[VIDEO]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Chair of the Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Science, Manufacturing and Competitiveness, delivered the following opening statement at today’s nominations hearing for David Fink to be Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Robert Gleason to be a Director of the Amtrak Board of Directors, Pierre Gentin to be the General Counsel of the Department of Commerce (DOC) and David Fogel to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service: 

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman and welcome to our four nominees here today, and I certainly want to welcome your families and friends who are here to support you through this process.

“Our first nominee this morning is David Fink, to be the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration.

“Americans rely on the U.S. rail network to safely move more than roughly 28 million passengers and 1.6 billion tons of goods each and every year.  But when things don’t go well, entire communities suffer. We saw this in East Palestine in 2023.  Yesterday was also the ten-year anniversary of the deadly Amtrak 188 derailment in Philadelphia – an accident that actually is very personal for me, as it was the day we lost Rachel Jacobs, a family friend of mine with deep roots in the Detroit area.

“Rail safety is not something to take lightly. Mr. Fink, it will be up to you to ensure the safety of passengers and community members throughout our rail system. That is why I have concerns about your safety record running Pan Am Railways from 2006 to 2022, which under your leadership had higher than average main line track derailment rates and a series of documented safety issues.

“We need leadership at FRA that will put safety and accountability first, and I hope to hear how you will address that today.

“We are also considering Robert Gleason to serve as Director [on] Amtrak’s Board.

“In my home state of Michigan, we are working to improve and expand passenger rail service to our three lines – the Wolverine, the Blue Water and the Pere Marquette - and looking to bring back Amtrak service to the historic Michigan Central Station in downtown Detroit, as well as cross-border service to Canada.

“That’s something we cannot do without the cooperation of both of our rail nominees -- Mr. Fink and Mr. Gleason, I hope you will agree with me today that infrastructure investments are not optional for Amtrak’s future; they’re going to be absolutely essential going forward.

“Our next nominee is Pierre Gentin, nominated to be General Counsel of the Commerce Department.

“The [General] Counsel is responsible for providing legal guidance to the Secretary as well as across the Department. Since February, Mr. Gentin has been serving as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Secretary.  Unfortunately, in only a few months, we’ve already seen the lasting damage that can happen when there isn’t responsible leadership at the helm – from dismantling NOAA to cutting support for manufacturers and entrepreneurs here in the country.

“Mr. Gentin, I expect you to answer questions about these destructive actions at the Department.

“I’ll also note my concern here that you have not yet provided full information specified in the Committee’s questionnaire, which is expected of all of our nominees. Committee staff also advised me that you abruptly left your staff interview early.  I hope that your testimony here today shows more regard for this Committee, our constitutional duty to advise and consent.

“Our final nominee is David Fogel, nominated to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service.

“If confirmed, you would direct the Global Markets unit of the International Trade Administration and be responsible for assisting and advocating for U.S businesses in international markets.

“To state it plainly – that will be a difficult task given the President’s destabilizing tariff agenda.  These tariffs will not only raise prices, but provoke retaliation, making it harder for American businesses to export their goods and services – and harder to work with our allies to counter Chinese influence.

“I look forward to your answers on how you plan to keep your departments focused amidst the chaos. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”