WASHINGTON (AP) - A Republican-controlled House panel on Wednesday approved deep spending cuts to Amtrak's budget just hours after a deadly crash in Philadelphia.
The Appropriations Committee backed a $55 billion transportation and housing measure after rejecting Democratic attempts to boost spending on Amtrak by more than $1 billion, including $556 million targeted for the railroad's Northeast corridor, site of the derailment. The vote was 30-21 along party lines.
The GOP bill would cut Amtrak's budget by $251 million, to $1.1 billion, for the upcoming fiscal year.
"Every day, tens of thousands of passengers travel our nation's railways on Amtrak - a majority of those along the Northeast Corridor where yesterday's tragic accident occurred," said Rep. Chaka Fattah, who represents Philadelphia. "These riders deserve safe, secure, and modern infrastructure."
President Barack Obama asked for almost $2.5 billion for Amtrak in his February budget, much more than he'd requested in previous years. Obama's proposed boost is mostly dedicated to capital investment in track, tunnels and bridges and includes $400 million in grants for capital construction along Amtrak's Northeast corridor.
There were early indications that Tuesday night's tragedy may have been due to excessive speed. An Associated Press analysis of a surveillance tape found the train was going about 107 mph as it approached a curve where the speed limit less than half that.
"We must pass a multi-year transportation funding bill that increases - not decreases - federal investment in highway, transit and rail programs before other disaster occurs," said Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md.
The vote came as Congress stares down a deadline in 18 days to reauthorize legislation to pay for highways and transit programs.
Amtrak is one of many flash points in the underlying measure, which Democrats say shortchanges important programs for the poor and contains giveaways to the trucking industry.