Chairman Rockefeller Introduces Landmark Railroad Reform Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, issued the following statement today after the Committee held an Executive Session and favorably reported out S. 2889, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) Reauthorization Act of 2009. The STB Reauthorization Act of 2009 (STB Act), cosponsored by Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison, Senator Frank Lautenberg, Senator John Thune, and Senator Byron Dorgan, will comprehensively update and improve the railroad industry and address longstanding competitive imbalances for shippers by increasing rail competition, strengthening federal oversight, and improving shipper’s access to regulatory relief.