Amtrak’s Flynn to Congress: Here’s What We Need Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor In a Jan. 22 letter, Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn outlined five top priorities for the new Congress to address in 2021. Amtrak CEO William J. Flynn has provided the 117th Congress with the railroad’s five top priorities to ensure its recovery from the pandemic and expand service this year. In a Jan. 22 letter (download below), Flynn asked legislators to address: 1. Sufficient funding: “Amtrak requires additional COVID relief funding to sustain and restore operations and recall employees through the remainder of FY21 and into FY22 and beyond,” Flynn wrote. (Amtrak is slated to receive $1 billion under the $2.3 trillion Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, which was signed into law last month.) “In the coming weeks, we are requesting $1.541 billion in FY21 and will outline our FY22 needs in our annual Legislative and Grant Request.”