U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

01/14/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/14/2025 16:31

House Approves Bills to Boost Amtrak Accountability and Make Disaster Assistance Programs More Transparent and Easier for Victims Economic Development, Public Buildings and[...]

House Approves Bills to Boost Amtrak Accountability and Make Disaster Assistance Programs More Transparent and Easier for Victims

Washington, D.C., January 14, 2025 | Justin Harclerode (202) 225-9446
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The House of Representatives has approved legislation to bring much needed transparency and accountability to Amtrak by requiring public disclosure of decisions to award massive bonuses to top executives. The House also passed bills to streamline the disaster assistance process for victims and improve transparency regarding how disaster recovery funds are spent.

"I want to thank Congressmen Rouzer and Ezell for their leadership on these bills that will significantly strengthen accountability at Amtrak and ensure that disaster victims can better access assistance with less red tape," said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO).

H.R. 192, the Amtrak Executive Bonus Disclosure Act, was introduced by Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), who was named Chairman of the Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee earlier today. The bill requires Amtrak to publicly disclose salary bonuses given to Amtrak executives annually. Specifically, the legislation requires Amtrak to notify and brief Congress 30 days before it awards any executive bonuses and to publicly disclose any executive bonuses that have been awarded through a notice in the Federal Register, along with an explanation of the metrics and criteria used to determine the bonuses.

Similar legislation also passed the House in the 118th Congress after Committee leaders questioned Amtrak's justification for previously awarding top executives six-figure bonuses during a period of historic financial losses and ridership lows.

"Amtrak was created over fifty years ago and since then has never once made a profit," said Congressman Rouzer. "Despite significant financial losses, reliance on government support, and ongoing performance issues, Amtrak continues to reward their executives with millions in bonus incentives. My legislation is the first step toward increasing accountability and ensuring taxpayers know how their dollars are being spent."

H.R. 152, the Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act, was introduced by Rep. Mike Ezell (R-MS), the Vice Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The bill requires a plan to streamline federal agencies' collection of information for preliminary damage assessments. Eliminating overlaps in the collection of this information will help make disaster assistance easier to receive for victims already enduring the hardships of disaster. This legislation was also approved by the House in the 118th Congress.

H.R. 153, the Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act, was also introduced by Rep. Ezell. This bill requires all federal agencies that provide disaster assistance to regularly update a public, central online repository with information about their programs. This will ensure greater transparency and public accountability in how taxpayer dollars dedicated to disaster recovery are being spent. This legislation was also approved by the House in the 118th Congress.

"I am proud to see these two critical pieces of legislation, designed to streamline the federal government's response to disasters, pass the U.S. House," Rep. Ezell said. "Our communities deserve a response that is swift, coordinated, and effective when disaster strikes. My bills are a step forward in ensuring that resources reach those in need without delay, and that the process of recovery is as smooth as possible for families, businesses, and local governments. I am thankful to Chairman Graves for his leadership in helping to advance these bills, as it was instrumental in bringing us closer to a more effective and efficient disaster response. I look forward to my colleagues in the Senate promptly taking these up for consideration."