Amtrak Transparency and Accountability for Passengers and Taxpayers Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. NEHLS. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8692, the Amtrak Transparency and Accountability for Passengers and Taxpayers Act, is essential legislation for mandating transparency from Amtrak.

This bill applies the Government in the Sunshine Act of 1976 to Amtrak, requiring meetings of its board of directors to be open to public observation with certain exceptions.

Amtrak's status as a governmental entity for the purposes of the Sunshine Act is beyond dispute. All its voting board members are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. It shares characteristics with other government-created and -sponsored entities that require board of director meetings to be open.

Amtrak receives substantial taxpayer support. Never in its more than 50-year history has it made a profit, and now it has access to more than $66 billion. That is with a b, Mr. Speaker. For those of you upstairs, that is $66 billion in taxpayer support through the Biden administration's infrastructure law.

How this funding will be utilized and how Amtrak is managed is of great importance to its customers, employees, and taxpayers at large.

It is often said that sunshine is the best disinfectant. Opening up many of Amtrak's board of director meetings will better ensure that its decisions are made in the best interest of the public. With so much at stake, Amtrak should not be the exception to transparency.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to Chairman Graves and the members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for supporting H.R. 8692, and I urge support of this legislation.

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