House Democrats are using Tuesday’s deadly train derailment to pressure the GOP to double Amtrak’s 2016 funding.
Democratic appropriators Wednesday tried to amend the fiscal 2016 Transportation funding bill with a provision that would fund Amtrak at $2.45 billion, which is the level requested by President Obama in his 2016 spending plan.
That’s more than twice the $1.14 billion House Republicans propose for Amtrak. The GOP-led panel defeated the amendment, and Democrats immediately criticized the move.
“It is deeply troubling that my Republican colleagues defeated an amendment to fully fund Amtrak just hours after his tragic rail crash,” said Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, who is the top Democrat on the Appropriations panel.
The GOP bill cuts Amtrak funding by $200 million from fiscal 2015.
The reduction is specifically aimed at infrastructure, not operating costs of safety programs, which are funded at $187 million — the same as last year’s levels, a GOP appropriations aide said.
But Democrats say infrastructure is tied to safety and are linking the GOP budget with the crash, which killed six and injured hundreds and remains under investigation.
“While it’s too early to speculate on the cause of last night’s derailment, ensuring safety and reliability on our railways requires substantial investment in Amtrak and it is imperative we continue to prioritize our country’s investment in transportation infrastructure,” Rep. Chaka Fattah, a Democrat who represents Philadelphia, said in a statement.
