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Senate Labor Committee members

February 7, 2011 WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats and Republicans have finalized appointments to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Legislation affecting retirement, labor law and workplace issues are under the initial jurisdiction of this committee, which is chair [...]

Tags committee, committee members, democrats, members, republicans, Senate Labor Committee

Senate Commerce Committee members

February 7, 2011 WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats and Republicans have finalized appointments to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Most transportation legislation moving through the Senate affecting air, bus and rail safety and economic regulation is under the init [...]

Tags committee members, democrats, members, republicans, safety, Senate Commerce Committee

Making bus voices heard in Washington

February 3, 2011 By Bonnie MorrAlternate Vice President, Bus Department The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is seeking comments on proposed new rules affecting drivers of commercial motor vehicles, which includes bus operators. The rules cover revocation or disqualificatio [...]

Shipper protection bills back in Senate

January 28, 2011 Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) have reintroduced legislation this Congress that would lasso railroad pricing power. S. 49, introduced by Kohl, would repeal some of the railroads’ antitrust exemptions. S. 158, introduced by Rockefeller and co-s [...]

Tags bills, Congress, senate, shipper protection, U.S. Surface Transportation Board

A president embraces the iron horse

January 28, 2011 In his state-of-the-union speech Jan. 26, President Obama mentioned the word “railroad” eight times — the most mentions of “railroad” in more than 30 years of state-of-the-union messages delivered by five different presidents. Yes, there are thos [...]

Tags high-speed rail, HSR, Iron Horse, Obama, rail, railroad, Train

Obama: All-aboard for high-speed rail

January 26, 2011 In a state-of-the-union speech uncharacteristically short on laundry list projects and policies, President Obama Tuesday night conspicuously singled out high-speed rail as “the most reliable way to move people,” saying that “within 25 years, our goal is to g [...]

Tags Bill Shuster, high-speed rail, House Rail Subcommittee, HSR, Obama, state-of-the-union speech

Republicans choose T&I subcommittee chairs

January 24, 2011 WASHINGTON — The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, chaired by Republican John Mica of Florida, has named subcommittee chairs. Following are the chairs of the three subcommittees dealing with air, bus and rail issues: Subcommittee on Highways and Trans [...]

Tags committee chairs, republican, T&I subcommittee

Democrats named to T&I Committee

January 24, 2011 WASHINGTON — Democrats have finalized appointments to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, whose ranking member is Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) Most transportation legislation affecting aviation, bus and rail originates in this committee. The Democratic mem [...]

Rail freight loadings continue upward climb

January 21, 2011 WASHINGTON — Rail traffic for the week ending Jan. 15 continued its upward climb, reports the Association of American Railroads. Carloads were up by 7.5 percent compared with the same week in 2010, and intermodal (trailers and containers on flat cars) showed a gain of 5 [...]

Tags AAR, Association of American Railroads, freight, growth, intermodal, rail

Key congressman urges private sector HSR

January 20, 2011 WASHINGTON — There is a lot of talk, hope and hype about high-speed rail in the United States, but savvy policy analysts, planners and economists expect only a very few of those projects to move forward in the near future. One such project high on the list of pragmatist [...]