Congress is set to vote on the FY 2011 transportation/housing appropriations bill today, please call your Congressman and ask them not to support this amendment that Congressman Michele Bachmann is offering that could kill Amtrak.

Congressman Michele Bachmann, R (MN) #48 would eliminate the bill’s entire $1,203.5 million for Amtrak capital investment and debt service

This Fact Sheet deals with HR 5850, Transportation-HUD Appropriations for FY 2011, which the House is scheduled to consider later this week.

The bill provides a net $126.4 billion in budgetary resources, 4% more than current funding and 3% more than requested. The measure provides $67.4 billion in discretionary appropriations — 2% less than requested and 1% less than the current level — as well as $69 billion from various transportation trust funds.

The measure provides $79.4 billion in budgetary resources for the Transportation Department, 5% more than current funding and 2% more than requested, including $45.2 billion for highway programs (8% more than current funding), $11.3 billion for transit programs (5% more than current funding), $16.5 billion for the FAA (6% more than current funding) and $1.4 billion for high-speed rail grants (44% less than current funding). The bill does not include $4 billion requested for a National Infrastructure Innovation and Finance Fund.

HUD would receive $46.6 billion, 1% more than in FY 2010 and 2% more than the request. The bill provides $19.4 billion, 7% more than current funding, for tenant-based Section 8 assistance and provides $9.4 billion, 10% more than current funding, for project-based Section 8 assistance. The measure includes an unrequested $200 million for the HOPE VI program and $4 billion for Community Development Block Grants.

Transportation Department

The bill provides a net total of $79.4 billion in budgetary resources for the Transportation Department, $3.7 billion (5%) more than current funding and $1.7 billion (2%) more than requested. This amount includes $66 million in net rescissions.

The funding in the bill includes a net of $20.4 billion in discretionary funds, $1.4 billion (7%) less than current funding, and $2.7 billion (12%) less than requested. The bill also provides for the obligation of $59 billion from various trust funds for highway, transit, and aviation programs.

The bill provides the following:

Highways — Total budgetary resources of $45.2 billion, including contract authority from the Highway Trust Fund, for the federal aid highway program, $3.1 billion (8%) more than current funding and $4.1 billion (10%) more than requested. This amount reflects $36 million in rescissions.

Mass Transit — $11.3 billion in budgetary resources for the Federal Transit Administration, $575 million (5%) more than current funding and $508 million (5%) more than requested. The bill limits to $9 billion obligations from the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund for various formula and bus grant programs, $618 million more than the current limit. It also appropriates $2 billion for capital investment grants and $150 million for the Washington, D.C., area Metro system.

FAA — $16.5 billion in budgetary resources for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), $908 million (6%) more than current funding but slightly more than requested. The bill appropriates $9.8 billion for FAA operations and provides an obligation limit of $3.5 billion for grants-in-aid to airports under the Airport Improvement Program, equal to the request.

Amtrak & Rail — $1.8 billion for grants to Amtrak, $152 million (9%) more than the administration request and $202 million (13%) more than current funding, plus an additional $1.4 billion in grants for states to develop high-speed passenger rail service, $400 million (40%) more than the amount requested, but $1.1 billion (44%) less than the current level.

Safety — $548 million in net budgetary resources for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, $883 million in net budgetary resources for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and $202 million for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

07/27/10

The House of Representatives today passed Congressman Phil Hare’s (D-IL) resolution recognizing the numerous contributions and accomplishments of the freight rail industry and its employees. Click here
to watch Hare’s remarks on the House floor.

“From Galesburg to Quincy, the Quad Cities to Carlinville and everywhere in between, freight rail has had a tremendously positive impact on West Central Illinois since its inception,” Hare said. “This resolution recognizes all the freight rail industry and its tremendous workforce has done to strengthen our economy and improve our infrastructure.”

Shipping goods by rail has been shown to be among the most efficient ways of transporting freight. American innovation and billions of dollars of investments throughout the rail industry has led to a decrease in fuel consumption, a reduction in harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and has reaffirmed an industry-wide commitment to environmentally responsible operating practices.

As our economy recovers, there will be greater demand to move goods again, much of which will be done by freight rail. Additionally, freight railroads generate nearly $265 billion in annual economic activity and support over 1.2 million jobs throughout the U.S.

“I believe that Congress is long overdue in formally recognizing the freight rail industry and the vital role it continues to play in our country’s growth, job creation, and economic recovery,” Hare concluded.

http://hare.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=6&parentid=5&sectiontree=5,6&itemid=1653

From the Federal Railroad Administration.

Federal Railroad Administrator (FRA) Joseph Szabo announced a Final Rule requiring railroad track owners to adopt and follow specific procedures to protect the safety of their bridges, and to strengthen federal oversight of railroad bridge maintenance programs. This rule is a requirement under the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

“This Final Rule will help ensure the 100,000 railroad bridges in the United States are maintained and inspected to the standards accepted by sound engineering practices,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “The structural integrity of bridges that carry railroad tracks is vitally important to the safety of railroad employees and to the public.”

The Final Rule requires track owners to implement bridge management programs that include at least annual inspections of railroad bridges; know the safe capacity load of bridges; and, conduct special inspections if the weather or other conditions warrant such inspections.

In addition, it requires an inventory of all railroad bridges, the audit of the bridge management programs, and inspections by the FRA; it also requires railroads to maintain the design documents of each bridge and to document all repairs, modifications, and inspections of each bridge subject to FRA review. Finally, the Final Rule allows FRA to levy fines of up to $100,000.

“During the past five decades, not one fatality has been caused by the structural failure of a railroad bridge, and there have been just nine injuries since 1982,” said FRA Administrator Szabo. “Most of the older bridges in the U.S. were designed to carry loads much heavier than the trains of today, but we believe this Final Rule will institutionalize best engineering and inspection practices for all railroad bridges and give the FRA greater enforcement power in order to continue this record of excellence.”

The move to institutionalize engineering and inspection best practices took hold in the industry in 1995, but took a large step in January, 2009, when FRA published an amendment to its bridge policy – since adopted by the industry – to include the Essential Elements of Railroad Bridge Management Programs. The Essential Elements are included in the Final Rule in accordance with the Rail Safety Improvement Act and provide railroad track owners with a uniform, comprehensive set of components for inclusion in their bridge management programs. With this information, a track owner may develop a single, comprehensive set of instructions, information and data as guidance for his or her employees who are responsible for the management, inspection, maintenance, and safety of railroad bridges.

The Final Rule is available at: http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/safety/bridgefinalsafetyrule2010.pdf

The National Mediation Board (NMB) is pleased to announce that Harry R. Hoglander has been named Chairman of the National Mediation Board, effective July 1, 2010. Elizabeth Dougherty and Linda Puchala remain as Members of the Board.

The National Mediation Board is an independent Federal agency established by the Railway Labor Act, which governs labor-management relations within two key transportation sectors of the United States and U.S. territories: the railroads and airlines.

Mr. Hoglander, a Member of the National Mediation Board since August 6, 2002, has twice before served as Chairman: from July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005 and from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008. He was first confirmed by the United States Senate on August 1, 2002, reconfirmed for a second term on December 8, 2006 and a third term on July 24, 2009.

Prior to joining the Board, Mr. Hoglander served as a Legislative Specialist in the office of Congressman John Tierney of Massachusetts with responsibilities in Transportation issues including aviation, rail and maritime, Labor, Defense and Veterans Affairs.

Chairman Hoglander has an extensive background in the aviation industry and labor relations, having flown as a Captain for Trans World Airline (TWA) and being elected Master Chairman of TWA’s Master Executive Council. He was also elected Executive Vice-President of the Air Line Pilots Association. After leaving TWA, Mr. Hoglander was named Aviation Labor Representative to the United States Bi-Lateral Negotiating Team by then Secretary of State James Baker.

Mr. Hoglander was also a pilot in the United States Air Force, retiring with the rank of Lt. Colonel. He graduated from Suffolk University Law School and is a member of the Florida Bar.

Daniel Rainey was promoted to chief of staff at the NMB. Rainey will oversee the mediation, alternative dispute resolution, arbitration and administrative functions of the NMB. Most recently, Rainey served as director of alternative dispute resolution at the NMB, responsible for a range of programs and projects involving airlines and railroads and their employees. He previously held the title of deputy chief of staff at the NMB.