On a bipartisan vote of 316-101, the House of Representatives recently passed the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015 to invest in America’s passenger rail system.
H.R. 749 guarantees that the U.S. passenger rail system will receive enough investments to continue its job of connecting communities across the country. The act will implement important reforms to raise the number of loans that railroads, states, local governments and shippers receive and fund the development of railroad infrastructure by purchasing American iron, steel and manufactured products. This will increase American manufacturing, add American jobs, and enhance the overall vitality of America's economy.
The act was supported by many of the House’s top leaders, including Reps. Jeff Denham (R-CA), Bill Shuster (R-PA), Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Michael Capuano (D-MA).
“In every region of the country, including the Pacific Northwest, passenger rail investments boost local economies and create thousands of family-wage construction, engineering and manufacturing jobs,” DeFazio said. “This bill isn’t perfect — but it was a bipartisan effort that ultimately provides critical investments and systemwide improvements to increase capacity and make our railways safer. I’m glad that we were able to pass this legislation in a bipartisan way.”
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