(The following story by Christopher Conkey appeared on the Wall Street Journal website on October 3.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. President George W. Bush will sign legislation that boosts funding for Amtrak and other passenger-rail services, setting up a broader debate next year over federal transportation spending that highlights differences between the two major candidates seeking to succeed Mr. Bush.
The White House announcement Thursday came a day after the Senate approved the bill by a 74-24 vote. The House passed it last week. The legislation provides roughly $13 billion for Amtrak and passenger-rail funding over five years, nearly double current spending levels. The bill also contains a mandate for rail operators to equip trains with collision-avoidance technology that could have prevented last month's head-on crash in California that killed 25 people.
The number of riders on Amtrak, commuter rail and rapid-transit services has soared this year along with gasoline prices, leading Congress to increase federal support. The shift to rail and away from cars -- Americans have been driving less for nearly a year now -- will also affect next year's debate on a transportation-spending bill that could cost as much as $500 billion. Currently, the federal government spends more than $40 billion annually on highways, roughly $10 billion on mass transit and about $1.4 billion on Amtrak. Advocates of shifting those ratios in favor of rail and mass transit hope to seize on the opportunity presented by rising energy prices.
The debate over how federal dollars are distributed will take place with a new president in the White House. The Amtrak vote offered a preview of how Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama would approach the issue.
Sen. McCain, the Republican nominee, a consistent critic of the nation's money-losing long-distance rail provider, voted against the measure. Sen. Obama, the Democratic candidate, voted for it; he routinely advocates an expansion of passenger-rail service.
In opposing the bill, Sen. McCain emphasized accountability and the need to set priorities at a time when the government is considering a $700 billion package to stem the financial crisis.
"With the financial situation facing our nation, this multibillion-dollar commitment of taxpayers' dollars could be dedicated to addressing far more important national priorities," a McCain spokesman said in an email Thursday.
The spokesman also singled out an earmark in the bill that would steer $1.5 billion over 10 years to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which operates bus and rail service in the nation's capital.
After casting his vote Wednesday night, Sen. Obama issued a statement in keeping with his broader calls to invest in roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure.
"American businesses and families deserve to have safe, reliable and efficient transportation options," he said. "For far too long, our nation's lack of investment in too many aspects of our infrastructure has undermined that important goal."
The competing views reflect a long-running argument between the Bush administration and many in Congress.
The administration had proposed lower Amtrak funding and a diminished federal role in transportation spending, calling instead for greater private investment and fewer earmarks. Many Democrats have pushed back, insisting on more rail funding as well as more spending on bridge repairs and transit systems.
Going forward, debate will also focus on whether to allocate federal dollars differently. Several Democratic leaders who will play key roles in the coming transportation debate say concerns over congestion, pollution and oil consumption should lead to greater spending on passenger-rail service.
"We spend more than $40 billion each year on highways...but only a little over $1 billion on rail, and we had to fight tooth and nail to get that," said Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey. "This is going to change."
