Quote

As a personal beneficiary of the service that Amtrak provides and as someone who represents a congressional district that counts on safe, reliable rail service, I am a strong supporter of providing this vital industry the funding necessary to continue operations.

People's lives are in the care of the railways when they get on a train. The railways should remember that.

We are also ignoring and underfunding high speed rail which is one of the best ways to move citizens and improve congestion on our highways.

Amtrak is extremely important to the economy of Southern Illinois and I will continue to work with state and local leaders and my colleagues in Congress to secure the necessary funding to maintain full service.

We continue to subsidize highways and aviation, but when it comes to our passenger rail system, we refuse to provide the money Amtrak needs to survive.

Not only should we be giving Amtrak the money it needs to continue to provide services; we should be providing security money to upgrade their tracks and improve safety and security measures in the entire rail system.

Why should I tell you where I am going to get funds from? If I were to do that then all the vested interests would get alerted. You must be aware that railways are full of such elements and my fight is against them.

Railroads are the primary economic beneficiaries. It's a difficult project for the public sector.

Train service is particularly vital for the students and employees of Southern Illinois University.

Passengers want options, and when they have options, like passenger rail, they choose them.