http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/242844-dems-slam-gopers-over-amtrak-fundingMay 21, 2015, 02:51 pm
Dems slam GOP over Amtrak cuts
By Jordain Carney
Senate Democrats slammed House Republicans on Thursday for cutting Amtrak's funding, in the wake of a crash that killed eight people.
"It's unacceptable that our Republican colleagues would deny Amtrak the funding it needs," Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) told reporters. "The Republican budget is headed the wrong way on Amtrak."
Reed spoke at a press conference with Democratic Sens. Cory Booker (N.J.), Robert Menendez (N.J.), Ed Markey (Mass.), Chris Murphy (Conn.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Chris Coons (Del.), Bob Casey Jr. (Pa.) and Charles Schumer (N.Y.).
Schumer said if Amtrak's budget is cut it would have to choose between safety and upgrades, adding it "will be forced to rob Peter to pay Paul."
Republicans have disputed the idea that funding cuts to Amtrak had anything to do with last week's derailment. House Republicans voted to cut federal funding for Amtrak to $1.14 billion in the next fiscal year, down from $1.39 billion.
Reports have indicated that speed may have been a factor in the Amtrak derailment.
Democrats have countered that technology that would have forced the train to slow had not been implemented. They have linked that failure to funding issues.
"For John Boehner to say that questions about Amtrak spending are stupid, is an insult to the American people," Blumenthal said.
Speaker Boehner (R-Ohio) last week suggested it was "stupid" to ask about Democrats’ assertions that Republican-led cuts to Amtrak's budget might have contributed to the train derailment outside of Philadelphia.
