Obama fills FRA vacancy

Presidential nomination of Sarah Feinberg to head the Federal Railroad Administration was sent to Congress Friday.    President Obama on Friday nominated Sarah Feinberg to be the administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration. Feinberg became the deputy administrator and acting administrator in January, following the departure of Joseph Szabo to the private sector.
   From 2013-2014, Feinberg was chief of staff at the Department of Transportation. Before that, she spent two years as policy and communications director at Facebook, and was the director of global communications and business strategy at Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Government from 2010 to 2011.
   She spent the previous eight years working in a series of roles at the White House and on Capitol Hill for Democratic Party leaders. 
   “Sarah Feinberg has already proven to be a steady and capable leader at FRA, and especially during the tragic Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia, where she remained on site throughout the initial rescue and recovery efforts,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. “Throughout her time at DOT she has been immersed in issues related to rail safety, including the safe transportation of crude by rail. Her attention to detail and passion for the work continues to impress not just me, but safety experts, members of Congress and the staff at FRA. FRA will benefit from her ability to cut red tape and get things done.”
   The Senate must now vote to confirm Feinberg for her new role.