Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Amtrak

Mica Accedes to Dems’ Request to Delay Action on Rail Privatization

Rural Amtrak service could be sticking point as Mica tries to win over members of his own party to his privatization plan. Photo: ##http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/newbern.htm##TrainWeb##

John Mica has blinked.

Rather than go full steam ahead with his fast-track plan to introduce his bill to privatize the Northeast Corridor today and to have the committee discuss it and vote on it tomorrow, Transportation Committee Chair John Mica (R-FL) has agreed to delay action to allow time for a full legislative hearing. Democrats on the committee had asked Mica for the chance to get a full look at the proposal and voice their concerns.

The hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. The committee has not yet announced who will be appearing as witnesses. We’ll bring you a report after the hearing.

Rahall is pleased with the change in timing. “I would like to thank Chairman Mica for agreeing to Democrats’ request to hold a hearing on this bill before marking it up so that all Members could have an opportunity to better understand its sweeping ramifications,” he said in a statement.

But other Amtrak advocates on the Hill say it’s just delaying the inevitable. And it’s not just Democrats that are critical of the plan to take the Northeast Corridor away from Amtrak and let private companies run and operate the line. There are rumors that Mica’s gotten some grief from members of his own party over the plan.

After all, no one questions that the underlying motive of the privatization plan is to dismantle Amtrak, a company Mica has long derided as a “Soviet-style” money pit.And many rural areas – often represented by Republican lawmakers – depend on Amtrak service as an essential transportation connection and a focal point of their towns. It’s no wonder the representatives of those towns are nervous about the proposal.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Thursday’s Headlines Are Charged Up for the Fourth

The Republican megabill is bad for the electric vehicle industry, but it could be worse.

July 3, 2025

Why is the Secretary of Transportation Begging Americans to Take More Road Trips?

Instead of making America easier to see on all modes, the US Department of Transportation is encouraging U.S. residents to just get in their cars and drive.

July 3, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines Are for the Children

From mothers with babies in strollers to preteens on bikes, much of the U.S. is hostile to families just trying to get around without a car.

July 2, 2025

Ambulance Data Reveals That Boston Drivers Are 4 Times More Likely to Run Over Pedestrians From Black Neighborhoods

"Overall, residents of predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods are about four times more likely than residents of predominantly white neighborhoods to be struck as a pedestrian."

July 1, 2025
See all posts