Senator Durbin and IDOT Secretary Tim Martin Speak Out Against House Cuts to Amtrak Funding

SENATOR DURBIN AND IDOT SECRETARY TIM MARTIN SPEAK OUT AGAINST HOUSE CUTS TO AMTRAK FUNDING

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Secretary, Tim Martin, today voiced strong opposition to action taken in the House of Representatives this week to cut Amtrak federal funding by a third.

"Just one month after the State of Illinois doubled their funding commitment for Amtrak, the U.S. House of Representatives has proposed a federal funding cut of more than a third. This is a bad decision for Illinois and our nation," said Durbin. "In February, when President Bush first proposed his budget which drastically under-funded Amtrak, many of us warned that it would derail passenger rail service for this country. Sadly, the House has rubber-stamped the President's funding plan that could force closure of some Amtrak routes in Illinois."

This week, the House Appropriations Committee approved only $900 million for Amtrak funding. The House measure matches President Bush's inadequate $900 million request for Amtrak. This funding is $700 million short of what Amtrak needs to maintain routes and services.

"Amtrak service is vital to commerce and travel in Illinois - in some communities it's the single best option for transportation to and from other parts of the state or region," said Martin. "That's why Gov. Blagojevich has pushed for full federal funding for Amtrak, and it's also why the Governor doubled state funding to expand Amtrak service in Illinois. If Congress moves in the opposite direction and slashes funding, our efforts to increase Amtrak service in Illinois will be jeopardized, and seniors, college students and many other people across Illinois who rely on Amtrak as their only means of public transportation will be hurt."

IDOT contracts with Amtrak on behalf of the state to ensure regular rail passenger service throughout Illinois. The state recently doubled their Amtrak commitment to $24 million in order to provide for the first Midwest Amtrak expansion in almost 20 years. The additional funding has also prompted proposals to reinstate service in large metropolitan areas, such as Rockford, IL.

"With the state's plans to provide additional service on all three of Illinois' intrastate routes, full funding of Amtrak has never been more important," Durbin added. "If the House and the President's proposals are adopted, Illinois' Amtrak expansion will be stopped dead in its tracks. I will continue to work with the State of Illinois and my colleagues in the Senate to correct this shortsighted funding plan and restore the money that Amtrak needs to operate. "

http://durbin.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=256688&&