Rep. John Boehner’s Reaction to Amtrak Question Is ‘Insult to the American People’— Sen. Blumenthal
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on May 21 directed his frustration with House Republicans’ response to the recent Amtrak derailment directly at House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).
“Americans take roads because they lack the confidence and faith in railroads to get them where they want to go as fast and reliably and safely,” Blumenthal said at a press event in the Capitol with senators from the Northeast who called for more funding for infrastructure. “For John Boehner to say that questions about Amtrak spending are ‘stupid’ is an insult to the American people.”
Blumenthal, a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation panel, criticized Republican leaders for not quickly increasing federal dollars for Amtrak improvements and infrastructure modernization projects along railways, highways and bridges. A week ago, Boehner dismissed the premise that underinvestments in infrastructure played a role in the deadly Amtrak crash, telling a reporter her question on the topic was “stupid.”
“Adequate funds were there. No funding has been cut from rail safety,” the speaker said.
At an Appropriations Committee markup of a fiscal 2016 transportation funding bill last week, House GOP funding leaders opted to reduce the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, infrastructure grants program by $400 million. This year’s enacted level is $500 million. For fiscal 2016, the White House requested $1.25 billion for TIGER. Republican appropriators also rejected efforts from Democrats to increase funding for rail safety systems and transit infrastructure projects. The fiscal 2016 legislation was advanced to the full House.
While Republicans leaders said they will await the National Transportation Safety Board’s final report to determine the cause of the accident, President Obama did not view the train derailment the same way GOP leaders did.
“Until we know for certain what caused this tragedy, I want to reiterate what I have already said, that we are a growing country with a growing economy. We need to invest in infrastructure that keeps us that way and not just when something bad happens like a bridge collapse or a train derailment,” Obama said May 14, two days after the crash, which killed eight passengers and paralyzed rail service between New York and Philadelphia for nearly a week.
John Olivieri, 21st Century Transportation Campaign director at the United States Public Interest Research Group, a consumer advocacy organization, reminded people this week that according to federal data, intercity rail is among the safest forms of travel.
“Train accidents capture our national attention, but intercity rail remains nearly 20 times safer than driving. Subways are 30 times safer than driving,” Olivieri said. “A lot of lives would be saved if our policies enabled more people to ride rail instead of drive.”
