So recently an amendment to Amtrak’s appropriation bill states that they will lose a huge chunk of money unless they allow passengers to transport firearms on board in a manner similar to airliners. Great idea! Ever since 9/11 Amtrak has had a zero guns in any form policy on their trains. Well now Amtrak is crying that they can’t meet the deadline for this policy change:

Amtrak and its defenders in Congress have argued that the government-owned train company needs more time and resources before it could allow firearms onto trains.

“We don’t think we’ll be able to do that March 31 deadline, and, of course, finding the funding to make all of that happening,” said Amtrak spokesman Steve Kulm. Failing to meet that deadline and missing out $1.5 billion in appropriated funds, its entire funding request for 2010, would bring a “cessation of train service nationwide,” Amtrak Chairman Thomas Carper wrote to appropriators last month.

So they are saying they can’t meet the deadline to do something they used to do before 9/11? Really? It seems to me they just have to do the exact same thing they used to and nothing else will need to change.