WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman David Rouzer (NC-07) issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) struck a deal with Amtrak’s leadership and Board of Directors to scale back executive bonus incentives and eliminate certain long-term incentive bonuses for senior executives:
“Excessive, ambiguous bonus packages for Amtrak executives that defy logic are not fair to the taxpayer — especially when Amtrak relies heavily on federal support and consistently fails to turn a profit," said Rep. Rouzer. "I commend Secretary Duffy and Deputy Secretary Bradbury for reining in misguided executive bonus structures and restoring accountability at Amtrak. This is exactly the oversight and transparency the American people expect.”
At the request of the Trump Administration, Amtrak’s executive leadership agreed to forgo fifty percent of the bonus packages that would have been paid under the prior executive bonus structure. In addition, Amtrak’s Board of Directors voted to eliminate long-term incentive bonuses for senior executives. This comes after Amtrack reported a $1.8 billion net loss in Fiscal Year 2024 alone.
Earlier this year, Congressman Rouzer introduced the Amtrak Executive Bonus Disclosure Act (H.R. 192), which requires Amtrak to publicly disclose taxpayer-funded bonuses provided to top executives, including the metrics and performance criteria used to determine those bonuses. The legislation is designed to provide taxpayers and Congress a clear view into how executive compensation decisions are made at Amtrak and to strengthen oversight over a federally supported corporation. This legislation passed the House on January 13, 2025, by a unanimous 407-0 vote, and now awaits consideration by the Senate.
Congressman Rouzer has consistently pushed for greater transparency and accountability at Amtrak, particularly regarding executive compensation and incentive structures. He will continue working to ensure Amtrak operates with the openness and fiscal responsibility taxpayers expect and deserve.
You can read the full text of the bill here.
