(The following story by Kelly Bothum appeared on The News Journal website on February 3.)
WILMINGTON, Del. — Delaware’s congressional delegation railed against a published report Wednesday that said the White House will propose eliminating operating subsidies for Amtrak in next year’s fiscal budget.
The report from Reuters said President Bush’s fiscal 2006 budget will include no subsidy for the passenger railroad to run its trains. It will include $360 million for maintenance on the Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston and for commuter services.
Bush’s budget for the year to begin in October will be sent to Congress on Monday.
Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., a regular Amtrak rider, decried the proposed funding cuts, saying the move contradicts the goal of reforming the nation’s passenger rail service.
“Everyone agrees Amtrak needs to be reformed. That discussion should be heard,” Castle spokeswoman Elizabeth Wenk said. “It’s going too far, in our opinion.”
The administration proposed $900 million in subsidies for Amtrak last year. Congress raised that to $1.2 billion after Amtrak said it would shut down without more money. To receive its subsidy in the past years, Amtrak has agreed to closer oversight by the Department of Transportation.
Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., called the move to strike Amtrak subsidies from the 2006 budget a “nonstarter in Congress.”
“At a time when gas prices are going up and congestion is getting worse, it makes absolutely no sense to propose eliminating Amtrak as we know it,” Carper said. “The economy in the Northeast relies heavily on Amtrak, and the administration’s approach will negatively affect businesses and everyday travelers.”
Carper spokesman Bill Ghent said eliminating Amtrak subsidies undermines any attempt at reform and makes it harder for legislators to settle on a right amount of funding.
“If you want to send the right signal, you can do it in a way that engages Congress on this,” Ghent said.
Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black said the railroad would not comment. Other Amtrak supporters along the Northeast corridor sided with the Delaware lawmakers.
“President Bush is willing to spend billions to send a couple of people to Mars, but not one dime for Amtrak’s 25 million annual travelers who want better rail service to destinations on this planet,” said Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J. The president has expressed a wish to have manned flights to the moon and Mars.
David Gunn, who took over as Amtrak’s president nearly three years ago, has cut costs but not enough to stem the railroad’s annual loss of more than $500 million.
Gunn has defended the need for a national passenger railroad system, although some long-distance lines lose more than $100 per rider. He has asked for bigger subsidies – $1.8 billion last year – than Congress has been willing to approve.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)