Graves statement on Amtrak reversal of planned vaccine mandate-induced service cuts

Amtrak announced that it will abandon plans to lay off workers and cut passenger rail service, which would have been necessary to comply with the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate.  Amtrak will instead focus on required testing for unvaccinated employees.

This reversal comes days after Amtrak’s president announced the planned vaccine mandate-induced service reductions in a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing last week, which prompted this critical response from the Committee’s Ranking Member, Sam Graves (R-MO).

Graves released the following statement on Amtrak’s new decision to reverse planned service cuts and layoffs:

“The administration is preparing to spend nearly $60 billion in new funding for Amtrak and passenger rail, but its own unworkable policies and egregious mandates would have delivered less service for the taxpayers footing the bill – not more. 

“Unfortunately, this is not the first and it won’t be the last example of the administration’s contradictory policies and red tape blocking infrastructure funding from getting out the door to communities trying to rebuild roads, bridges, and other projects.  President Biden’s policies will hamper efficient domestic energy production, roll back commonsense reforms to the National Environmental Protection Act and the definition of ‘Waters of the United States,’ and more.  Even their out-of-control inflation crisis is cutting the purchasing power of each dollar that’s been approved for infrastructure.

“With over a trillion dollars in infrastructure funding in the pipeline, Republicans will continue to conduct aggressive oversight over how this administration plans to allocate it, and we will fight against contradictory policies that prevent states and localities from addressing their infrastructure needs.”