MARP members and supporters,

To our great relief, 2 Amtrak-killing amendments to HR 2577 were defeated in a late night Congressional session last week. However, the bill, slated for a final vote this coming Tuesday, June 9, makes deep cuts in FY2016 funding for Amtrak, local transit and the TIGER grant program that has been used so successfully by communities around the country to improve their non-road transportation infrastructure.

Please read the information below and click on the “Send a letter” button to contact your Representative in Congress. You can tailor the letter with your own comments on why this is important to you or give examples of how you benefit from trains and transit. Remember that you are writing as a individual who uses and values passenger train service and not as a representative or member of MARP.

If you are interested in how your Representative voted on the anti-Amtrak amendments offered by Rep. Brooks, click on the links here:

• Brooks amendment to eliminate Amtrak’s capital grant: defeated by a vote of 139 – 286 (Roll Call No. 304).
• Brooks amendment to eliminate Amtrak’s operating grant: defeated by a vote of 143 – 283 (Roll Call No. 303).

You can include in your message a pat on the back if your Congressperson opposed the amendment.

Please feel free to forward this to others who support trains.

Kay Chase