Proposed amendment cuts all Amtrak funding

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OK I've done my part and called my Rep.

For those who are unfamiliar with the process of lobbying a politician by phone it generally takes all of five minutes or less. You'll reach a staffer who will likely ask your name, address, and phone number. All you have to do is explain how you want your Representative to vote in a clear and concise manner. You can withhold any or all of your information if you want but in my case I prefer to be on the record for things like this. The more information you withhold the less likely your position is to be taken seriously.

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By the nature of their purpose you can quote entire press releases without legal or moral repercussions.

Late-Filed Amendment Cuts All Amtrak Funding! Call Now!

3/3/2015 0 Comments

NARP warned you about anti-Amtrak amendments yesterday, but the worst-case scenario just got a lot worse.

A late-filed amendment by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) would eliminate all funding for Amtrak. If Rep. McClintock’s amendment becomes law, it will mean the end of trains in America. No more long-distance trains, no more state services, no more Northeast Corridor.

Voting happens today. We need you to call your Representatives NOW and tell them to oppose all amendments to H.R. 749.

Anti-rail group Heritage Action is encouraging Members of Congress to vote for the elimination of long distance trains and to cut funding to Amtrak. We need to let Congress hear the voices of citizens who want a strong national passenger train network.

Act Now! (If you’re having trouble with the link, you can call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121)
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I e-mailed my Rep., Llyod Doggett, D- Austin, and as usual received a prompt reply! He is a Senior Member of Ways and Means, a very important committee, and is considered influential in Congress!

Taking a prompt from Chris, I also e- mailed both my Senators offices but if the Democrats introduced the Constitution in Congress they would both vote against it!

Ryan, I think Rep.Mica gets his Amtrak info from Senator " Amtrak does not serve my State" McCain of Arizona!
 
Mr. McClintock is the Representative of the district directly beside mine. I called my Representative, Dr. Ami Bera, even if it was not necesseary. Dr. Bera is very pro-transit and pro-trains. McClintock is the polar opposite, as his bill suggests. His district recieves Amtrak Thruway services, but no trains. He equates Amtrak as Greyhound on steel wheels, and that its nothing more than another welfare program. There will be no changing his opinions, unfortunately. Outside of evicting him from office, but his constituency is very happy with him.
 
I called my Representative's office and also emailed a modified version of the NARP action item.

Another Washington mess. Incompetent leadership causes heartburn to us!!
 
RyanS said:
All of the proposed amendments are visible here:

https://rules.house.gov/bill/114/hr-749

I'm particularly amused my Rep Mica's "Amtrak should run express service WAS-NYP-BOS" amendment. He must be unaware that they tried that already.
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As Mica amendments go, that one is about as benign as one can get. So at least I am not sweating over that one. :) One could argue that conditions have changed since then and it is worth another look. The Board could come back and say, yeah we considered it, and it would be viable after we get more HSR sets, but not at present, and that will be the end of it.
Interestingly, folks at AAF do not appear to be sweating Posey's proposed amendments that much, I don't know why. Posey happens to be my Rep (FL-8), since due to gerrymandering of sorts the bluer north Brevard is paired with the very red T Party Indian River, St. Lucie and southern Brevard. In the last election the Democrats did not seem to even bother putting up anyone that remotely stood a chance. We'll see what happens next time.
 
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CHamilton said:
Amtrak vote has been scheduled for this afternoon (Wed.) Still time to call your reps, ask to vote against HR 749 amendments. http://ow.ly/JV549
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If the Democrats and the Northeast and significant segments of Midwest and West Coast Republicans stick together like they did on the DHS bill, these stupid amendments stand no chance. It is however very important that if your rep is sitting on the fence type, that they be called and asked to oppose amendments to HR 749, and vote for HR 749 as is.
See details of the DHS vote yesterday afternoon to see what I mean.
 
I called my rep's office, and stated my position and how I would like him ( congressman Pocan ) to vote. I'm not sure how much good it will do.
 
Representatives count comments from constituents. If they hear from enough people, they have been known to deviate from the "party line." There was a good analysis the other day (which I can't find now) suggesting that the outcry over net neutrality did, indeed, change some votes.
 
McClintock Amendment defunding Amtrak was defeated handily. Just as I guessed it was solid Democrats vote plus a bunch of Northeast, midwest and west coast Republicans that carried the Nays on that.

Mica amendment passed as did a bunch of Democrats offered amendments. Posey withdrew his amendments as far as I could tell. He just rose in support of an amendment about grade crossing safety, which is just fine by everyone. :)

The main bill passed overwhelmingly 316-101, all Nay votes from Republicans.
 
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jis said:
Interestingly, folks at AAF do not appear to be sweating Posey's proposed amendments that much, I don't know why. Posey happens to be my Rep (FL-8), since due to gerrymandering of sorts the bluer north Brevard is paired with the very red T Party Indian River, St. Lucie and southern Brevard. In the last election the Democrats did not seem to even bother putting up anyone that remotely stood a chance. We'll see what happens next time.
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jis said:
Mica amendment passed as did a bunch of Democrats offered amendments. Posey withdrew his amendments as far as I could tell. He just rose in support of an amendment about grade crossing safety, which is just fine by everyone. :)
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Sounds as if AAF may have known that Rep. Posey was going to withdraw his proposed amendments. Posey may have put them out there to mollify some anti-AAF backers in his district, with no intent of bringing them to the floor for a vote.

Ok, so the re-authorization ended up with some grade crossing safety amendments which appear to be mostly harmless and Mica's NEC express study amendment which will force Amtrak and the NEC Commission to waste time and money on a formal study. The Senate may ignore the Mica amendment, but I can see it getting through a reconciliation process, because some Senators will like the concept of restoring an express train to NYC for meetings with their campaign donors.
 
Well, in Britain many London Euston to Glasgow trains are non-stop from London to Warrington (104 minutes), and many London Kings Cross to Edinburgh trains are non-stop from London to York (110 minutes). So in principle it's not a bad idea, since the NEC is more populous and more concentrated than any UK main line. Unless of course the NEC is so busy that it needs a uniform schedule to fit all the trains in.
 

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