By Edwards H.C.R. No. 39 74R3742 MPC-D CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, Established in 1971, Amtrak has provided fast, 1-2 efficient, and cost-effective travel for millions of people across 1-3 the United States for more than two decades; and 1-4 WHEREAS, This railroad provides mobility to citizens of many 1-5 smaller communities poorly served by air or bus service as well as 1-6 to students, senior citizens, disabled people, and persons with 1-7 medical conditions who may be prevented from flying and need trains 1-8 as a travel option; and 1-9 WHEREAS, Nine times safer than driving an automobile on a 1-10 passenger-mile basis, Amtrak provides safe and comfortable travel 1-11 even in severe weather conditions; and 1-12 WHEREAS, Amtrak is energy efficient and environmentally 1-13 beneficial, consuming approximately half as much energy per 1-14 passenger mile as airlines and causing less air pollution; and 1-15 WHEREAS, The number of people using Amtrak to meet their 1-16 travel needs rose by 48 percent from 1982 to 1993, enabling Amtrak 1-17 to dramatically improve coverage of its operating costs from 1-18 revenue; and 1-19 WHEREAS, By using existing rail rights-of-way, expansion of 1-20 Amtrak service would cost less and use less land than constructing 1-21 new highways and airports and would further increase Amtrak's 1-22 energy-efficiency advantage; and 1-23 WHEREAS, Federal investment in Amtrak has decreased in the 1-24 last decade while it has increased for airports and highways; 2-1 moreover, Amtrak pays a fuel tax that airlines do not pay; and 2-2 WHEREAS, States may use highway trust fund money as an 80 2-3 percent match for a variety of nonhighway programs, but they are 2-4 prohibited from using such money for Amtrak projects; and 2-5 WHEREAS, Amtrak workers and vendors pay more in taxes than 2-6 the federal government invests in Amtrak; now, therefore, be it 2-7 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-8 hereby urge the president and the Congress of the United States to 2-9 continue financial support of Amtrak, abolish the requirement that 2-10 Amtrak pay fuel taxes, grant states the authority to use federal 2-11 highway trust fund money on Amtrak projects if they so choose, and 2-12 include a strong Amtrak system in any plans for a National 2-13 Transportation System; and, be it further 2-14 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official 2-15 copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to 2-16 the speaker of the house of representatives and president of the 2-17 senate of the United States Congress, and to all members of the 2-18 Texas delegation to the congress, with the request that it be 2-19 officially entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial to the 2-20 Congress of the United States of America.