Slaughter wants Florida’s high-speed rail funds

Slaughter argues that high-speed rail could expand the Western New York labor market to nearly 1 million workers. 

“Continuing high-speed rail efforts in Upstate New York, will directly benefit the thousands of rail workers in the state, just as it would in regions throughout the country,” Slaughter wrote. “Once completed, a high speed-rail line would continue to create expanded opportunities for economic growth.”

Meanwhile, Florida Sen. Bill Nelson (D) is looking for a way to retain the funding and keep the project moving forward. 

Slaughter applauded the Obama administration’s announcement last week of a six-year $53 billion plan for high-speed rail as part of a larger 25-year proposal to expand train service to 80 percent of Americans. President Obama’s fiscal 2012 budget, which was released Monday, includes $8 billion for high-speed rail across the country this year. 

Many Republicans are looking to slash high-speed rail funding, saying the nation has other more important issues. 

“While we are aware of the resistance among some to spend money in our current economic environment, the truth is that only bold investments in our nation’s infrastructure will help us build a foundation for a stronger future, compete in the global economy and improve national security,” she wrote. “A national high-speed rail system would serve as a modern network to move both civilian and military personnel at a moment’s notice, while freeing our freight rail lines to move goods and supplies.”