REP. THOMAS BLILEY (R-VA)

On February 13, 1991, Rep. Bliley purchased between 1,000 and 15,000 dollars worth of stock in CSX Corp. (a major railroad firm here in the US).

One week after his purchase (on February 21, 1991), a bill was introduced in the House that would clearly excite CSX. The bill was H.R. 1087: HIGH SPEED RAIL TRANSPORTATION POLICY AND DEVELOPMENT ACT...To authorize a high-speed rail transporation development and commercialization program, to establish a national high-speed rail transportation policy, to promote development and commercialization of high-speed rail transportation by providing Federal guarantees of certain investments in high-speed rail transportation facilities (Referred to Rep. Bliley's House Energy and Commerce Committee).

Many of the high-speed rail appropriations contained in H.R. 1087 actually came through in H.R. 2950: INTERMODAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE ACT OF 1991 (P.L. 102-240).

Interestingly, on October 21, 1992, the Washington Post reported that Virginia received a $450,000 high-speed rail grant to begin developing more than 478 miles of track along a corridor owned by CSX Rail Co. The Virginia corridor was one of only five routes to receive initial federal funding for high-speed rail lines.

POLITICAL MONEY NOTES: Since 1987, Rep. Bliley has accepted at least $8,450 in PAC contributions from CSX.

NOTES: Rep. Bliley was # 2 on the House Energy and Commerce Committee; he is now Chairman of the House Commerce Committee.