Most Republicans vote to kill Amtrak subsidies

[Geee]

Washington Examiner:

A majority of House Republicans voted for amendments on Thursday that would have stripped Amtrak of its federal subsidies in 2016, although dozens of other Republicans joined with Democrats to kill the language.

 

The House was considering the transportation spending and housing spending bill for fiscal year 2016, which includes $55.3 billion in funding overall, and $1.13 billion for Amtrak.

 

Even after an Amtrak train crashed outside Philadelphia last month, Republicans have been keen to end taxpayer funding for the nation's government-owned passenger rail service. Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., proposed two amendments for doing so.

 

His first would have ended all operating grants for Amtrak in the coming year, which would have blocked $288.5 million.

 

"A business that relies on subsidies and tax dollars to cover losses has little incentive to operate efficiently or effectively or, for that matter, as safely as it should," he during Wednesday night debate.