PRINTER'S NO. 1887
No. 297 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY PISTELLA, GEIST, DeWEESE, BALDWIN, BELARDI,
CALTAGIRONE, CURRY, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEORGE,
GERGELY, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KOTIK, LEACH,
LEVDANSKY, MANDERINO, MARKOSEK, PALLONE, RAMALEY, RAYMOND,
READSHAW, ROEBUCK, ROSS, SHANER, B. SMITH, STABACK, TIGUE,
WANSACZ AND YOUNGBLOOD, MAY 5, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, MAY 5, 2005
A RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing the Congress of the United States to take action
2 to preserve and enhance Federal support for the operations of
3 Amtrak's Northeast Corridor passenger rail service.
4 WHEREAS, Commuter and intercity rail services are
5 indispensable to citizens of this Commonwealth and to the
6 economy of the Keystone State; and
7 WHEREAS, The Bush Administration has proposed a budget for
8 fiscal year 2006 that eliminates virtually all funding for
9 intercity Amtrak commuter and passenger rail services; and
10 WHEREAS, Federal funding for Amtrak would essentially be
11 eliminated if the President's fiscal year 2006 proposal is
12 approved, with the exception of $360 million in funding to
13 maintain existing rail services, including commuter services and
14 freight traffic, for railroads all across the country; and
15 WHEREAS, Amtrak, which served 25 million passengers last
16 year, remains by far the most energy-efficient and cost-
1 effective means of moving large numbers of people from
2 destination to destination along the Northeast Corridor; and
3 WHEREAS, During fiscal year 2003, Amtrak served 4,615,453
4 Pennsylvanians, a figure which increased to 4,849,022 in fiscal
5 year 2004; and
6 WHEREAS, Amtrak owns the 104-mile Keystone Corridor and owns
7 and operates the Penn Coach Yard and Race Street Engine House
8 equipment repair and maintenance facility at 30th Street Station
9 and one of two reservation call centers located in Philadelphia,
10 which employs more than 550 people; and
11 WHEREAS, The Bush Administration's proposal would force the
12 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and other states to assume the
13 additional expense to avoid disruption of this essential
14 service, thereby having an additional adverse impact on the
15 states; and
16 WHEREAS, Frequent statements by critics of Federal subsidies
17 for Amtrak to the contrary notwithstanding, the Federal
18 subsidies received by Amtrak are modest in comparison to Federal
19 subsidies to highways, $32 billion in fiscal year 2003, and
20 aviation, $14 billion in fiscal year 2003; and
21 WHEREAS, Those who decry Federal subsidies to Amtrak and cite
22 them as evidence that this vital transportation link is a
23 failure steadfastly refuse to accept the facts that every
24 industrialized nation subsidizes its rail services and that the
25 subsidies received by Amtrak are proportionally among the
26 smallest in the world; and
27 WHEREAS, At a moment in our nation's history when energy
28 costs are at an all-time high, the last thing the Federal
29 Government should be considering is ending its support for
30 passenger and commuter rail services; rather these services
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1 should be encouraged and expanded; therefore be it
2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
3 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania memorialize Congress to take action
4 to preserve and enhance Federal support for the operations of
5 Amtrak's Northeast Corridor passenger rail service; and be it
6 further
7 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
8 President Bush, to the presiding officers of each house of
9 Congress and to each member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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