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Fight to allow weapons aboard Amtrak trains could derail transportation bill
The Hill ^ | 10/25/09 | Walter Alarkon

Posted on 10/28/2009 8:04:39 AM PDT by neverdem

A push in Congress for broader gun rights is threatening to derail Amtrak and stall a transportation spending bill.

Gun-rights advocates in Congress are pressing appropriators to keep a provision that would let Amtrak passengers check in handguns with their baggage.

The provision, which calls for withholding $1.5 billion in Amtrak funding if the policy isn't implemented before April, was inserted into the $68.8 billion Senate transportation and housing and urban development spending bill as an amendment. All 40 Republicans, 27 Democrats and one independent voted for the amendment, sponsored by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).

Amtrak and its defenders in Congress have argued that the government-owned train company needs more time and resources before it could allow firearms onto trains.

“We don’t think we’ll be able to do that March 31 deadline, and, of course, finding the funding to make all of that happening,” said Amtrak spokesman Steve Kulm. Failing to meet that deadline and missing out $1.5 billion in appropriated funds, its entire funding request for 2010, would bring a “cessation of train service nationwide,” Amtrak Chairman Thomas Carper wrote to appropriators last month.

Kulm said that Amtrak trains and stations lack security systems seen at airports, baggage cars that are separate from passenger areas and a secure baggage loading area. Under its current policy, only law enforcement officers can bring guns onto its trains.

The Senate bill still needs to be reconciled with a House version that doesn’t include the guns provision.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the appropriator who sponsored the Senate’s transportation spending bill, voted against the provision. Murray is concerned that complying with the provision would be cost-prohibitive for Amtrak, said Alex Glass, a Murray spokeswoman.

Negotiations over the bill are ongoing and that the provision is likely to be one of the last to be addressed by House and Senate conferees, Glass said.

Measures to allow guns on trains have bipartisan support in both chambers.

Senators had adopted another amendment allowing guns on Amtrak trains as part of the budget resolution in April. The provision, which had the support of 22 Democrats, was stripped out of the budget resolution conference.

In the House, a stand-alone bill sponsored by Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) and backed by three centrist Democrats would make permanent a policy allowing guns.

“Amtrak opposes this at their own peril,” said a spokesman for Wicker, Jordan Stoick. “This is a very pro-gun Congress. It has proved that multiple times.”

Gun-rights proponents have noted that Amtrak has allowed passengers’ guns on its trains before, deciding to ban them only after the 2001 terror attacks.

“The most important point is that this would not be a new policy for Amtrak,” said Andrew Arulanandam, spokesman for the National Rifle Association. “This would just be reverting to what was Amtrak policy prior to 9/11.”

The Amtrak provision isn’t the only controversial weapons provision tucked into broader bills.

An amendment blocking Washington, D.C. officials from regulating guns was adopted by the Senate in February as part of a D.C. voting rights bill. Democratic leaders in the House have since withheld consideration of the bill, which would which would give the District a House member with full voting rights. To ease its passage without the gun amendment, Democrats are considering attaching the voting rights measure to the 2010 Defense spending bill.

This month, Congress passed and the president signed into law a conference report for the Homeland Security spending bill that prevents spring-assisted pocketknives from being classified as illegal switchblades. U.S. Customs and Border Protection had proposed changing the definition of those pocketknives, but the NRA and a bipartisan group in Congress opposed the move.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: amtrak; banglist; bloggersandpersonal; nationalrifleassn; nra

1 posted on 10/28/2009 8:04:40 AM PDT by neverdem
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To: Willie Green

Likely of interest to you.


2 posted on 10/28/2009 8:08:05 AM PDT by Blue Jays (Rock Hard, Ride Free)
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To: neverdem
A push in Congress for broader gun rights is threatening to derail Amtrak and stall a transportation spending bill.

Yay! Guns save the day again!

3 posted on 10/28/2009 8:09:11 AM PDT by Still Thinking (If ignorance is bliss, liberals must be ecstatic!)
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To: neverdem

....since the Long Island train shooter massacre, people should have the right to armed self defense.


4 posted on 10/28/2009 8:13:58 AM PDT by STONEWALLS
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To: Blue Jays

Willie, another reason to drive.


5 posted on 10/28/2009 8:16:49 AM PDT by equalitybeforethelaw
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To: neverdem

I have this absurd mental image of an armed fascist hijacker on the train holding the engineer hostage and demanding, “Turn this thing around; we’re going to Cuba.”


6 posted on 10/28/2009 8:18:28 AM PDT by Rapscallion (Tyrant Obama declares war on more American freedoms every day.)
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To: neverdem
“The most important point is that this would not be a new policy for Amtrak,” said Andrew Arulanandam, spokesman for the National Rifle Association. “This would just be reverting to what was Amtrak policy prior to 9/11.”

Then I don't see the problem other than a few Amtrak bureaucrats that oppose the policy. Easy solution...fire them.

7 posted on 10/28/2009 8:21:33 AM PDT by paul51 (11 September 2001 - Never forget)
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To: neverdem
“This is a very pro-gun Congress. It has proved that multiple times.”

If only that were true!

8 posted on 10/28/2009 8:22:44 AM PDT by iowamark (certified by Michael Steele as "ugly and incendiary")
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To: Rapscallion
Or the classic 1970's movie The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 that was recently remade.
9 posted on 10/28/2009 8:27:45 AM PDT by Blue Jays (Rock Hard, Ride Free)
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To: equalitybeforethelaw
I'm a big fan of motorcycles, cars, ships, trains, & airplanes.
Greatly enjoy traveling on all modes.
CCW should naturally be more encouraged everywhere in this country.


10 posted on 10/28/2009 8:53:57 AM PDT by Blue Jays (Rock Hard, Ride Free)
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To: neverdem

Like every other measure that infringes on our rights as citizens to bear arms. There is not a single crime you can commit with a gun that was not a crime without the gun. Forget depriving citizens of their constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Concentrate on increasing the penalty for any crime committed with the use of a weapon of any kind.


11 posted on 10/28/2009 9:06:43 AM PDT by jwparkerjr (God Bless America, and wake us up while you're about it!)
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To: neverdem

people ride Amtrak?


12 posted on 10/28/2009 9:33:32 AM PDT by WOBBLY BOB (ACORN:American Corruption for Obama Right Now)
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To: neverdem

Anything that will kill public transportation is a great thing!!!!


13 posted on 10/28/2009 9:35:09 AM PDT by dalereed
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To: wardaddy; Joe Brower; Cannoneer No. 4; Criminal Number 18F; Dan from Michigan; Eaker; Jeff Head; ...
Patrick Henry "Ratified": The Treaty Power, It's Perils and Portents Excellent essay!

Progressive Myths About the Founding Fathers, and Hating Whitey 3/5 rule was for undermining slavery, not to dehumanize slaves!

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Russian Scientist: 'We should fear a deep temperature drop -- not catastrophic global warming'

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14 posted on 10/28/2009 10:03:19 AM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: iowamark
“This is a very pro-gun Congress. It has proved that multiple times.”

If only that were true!

It's much more true than you appear to recognize. What pro gun control bills became law with a rat controlled Congress? The Coburn Amendment became law. The Thune Amendment failed a cloture vote to end debate by just two votes, 58 - 39. The rats are mostly gun shy about gun control in Congress.

15 posted on 10/28/2009 10:28:16 AM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: neverdem

Thanks for the ping!


16 posted on 10/28/2009 8:34:43 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: neverdem

I was thinking of the failure of the Thune Amendmant. That might have had a revolutionary impact on gun rights.


17 posted on 10/30/2009 4:26:08 AM PDT by iowamark (certified by Michael Steele as "ugly and incendiary")
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