Since coming to Congress I have pushed for passenger rail service in the Southeastern United States. When I served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I worked with Mayor Tom Rowland of Cleveland, Tennessee, encouraging Amtrak to expand service through East Tennessee.

The Railroad Subcommittee of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is considering H.R. 4545, also known as the Amtrak Reauthorization Act of 2002. The bill authorizes Amtrak funding for FY 2003 at a level of $1.2 billion plus an additional $775 million for life-safety and security improvements.

America still needs a strong passenger rail system. Without it, we will not have an inter-model system and we might be more vulnerable to terrorism or a weak economy. Passenger rail, and specifically high-speed rail, is important to the economic growth of our cities and our overall transportation system.

We need to continue to pursue new and innovative solutions to our traffic and pollution problems, including proposals for high-speed rail. I will continue to work with my colleagues to secure the level of funding necessary to meet the needs of the system, and I will support plans to enhance passenger rail service in the United States.