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House T&I Advances Bill to Restore Service

February 10, 2021

Restoration of Amtrak service to pre-pandemic levels took an important step forward today with passage of a pandemic relief bill out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The bill includes $1.5 billion for Amtrak—along with Congressional mandates to restore daily service on the long-distance routes and bring back employees furloughed due to COVID-19—and $30 billion for transit.

Restoration of Amtrak service to pre-pandemic levels took an important step forward today with passage of a pandemic relief bill out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The bill includes $1.5 billion for Amtrak—along with Congressional mandates to restore daily service on the long-distance routes and bring back employees furloughed due to COVID-19—and $30 billion for transit.

These funds will be essential to restoring the trains we all count on. For long-distance trains, Amtrak is required to bring back daily service within 90 days of the passage of the bill into law.

Prior to passage, passengers had to overcome two anti-Amtrak amendments. Rail Passengers asked our members to call their members of congress, and YOU DELIVERED!

  • Rep. Scott Perry's (R-PA) amendment to eliminate all funding for Amtrak was DEFEATED! Thanks to everyone who reached out to their Rep on the T&I Committee to stand up for passengers!
  • Rep. Rick Crawford. (R-AR), Ranking Member of the Rail Subcommittee, agreed to withdraw his amendment transferring Amtrak funds to a highway-rail grade crossings program after Chairman DeFazio agreed to work with him on the issue in reauthorization.

From here, the full House will have to advance the coronavirus legislation, and the Senate will have to take up its counterpart version. If you haven’t had the chance, now is the perfect time to reach out to your elected officials and encourage them to pass this bill into law.

ROLL CALL - On Rep. Perry’s amendment to eliminate funding to Amtrak

(“NO” vote is pro-Amtrak)

YES

NO

Graves (R-MO)

Bost (R-IL)

Crawford (R-AR)

Gallagher (R-WI)

Gibbs (R-OH)

Fitzpatrick (R-PA)

Webster (R-FL)

Van Drew (R-NJ)

Massie (R-KY)

Malliotakis (R-NY)

Perry (R-PA)

Gimenez (R-FL)

Babin (R-TX)

Defazio (D-OR)

Graves (R-LA)

Davis (R-IL)

Rouzer (R-NC)

Katko (R-NY)

Weber (R-TX)

Carson (D-IN)

LaMalfa (R-CA)

Huffman (D-CA)

Westerman (R-AR)

Garamendi (D-CA)

Mast (R-FL)

Brownley (D-CA)

Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR)

Wilson (D-FL)

Balderson (R-OH)

Payne (D-NJ)

Stauber (R-MN)

Lowenthal (D-CA)

Burchett (R-TN)

Desaulnier (D-CA)

Johnson (R-SD)

Norton (D-DC)

Guest (R-MS)

Lynch (D-MA)

Nehls- (R-TX)

Johnson (D-TX)

Mace (R-SC)

Carbajal (D-CA)

Van Duyne (R-TX)

Brown (D-MD)

Steel (R-CA)

Malinowski (D-NJ)

Stanton (D-AZ)

Allred (D-TX)

Davids (D-KS)

Larsen (D-WA)

Garcia (D-IL)

Delgado (D-NY)

Pappas (D-NH)

Lamb (D-PA)

Napolitano (D-CA)

Moulton (D-MA)

Auchincloss (D-MA)

Sires (D-NJ)

Bourdeaux (D-GA)

Strickland (D-WA)

Williams (D-GA)

Newman (D-IL)

Cohen (D-TN)

Titus (D-NV)

Maloney (D-NY)

Kahele (D-HI)

We are one step closer to restoring daily National Network Service, which was decimated by Amtrak cuts in response to the pandemic. Your professional staff has reason for optimism. We have an opportunity to make sure ALL communities, but especially the smaller communities, aren’t left behind as lawmakers begin to discuss restoring and even boosting passenger rail and public transit funding.

More and more, they're hearing our message: passenger rail development can revitalize largely forgotten neighborhoods and bring in new jobs and economic growth, while connecting neighborhoods and cities that didn’t previously have appropriate levels of public transit.

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