Hotline #739

Wit staff work well underway, a formal conference on 1993 DOT appropriations is likely next week. Both the House and Senate bills had higher totals than the President's DOT request and the administration has identified this and six other appropriations bills as veto targets. House and Senate Democratic leaders reportedly decided on September 16 to scale these bills back -- presumably on an across-the-board basis -- rather than risk a veto.

However, Congress Daily (September 11) reported that some Democratic appropriations staffers were saying that in the event an uncut bill were sent to the President and vetoed, they would cut all Amtrak funding from the bill to bring it down to the President's requested level and resubmit it. Supposedly, that would embarrass the President by shutting down Amtrak a month before the election. A more likely result would be that Bush signs the amended bill gleefully, taking credit for having forced a smaller spending bill, while referring those who are unhappy about losing Amtrak back to the Democrats who cut Amtrak out.

We believe this was bad reporting. Still, we have heard transit may be a big target for cuts. It was of no comfort to see yesterday's Washington Post, in an article about the appropriations bills, cite Amtrak as the only specific example of a program that would suffer as Democrats make cuts even before sending the bills to the White House. NARP has written to all DOT appropriations conferees on behalf of Amtrak funding.

Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D.-N.Y.) was officially made full chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee this week, after the death of Chairman Quentin Burdick (D.-N.Dak.). Moynihan also continues to chair the transportation subcommittee for now and he could continue doing so next year, if he wants to.

The energy bill, with the good transit benefit language, has been in conference this week. Staff discussions continue on the Amtrak reauthorization bill. The latest co-sponsor to H.R.4414, the Ampenny bill, is Rep. Robert Matsui (D.-Cal.).

In addition to the food service changes already reported for the Cardinal and Desert Wind, we have learned that effective September 21, the New Orleans lounge on the Crescent will be discontinued; the City of New Orleans Horizon dinette will operate only between Chicago and Carbondale, with tray meals, while an Amfleet lounge running to New Orleans will offer tray meals on that end of the run; and the Chicago-Oakland full lounge on the California Zephyr will be replaced by a coach snack bar.

Using federal emergency funds, Tri-Rail has added more service between Miami and West Palm Beach and may extend service south to Homestead within six weeks.

Amtrak and Southern Pacific will run a demonstration commuter service in the East Bay Area all next week. The trains are open to the public, free of charge, and will use Metrolink equipment from Los Angeles. Trains will leave Suisun City at 6:00 am and West Oakland BART station at 5:30 pm.

Amtrak's Whitefish, Mont., station may reopen next month. It was closed in a cloud of controversy earlier this summer when mold spores were found in the air inside the station. Amtrak was quick to close the building but slow to provide alternate shelter and services.

The renovated Amtrak station in Hudson, N.Y., will be dedicated in a ceremony at 12:00 noon tomorrow.

A second memorial service for longtime NARP Director Sam Stokes is planned for October 10, 11:00 am, at the Friends Meeting House in Moorestown, N.J., at Main and Chester Streets.

Speakers at NARP's fall board meeting at Flagstaff will be Lee Bullock of Amtrak and Homer Henry of the Santa Fe Railway, both on October 17.