Please tell the House and the Senate to continue their leadership on high speed rail by spending $4 billion in 2011 – the amount that the House of Representatives voted to spend for 2010.
President Obama began our nation's renaissance with high-speed rail one year ago by putting eight billion dollars in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – the biggest investment our country has ever made in high speed rail. However, his request in the 2011 annual budget was only $1 billion – less than the $2.5 billion in the 2010 annual budget.
Congress showed leadership for high speed rail in the 2010 budget by more than doubling Obama's request and funding high-speed rail at $2.5 billion in the 2010 annual budget.
The House of Representatives really showed leadership by voting to spend $4 billion for high speed rail in the 2010 annual budget, but the Senate would only agree to spend $2.5 billion.
Now that the stimulus dollars have been awarded and it is clear that this country needs to dramatically increase our investment in high speed rail in order to grow our economy, drive down business costs, create jobs and reduce our addiction to foreign oil, it's time to follow the lead of the House of Representatives and spend $4 billon on high speed rail in the 2011 annual budget and fully fund Amtrak at the $2.6 billion level.
Tell your two US Senators and your Representative to spend $4 billion on high speed rail in 2011.