U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) said the budget released by the White House yesterday continues to misplace American priorities and "could do significant harm to America's transportation infrastructure," as the budget would severely underfund and possibly derail Amtrak, among other transportation programs.

"It's worse than a broken record," said Rahall, who has helped lead efforts in the past to restore needed funding in the budget to keep Amtrak running. "When is this President going to figure out that Amtrak is essential to meeting the transportation needs of our citizens, particularly in the form of the Cardinal Line that serves West Virginia?"

The Administration, which has attempted to derail Amtrak in the past, is seeking again to slash funding to the national passenger rail service. The budget seeks to cut the $1.3 billion Amtrak received in the previous year to $800 million.

"It is clear in this budget proposal that while the President has no qualms about investing in railroads, highways and airports in Iraq, he refuses to come up with the needed investments here in America to keep our transportation infrastructure from crumbling beneath our feet."

In the past, Members of Congress have fought to restore the needed investments in Amtrak. In 2005, Rahall and others led an effort on the House floor to not only save Amtrak's Cardinal Line, which runs through southern West Virginia, but also to provide a $1.3 billion investment in Amtrak to keep the service running.

"Had this Administration had their way, millions of Americans would have been left on the platform with no trains in sight, forced to find another more expensive, less-efficient way to travel," Rahall said. "Fortunately, we've stopped them in the past and I'm confident we'll do so again this year."

In addition to the deep cuts to Amtrak, the President's budget significantly reduces the overall budget for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' investigation and construction accounts, and outlines a forthcoming proposal to impose new tolls on barge transportation on the inland waterway system, likely increasing congestion on the nation's highways and railroads.