Happening Now
Congress Signals Start for Transportation Budget
May 5, 2023
Congressional appropriations committees have announced mark-up dates for mid-May. With the House of Representatives debating 22 percent across-the-board cuts, Amtrak and transit systems are in the budgetary crosshairs.
U.S. House GOP leadership notified members of the House Committee on Appropriations this week that the subcommittee markup of the transportation funding bill will take place on May 17th or 18th, sounding the starting gun for the delayed Fiscal Year 2024 budget process. And with the House of Representatives debating a 22 percent across-the-board cut, Amtrak and transit systems are in the budgetary crosshairs.
While the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) has introduced a new era for America’s rail passengers by providing guaranteed multi-year funding to upgrade and expand the national passenger rail network, this funding can only be used for certain purposes and was never meant to replace Amtrak's annual appropriations.
Providing sufficient FY24 funding is necessary to allow Amtrak to operate trains and restore full service, perform annual maintenance and carry out core functions to avoid long-term deterioration of assets and services, and make targeted, high-priority investments for future expansion. Critically, insufficient funding could lead to cuts to service and slow the rollout of desperately needed upgrades to equpiment and on-board service.
Join Rail Passengers' campaign to support funding for Amtrak and transit. Use our Action Center to call your members of Congress and take a stand against service cuts!
"Saving the Pennsylvanian (New York-Pittsburgh train) was a local effort but it was tremendously useful to have a national organization [NARP] to call upon for information and support. It was the combination of the local and national groups that made this happen."
Michael Alexander, NARP Council Member
April 6, 2013, at the Harrisburg PA membership meeting of NARP
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