House GOP blocks hike in Amtrak budget hours after crash

[Raine1967]

Source: (AP)

The move by Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah failed on a party-line vote as the Appropriations Committee debated a $55 billion measure funding transportation and housing programs. The overall GOP bill would slash Amtrak's budget by $251 million, to $1.1 billion, for the next fiscal year.

"Every day, tens of thousands of passengers travel our nation's railways on Amtrak — a majority of those along the Northeast Corridor where yesterday's tragic accident occurred," said Fattah, who represents Philadelphia. "These riders deserve safe, secure, and modern infrastructure."

President Barack Obama asked for almost $2.5 billion for Amtrak in his February budget, much more than he'd requested in previous years. Obama's proposed boost is mostly dedicated to capital investment in track, tunnels and bridges and includes $400 million in grants for capital construction along Amtrak's Northeast corridor.

The vote came as Congress stares down a deadline in 18 days to reauthorize legislation to pay for highways and transit programs.




Read more: http://www.wral.com/house-gop-panel-proposes-amtrak-cuts/14642766/

---

7 people are now confirmed dead in Philadelphia. over 200 injured so far and they aren't done accounting for everyone.

[onecaliberal]

1. Just, wow

[MBS]

17. " " "" "

Unbelievable, aren't they?

[onecaliberal]

18. Why do they continue to shock me?

[MBS]

20. that's a question I ask myself daily.

You'd think I couldn't possibly be any more appalled than I already am, but still, every day, a new shock.

[onecaliberal]

21. Glad I'm not the only one.

I keep thinking they are human beings too right? Surely there is a line they won't cross, but no, they consistently prove me wrong. The Republican Party their reps, apologists and voters are the biggest threat this country has ever faced.

[MBS]

23. Well said.

I agree completely!!

[randys1]

2. Teaparty wants people to die in infrastructure failures. Whether this particular accident

was or was not related to infrastructure, not sure.

But teaparty wants people to die, I will repeat that a few thousand times around here until it gets traction.

[chillfactor]

4. no argument..

what you stated is absolutely true. Baggers look at life as throw-away objects..not people...

[randys1]

5. And either you agree with my statement and are willing to say it out loud, or you are part

of the problem.

Kind of like the way Carlin said he truly believes that if you believe there is a solution, you are part of the problem.

There is no solution at this time because of the hateful, ignorant, deadly teaparty and others around the world like them.

[valerief]

3. Declare a War on Rails. The money will flow then. A War on Anyfuckinthing gets as much money

as it wants.

[Quackers]

6. It is a tragedy. They are reporting speed as a factor. I have a question though.

Isn't Amtrak a for profit, private company? How is this any different than repubs trying to give money to other big corporations? If we're spending tax payer money, shouldn't it be for our benefit and not some private company?

[KamaAina]

8. It's in a similar quasi-public space to the Postal Service

Its official name is the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak, is a publicly funded railroad service operated and managed as a for-profit corporation which began operations on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States.

[Quackers]

9. Thank you for the info.

[mitty14u2]

7. How We Pay $3,700 Per Passenger to Subsidize Airline Tickets

Every day in 22 cities around the country, commuter planes take off with so few passengers that the pilots and crew outnumber the passengers. Each passenger pays a fare that’s less than $100. However, the federal government subsidizes the rest of the cost and pays airlines as much as $3,700 for each person on board.

The controversial subsidy program is called Essential Air Services. It was enacted by Congress in 1978 as a “temporary” measure to help rural communities that were facing the loss of air travel when small airports were to be closed due to airline deregulation.

Instead, Congress has temporarily extended the program 21 times over the last 33 years. The 22nd extension, lasting to January, was passed last week by the Senate.

http://pjmedia.com/blog/how-we-pay-3700-per-passenger-to-subsidize-airline-tickets/

Casey: House Plan to Gut Amtrak Budget By 1/3 Will Hurt PA Jobs, Economy PA 7/8/13

http://www.casey.senate.gov/newsroom/releases/casey-house-plan-to-gut-amtrak-budget-by-1/3-will-hurt-pa-jobs-economy

Republican Congress Just Proposed $300M Cut In Amtrak Funding

http://crooksandliars.com/2015/05/republican-congress-just-proposed-300m-cut

(R)Gov. Illinois cut Amtrak trains as ridership is climbing

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-rauner-budget-would-cut-amtrak-trains-as-ridership-is-climbing-20150302-story.html

[Initech]

10. Yeah slash Amtrak's budget by 1/4. How well did that work out for the IRS again?

[Wellstone ruled]

11. Pivatize pivatize.

If you know just how badly the Major Railroads want Amtrak to go away. All the Class One Rails want this thing gone.

[The CCC]

12. House GOP blocks hike in Amtrak budget hours after crash

RepubliCONS revel in death and misery. They want the government at all levels to fail. It isn't even they don't want the money. They just don't want you to have any. Though I do wonder what they'll buy if there is nothing to buy with it.

[turbinetree]

13. Japan/ China/ India/France/Germany

Chairman Harold Rogers of Kentucky is on this committee and he is a outright right wing hypocrite, and all he does along with his right wing cronies is invoke there right wing hypocrisy right along with his right wing Ronald Reagan voodoo economics and his remarks:

Ronald Reagan---quote

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

Maybe this hypocrite should look at Lincoln and what he did with the railroads:

Transcontinental Railroad:

http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/history/lincoln/lincoln_rr/index.shtml

And there is Japan:

http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/japan-develop-thai-high-speed-rail-links-20150513
http://www.ecomagination.com/big-in-japan

And then China:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/09/world/asia/china-looks-to-high-speed-rail-to-expand-reach.html?_r=0

Now we have India:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Japan-China-in-race-to-sell-India-their-high-speed-trains/articleshow/40878478.cms

Then we have France:

http://www.eurail.com/europe-by-train/high-speed-trains/tgv

Then there also Germany which is in the eurail system along with many other countries in Europe:

http://www.eurail.com/europe-by-train/high-speed-trains

What we need in this country now is for this right wing congressman Rogers to please explain to all of us in the U.S, why three right wing governors, Walker, Scott and Christie, the mantra of your right wing trickle down economics hypocrite Ronald Reagan are wrong and are failures when it comes to job creation, public safety, transportation, when it comes to the railroad.

Why you are failure in your committee position to create jobs and to do what Lincoln did, he made this country under a vision to make us stronger, instead of having our citizens balancing there wares on top of there heads and walking along a dirt path.

Your ilk thinks that the government is the problem, just like old Ronnie thought------you are wrong, you are always wrong.

And we now have this right wing agenda being fomented everyday on this country that the government is a failure ----privatize it----------you are wrong.

And this is why we are becoming a third rate state, because of your right wing party of hypocrites that are more worried about the billionaire class and the oligarchies.
On putting human beings on a railroad track system that is decaying, because your corrupt enterprise is bankrupting our infrastructure, to sell it off to the highest bidder, to place a toll / tax on those services for pure greed, to be given to your billionaire friends that are corrupting my government of------ WE the People.

But if you look at San Francisco / Los Angeles its not like that, because they took the above right wing libertarian Ayn Rand Republican governors federal tax dollars---my /our dollars and applied those funds to put in a high speed rail system.
To upgrade the infrastructure to the 21st century, to create jobs, safety, ect....with my / our tax dollars that those three republican Ronald Reagan hypocrites and yourself espoused, and they are doing it in California under a DEMOCRAT governor and a DEMOCRATICALLY controlled legislature -----------you are wrong, and people have died because of your logic and mantra you bring to the table.

[davidpdx]

19. Add Korea to the list

There is a great rail system here including high speed rail going up to 300 km hr.

[MoreGOPoop]

14. K & R

I'm so jaded, however, that it occurred to me a MIHOP crew is using
this as a bribe- 'We give you infrastructure in return for Unfair Trade.'

[Hekate]

15. .....and there you have it....

[BumRushDaShow]

16. Fattah is my Congressman and at least he tried.

[Marie Marie]

22. I try so hard not to hate...

but these MoFo's make it so hard. What is wrong with these people??!!

[Cha]

24. Of course they did, Raine.. they're beholden to Kochroaches.. evidently Train Safety is too much for

them.