House passes Amtrak exec bonus bill; Graves names T&I subcommittee chairs

The U.S. House yesterday approved legislation that would require Amtrak to publicly disclose decisions to award bonuses to top executives.

Introduced by U.S. Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.), the Amtrak Executive Bonus Disclosure Act (H.R. 192) would require Amtrak to notify and brief Congress 30 days before it awards any executive bonuses. That notice would include a notice in the Federal Register, along with an explanation of the metrics and criteria used to determine the bonuses, according to a press release issued by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. 

A similar bill passed the House in the 118th Congress after T&I Committee leaders questioned Amtrak's justification for previously awarding top executives "six-figure bonuses" as Amtrak experienced "historic financial losses and ridership lows," according to the release.

Meanwhile, T&I Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.) yesterday announced the chairs of the T&I subcommittees for the 119th Congress. The appointments include Rouzer as chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials.

“As the Committee addresses surface transportation reauthorization, I’m eager to begin working with Chairman Graves and my colleagues to bolster our nation’s rail and pipeline infrastructure to improve safety, our energy security, and strengthen America’s economy," Rouzer said in a press release.

Graves also named U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) as chair of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.

"I look forward to working with my colleagues and the Trump administration to address the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund, the need to combat Chinese influence in our supply chains and much more," Crawford said.