Capon to make NPR appearance Tuesday

NARP Executive Director Ross Capon will be a guest on the Diane Rehm Show on National Public Radio tomorrow, October 30 to discuss Amtrak and passenger rail issues. Topics will include Senate Bill S. 294, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act. For most NPR stations, the program will air at 10 AM Eastern time. Check your local NPR listings here.

After the show airs, you may listen to Capon’s segment at
this link.

The Senate should move to a final vote on S.294 by tomorrow, Wednesday morning at the latest. As was the case last week, the message to your Senators continues to be: Please support S. 294 and please vote against any other anti-passenger rail amendment that is offered, especially amendments to cut funding or add micromanaging language to the bill. Press reports today indicate that Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO) may offer an amendment to reinstate the disastrous “Self-Sufficiency” language from the 1997 Amtrak reauthorization. (S.294 specifically eliminates this requirement.)

Given the timeliness of this issue, E-mails and letters are not relevant. Phone calls are needed.

You can reach any Senate office by calling use our toll-free Congressional Action Hotline. The number is 1-800-679-1581. When prompted, enter our access code: 1189. Please make this call during normal Senate business hours which are generally 9am to 5:30pm eastern time. Please do not make any calls today (Monday) after 5:30pm eastern (4:30pm central, 3:30pm mountain, 2:30pm pacific), but start calling in the morning (9:00am eastern, 8:00am central, 7:00am mountain, 6:00am pacific)

If you are on-line, your senators direct-dial number and web site are here.

Filed under: Amtrak, Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy