Rail Passengers on Rep. DeFazio's Retirement

For Immediate Release (21-22)

Contact: Sean Jeans-Gail (202) 320-2723; [email protected]

Washington, D.C.—Statement from Rail Passengers Association President & CEO on today’s announcement that Rep. Peter DeFazio, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, will not seek reelection.

“The nation’s passengers owe an immense debt of gratitude to Chairman DeFazio for his many decades of fighting for Amtrak and—above all—a safer, cleaner, more efficient transportation network able to connect all Americans,” said Mathews. “While we are sad to lose his leadership in the transportation sector, it is fitting that his final chapter in Congress will be to oversee the implementation of the largest investment in passenger trains in the U.S. in 50 years. We look forward to working with him over the next 13 months to ensure that America’s passengers see the benefits of the Investment in Infrastructure and Jobs Act.”

Congressman DeFazio won the Rail Passenger Association’s Golden Spike Award in 2013.

About Rail Passengers Association

The Rail Passengers Association is the oldest and largest national organization serving as a voice for the more than 40 million rail passengers in the U.S. Our mission is to improve and expand conventional intercity and regional passenger train services, support higher speed rail initiatives, increase connectivity among all forms of transportation and ensure safety for our country's trains and passengers. All of this makes communities safer, more accessible and more productive, improving the lives of everyone who lives, works and plays in towns all across America.

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