The House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure released a draft of its surface transportation reauthorization bill earlier this week.
There’s a lot of good policy in the Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America’s 250th (BUILD America 250) Act. However, because it lacks dedicated funding—a key feature of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—it is very unlikely this legislation would meaningfully improve passenger rail in the U.S. over the five-year life of the bill.
“We appreciate that the Committee included several Rail Passengers priorities, and we look forward to working with both parties to strengthen the bill," said Jim Mathews, Rail Passengers' President & CEO. "But as drafted, BUILD America 250 falls short of what passengers, states, workers, and communities need. Without reliable funding and a clear commitment to growth, this bill is not enough to earn our endorsement.”
The Committee's bill markup takes place the morning of May 21st, and we’re asking train passengers to voice their support for guaranteed funding rail programs. Ensuring predictable, dedicated funding for rail has been a key driver of success over the past five years. We can’t go back to treating passenger trains as an afterthought!
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