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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.