'A non-starter': NY Republicans break with House GOP over proposed cut to Amtrak budget

06 November 2023

Even though House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) was elected with unanimous support from House Republicans, that support could be flagging as his caucus debates a transportation spending bill.

NY1 reports that Republican members of Congress from New York are coming out against steep proposed cuts to Amtrak in the latest budget proposal from the House Transportation Committee. The new transportation budget would not only reduce Amtrak's budget by nearly two-thirds, but it would reportedly cut $1 billion from the service's Northeast corridor — one of its most highly traveled routes. Congressman Anthony D'Esposito (R-New York) said a "65% cut to Amtrak is a non-starter." Other Republicans representing New York and New Jersey also voiced their opposition.

"Don't just come after New York, don't just come after New Jersey,” Rep. Nick LaLota (R-New York) said. "If there are going to be cuts, it should be proportional throughout the entire country."

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In speaking out against the bill earlier this summer, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner warned that if passed, the cuts to the train service would cost thousands of jobs, hurt local economies and "stop the advancement of passenger rail in its tracks."

"If the proposed levels become law, Amtrak will have to radically reduce or suspend service on various routes across the nation, impacting our State Supported, Long Distance and Northeast Corridor services," Gardner said.

Freshman Republican lawmakers like D'Esposito, LaLota, and embattled Congressman George Santos (R-New York) are chiefly responsible for Republicans re-capturing the House of Representatives in the 2022 midterms with a razor-thin majority, and all are expected to face close races for reelection in 2024. Because Republicans' lead over Democrats is so small, no legislative gambit can survive more than four defections from the Republican caucus. While the Amtrak cuts made it out of committee, the budget is unlikely to pass on the House floor given the loud opposition from New York Republicans.

Aside from the House floor vote, the budget would also have to be passed by the Democratic-controlled US Senate before making it to President Joe Biden's desk. Congress has until November 17 to pass a government funding bill before triggering a shutdown.