Finally, Long-Term Federal Funding for Amtrak...

Jun 17, 2008

The moment may have arrived: We may at last be on the brink of empowering Amtrak to offer a sensible method of alternative travel in the U.S. Last week the House of Representatives passed a measure that for the first time in history will establish long-term funding for Amtrak. The bill will authorize the appropriation of nearly 3 billion dollars a year for five years for the national railroad system. Who could possibly deny that we now desperately need a system of energy-efficient rail transportation to give us an alternative method of traveling about within the United States?
The House bill now goes to a conference committee to eliminate differences in a somewhat-similar bill passed by the Senate. And what's significant is that the margin by which the House bill was passed, 311 to 104, is more than sufficient to overcome a threatened veto by President Bush.
Thus, the moment may have come. We may at last be ready to defeat the long-maintained opposition to Amtrak by the oil industry and install a sensible system of alternative transportation in America. All of us should make our views known to members of Congress.

For more informtion, visit http://www.frommers.com/blog/2008/06/moment-may-have-arrived-we-may-at-last.html