(The Associated Press circulated the following on September 10.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Supporters of Amtrak in Congress are urging their colleagues to complete a key piece of legislation for the railroad.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., who sponsored the bill to authorize $1.9 billion per year for Amtrak for six years, joined several colleagues and business leaders at a news conference Wednesday at Washington’s Union Station.
Versions of the bill have passed in both the House and the Senate by veto-proof margins. The two chambers now need to hammer out a compromise bill, but Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn has blocked the appointment of negotiators in the Senate.
Coburn spokesman Don Tatro says Coburn doesn’t believe taxpayers should subsidize what he regards as Amtrak’s inefficiency.
Lautenberg says supporting Amtrak is essential to help people cope with congestion and high gas prices.