House supports $1.1 billion for Amtrak

The Daily Inter Lake

Proposed funding for Amtrak was increased Tuesday to more than $1.1 billion after a U.S. House vote swung in favor of the rail passenger service.

On a roll-call vote of 266-158, with 71 Republicans voting yes, the House approved the LaTourette-Oberstar Amtrak amendment, which increases Amtrak funding from $900 million to $1.114 billion.

Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg was one of the Republicans voting in favor of the amendment.

"This is an essential service," Rehberg said on the House floor. "We use this to get our people to hospitals, to doctors, to school, to visit relatives. This isn't just something we're wasting money on. It's an essential service and an essential product for the people of America."

Last month a House appropriations subcommittee approved $900 million in 2007 funding for Amtrak, a figure widely regarded as a shutdown level.

When Amtrak's Empire Builder service through Montana was threatened last year, Rehberg used his position on the House Appropriations Committee to push for funding for the Empire Builder long-distance route from Chicago to Seattle/Portland. He led a bipartisan coalition that eventually won approval of legislation to restore full funding for Amtrak at $1.3 billion for the current fiscal year.

Amtrak has requested $1.873 billion for next year.

The latest amendment was introduced by Steve LaTourette, R-Ohio, chairman of the Railroads Subcommittee, and James Oberstar, D-Minn., the top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

The Amtrak funding battle now moves to the Senate.

Last year the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce led a grass-roots effort to support Amtrak after the Bush administration initially wanted to scrap all funding for the rail service.

Chamber Executive Director Sheila Bowen said there are no plans to conduct a similar effort this time, because funding levels aren't as dire as last year.