Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 08, 2021 7:04 am
OK; it certainly is knowledge that the train frequency provisions passed as part of the House Bill. The Senate site does not seem to provide copies of their passed legislation, so I must ask if anyone has knowledge of whether or not the frequency provision was included in the Senate's passed Bill?
If it were, then it's "in like Flynn", as the Conference Committee, where the two Bills are now, cannot strike a provision that both chambers have passed. So if the provision is in one, but not the other, it's a "who knows"?
Will Col. Perkowski, holder of a Masters in this kind of stuff, step forward and resolve?
But all told, Joe gets one Bill to sign. Various presidents have tried to seek "line item veto", but without success. Others have attempted to "impound" appropriated funds for programs they didn't like (Amtrak has been on the wrong end of that stunt in the past), but I think it took The Supremes to say "no no, Mr. President" to that.
Mr. Norman: This is the language in the Senate version (Amendment 891.) There aren't two separate bills where you'd need a conference committee I don't believe this is a house bill amended by the senate (Which is the way I think it must be done under reconciliation) - the senate passed the house bill but because it made amendments it must go back to the House floor to be passed again with the changes - in order for it to get to Joe's desk the full House must pass it on the floor as amended by the Senate without making any more changes. Below is the Amtrak language in the Senate Amendment 891. If you want to see it on the website go to the page for the bill
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-con ... 7D&s=3&r=2 - click amendments and you can find the amendment text by following the links to the Congressional Record:
SEC. 7101. GRANTS TO THE NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER
CORPORATION.
(a) Northeast Corridor Appropriation.--In addition to
amounts otherwise available, there is appropriated for fiscal
year 2021, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, $970,388,160, to remain available until
September 30, 2024, for grants as authorized under section
11101(a) of the FAST Act (Public Law 114-94) to prevent,
prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
(b) National Network Appropriation.--In addition to amounts
otherwise available, there is appropriated for fiscal year
2021, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, $729,611,840, to remain available until
September 30, 2024, for grants as authorized under section
11101(b) of the FAST Act (Public Law 114-94) to prevent,
prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
(c) Long-distance Service Restoration and Employee
Recalls.--Not less than $165,926,000 of the aggregate amounts
made available under subsections (a) and (b) shall be for use
by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation to--
(1) restore, not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the frequency of rail service on long-
distance routes (as defined in section 24102 of title 49,
United States Code) that the National Railroad Passenger
Corporation reduced the frequency of on or after July 1,
2020, and continue to operate such service at such frequency;
and
(2) recall and manage employees furloughed on or after
October 1, 2020, as a result of efforts to prevent, prepare
for, and respond to coronavirus.
(d) Use of Funds in Lieu of Capital Payments.--Not less
than $109,805,000 of the aggregate amounts made available
under subsections (a) and (b)--
(1) shall be for use by the National Railroad Passenger
Corporation in lieu of capital payments from States and
commuter rail passenger transportation providers that are
subject to the cost allocation policy under section 24905(c)
of title 49, United States Code; and
(2) notwithstanding sections 24319(g) and 24905(c)(1)(A)(i)
of title 49, United States Code, such amounts do not
constitute cross-subsidization of commuter rail passenger
transportation.
(e) Use of Funds for State Payments for State-supported
Routes.--
(1) In general.--Of the amounts made available under
subsection (b), $174,850,000 shall be for use by the National
Railroad Passenger Corporation to offset amounts required to
be paid by States for covered State-supported routes.
(2) Funding share.--The share of funding provided under
paragraph (1) with respect to a covered State-supported route
shall be distributed as follows:
(A) Each covered State-supported route shall receive 7
percent of the costs allocated to the route in fiscal year
2019 under the cost allocation methodology adopted pursuant
to section 209 of the Passenger Rail Investment and
Improvement Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-432).
(B) Any remaining amounts after the distribution described
in subparagraph (A) shall be apportioned to each covered
State-supported route in proportion to the passenger revenue
of such route and other revenue allocated to such route in
fiscal year 2019 divided by the total passenger revenue and
other revenue allocated to all covered State-supported routes
in fiscal year 2019.
(3) Covered state-supported route defined.--In this
subsection, the term ``covered State-supported route'' means
a State-supported route, as such term is defined in section
24102 of title 49, United States Code, but does not include a
State-supported route for which service was terminated on or
before February 1, 2020.
(f) Use of Funds for Debt Repayment or Prepayment.--Not
more than $100,885,000 of the aggregate amounts made
available under subsections (a) and (b) shall be--
(1) for the repayment or prepayment of debt incurred by the
National Railroad Passenger Corporation under financing
arrangements entered into prior to the date of enactment of
this Act; and
(2) to pay required reserves, costs, and fees related to
such debt, including for loans from the Department of
Transportation and loans that would otherwise have been paid
from National Railroad Passenger Corporation revenues.
(g) Project Management Oversight.--Not more than $2,000,000
of the aggregate amounts made available under subsections (a)
and (b) shall be for activities authorized under section
11101(c) of the FAST Act (Public Law 114-94).
It's identical to the house version except that the Senate gave them an extra $150 million for the corridor and an extra $50 million for the network (the $200 million the news articles have been referring to.)