Senators propose bipartisan plan for Amtrak

WASHINGTON – Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., joined two influential Republican conservatives on Wednesday in proposing an Amtrak restructuring plan that would permit it to borrow money to repair poorly maintained tracks and bridges and allow private freight lines to take over long-distance passenger service.

Lautenberg said the proposal would enable the national rail line to achieve financial stability and improve service while responding to Bush administration demands that it make better use of federal funding. He introduced legislation Wednesday with Sens. Trent Lott of Mississippi, the former Senate leader, and Ted Stevens of Alaska, chairman of the Commerce Committee, to restructure the rail line.

“National rail service isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity for giving Americans another transportation choice, while reducing traffic, air pollution, and our dependence on foreign oil,” Lautenberg said. Amtrak “is always coming forward with a cup in its hand. We can’t do it that way forever.”

The proposal marked the latest development in an ongoing debate between the Bush administration and members of Congress over Amtrak’s future. It also signaled growing opposition on Capitol Hill to the administration’s proposal to break up the rail line and sharply cut federal support for its operating budget. In a surprise setback for the White House, the House on June 29 approved $1.2 billion in spending on Amtrak; similar legislation is moving through the Senate.

The decision by Lott and Stevens to join Lautenberg on a bill that would commit the federal government to long-term financial support for Amtrak provided further evidence that the administration plan faces major congressional obstacles.

Amtrak operates 17 long-distance lines, each covering at least 500 miles, and service on the Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston.

Stevens said the Commerce Committee would take up the measure today, and could vote to release it.

In a statement Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said the proposal was “thoughtful” but did not go far enough. The Bush administration’s Amtrak plan would turn over service on its long-distance lines and on its heavily traveled Northeast Corridor to groups of states. Under the proposal, the federal government would provide matching grants to the states for capital improvements.