(Washington, DC)  --  U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette (R-OH) successfully led an effort yesterday to add $214 million to Amtrak funding, bringing total funding to $1.114 billion.  The amendment, which passed by a vote of 266 to 158 last night, could save Amtrak from bankruptcy and allow the railroad to continue to operate in a safe and reliable manner.  

 The amendment was to H.R. 5576, the annual appropriations bill that funds transportation and housing programs.  LaTourette, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Railroads, offered the amendment with Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN), the ranking member of the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.  The extra $214 million in spending was offset dollar-for-dollar by reductions in other Department of Transportation accounts, as well as some independent agencies.  For instance, it reduces funding for Surface Transportation Board salaries and expenses, but only to the level requested by the President.  The LaTourette amendment does not impact or reduce funding for any housing programs.

 LaTourette said the appropriations bill contained only $900 million for Amtrak, $412 million less than the Fiscal Year 2006 enacted level of $1.3 billion and $698 million less than Amtrak requested this year to continue operations and invest in capital.

 “The funding we secured today only represents about two percent of the Department of Transportation budget, while 50 percent of the Department’s spending will continue to go for highways, and nearly $20 billion will go for air travel,” LaTourette said.

 LaTourette said without an infusion of funding today Amtrak could face bankruptcy or route eliminations, leaving nearly a million commuters without rail transportation.

 “More than 850,000 commuters a day rely on Amtrak or its infrastructure to get to and from work, and it simply makes no sense to reduce funding so severely that it threatens the very existence of the system,” LaTourette said.