Friends Of Amtrak Archives 2006

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Amtrak Funding stalled! - October 11, 2006

We have begun the 2007 fiscal year with no budget for Amtrak. The current do-nothing Congress has failed to approve a budget for fiscal year 2007 so Amtrak is operating on what is known as a continuing resolution. The Senate Amtrak appropriation, which we support, calls for $1.4 billion for Amtrak. When the silly season ends and Congress recovenes after the November elections, it will take up this measure. Make sure your Senators know that you support this legislation!

S. 1516 Stalled! - October 4, 2006

The U.S. Senate has recessed for the silly season to campaign for re-election. At the same time this august body has failed to take up the measure most important to Amtrak passengers and passenger rail proponents. Senate bill, S. 1516, will not be voted upon until after the November elections. Now that they are home to take the pulse of their constituents it is an opportune time to Call your Senators and let them know of your full support for Amtrak. 1-800-679-1581. See more info on this bill below.

S. 1516 to be considered next week, Contact your Senators!

S. 1516, the bipartisan rail passenger reauthorization, apparently has a good chance of reaching the Senate floor next Friday, September 15.
Votes on amendments and passage could come Monday, Sept. 18, or everything could slip a few days.

Two bad amendments are likely: one by John Sununu (R-NH) would aim to kill the long-distance network by requiring Amtrak to discontinue trains that lose more than a certain amount of money per passenger, the other by Jeff Sessions (R-AL) would strike language aimed at facilitating
reduction of Amtrak's debt.

Call your Senators and urge them to 1) support S.1516, but 2) oppose the Sununu anti-long distance and Sessions debt amendments.

You may use our toll-free Congressional Action hotline at 1-800-679-1581. When prompted, enter our access code: 1189. Please make this call during normal Senate business hours which are generally 9am to 5pm, Eastern Daylight Time. After responding to the voice prompt to enter your zipcode, please press "1", then after completing the first call, press "2" to connect to your Senators' offices (do not contact your House member at this time)

We will update the Action Alert section of our web site <http://www.narprail.org> as more information because available.

AMTRAK APPOINTS NEW CEO - August 29, 2006

The Amtrak Board of Directors today appointed Alexander Kummant as President and CEO. The veteran railroad and industrial executive will assume duties September 12.

Kummant previously served as a Regional Vice President of the Union Pacific Railroad, overseeing 6,000 transportation, engineering, construction, mechanical, and other employees supporting an 8,000-mile rail network. He also served as the Union Pacific’s Vice President and General Manager of Industrial Products, a $2 billion revenue business. In leading both units, Kummant was responsible for substantially improved customer service, on-time delivery of client products, and significant gains in financial and operational performance.

Additionally at Union Pacific, Kummant held the role of Vice President of Premium Operations, overseeing the intermodal and automotive network performance.
Most recently, Kummant served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Komatsu America Corporation, a division of the second largest supplier of construction equipment worldwide. He has a continuing record as an adaptable change agent in diverse environments.

Kummant’s first job on the railroad came at age 18 in Lorain, Ohio, working on a track crew for the Lake Terminal Railroad at the U.S. Steel Lorain Works.
"Alex Kummant has the outstanding credentials and experience to lead a changing Amtrak that is more customer-focused and fiscally responsible," said Amtrak Chairman David M. Laney. "His appointment fulfills the board’s commitment to select an extraordinarily strong and capable leader for Amtrak’s future, building on the growing national desire for more and improved passenger rail service."

Kummant fills a position that has been held by David J. Hughes on an interim basis since November 2005. Formerly Chief Engineer of Amtrak, Hughes will continue to serve with the railroad in a yet to be specified capacity. "For the past nine months, David Hughes has stepped in and performed exceptionally in leading our strategic reforms and operational improvements," said Laney. "On behalf of the Amtrak Board of Directors, he has our deepest admiration and respect, and we are delighted that he will continue to play an important role in Amtrak’s future."

A native of Ohio, Kummant holds a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Case Western Reserve University, a Master’s degree in manufacturing engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. He is married to Kathleen Regan Kummant, a former senior executive with the Santa Fe and BNSF railroads.
The Board of Directors of Amtrak was assisted in its search by the Washington D.C. office of Heidrick & Struggles, Inc.

FULL SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE APPROVES $1.4 BILLION FOR AMTRAK - July 20, 2006

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved $1.4 billion for Amtrak in FY 2007. The bill also has:
• language authored by Senators Byrd (D-WV) and Murray (D-WA)--and accepted by Subcommittee Chairman Bond (R-MO)--that prohibits Amtrak from contracting out overseas, and
• report language by Murray regarding Amtrak’s on-time performance.

Reportedly, the bill requires Amtrak to break even on food and beverage and sleeping cars by 2011, with 20% annual improvements each year until then. More specific details will be available once the "report language" (text of the bill) is available. There is currently no timeline for consideration by the full Senate.

On Tuesday at the subcommittee markup, Subcommittee Chairman Bond (R-MO) offered language conditioning Amtrak’s funding on unions reaching new agreements, with fairly specific descriptions of what should be in those agreements. The language was not adopted. Today, Bond, citing “member objections,” said “we were not able to address labor issues in line with the Amtrak Board’s strategic plan. There must be a serious effort at reforming Amtrak’s operations. We are trying to nibble at reform, but this is like cutting off the puppy’s tail one inch at a time.”

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE VOTES $1.4 BILLION FOR AMTRAK - July 19, 2006

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation has voted to allocate $1.4 billion for Amtrak for FY 2007. The bill must now go to the full committee and then onto the full Senate. Ultimately the Senate number, larger than that provided by the House, will have to be worked out by a joint House-Senate conference committee.

SENATE DEFEATS INCREASED FUNDING FOR RAIL SECURITY - July 12, 2006

Today the U.S. Senate defeated an amendment to boost funding by $1.1 billion for rail security in the fiscal 2007 Homeland Security appropriations bill. The amendment, offered by Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE), was defeated by a vote of 50-50. "You look around the world and bombings and attacks on rail systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated," said Biden. But Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Judd Gregg (R-NH), said the extra funding would break the spending cap the Senate established in the budget bill. Biden blasted the spending cap, saying it was too low to meet needs. "I'll tell you what, folks, we're going to regret this. We are going to regret this," he said.

The vote came just one day after a series of train bombings in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India killed over 200 people; just under a year after the deadly London subway/bus bombings and over two years since the tragic Madrid rail bombings!

It also came on a day when "The New York Times" disclosed a report from the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security citing that department's National Asset Database of suspected terrorist targets. The database, which is used to divvy up the hundreds of millions of dollars in antiterrorism grants each year, includes such well known targets as a petting zoo in Woodville, Alabama and the Mule Day Parade in Columbia, Tennessee, as well as “Nix’s Check Cashing,” “Mall at Sears,” “Ice Cream Parlor,” “Tackle Shop,” “Donut Shop,” “Anti-Cruelty Society” and “Bean Fest.”

Seven Republicans joined 42 Democrats and one Independent to vote in favor of the Biden Amendment. Two Democrats voted with 48 Republicans to kill the measure.

"PASSENGER TRAIN JOURNAL" RESURRECTED! - June 22, 2006

The once very informative glossy magazine, “Passenger Train Journal”, will be resurrected. The "new" PTJ will be quarterly, and a subscription will be $29.95. Cover price will be $7.95 for those who wish to buy it over the counter at selected hobby shops and similar outlets catering to hobbyists. Mike Schafer will serve as editor while Kevin J. Holland will serve as associate editor. Columnists will include Karl Zimmermann and Kevin McKinney, the latter being PTJ's founder in 1968.
Subscriptions may be ordered from:

FULL HOUSE VOTES TO INCREASE AMTRAK FUNDING TO $1.114 BILLION - JUNE 13, 2006

Tonight, earlier than expected, the full House of Repesentatives voted to approve the LaTourette-Oberstar amendment to increase Amtrak funding from $900 million to $1.114 billion for fiscal year 2007. The funding bill now moves on to the Senate. The roll call vote on the amendment was 266 - 158. 194 Democrats were joined by 71 Republicans and 1 Independent in voting for the pro-Amtrak amendment.

Here's the way the full House of Representatives voted tonight. Democrats are in italics. Republicans are in plain type. The lone Independent is Sanders of Vermont.

FULL HOUSE VOTE EXPECTED - CALL NOW! -- June 13, 2006 -1-800-679-1581From NARP To narprail.org users, June 13, 2006--

The House now expects to debate its transportation appropriations bill tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday, with votes on amendments on Friday (June16).

Urge your representative to vote YES on the bipartisan, LaTourette-Oberstar amendment which would increase Amtrak funding to $1.114 billion (from the shutdown figure of $900 million now in the bill). Steve LaTourette (R-OH) chairs the Railroads Subcommittee, and James Oberstar (D-MN) is top Democrat on the full Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Please also ask for NO votes on any possible amendments to reduce Amtrak funding or micromanage Amtrak in any way.

Remind your Representative that Amtrak's Board of Directors, all Bush appointees, submitted a $1.8 billion funding request and that it makes no sense to slash Amtrak funding with gas prices high and likely to remain so. You may use NARP’s “Call Congress Now” Action Hotline to contact your Representative’s Washington, D.C. office at no cost. The system lets you contact both House and Senate members. Your Senators will be presented as the first two options, your House member as option three. Please press “3” to speak to your House member.

The number is 1-800-679-1581. When prompted, enter our access code: 1189. Please make this call during normal House business hours, which are generally 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Note to Washington, D.C. residents: the system sometimes does not recognize District zip codes. The local number for Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton is 202-225-8050.)

Amtrak`s federal funding would be reduced by 31 percent, to $900 million from $1.3 billion, under legislation approved by a House committee. President Bush had requested the subsidy cut, and the House Appropriations Committee approved it as part of a $67.8 billion transportation bill. The bill cuts operating funds and requires Amtrak to reduce spending on food, beverage and first-class services. An amendment to add $400 million for Amtrak was defeated. The railroad had asked Congress for a $1.6 billion subsidy for next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, by a voice vote yesterday, proposed funding Amtrak to the tune of $900 million, which is the same figure being proposed by President Bush, and cuts the current budget by one-third, down from $1.3 billion this year. That figure would represent a shut down budget for Fiscal Year 2007 if enacted. However, the legislative process has a long way to go and that figure is expected to rise when the Senate and full House consider the measure.

Chairman Joe Knollenberg, R-Mich. acknowledged as much when he told reporters "Obviously, we're going to have to find an increase in funding down the way." Knollenberg would have Amtrak reduce operating subsidies on some long distance routes.

ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES $900 MILLION FOR AMTRAK - NOT ENOUGH SAYS NARP! - February 6, 2006

For Immediate Release
Monday, February 6, 2006 - #06-01A
Contacts: Ross Capon, David Johnson 202-408-8362 (Capon cell
301-385-6438)

The Administration's proposal of $900 million for Amtrak in Fiscal 2007 brings President Bush back to the levels he proposed two years ago and three years ago, except of course that inflation has eroded the value of $900 million. Hopefully, the Administration recognized that Congress soundly rejected last year's proposed zero, substituting $1.3 billion in its place, and the Administration is now expressing some flexibility to negotiate a more realistic budget.

In any event, Amtrak cannot survive at $900 million. The Administration says it is designating $500 million for "capital needs and maintenance". The budget request shows zero for operating grants, evidently because the remaining $400 million will instead be called, in the words of DOT Secretary Norman Mineta, "'Efficiency Incentive Grants' to encourage reform..."

But to actually support a $500 million federal grant for capital, Amtrak needs $1.3 billion in all. The Administration in effect is saying, "We're going to cut Amtrak's total funding by $400 million while cutting zero from capital." That is unrealistic. Here's the math:

Fiscal 2006 appropriation
$ 490.05 million for operations
$ 772.2 million for capital and debt service
$ 31.38 million for efficiency incentive grants
$1293.63 million total

Fiscal 2007 Administration request
$ 500 million for capital
$ 400 million for efficiency incentive grants and debt service $ 900 million total

NARP Executive Director Ross B. Capon said, "It will also be important to see what the Administration means when it says 'Amtrak will need to better manage all its resources, including Federal and state contributions, ticket revenue, and other sources. To help ensure this occurs, the Budget proposes allowing DOT to target Federal subsidies based on Amtrak's progress making reforms.'"

Capon noted, "It is generally recognized that Amtrak has been working to 'better manage all its resources' at least since the middle of 2002 when David Gunn arrived. Amtrak is under a mandate to achieve a certification from the DOT Inspector General by July 1, 2006, that Amtrak has achieved 'operational savings.'

"Amtrak is working on a number of fronts to assure that it will get that certification--most conspicuously, reducing personnel requirements on many dining cars. If the Administration is determined to expand the amount of outside micromanaging Amtrak must contend with, that is more of a Trojan horse than an olive branch.

"Ending the interminable debate over intercity passenger rail, and resolving to develop a stronger system, would be consistent with President Bush's expressed concern over America's addiction to oil. A key ingredient in any fight to beat that addiction must be development of a more robust rail passenger system.

"Moreover, the budget does not contain any request to fund a federal/state partnership to develop new routes and services - a program that the Administration, Congress and states all have said they support. It is critical that funding for the partnership be in addition to and not in place of funding needed to carry out Amtrak's strategic plan."

Mineta said in a statement today, "In last year's budget, we demanded reform, and over the past year, both Amtrak and the Congress have responded. In recognition of this progress, and with the expectation that we will see much more by the end of the fiscal year, the President requests funds to help Amtrak make the transition to a new and better model of intercity passenger rail."

Amtrak Acting President and CEO David Hughes issued a statement which avoided criticizing the Administration request. Hughes said, in part, "This is the first step in a nine-month process. Last year, Congress voted and the President signed an appropriation for Amtrak of $1.3 billion for FY06. This year, we again look forward to working with Congress and the Administration as we make the case for federal support."

Capon said, "We urge the Administration to begin constructivenegotiations with the Congress that will ultimately lead to a FY07 appropriation that will provide Amtrak with the resources it needs tomaintain and improve its current services and that also provides new resources to fund the federal state partnership program for intercity rail development."

Bush Circumvents Congress Yet Again - Reappoints Sosa and Hall to Amtrak Board - January 4, 2006

The White House disclosed tonight that President Bush has made two "recess appointments" to the Amtrak board. Floyd Hall and Enrique Sosa were once again placed on the panel through recess appointments, a tactic used by presidents to make an end run around the normal process of legislative approval when Congress is out of session. So much for checks and balances. Both Hall and Sosa were previously appointed by the President in the same evasive manner. Their terms expired when Congress ended its session. It is interesting to note that neither nominee won approval from Congress when they were originally appointed back in 2004. Neither gentleman has much support on Capitol Hill. I wonder why.

Just take a look at the sterling credentials required to sit on the board of the nation's only intercity passenger rail service. Mr. Hall is the former chief executive of K-Mart. He is also noted for his
$360,000 in "soft money" contributions to the Bush-Cheney machine since 2000.

Mr. Sosa is the former President of BP Amoco Chemicals. He is noted for his large contributions to the GOP. Mr. Sosa is known as a Bush "booster" in the parlance of campaign fund raising. Asked by Senator Lautenberg in a 2004 confirmation hearing if he had ever ridden on Amtrak or in the Northeast corridor Mr. Sosa replied, "Well, no." Sosa said in a statement at the time that he had no experience on land transportation matters.

As for the current chairman, David Laney, we have here a Texas attorney who raised more than $100,000 for the Bush-Cheney campaign.

Do we see a pattern here? Does it sound at all familiar? The President had a choice to make. He could have worked with Congress to choose capable appointees for Amtrak's board and sought Congressional approval. Now wouldn't that make sense?

You're Doing One Heckuva Job, Amtrak - Tuesday, January 3, 2006

As if 2005 wasn't bad enough with Amtrak fighting for its life at every step, the leaderless passenger railroad ended the year with a disgraceful turn of events on CSX tracks in Georgia, all but abandoning 2,000 or more passengers. Plagued by CSX freight derailments in either direction along the busy Silver Service corridor, six Amtrak trains packed with holiday travelers, were snarled in the mess for up to 30 hours. Beleagured passengers complained of clogged toilets, no toilet paper, and a lack of food, water and blankets while trapped inside the stalled trains.

It wasn't our fault, said Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black. Maybe not, but when faced with such a disaster it became Amtrak's responsibility to act decisively to reach out to the abandoned passengers. Why weren't buses called in? Why weren't supplies brought to those in need? Do Amtrak's leaders, if there are any, need a reminder that many of those aboard its Silver Service trains are handicapped and elderly, some traveling with young children? Amtrak's lack of response in such a disaster was shameful.

Perhaps this is a lesson in why you don't fire a top notch guy like Amtrak's former CEO David Gunn and then leave the company without a permanent, competent leader to replace him. While Amtrak Board Chairman David Laney was following the Bush-Mineta mantra of sacking Gunn who refused to sack the railroad, this episode may have accomplished just what the ideologues on the Bush appointed Amtrak board wanted all along. This debacle will most certainly take its toll.

Meanwhile the Amtrak board has done nothing to replace Gunn, despite all its promises. In fact that board hardly exists at all. As the President's recess appointments expired the Amtrak board was left with only two members, Mr. Laney and Secretary Mineta's substitute designee. Is that any way to run a railroad? Or is this sort of benign neglect the next phase of the adminstration's plan for dissolving Amtrak?

The debacle in Georgia also highlights the problem facing our nation's long neglected rail infrastructure. The fact that passenger trains were left stalled on a major rail route running the length of the Atlantic coast because the rail lines do not exist to bypass a freight derailment is a tragic statement about our nation's commitment to rail transportation overall. It's time to rebuild America, folks. It's time to take a long hard look at our aging rail infrastructure with a view towards bringing this nation's inadequate transportation system into the 21st century.

YEAs ---50
Akaka (D-HI) Allen (R-VA) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Byrd (D-WV) Cantwell (D-WA) Carper (D-DE) Clinton (D-NY) Dayton (D-MN) DeWine (R-OH) Dodd (D-CT) Dorgan (D-ND) Durbin (D-IL) Feingold (D-WI)	Feinstein (D-CA) Harkin (D-IA) Hutchison (R-TX) Inouye (D-HI) Jeffords (I-VT) Johnson (D-SD) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (D-CT) Lincoln (D-AR) Menendez (D-NJ) Mikulski (D-MD)	Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Obama (D-IL) Pryor (D-AR) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Salazar (D-CO) Santorum (R-PA) Sarbanes (D-MD) Schumer (D-NY) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Stabenow (D-MI) Talent (R-MO) Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---50
Alexander (R-TN) Allard (R-CO) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burns (R-MT) Burr (R-NC) Chafee (R-RI) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Coleman (R-MN) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Cornyn (R-TX) Craig (R-ID)	Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Dole (R-NC) Domenici (R-NM) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Frist (R-TN) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hagel (R-NE) Hatch (R-UT) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Kyl (R-AZ) Lott (R-MS) Lugar (R-IN)	Martinez (R-FL) McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Murkowski (R-AK) Nelson (D-NE) Roberts (R-KS) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Smith (R-OR) Stevens (R-AK) Sununu (R-NH) Thomas (R-WY) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA)

	AYE	NAY	PRESENT	NOT VOTING
Republican	71	154		5
Democratic	194	4		3
Independent	1
TOTALS	266	158		8

Amtrak Funding stalled! - October 11, 2006

S. 1516 Stalled! - October 4, 2006

S. 1516 to be considered next week, Contact your Senators!

AMTRAK APPOINTS NEW CEO - August 29, 2006

FULL SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE APPROVES $1.4 BILLION FOR AMTRAK - July 20, 2006

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE VOTES $1.4 BILLION FOR AMTRAK - July 19, 2006

SENATE DEFEATS INCREASED FUNDING FOR RAIL SECURITY - July 12, 2006

"PASSENGER TRAIN JOURNAL" RESURRECTED! - June 22, 2006

FULL HOUSE VOTES TO INCREASE AMTRAK FUNDING TO $1.114 BILLION - JUNE 13, 2006

Bush Circumvents Congress Yet Again - Reappoints Sosa and Hall to Amtrak Board - January 4, 2006

You're Doing One Heckuva Job, Amtrak - Tuesday, January 3, 2006