=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SF Gate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2003/07/23/n= ational1912EDT0814.DTL ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wednesday, July 23, 2003 (AP) House GOP ready to up ante for Amtrak aid ALAN FRAM, Associated Press Writer (07-23) 17:19 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Republicans prepared a revamped transportation bill on Wednesday that would give Amtrak $900 million next year, more than an earlier version but half what the financially struggling passenger railroad says it needs to maintain existing service. The House Appropriations Committee planned to approve the legislation on Thursday, nearly two weeks after that panel's transportation subcommittee signed off on an initial measure providing only $580 million for Amtrak. That bill attracted so little support that top Republicans stalled on bringing it to the full committee until they had reworked portions of it. The new version has $900 million for Amtrak, said a GOP aide speaking on condition of anonymity. That would be the same amount as President Bush requested. But an Amtrak spokesman, Clifford Black, said that "would be a nonstarter" because the railroad needs improvements for its tracks, cars, tunnels and other equipment. The rewritten bill also eliminates cuts that would have been made in mass transit construction, bicycle trails, subsidies to air carriers that serve rural communities, and other projects, said aides and lawmakers familiar with the bill. With Congress leaving for its August recess over the next two weeks, lawmakers across the Capitol were focusing on must-pass spending bills for the federal budget year beginning Oct. 1. By 400-21, the House approved a measure providing $37.9 billion for the departments of Commerce, State and Justice, about 2 percent more than this year. The Drug Enforcement Administration would get a healthy increase over this year, while FBI would have a level budget and aid to state and local law enforcement agencies would be cut. A provision by Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., forbidding the government from interfering with the 10 states with laws permitting medical use of marijuana, was defeated by 273-152. But left intact was language that has drawn a White House veto threat to bar federal regulators from letting broadcasters own television stations serving 45 percent of the country's viewers -- compared with 35 percent today. In the Senate, Republicans rejected Democratic efforts to increase spending for seaport safety and firefighting as senators neared approval of a $28.5 billion measure financing the Homeland Security Department next year. As senators worked on their first-ever bill for the new agency, they rejected many amendments. One by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., would have added $100 million for loc= al emergency planning. Sen. Ernest Hollings, D-S.C., wanted to shift $300 million in the bill to port security. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., tried to add $150 million to help local firefighters. Democrats were hoping that though their proposals were defeated, the vot= es would help them build a case by next year's congressional campaigns that they are the stronger party on domestic security issues. The Senate did accept an amendment by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., requiring the department to report to Congress in 90 days on its color-coded alert system. =20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2003 AP