247: BIF: The Growth of US Railroads Congressional Dish

The infrastructure law provides the most significant investment in passenger rail in U.S. history, but substantial hurdles - including a powerful cartel - stand firmly in the way of a real national network. In this episode, learn the ways the infrastructure law paves the way for a better future for passenger rail along with the significant obstacles that it failed to address. Executive Producer: Alex Smith Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank’s online bill pay function to mail contributions to: Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish YouTube Video Contributors to Supply Chain Issues Matthew Jinoo Buck. February 4, 2022. The American Prospect. Merriam-Webster.com. 2022. January 6, 2020. The Houston Chronicle. Passenger and Freight Rail: The Current Status of the Rail Network and the Track Ahead. October 21, 2020. 116th Cong. U.S. Internal Revenue Service. December 31, 2019. Dangers of Monster Trains and Rail Profiteering Aaron Gordon. Mar 22, 2021. Vice. U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. Dec 29, 2020. Marybeth Luczak. Nov 30, 2020. Railway Age. U.S. Government Accountability Office. May 30, 2019. Christina M. Rudin-Brown, Sarah Harris, and Ari Rosberg. May 2019. Accident Analysis and Prevention. Jessica Murphy. Jan 19, 2018. BBC. Eric M. Johnson. Dec 6, 2017. Reuters. Cumberland Times-News. Aug 12, 2017. The Tribune Democrat. Jeffrey Alderton. Aug 5, 2017. The Tribune Democrat. Jeffrey Alderton. Aug 3, 2017. The Tribune Democrat. New Jersey Department of Health. Revised June 2011. Stephen Joiner. Feb 11, 2010 Popular Mechanics. Lobbying and Corruption 2020. Open Secrets. 2020. Senate.gov. 2020. Open Secrets. 2018. Open Secrets. 2020. Senate.gov. What you really pay for TV Gavin Bridge. Oct 27, 2020. Variety. Laws Sponsor: Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) Status: Became Public Law No. 117-58 Law Outline Authorizes appropriations for Federal-Aid for highways at between $52 billion and $56 billion per year through fiscal year 2026 (over $273 billion total). Authorizes $300 million for for 2022, which increases by $100 million per year (maxing out at $700 million in 2026) Authorizes between $25 million and $30 million per year for "community resilience and evacuation route grants" on top of equal amounts for "at risk coastal infrastructure grants" Authorizes a total of $6.53 billion (from two funds) for the bridge investment program Caps the annual total funding from all laws (with many exceptions) that can be spent on Federal highway programs. Total through 2026: $300.3 billion Allows money from the surface transportation block grant program to be used for "planning and construction" of projects that "facilitate intermodel connections between emerging transportation technologies", specifically naming the hyperloop For projects that cost $100 million or more, before entering into a contract with a private company, the government partner has to conduct a "value for money analysis" of the partnership. Three years after a project is opened to traffic, the government partner has to review the compliance of the private company and either certify their compliance or report to the Secretary of Transportation the details of the violation. The certifications or violation notifications must be publicly available "in a form that does not disclose any proprietary or confidential business information." Restructures/eliminates offices at the Department of Transportation to create an Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy The person in charge will be appointed by the Presi