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“TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2014” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1182 on Aug. 1, 2013.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2014
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speech of
HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI
of illinois
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2610) making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2014, and for other purposes:
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of Amtrak passenger rail service, which carried 31.2 million riders in 2012 and provides a vital transportation alternative for commuters and travelers in our Nation's busiest corridors.
More people are taking Amtrak today than ever before, a sign that passenger rail is making a comeback. Ridership has grown substantially during the last decade, with another 3.5 percent gain last year. This year, Amtrak had the highest monthly ridership of its 43-year history with 2.9 million riders in March. Amtrak now covers 88 percent of its operating expenses with ticket sales and other revenue, with government funding needed mostly for capital projects.
I represent the southwest side of Chicago and neighboring suburbs where passenger and commuter rail boost our economy. Chicago's Union Station is Amtrak's fourth-busiest station. In Illinois, 56 Amtrak trains run each day carrying 5 million passengers. In addition, the Illinois Department of Transportation has partnered with Amtrak on three corridors between Chicago and downstate Illinois, and has teamed with Wisconsin to support service between Chicago and Milwaukee. Total ridership on these routes has increased 85 percent since the State doubled its investment in Amtrak service in 2006.
In the bustling Northeast Corridor from Washington, DC up to Boston, Amtrak carried a record 11.4 million passengers in fiscal year 2012. That helps keep vehicles off our congested highways and relieves some of the pressure at our busy airports.
Investment in passenger rail also benefits our economy. In 2012, Amtrak spent more than $1.3 billion on domestically-manufactured goods and services in 48 states and the District of Columbia. The vast majority of Amtrak's spending is right here in the U.S.; less than one percent of Amtrak's procurement money is spent to purchase products from foreign countries. In Illinois, Amtrak employs nearly 1,500 residents.
I am encouraged to see Amtrak ridership growing, and I think maintaining our only national intercity passenger rail network will be critical as fuel prices rise and Americans demand more transportation options. I look forward to finding smart ways to improve passenger rail service for my constituents and others.
I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting Amtrak and opposing the proposed deep cuts to passenger rail funding in the current transportation appropriations bill that was pulled from the floor Wednesday.
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