(Reuters circulated the following article on June 29.)
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives defied the Bush administration on Wednesday by approving more than $1.17 billion in subsidies for Amtrak in the next fiscal year.funding bill for transportation and treasury programs that would add $626 million to a proposed appropriation of $550 million for the beleaguered passenger railroad.
Rep. Steven LaTourette, an Ohio Republican and chairman of the House railroads subcommittee, proposed the funding change, which would take money from other transportation programs to boost Amtrak’s subsidy.
The administration proposed no funding for Amtrak for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 unless the railroad cut costs sharply and radically changed how it operates.
Amtrak has agreed to some of the Bush administration demands but said it could not operate on the $550 million proposal sent to the House floor by the Appropriations Committee, which demanded Amtrak cut its most unprofitable routes.
The railroad sought nearly $2 billion in aid for next year, emphasizing that its subsidy request was driven primarily by the cost of infrastructure upgrades. Amtrak received just over $1.2 billion for this year.
The Senate has yet to consider the transportation funding bill.