It pased house committee, not the house
US House committee approves money for Amtrak
Wed Apr 27, 2005 05:14 PM ET
WASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - A House of Representatives committee on Wednesday unanimously approved legislation to authorize $6 billion over three years to fund Amtrak.
Bipartisan action by the full Transportation Committee is a powerful counterweight to proposals by the Bush administration and the Amtrak board to overhaul the way it does business, eventually transfer operating authority to the states and introduce competition.
The administration is fed up with Amtrak's money losing ways -- more than $600 million last year -- and has offered no subsidy for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 unless it changes substantially.
Amtrak, a for-profit corporation created by Congress in 1971, needs federal aid to survive. It received $1.2 billion this year and has asked for $1.8 billion next year.
The House committee bill would provide Amtrak with $2 billion per year for three years. Separate legislation approved by the panel included a blueprint for states to develop high-speed rail networks.