HARRY HUGHES, Governor

3725

WHEREAS, The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, known
as Amtrak, serves the citizens of this State; and

WHEREAS, Our citizens' use of Amtrak has increased
continuously since 1971 until at the present time 1,184,788
persons in 1984 used Amtrak to arrive in and depart from points
in Maryland; and

WHEREAS, Amtrak directly employs 2,540 citizens of this
State with annualized earnings of $55.9 million and indirectly
supports the employment of thousands of other citizens of this
State through the purchase of supplies and equipment from their
employers; and

WHEREAS, Amtrak has expended over $11.3 million for
passenger facilities, goods, and services; and

WHEREAS, Amtrak has continually improved the quality of
service, the corporation's financial position, and the number of
passengers carried to the point where Amtrak transported 22
million people in 1984 and expects to increase that amount by 2%
to 3% in 1985; and

WHEREAS, The Budget presented to the Congress of the United
States by President Reagan would, if enacted, deprive Amtrak of
the federal funding required for its continued existence; and

WHEREAS, The effective elimination of Amtrak would result in
serious adverse economic consequences to this State and its
citizens in terms of loss of investment, loss of income to
equipment and supplies contractors with Amtrak, loss of rail
passenger service, loss of jobs, and a concomitant strain on the
Railroad Retirement System by the loss of many contributors to
that system; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That Amtrak
must be continued in operation to serve this State as Amtrak has
served in the past; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Congress of the United States should
provide sufficient funding through appropriation of those amounts
of money necessary to keep Amtrak in fiscal year 1986 in at least
as sound a position operationally and financially as Amtrak has
been in fiscal year 1985; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution be forwarded by the
Department of Legislative Reference to the Maryland Congressional
Delegation: Senators Charles McC. Mathias, Jr. and Paul S.
Sarbanes, Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; and
Representatives Royden P. Dyson, Helen Delich Bentley, Barbara A.
Mikulski, Marjorie S. Holt, Steny H. Hoyer, Beverly B. Byron,
Parren J. Mitchell, and' Michael D. Barnes, House Office Building,
Washington, D.C. 20515; the Honorable Harry Hughes, Governor of
Maryland; and the Honorable Elizabeth H. Dole, Secretary of