International Business Times
Elizabeth Whitman
05/13/2015
When it comes to supporting America’s railroads, Republicans have a dismal track record, one that appears unlikely to change even in light of a deadly Amtrak train crash in Philadelphia Tuesday night that killed at least six people and injured 140. Republicans and conservative groups have long pushed for cutting the funding of Amtrak or even defunding the service entirely.
During a U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee session Wednesday, less than 24 hours after the crash, Republicans voted not to increase funding for Amtrak. Their approach clashes with the recent repeated calls made by railway officials -- whose words seem prescient, in retrospect -- for government funding to help renovate and repair the railroad’s aging infrastructure in an attempt to prevent accidents. (more)
