| Rockefeller |
CURE said after a breakfast rally, rail customers from around the nation will meet with members of Congress and their staffs during the day and at an evening reception to build support for rail reregulation.
Sen. John D. 'Jay' Rockefeller IV, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and a sponsor of the Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act of 2009, that would reregulate the railroad industry, said Tuesday he remained committed to passing the bill this year, saying it would “balance the scales at the board to make sure more shippers have access to a fair process.”
Meanwhile, the Association of American Railroads lauded a report released Tuesday that found for every $1 billion of capital investment in freight rail, about 7,800 green jobs are created across the U.S. economy. AAR has complained that some of the changes planned in the STB Reauthorization bill could reduce railroads' ability to invest in infrastructure.
The report, issued by the BlueGreen Alliance and the Economic Policy Institute and titled Full Speed Ahead: Creating Green Jobs Through Freight Rail Expansion, said continued investment in freight rail can also reduce carbon emissions, dependence on foreign oil, and transportation capacity. The BlueGreen Alliance describes itself as an alliance between labor unions and environmental organizations.
The report recommends:
' A tax credit for rail capital investments.
' Renewal of the expired short line tax credit for short line and regional railroads which lapsed in 2009.
' Development public-private partnerships between freight and passenger railroads.
' Prevailing wage provisions and “buy American” provisions in publicly supported programs.
