CLEVELAND, January 5 — The following is a statement by BLET National President Don M. Hahs regarding the recess re-appointments of Amtrak board members Enrique Sosa and Floyd Hall:
“President George W. Bush has again showed the American people that who you know is much more important than what you know in reappointing Enrique Sosa and Floyd Hall to the Amtrak board. The administration has shown its contempt for qualified individuals and its preference for rewarding donors by circumventing the traditional appointment process again, while at the same time doing a disservice to the hardworking employees of Amtrak and its riders.
“For a second time, President Bush has circumvented the Senate by making recess appointments for these individuals, knowing full well that the Senate may not have confirmed them due to questions regarding their qualifications. Recess appointments are simply a tactic used by presidents to bypass lawmakers when Congress is out of session.
“The legality of the Board’s composition was already raised in November, and the board was sharply criticized in November by Republicans and Democrats in Congress for firing David Gunn, the Amtrak president and a veteran railroad executive who had cut costs and was skeptical of the administration’s reform agenda.
“Neither Sosa nor Floyd has support among Amtrak backers on Capitol Hill, and the President knew this. In fact, one member of Congress, Rep. Jerome Nadler (D-NY), asked at a hearing whether the administration was attempting to ‘FEMA-tize’ Amtrak. So the President simply avoided the confrontation and appointed his cronies to Amtrak without the Senate’s approval.
“The BLET is disappointed by the President’s actions but will nevertheless persevere in our commitment to preserve Amtrak and ensure its future success.”