(The Associated Press distributed the following article on September 3.)
WASHINGTON — Amtrak would get $1.35 billion in federal subsidies next year under a bill approved Wednesday by a Senate subcommittee that gives the railroad more money than President Bush wants but less than Amtrak officials have said they need.
The cash-strapped carrier has said $1.8 billion is necessary to retain existing levels of service, but critics want Amtrak to first drop money-losing lines and make other changes. Bush proposed only $900 million, the same amount included in a bill the House plans to consider this week, so Amtrak officials expressed relief at the Senate figure.
“Amtrak is encouraged” by the Senate bill and will “look to Congress to provide an adequate level to fulfill our needs,” said Amtrak spokesman Clifford Black.
The bill would defer repayment, for an additional year, of a $100 million federal loan Amtrak received last summer.
Separately, the Republican-led Senate rejected Democratic efforts to boost spending for disabled students, schools near military bases and Hispanic youngsters as it worked slowly through a bill providing $137.6 billion for schools, health and labor programs for the budget year beginning Oct. 1.
Democrats have a pile of education amendments ready as they battle the GOP over an issue both parties would like to dominate by next year’s elections.
At a meeting with Bush and other White House officials, top congressional Republicans were told the administration will submit a “substantial” request to pay for ongoing U.S. activities in Iraq, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said in a brief interview.
He and others said Bush and other officials provided no details on the amount or timing of the request. But congressional aides said the administration might request $60 billion or $70 billion, though no final decisions have been made.
The Amtrak funds were included in a measure providing $89.8 billion for next year for transportation programs, the Treasury Department and several smaller agencies. It was approved by a subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Initially, Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., the subcommittee chairman, planned to provide only $900 million for Amtrak, Senate aides said.
But he agreed to a plan by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., to raise the total to nearly $1.35 billion by trimming almost $450 million from agency administrative costs and other items in the underlying legislation.
Shelby’s assent illustrated the broad support among senators for Amtrak. Though its busiest corridor runs between Boston and Washington, Amtrak serves 500 communities in 46 states.
The passenger railroad has received more than $26 billion in taxpayer subsidies since its formation 32 years ago.
The overall Treasury-transportation bill is $3.1 billion, or nearly 4 percent, more than this year’s total. It is also $3.9 billion, or almost 5 percent, more than Bush sought.
It includes $33.8 billion for highways, or $4.5 billion more than Bush requested, and less than he proposed for the Internal Revenue Service.
Military personnel and many civilian government workers would get 4.1 percent pay raises. Bush would give 4.1 percent raises to the military and 2 percent increases to civilians.