Senate Commerce Committee Leaders Sign Letter Opposing S. 146
26 May 2009
Senate Commerce Committee leaders have signed a letter urging their fellow colleagues to vote against S. 146, the Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act of 2009, when it comes up for consideration on the Senate floor on June 2.
In the letter, Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison, Surface Transportation Subcommittee Chairman Frank Lautenberg and Ranking Member John Thune advocated for a more comprehensive approach to rail reform that fairly meets the needs and concerns of shippers and the rail industry.
The signatories wrote that S. 146 is a piecemeal approach that would treat rail carriers differently from other common carriers and would make major changes to specific elements of rail policy without regard to overall rail policy. They suggested that many of the reforms in S. 146 are within the jurisdiction of the Commerce Committee which is currently working with stakeholders on a comprehensive overhaul of the Surface Transportation Board (STB), the entity with authority over rail competition.