(BLE Editor’s Note: The following Letter to the Editor of USA Today was written by Rep. Jack Quinn (R-NY), chair of the House Subcommittee on Railroads.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — During his tenure as president of Amtrak, George Warrington said that if Congress did not provide the rail service with a higher level of investment this year, long-distance routes would be cut and jobs would be lost.
However, the future of passenger rail service in America is an issue that should not be taken up hastily. This debate is far too serious and complicated to be resolved in a few short months.
That is why I have forged a bipartisan compromise with my transportation committee colleagues on a measure to address Amtrak’s immediate needs.
We have proposed an authorization of $1.2 billion for fiscal year 2003. In addition, we have included $375 million for security upgrades, and another $400 million will be used for safety improvements to Amtrak tunnels.
This bill should be viewed exactly as what it is — a stopgap measure that provides Amtrak with the level of funding necessary to continue its current operations. It prevents a loss in train routes or a cut in jobs.
We need to send a clear message to the Senate and the Bush administration that Amtrak is critical to our nation’s transportation network — and that it must stay on track. If not, Americans could end up being denied a safe, viable and efficient choice in how they travel. I will not stand idly by and watch that train leave the station.
Rep. Jack Quinn, R-N.Y., chairman
Subcommittee on Railroads
Washington, D.C.