(The Sentinel & Enterprise published the following story by Ian Bishop on its website on September 5.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. John Olver, D-Amherst, railed against the GOP-crafted transportation bill for fiscal 2004 Thursday, saying it will cripple Amtrak and kill alternative transportation enhancements that could ease congestion.
From the House floor, Olver condemned the bill’s allotment of $580 million for Amtrak in the next fiscal year. It is well below the $1.8 billion the federally subsidized passenger rail network requested.
“We added some money, but not nearly enough to the Amtrak program,” Olver said. “We’ve got a long way to go to get, what I would consider, is a balanced transportation bill.”
Olver, the most senior Democrat on the House subcommittee tasked with overseeing transportation spending, attempted to dramatically boost Amtrak’s funding with a last-minute amendment but was barred by House rules from presenting it.
Republicans were not bumped off track by pleas for an increase by Olver and several fellow Democrats during debate in the lower chamber Thursday afternoon.
“The Bush administration does not support the ($1.8 billion) request from Amtrak and neither do I,” countered Rep. Ernest Istook, R-Okla. “We should not accept (Amtrak’s) ‘sky is falling,’ chicken-little comments.”
But Olver, a major Amtrak supporter, said there is nothing little about the financial crisis Amtrak is facing.
“It pushes them to the brink of a shutdown, despite the fact that 200 members of this body sent a letter to the Appropriations Committee supporting Amtrak’s request for $1.8 billion,” Olver said.
Issues over Amtrak pit congressmen from the Northeast and the Pacific Northwest, where the rail service is popular and profitable, against members from other regions of the country.
Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Colorado Republican, said Amtrak is so inefficient that it would be cheaper in some instances for the federal government to buy a passenger’s airline ticket than to subsidized his or her Amtrak ticket.
“We want to shut off the spigot of federal funds,” he said.
But Rep. Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon Democrat, said many are quick to provide “lavish subsidies” to the struggling airline industry because of its national appeal, yet are unwilling to aid Amtrak, which is viewed only as a regional benefit despite its service throughout the country.
Because of the divided support of Amtrak, Olver has been unable to push upgrades in rail service he’d like to see in Berkshire County, such as a high-speed rail option. Currently, a single train route serves Pittsfield, running from Boston to Chicago. Passengers traveling to locations off the straight east-west line must travel to Albany or Boston for connecting trains.
Amtrak stands a better chance of having its budget increased in the Senate transportation bill, which allots $1.3 billion to the rail service. The two bills will eventually be compromised by a conference of members from both chambers.
Olver also fought Thursday to retain the requirement that states must spend 10 percent of their allotted road funds on enhancements for bike and pedestrian pathways.
Advocates argued the pathways promoted fitness and community activism while creating jobs. They also said the pedestrian and cycling alternatives would relieve the congested roadways around America’s cities.
Opponents contended the enhancement program was a “luxury” that could not be sustained in dire economic times. They argued states should not be required to divert money to such programs.
The $89.3 billion House transportation and Treasury bill is one of 13 spending bills that funds federal government operations beginning Oct. 1.
It is nearly $4 billion more than the White House requested.
The bill includes $34.6 billion for the nation’s highways, up $2 billion from the current fiscal year, $7.2 billion for mass transit and $500 million for local governments to upgrade its voting machines.