Capitol Agenda for the Week of April 12: Motor Carrier Execs of the Roundtable
Getting legislation across the finish line in Washington requires teamwork. Tons of it. And, often, the same can be said about implementing rules, regulations and laws that originated in Washington. Along those lines, the folks at the Transportation committee in the House’s Highways and Transit Subcommittee are hosting a friendly get-together. This roundtable of motor carrier industry stakeholders is intended to help policy leaders figure out the most appropriate approach for the implementation of trucking provisions in the 2015 FAST Act highway law. The law was signed by President Obama in December, and it called for regulators to reform rulemaking processes so as to improve how input from stakeholders is considered. The trucking provisions also deal with grants to states, performance and registration information systems management, the commercial driver license program and the safety assistance program. Representatives from American Trucking Associations, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance are scheduled to attend the roundtable. A webcast is not scheduled to be provided.
THE WEEK AHEAD (all times EDT):
April 13, 10 a.m.: The House Highways and Transit Subcommittee holds a roundtable discussion on the implementation of motor carrier provisions in the FAST Act.
April 14, 10 a.m.: The House Transportation and Infrastructure Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee holds a hearing on safety and stewardship programs.
April 14, 9 a.m.: Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx delivers a keynote address at the University of Maryland’s Transportation Innovation and Policy Summit.
Thank you to my friend @CoryBooker for sending over delicious pies. #VeganandCattleRancher #BipartisanPies pic.twitter.com/NYXxcD4nOG — Senator Deb Fischer (@SenatorFischer) April 7, 2016
VEGGIE GARDEN: Commerce Committee trucking subpanel leader Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) told Roll Call she used to have a “huge vegetable garden” years back. The quick-hit interview also touched on her golf game, her friendship with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and baking peach pie.
BIG MONEY: Art Halvorson, the man challenging Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) in a primary this month, continues to attack the incumbent’s fundraising strategy. For instance, on Halvorson’s campaign website, he argues that “less than 0.03% of Shuster’s money comes from small-level donations while the rest almost exclusively has come from deep-pocketed special interests and donors."
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
P3: Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin signed a bill April 8 that would permit public-private partnerships, including those for transportation projects. “The successful passage of P3 legislation has been a long time coming,” Bevin said, according to a statement from Bevin’s office.
THE IRON HORSE: Canadian Pacific Railway terminated a plan to combine with Norfolk Southern Corp., ending the Canadian carrier’s efforts to complete the first merger among major railroads since 1999.
PEOPLE: Teresa Gonsalves was appointed chief counsel at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced April 4. Gonsalves had been deputy general counsel and senior counsel at the Office of Personnel Management. There, she presented guidance about pending litigation and advice regarding federal personnel management.
Lunch w/@SusanSarandon + @CoryBooker: Actress + senator, sure. But more than that: Passionate activists (and frank!) https://t.co/HnONp78MDX — Philip Galanes (@SocialQPhilip) March 25, 2016
WHAT WE’RE READING: The New York Times aims to connect the disparate dots of Hollywood and Washington in a Sunday Styles piece highlighting actress Susan Sarandon’s affection for politicos and the ever-starving-for-media-attention Sen. Booker. The piece is thin on insight, yet heavy on cliche. “As I get more decades under my belt, I see how small acts of decency ripple in ways we could never imagine,” Booker, the former mayor of Brick City, is quoted as saying. Booker is ranking member of the Commerce Committee’s subpanel on trucking matters and a proponent of federal hours-of-service regulations.
FAVORITE QUOTE
“Infrastructure investments in America’s seaports and their intermodal connections — both on the land and in the water — are in our nation’s best interest because they provide opportunities to bolster our economy, create and sustain jobs, enhance our international competitiveness and pay annual dividends through the generation of more than $321 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue.”
— Kurt Nagle, president and CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities. The group recently released the results of a survey that showed a need for infrastructure spending.
FAVORITE VIDEO
A candid testimonial on the financing related to breaking into trucking is online courtesy of The Brotherman Trucking Channel.
FAVORITE TWEET
Our editorial director, Neil Abt, and senior writer Dan Bearth get a shout out for their participation in a panel at the Transportation Intermediaries Association conference last weekend in San Antonio.
Market updates by @TransportTopics, Mark Christos & @BroughtonDonald #tia2016con @3PLAssociation pic.twitter.com/KcOwBsaGok — Jonathan Starks (@JonStarksFTR) April 9, 2016
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