip".

 

[McIntyre2K7]

I am impressed that a congressional committee could do its work that quickly. Who's the Chairperson of the Committee? Someone who must have been "cracking the whip".

Peter A. DeFazio is the chairperson. I had the meeting on in the background yesterday while I was working. I kept hearing "no's" so I thought it didn't pass. Little did I know that "no's" were FOR Amtrak and not against.

 

[Dakota 400]

Peter A. DeFazio is the chairperson. I had the meeting in the background yesterday while I was working. I kept hearing "no's" so I thought it didn't pass. Little did I know that "no's" were FOR Amtrak and not against.

Thanks for responding. Checking on him, he has been a member of the House since 1987. He knows "where the bodies are buried" and knows "the ropes". Being the Dean of the Oregon Congressional delegation, he knows how to get "things done". That's what this country--regardless of one's political position may be--truly needs to happen.

 

[zephyr17]

It is pretty much what Flynn had asked for, plus the Democratic relief proposal before the election which passed the House before being ignored in the Senate, had a funding proposal to restore daily service. They had the language for the amendment teed up and ready to go

 

[Willbridge]

Thanks for responding. Checking on him, he has been a member of the House since 1987. He knows "where the bodies are buried" and knows "the ropes". Being the Dean of the Oregon Congressional delegation, he knows how to get "things done". That's what this country--regardless of one's political position may be--truly needs to happen.

DeFazio represents Albany and Eugene as well as some Thruway stops so I'm sure that he has heard about the service cutbacks,

 

[Exvalley]

Does this appropriation and the daily service mandate have any impact on state sponsored service? Or is that a completely separate thing?

 

[jis]

Does this appropriation and the daily service mandate have any impact on state sponsored service? Or is that a completely separate thing?

It has money to fund all state supported service through the end of this fiscal year, thus reducing the financial burden of the states.

 

[Exvalley]

It has money to fund all state supported service through the end of this fiscal year, thus reducing the financial burden of the states.

Interesting. I wonder what will happen if a state does not want the service. I am thinking of the Vermonter, in particular.

 

[jis]

Interesting. I wonder what will happen if a state does not want the service. I am thinking of the Vermonter, in particular.

Then the Feds will simply save the money. The states have to bill the Feds for service provided on a quarterly or some such basis as far as I can tell. Unless Vermont just lies to the feds to try to pocket the money that money will stay with the Feds for deployment elsewhere.

 

[McIntyre2K7]

Then the Feds will simply save the money. The states have to bill the Feds for service provided on a quarterly or some such basis as far as I can tell. Unless Vermont just lies to the feds to try to pocket the money that money will stay with the Feds for deployment elsewhere.

Can Florida take the funds and trainsets to start on that Tampa/Orlando/Jacksonville route haha? I would be nice to take a day trip to Orlando once Covid is over and go to the theme parks. The timing of the Silver Star into Orlando doesn't work and sometimes I don't feel like driving down I-4.

 

[jis]

Can Florida take the funds and trainsets to start on that Tampa/Orlando/Jacksonville route haha? I would be nice to take a day trip to Orlando once Covid is over and go to the theme parks. The timing of the Silver Star into Orlando doesn't work and sometimes I don't feel like driving down I-4.

No. This fund is for restoring and maintaining existing service that was suspended or otherwise affected because of the pandemic. Not for starting new service.

 

[Hepcat66]

Thanks for responding. Checking on him, he has been a member of the House since 1987. He knows "where the bodies are buried" and knows "the ropes". Being the Dean of the Oregon Congressional delegation, he knows how to get "things done". That's what this country--regardless of one's political position may be--truly needs to happen.

I think Defazio is a good guy and was my Rep while I lived in Eugene for many years. His opposition always brings in lots of outside $ during his elections. His '63 Dodge Dart was legendary.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

Not nearly as bipartisan as it’s been the last few years. According to RPA today, 22 of 30Republicans voted YES on the amendment to zero out ALL Amtrak funding in the bill. All Dems voted in favor of Amtrak.