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SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Congress and the new administration are working to
3 shape federal policy to respond to the nation's economic
4 crisis; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Congress and the new administration are working to
6 stimulate the economy by some of the largest public works
7 investment in 50 years; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Difficult choices must be made in determining what
9 types of investments to make in the nation's infrastructure in
10 any federal stimulus and recovery Act; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Passenger train service offers some of the best
12 return on investment as expanded and improved passenger train
13 service is an environmentally-friendly transportation choice,
14 a permanent source of economic development by tying together
15 cities and regions, and a creator of permanent jobs both in the
16 operation of the service and in the maintenance of the
17 trainsets, tracks, and related infrastructure; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Railroad jobs, whether with Amtrak, host freight
19 railroads, or railroad suppliers, are typically well-paying
20 full-time jobs with benefits that usually pay more than the
21 nation's median income; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, The United States' passenger rail service is far
2 inferior to those of our global competitors due largely to a
3 lack of rigorous federal investment over the last 50 years; and
 
4     WHEREAS, Recently the federal government has begun to
5 invest in passenger rail, and the upcoming debate over the
6 American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan is an opportunity to
7 fully invest in passenger rail as part of the nation's economic
8 stimulus and recovery; therefore, be it
 
9     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
10 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Illinois Senate
11 calls on Congress and President Barack Obama to maximize the
12 investment in expanded and improved passenger train service as
13 part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan; and be it
14 further
 
15     RESOLVED, That Congress and President Barack Obama take
16 full advantage of this opportunity for a full, vigorous federal
17 investment in expanding and improving passenger train service
18 with 100% federal sources to build the foundation for lasting
19 prosperity with environmentally-friendly connections between
20 cities and towns in the region and the nation; and be it
21 further
 

 

 

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1     RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be sent to
2 President Barack Obama, the U.S. Senate Majority Leader, the
3 Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and each member
4 of the Illinois Congressional delegation.