House Punts Bill Slashing Amtrak Spending After GOP Concern

The House pulled a scheduled vote late Tuesday on a spending bill (H.R. 4820) that would cut funding for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor by 92%, indicating Republicans still don’t have the votes for the measure after members on both sides of the aisle raised concerns about the significant rail cuts.

• “I’m never confident until the gavel comes down,” Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), chair of the subcommittee overseeing Transportation-HUD appropriations, said about the vote earlier in the day. “These margins are narrow.”
• Members added more conservative provisions to the legislation by amendment Tuesday, including a measure to reduce Transportation Secretary ...