Happening Now
Congress Signals Start for Transportation Budget
May 5, 2023
Congressional appropriations committees have announced mark-up dates for mid-May. With the House of Representatives debating 22 percent across-the-board cuts, Amtrak and transit systems are in the budgetary crosshairs.
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U.S. House GOP leadership notified members of the House Committee on Appropriations this week that the subcommittee markup of the transportation funding bill will take place on May 17th or 18th, sounding the starting gun for the delayed Fiscal Year 2024 budget process. And with the House of Representatives debating a 22 percent across-the-board cut, Amtrak and transit systems are in the budgetary crosshairs.
While the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) has introduced a new era for America’s rail passengers by providing guaranteed multi-year funding to upgrade and expand the national passenger rail network, this funding can only be used for certain purposes and was never meant to replace Amtrak's annual appropriations.
Providing sufficient FY24 funding is necessary to allow Amtrak to operate trains and restore full service, perform annual maintenance and carry out core functions to avoid long-term deterioration of assets and services, and make targeted, high-priority investments for future expansion. Critically, insufficient funding could lead to cuts to service and slow the rollout of desperately needed upgrades to equpiment and on-board service.
Join Rail Passengers' campaign to support funding for Amtrak and transit. Use our Action Center to call your members of Congress and take a stand against service cuts!
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"It is an honor to be recognized by the Rail Passengers Association for my efforts to strengthen and expand America’s passenger rail. Golden spikes were once used by railroads to mark the completion of important rail projects, so I am truly grateful to receive the Golden Spike Award as a way to mark the end of a career that I’ve spent fighting to invest in our country’s rail system. As Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, it has been my priority to bolster funding for Amtrak, increase and expand routes, look to the future by supporting high-speed projects, and improve safety, culminating in $66 billion in new funding in the Bipartisan infrastructure Law."
Representative Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
March 30, 2022, on receiving the Association's Golden Spike Award for his years of dedication and commitment to passenger rail.
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