Lawmaker's French bulldog helped win bipartisan support in House for Amtrak 'critter car' bill
A reputation for division along bipartisan lines was no barrier to U.S. House approval of a passenger railroad bill on Wednesday, thanks to a 15-pound lobbyist known as Lily.
The French bulldog, who belongs to the bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Jeff Denham, R-California, has “a lot of friends here on Capitol Hill,” he told the Los Angeles Times (sub. req.).
A centerpiece of the lobbying effort for the bill, which also includes provisions to encourage loans to fund new rail service and enhance railroad-crossing safety, is a so-called “critter car” on certain Amtrak trains that would allow dogs and cats to ride with their owners in pet carriers. Frustrated by a no-pets rule that prevents him from taking Lily on the train, although she can travel by plane, Denham persuaded the government-funded Amtrak to try the idea out in Illinois a year ago, the newspaper explains.
That experiment has gone well, and the plan, if the Senate approves the bill and President Obama doesn’t veto, is to designate a specific car on other Amtrak trains that also allow owners to carry on a dog or cat. The program would be limited to trips of 750 miles or less, so the animals won’t have to wait too long to relieve themselves.
With Lily’s help, the measure easily passed on Wednesday in the House, 316-101, thanks to bipartisan support.
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Lawmakers propose a ‘critter car’ for Amtrak”
