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92_HR1013
LRB9217292BHbh
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Amtrak was established in 1971 by the Rail
3 Passenger Service Act of 1970; and
4 WHEREAS, The Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act, passed
5 unanimously in 1997, requires that Amtrak become
6 operationally self-sufficient by December 2, 2002; and
7 WHEREAS, A combination of accumulated operating deficits,
8 cash shortages, management inefficiencies, and delay in full
9 implementation of Acela Express service have created a fiscal
10 emergency at Amtrak, with growing and substantial debt
11 obligations totaling over $3.3 billion; and
12 WHEREAS, The Amtrak Reform Council has found that Amtrak
13 will not be operationally self-sufficient by December 2,
14 2002, as required by law, citing major inherent flaws and
15 weaknesses in Amtrak's institutional design; and
16 WHEREAS, The Department of Transportation Inspector
17 General Report on the 2001 Assessment of Amtrak's Financial
18 Performance and Requirements found that Amtrak suffered
19 operating losses of $1.1 billion, the largest in Amtrak's
20 history, and that Amtrak is no closer to operating
21 self-sufficiency now than it was in 1997; and
22 WHEREAS, The nation should be afforded the opportunity to
23 receive safe, efficient and cost-effective rail passenger
24 service; and
25 WHEREAS, The current federal formula for transportation
26 funding is heavily skewed towards highways and airports with
27 less than 1% directed at rail passenger service, creating
28 highway and airport congestion and perpetuating an unbalanced
29 transportation system that is vulnerable to emergencies, high
30 traffic volumes, and temporary disruptions; and
-2- LRB9217292BHbh
1 WHEREAS, Amtrak currently serves over 500 communities
2 across the country, provides energy-efficient mobility, uses
3 38% less energy per passenger mile than travel by commercial
4 airlines, can reduce congestion which currently costs the
5 U.S. economy $100 billion annually, and can further reduce
6 U.S. dependence on imported foreign oil; therefore be it
7 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
8 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,
9 that we urge the Congress of the United States to pass
10 S.1958, the Rail Passenger Service Improvement Act, to
11 eliminate budget deficits and cash shortages of Amtrak
12 through visionary financial planning, sound budgeting,
13 accurate revenue forecasts, and careful spending and to
14 ensure the most efficient and cost effective rail passenger
15 service by Amtrak during a period of fiscal emergency; and be
16 it further
17 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this Resolution be
18 presented to each member of the U.S. Illinois Congressional
19 delegation.