Enhancing the flow of commercial freight across the country grows the economy, reduces costs and promotes safety, U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) said at a subcommittee hearing on freight policy on Tuesday.
Fischer, the chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security, said at the onset of the hearing that freight policy is a critical issue for every state.
“Everyone here today knows that the White House and Congress have been discussing a major infrastructure package,” Fischer said. “In fact, recent news reports suggest the administration is considering a legislative strategy to pair tax reform and infrastructure together. Combining these objectives makes sense. I support using a portion of tax reform revenues to fund infrastructure investments. Infrastructure is a core duty of the federal government. Investments in infrastructure strengthen our economy, public safety and national security.”
Fischer added that as plans for an infrastructure package move forward, however, legislators should avoid falling “into the trap of stimulus-style spending” for its own sake.
“States know best their own transportation needs, not the federal government,” Fischer said. “And there’s no need to create a new program that works for various transportation projects in urban and rural states. We already have one. In 2015, Congress passed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and President Obama signed it into law.”
Congress established a formula freight program that provides annual, guaranteed funding to states each year under the FAST Act, Fischer added, giving states more flexibility to work with stakeholders and local governments on long-term strategic investments.
States need certainty when initiating key transportation projects, Fischer concluded.
“Transportation stakeholders in the private sector are constantly innovating to enhance efficiencies along the supply chain using real time data and novel technologies,” she said. “There’s a real opportunity to work together and facilitate greater innovation across our nation’s transportation network.”
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, raised questions during the hearing about risks associated with unusually large tractor-trailers on highways.
“I have taken a strong position against the idea of forcing twin-33-foot trailers on the 30 states that have opted out of this,” Wicker said. “There are huge safety concerns, as expressed by sheriffs, by the AAA and by safety advocates that have come to see me.”
Witnesses who testified at the hearing include Derek Leather, the president and CEO at Werner Enterprises, Lance Fitz, the president and CEO at Union Pacific, Michael Drucker, the president and CEO at FedEx Freight, and James Pelliccio, the president and CEO at Port Newark Container Terminal.
“(On Tuesday) we heard from an outstanding panel of transportation leaders,” Fischer said. “I was particularly proud to have representation from two of our nation’s largest transportation companies, Werner trucking and Union Pacific railroad, which are headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. I’m grateful for the great discussion on a variety of ideas to strengthen and update freight infrastructure across this nation.”