RSI Annual Report 2009 - Railway Supply Institute

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20 2009 RSI Capitol Hill prevent the Section 130 from disappearing. H.R. 2125 was referred to the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, where it is pending consideration. RSI continues to solicit cosponsors for H.R. 2125 and remains in close contact with the supporters of the Section 130 Coalition . Truck Size & Weights Truck size and weight limits on federal highways have been frozen by Congress since 1991. Under current law, trucks operating on most of the U.S. Interstate Highway System can have a gross vehicle weight of no more than 80,000 pounds. Attempts to thaw the federal freeze have been rejected by Congress. The freight railroads and the trucking industry agreed to oppose changes in federal law regarding truck size and weight through September 2009, the period when SAFETEA-LU was in effect. Some within the trucking industry have indicated that they will seek lifting existing Truck Size & Weight limits when SAFETEA-LU is reauthorized. Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act H.R. 1618 and S. 779 would extend the present freeze on longer and heavier combination vehicles from the Interstate Highway System to the entire National Highway System. H.R. 1618 was referred to the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure where it is pending consideration. Its companion bill, S. 779, was referred to the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works where it is also pending consideration. Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act H.R. 233 and S. 146, Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act, would repeal limited antitrust exemptions provided for freight railroads. The bills would allow the federal government, States and private parties to file suit to enjoin anti-competitive mergers and acquisitions. The bills would also move the review of mergers to the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and to the Federal Trade Commission.
Bob Clement RSI Work in Washington: Bob Clement Reports Lobbying Congress is a big part of what we do here at RSI. Our goal is simple: to support legislation that is good for railway suppliers and their customers and to oppose legislation that harms railway suppliers and their customers. That simple philosophy governs the Capitol Hill work that Tom Simpson, Nicole Brewin and I perform on a weekly basis. With the inauguration of Barack Obama as President and the swearing in of the 111th Congress in January of 2009, we began a new time in Washington and were faced with new challenges and new opportunities. We visited more than 40 offices ranging from House leadership to the newest freshman. We tracked legislation, including in the vitally important House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, where most rail legislation originates. Some of the major legislation we are following for you, our members,includes: • rail safety • reauthorization of the SAFETEA -LU transportation bill • the Section 130 highway rail grade crossing safety program • truck sizes and weights • Amtrak funding • Surface Transportation Board reauthorization In January 2009, Tom Simpson was asked to testify at a T&I hearing on "Freight and Passenger Rail: Present and Future Roles, Performance, Benefits, and Needs."Tom noted the poor state of economic growth in the car building industry and the poor projections of the industry as a whole. Tom's testimony was used by T&I Chairman Jim Oberstar as he argued on the House floor for passage of transportation stimulus legislation. Of course, we don't limit ourselves to just the T&I Committee. There are many committees and agencies that have a hand in the success of the rail supply industry. We spend time visiting members of the House Appropriations and Ways and Means Committees and the Senate Appropriation, Commerce and Environment Committees. In addition, we have paid visits to Obama Administration officials, including Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo. As an eight-term member of the House of Representatives, I recognize the value of coalition building to the legislative process. When organizations and industry stakeholders come together on principles they can agree on, members of Congress listen more closely. I am pleased at the efforts of RSI to build long lasting coalitions whether it's with the Association of American Railroads and its Class I Railroad members, the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association and its members, OneRail, Women in Government Relations (WGR), or Women in Transportation (WTS). In my time with Congress, I always kept in mind the importance of hearing from constituents. RSI is undertaking a new effort to better quantify the size and scope of the railway supply industry, and when we contact you for more detailed information, I urge you to share it with us so that we can better represent you and our industry at large. We will also begin a more effective grassroots effort. Expect updates from RSI about upcoming legislation affecting our industry and details about contacting your Congressional representatives. Your phone call, letter, or email can make a difference, especially when all of our members participate in this active role. We, of course, won't rest on our laurels in 2010, an important year for RSI members as Congress will consider transportation legislation that will affect how you and your customers do business. Our legislative strategy outlined above combined with the leadership of your board of directors will govern our activities in 2010, and RSI will be a tireless advocate on your behalf. 21 RSI Clement
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RSI Annual Report 2009 - Railway Supply Institute

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