Michaud and Pingree to Offer Amendment to Preserve Critical Downeaster Funding

Press Release

Representatives Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree said today they plan to introduce an amendment to preserve federal funding for the Downeaster passenger rail line in a transportation funding bill now being considered by the House.

"The Downeaster is critical to communities throughout our state," said Michaud. "A lot of hard work has gone into making it a success. As our economy continues to recover, it just doesn't make sense to eliminate support for a service that Maine businesses and families rely on."

Currently the Downeaster gets $6 million a year in Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) funding. CMAQ funding is intended to support projects for a maximum of three years, but Congress has consistently granted waivers allowing the funding to continue for the Downeaster and other similar rail lines around the country. However, the current transportation bill being considered by the House this week does not allow an extension of CMAQ funding for those rail lines, including the Downeaster.

"The Downeaster is one of the most successful and popular rail lines in the country," Pingree said. "It has created economic development along its current route and we can already see the boost it's giving to local businesses in Freeport and Brunswick where service will begin later this year. Now is not the time to pull the rug out from under the Downeaster by taking away this funding."

Michaud and Pingree's amendment would allow the U. S. Department of Transportation to continue funding rail lines with the CMAQ program for longer than three years. The Downeaster has been getting that federal funding for its entire ten years of existence and its current CMAQ funding will run out this fall.

House Republicans said today that they now expect put off a final vote on the bill (H.R. 7, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act of 2012) until later this month.

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