Text: SSB00056 Text: SSB00058 Text: SSB00000 - SSB00099 Text: SSB Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN
1 1 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.
1 2 BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION RESOLUTION BY
1 3 CHAIRPERSON GETTINGS)
1 4 A Concurrent Resolution declaring support for Amtrak.
1 5 WHEREAS, Amtrak, the national railroad passenger
1 6 corporation providing national railroad passenger service, is
1 7 energy efficient and environmentally beneficial, consuming
1 8 about half as much energy per passenger mile as an airline and
1 9 causing less air pollution; and
1 10 WHEREAS, Amtrak provides mobility to citizens of many
1 11 smaller communities poorly served by air and bus services and
1 12 to those persons with medical conditions which prevent them
1 13 from flying; and
1 14 WHEREAS, Amtrak is nine times safer than driving a motor
1 15 vehicle on a passenger mile basis, and operates even in severe
1 16 weather conditions; and
1 17 WHEREAS, Amtrak travel rose forty-eight percent from 1982
1 18 to 1993 and Amtrak dramatically improved coverage of its
1 19 operating costs from revenues; and
1 20 WHEREAS, expansion of Amtrak service by using existing rail
1 21 rights-of-way would cost less and use less land than new
1 22 highways and airports and would further increase Amtrak's
1 23 energy efficiency advantage; and
1 24 WHEREAS, federal investment in Amtrak has fallen in the
1 25 last decade while it has risen for airports and highways; and
1 26 WHEREAS, states may use highway trust fund money as an
1 27 eight percent federal match for a variety of nonhighway
1 28 programs, but are prohibited from using these moneys for
1 29 Amtrak projects; and
1 30 WHEREAS, Amtrak pays a fuel tax that airlines do not pay;
1 31 and
1 32 WHEREAS, Amtrak workers and vendors pay more in taxes than
1 33 the federal government invests in Amtrak; NOW THEREFORE,
1 34 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1 35 CONCURRING, That the President of the United States and the
2 1 Congress are urged to do the following:
2 2 1. Maintain the current level of Amtrak funding.
2 3 2. Exempt Amtrak from paying fuel taxes that airlines do
2 4 not pay.
2 5 3. Allow states the option to use federal highway trust
2 6 fund moneys on Amtrak projects.
2 7 4. Include a strong Amtrak system in any plans for a
2 8 national transportation system;
2 9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution be
2 10 sent to the President of the United States, the President of
2 11 the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States
2 12 House of Representatives, and members of Iowa's congressional
2 13 delegation.
2 14 LSB 1692SC 76
2 15 js/jj/8
Text: SSB00056 Text: SSB00058 Text: SSB00000 - SSB00099 Text: SSB Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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