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As you start your day or before you turn in for the evening
Please keep our servicman in your prayers.
Lord, keep our servicemen and women safe, whether they serve at home or overseas. Hold them in your loving hands and protect them as they protect us.'
NARVRE MEMBERS CONTACT CONGRESS:
1-877-668-3864 and 1-877-668-386
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Numbers you may need
iRaillroad Retirement 1-877-772-5772 Toll Free Number
880-772-1213 Social Security
880-827-1000 Dept of Veteran Affairs
800-633-4227 Medicare
800-809-0453 United Health Care
800-842-5252 United Health Care Plan E
800-833-4455 Palmetto GBA (Railroad Medicare)
800-310-7770 Met Life $2,000.00 Death Benefit for those covered under Union Contract.
800-551-2588 NARVRE NATIONAL OFFICE Moberly MO.
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Trains Can't Stop YOU CAN
Train Speed 30 mph stopping distance .8 mile
Train Speed 50 mph stopping distance 1.3 mile
Train Speed 60 mph stopping distance 1.4 mile
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NARVRE Legislative Update:
Good NEWS
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted in favor (33-22) of an amendment striking bigger truck language from the bill (H.R.7).
Thanks to everyone that contacted Congress on defeating this piece of legislation. The committee will continue its mark up of the five-year transportation plan throughout today. Should the committee pass its bill out of committee, it will then move to the House floor for debate where it will likely be subject to more amendments. All parties working together in opposition to this legislation will continue to urge ALL members of the House of Representatives to vote NO on any further attempts to include bigger trucks in the bill when debated on the House floor. That's the good news.
The bad news is that both amendments to strike harmful language affecting Amtrak were defeated. This is a terrible bill on many fronts, and remains detrimental to operations on Amtrak and many other aspects involved in our nation's surface transportation. H.R.7 will privatize several areas of Amtrak operations, handing over the food & beverage service to private contractors, causing over 2000 jobs to be lost. More American jobs will be lost as this legislation also affects operations on state-supported rail lines. This is yet another effort by the House T&I committee and Chrm. John Mica in their ongoing efforts to privatize and dismantle Amtrak, in this case by cutting the funding for Amtrak operations by 25%.
This legislation will also limit the oversight of the FRA, affecting current safety measures, and putting the health of active rail workers at risk. Ultimately, the legislation will threaten the strength and solvency of the Railroad Retirement System as it would cause the loss of thousands of rail employees. This bill must be amended or defeated on the floor of the House. Please continue to contact your representatives in Congress, and urge them to work to defeat this bad legislation. Note our email of 1/31/12 on this issue and additional information.
NARVRE toll-free lines to Congress 1-877-668-3864 & 877-668-3866
Gary Faley
NLD, NARVRE
ailroad Retirement 1-877-772-5772 Toll Free Numbe
From Gary Faley NLD Narvre Attn: NARVRE Officers & Membership Important Information
Yesterday, we put forth notice that the House T&I Committee would be marking up their Transportation Reauthorization legislation and that it contained language which would allow for dangerous increases in truck weight levels and permit an expanded operation of triple-trailer trucks. We advised and asked NARVRE members to contact Congress, asking their Representatives to oppose this unwise and unsafe legislation.
At the same time, NARVRE was busy attempting to research earlier remarks by T&I Chmn. John Mica, when referencing the need for reforms on Amtrak. Thanks to our colleagues at the Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT), we obtained the full copy of the House Republican Surface Transportation bill and found specific legislation on "Amtrak Reform" that would indeed change federal law, if passed. This legislation intends to Amend Title VIII, Sect. 102 (a) of The Passenger Rail Investment & Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA). Specific language is included that would cut Amtrak operating expenses by 25% which is yet another attempt by Chairman Mica to alter and adversely impact the Amtrak rail passenger train service, thereby threatening the entire system and Railroad Retirement, as well. This office immediately contacted Rep. Corinne Brown, Chairwoman of the House Sub-Committee on Railroads, and other supporters of Amtrak and it's employees. Fortunately, we also have friends in the Senate that are working with us on this issue, and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D,NJ) has already announced his intent to fight this blatant attempt to undercut and critically disrupt the entire Amtrak operation.
The Senate also has a Surface Transportation bill that they will be rolling out, and Chairwoman Barbara Boxer and Ranking Republican Sen. James Inhofe have not included these Amtrak cuts in their committee's legislation. The Senate Environment & Public Works Committee has a true bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the nation's transportation needs in a very different manner than the partisan majority proposals in the House T&I Committee. Those differences will be addressed in conference where we expect these poison pill amendments to be removed. NARVRE is currently in discussion with many organizations as well as staff in specific committees and we will keep you posted. NARVRE will be called to action again, to be sure. Thank you.
NOTE: In our "Contact Congress" email sent out yesterday, there was an incorrect 800 toll-free number listed...the correct NARVRE Congress toll-free numbers are 877-668-3864 and 877-668-3866.
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G.M. FALEY, NLD NARVRE
The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee is set to vote on the House Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill (SAFETEA-LU) as early as Thursday, February 2, 2012. This legislation would allow for "an increase in truck size and weights at the option of the states". That would give states the authority to increase truck weight limits by 8.5 tons or 17,000 pounds. Single trucks could be topping out at a heavier 97,000-pounds, and some states will be allowed to permit "triple-trucks", meaning a cab with three (3) trailers @ 33' each. This legislation would also divert massive amounts of freight "from the railroads to the highways", and it would mean larger subsidies from the government for a select group of big companies and the trucking industry. Congress needs to be reminded that in FY2010, highway spending cost the government over $40 billion, and that's more than Amtrak received in over 40 years! This proposal doesn't make sense as trucking contributes less than one-third of the vaunted National Highway Trust Fund, yet a standard 18-wheeler operating at its' maximum legal gross weight inflicts pavement damage to be statistically equivalent to 9,600 automobiles (AASHTO). This is a bad and unsafe idea!
Please contact Congress, tell them to oppose this legislation that will add to the damage of our roads and bridges, and cause more accidents on our congested highways. Tell them you do not want to drive next to these monsters on our freeways, and insist that they vote for safety first. We are using the link below from GoRail (see below) or you can call using NARVRE's toll-free numbers 1-800-877-668-3864 or 800-668-3866 to reach Congress. Any of the links offered by the freight railroads or rail labor are fine to use also, as this is a major collaborative effort, working together to flood the Congress with calls and emails.
Here's the link to the GoRail: http://www.capitolconnect.com/Gorail2/ You will be directed to an information email which you can edit with your own words if you wish.
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