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WASHINGTON, DC – Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member John Mica (FL) recently named Congressman Henry E. Brown, Jr. (SC) a conferee on the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, legislation to reauthorize long-distance passenger rail programs operated through Amtrak. Different versions of the legislation passed the House and the Senate earlier this year and the bill now has entered a conference committee to reconcile these differences before it can be presented to the President. Following the announcement, Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee member Brown said:
“In my District in South Carolina, high-speed rail can play an important role in reducing congestion in places like the Grand Strand, an area that sees 14 million tourists a year and Charleston, which is the most congested small city in the country. I want to applaud the House for crafting a bipartisan reauthorization package that is focused on both improving Amtrak’s capital assets while also providing for the development of new corridors in partnerships with states.
With Americans facing $4 gas and airlines seeing fuel costs 100 percent higher than last year, we must look to developing ways that will ensure that new travel options such as high-speed rail are directed where they are most needed. I was pleased to be named a conferee and look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and the Senate to ensure the success of this critically important legislation.”
This legislation would reauthorize Amtrak for the first time in 10 years, and represents an historic opportunity to modernize long-distance passenger rail in the U.S. In addition to providing states and communities with important tools to help address their transportation needs, the bill calls on the private sector to participate in the development of true high-speed rail service in the U.S. Specifically, it authorizes $1.7 billion over 5 years to purchase the equipment necessary to make these high-speed rail routes, including any future route through the 1st District, a reality. The bill also authorizes $500 million each year to help states like South Carolina work with Amtrak to develop successful “state-supported” long-distance passenger rail lines.
A senior member of the Railroad Subcommittee, Congressman Brown worked with the Committee leadership to insert language requiring the U.S. Department of Transportation to conduct an analysis of the current routing of the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor, and looks forward to working to increase opportunities for high-speed rail in the final legislation. To learn more about Congressman Brown’s views on the expansion of the high-speed rail system and his work on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee visit: http://brown.house.gov/Issues/transportation.html
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