January 17, 2001 From the National Journal's Congress Daily

Need to Continue Funding Amtrak Lott Says

Speaking at the U. S. Conference of Mayors winter meeting on January 17, 2001, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS) outlined his transportation agenda for the 107th Congress, calling for more investment in the nation's railroads. "I think we need a national passenger rail system," he said. "Will it be cheap? No, but we can do this."

Lott noted that one of his top priorities is to pass the High-Speed Rail Investment Act, the $10 billion bonding proposal to improve rail infrastructure for Amtrak that died in Congress last year. "We've got to do that," he said. Lott added that there is a need to continue funding Amtrak, saying that it is "not fair" to order Amtrak to begin covering its operational costs — as Congress mandated in the 1997 Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act — without providing it with more support. Lott later equated Amtrak to a public good like water and sewer systems, calling the passenger rail service "something you have to provide for people."

In addition, Lott said he intends to submit a bill that would move railroad tracks out of the center of urban areas, and place them in outlying areas — to help improve safety and take advantage of valuable urban real estate.