President Trump's proposed budget includes cuts to the Department of Transportation (DOT), which could mean the loss of Amtrak service for some Kansas cities.
The 2018 proposed budget asks for $16.2 billion for DOT’s discretionary budget, which is a 13 percent decrease from 2017. The budget terminates federal subsidies for Amtrak's long-distance train service, including the Southwest Chief, which stops in Garden City, Dodge City, Hutchinson and Newton on a path back and forth between Chicago and Los Angeles.
Also listed to be eliminated is the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which subsidizes commercial travel to rural airports such as those in Salina, Garden City, Dodge City, Hays and Liberal.
Sen. Pat Roberts and Sen. Jerry Moran have come out softly in support of the EAS for rural airports and the rail systems that serve Kansans.
