[House Report 111-542]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
111th Congress Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session 111-542
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RECOGNIZING AND HONORING THE FREIGHT RAIL INDUSTRY
_______
July 15, 2010.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be
printed
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Mr. Oberstar, from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H. Res. 1366]
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom
was referred the resolution (H. Res. 1366) recognizing and
honoring the freight rail industry, having considered the same,
report favorably thereon with amendments and recommend that the
resolution as amended be agreed to.
The amendments are as follows:
Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the
following:
That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the contributions the freight rail industry
and its employees have made to the national transportation
system; and
(2) supports the efforts of the freight rail industry and its
employees to continue improving safety as our Nation moves
forward with developing its infrastructure.
Amend the preamble to read as follows:
Whereas the United States utilizes the most efficient and productive
freight railroad system in the world;
Whereas freight rail has played a critical role in the economic development
of the United States and has helped to build cities and strengthen
infrastructure throughout this great Nation;
Whereas the first common carrier railroad in North America, the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad, was chartered by the State of Maryland in 1827;
Whereas freight rail has been instrumental in bringing American goods to
market nationally and internationally since 1830;
Whereas the United States freight rail network has over 560 railroad
companies, includes 140,000 miles of track and carries more than
2,200,000,000 tons of freight annually;
Whereas 43 percent of all intercity freight volume is moved by freight
rail, including the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the coal we use for
domestic energy, and the automobiles we drive;
Whereas freight railroads have nearly doubled the amount of cargo they have
shipped over the past 3 decades with virtually no increase in fuel
consumption;
Whereas freight rail is one of the most fuel-efficient modes of
transportation, able to move one ton of freight 480 miles on 1 gallon of
diesel fuel;
Whereas freight railroads have increased fuel economy by an average of 45
percent since 1990;
Whereas, from 1980 to 2009, United States freight railroads consumed
55,000,000,000 fewer gallons of fuel and emitted 617,000,000 fewer tons of
carbon dioxide than they would have if their fuel efficiency had not
improved;
Whereas the freight railroad sector complies with the Environmental
Protection Agency's new locomotive emissions standards which will cut
particulate emissions by up to 90 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by
up to 80 percent;
Whereas the freight rail industry has created good-paying jobs and provided
its workers with good benefits, and as of 2008, there were 183,743
employees working for the freight railroads;
Whereas freight rail continues to play a vital role in the United States
growth, job creation, and economic recovery;
Whereas freight rail companies have reinvested $460,000,000,000 in revenues
toward equipment, maintenance, and rail expansion since 1980, which has
supported employment and economic activity throughout the United States;
Whereas such investments have continued even during the economic downturn,
with major railroads spending more than $10,000,000,000 in 2008 on capital
improvements and similar amounts in 2009;
Whereas for every $1 invested in freight rail capacity, the national
economy sees $3 in economic output;
Whereas freight rail growth will continue to generate jobs and produce a
reliable means of transporting goods;
Whereas the seven Class I freight railroads have joined the Environmental
Protection Agency's ``SmartWay Transport'', which works to improve fuel
efficiency and reduce harmful greenhouse gases;
Whereas both the public and private sector and organized labor have
contributed significantly toward the creation of the freight rail
infrastructure we use today;
Whereas the freight rail industry has built one of the world's most envied
infrastructure networks; and
Whereas a strong freight rail system is critical to the economic and
environmental well-being of the United States of America: Now, therefore,
be it
Amend the title so as to read:
Resolution recognizing and honoring the freight railroad
industry and its employees.
PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION
H. Res. 1366, as amended, recognizes and honors the freight
railroad industry and its employees; recognizes its important
contributions to the national transportation system; and
supports the efforts of the freight rail industry and its
employees to continue improving safety as our Nation moves
forward with developing its infrastructure.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
Freight railroads have a long and important history in the
United States. As early as 1827, freight railroads have aided
in the expansion and development of this nation, its
infrastructure and its economy. The first common-carrier
railroad in North America, the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad,
was chartered by the State of Maryland in 1827. The B&O
continued to operate until 1963, when the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railway took control of the railroad; today, it operates as
part of CSX Transportation. The B&O was preceded by a few other
freight railroads including the Granite Railway in
Massachusetts, which began operations in 1826, and the Mohawk &
Hudson Railroad in New York, which was created in 1826 and
began operations in 1831.
Since 1830, freight rail has been instrumental in bringing
American goods to markets both nationally and internationally.
Today, 43 percent of all intercity freight volume is moved by
freight rail. Over the past three decades, freight railroads
have nearly doubled the amount of cargo they ship with
virtually no increase in fuel consumption. Freight railroads
are one of the most fuel-efficient modes of transportation;
they are able to move one ton of freight 480 miles using only
one gallon of diesel fuel. One train can take 280 trucks off
the road, the equivalent of 1,100 automobiles.
Today, the freight rail industry is comprised of more than
560 railroad companies that operate on 140,000 miles of track
across the nation. Freight rail carries more than 2.2 billion
tons of freight annually. The freight rail industry employs
more than 183,000 people. Since 1980, the freight railroad
industry has reinvested $460 billion in revenue toward
equipment, maintenance, and rail expansion, which has supported
employment and economic activity throughout the United States.
For every dollar invested in freight rail capacity, the
national economy experiences $3 in economic output.
SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION
H. Res. 1366, as amended, recognizes and honors the freight
railroad industry and its employees. The resolution recognizes
the important contributions that the freight rail industry and
its employees make to the national transportation system.
Further, the resolution supports the efforts of the freight
rail industry and its employees to continue improving safety as
our nation moves forward with developing its infrastructure.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
On May 18, 2010, Representative Phil Hare introduced H.
Res. 1366. This resolution has not been introduced in a
previous Congress.
On July 1, 2010, the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure met in open session to consider H. Res. 1366.
The Committee adopted an amendment in the nature of a
substitute to the resolution by voice vote with a quorum
present. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
ordered H. Res. 1366, as amended, reported favorably to the
House by voice vote with a quorum present.
RECORD VOTES
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires each committee report to include the
total number of votes cast for and against on each record vote
on a motion to report and on any amendment offered to the
measure or matter, and the names of those members voting for
and against. There were no recorded votes taken in connection
with consideration of H. Res. 1366, or ordering the resolution,
as amended, reported. A motion to order H. Res. 1366, as
amended, reported favorably to the House was agreed to by voice
vote with a quorum present.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee's oversight findings and recommendations are
reflected in this report.
COST OF LEGISLATION
With respect to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, H. Res. 1366, as amended, is a
resolution of the House of Representatives, and therefore does
not have the force of law. As such, there is no cost associated
with this resolution for fiscal year 2010, or any fiscal year
thereafter.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII
1. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(2) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and
section 308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the
Committee advises that the resolution contains no measure that
authorizes funding, so no comparison of the total estimated
funding level for the relevant programs to the appropriate
level under current law is required.
2. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee advises that the resolution contains no measure that
authorizes funding, so no statement of general performance and
objectives for any measure that authorizes funding is required.
3. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the
Committee advises that the resolution contains no measure that
authorizes funding, so no cost estimate nor comparison for any
measure that authorizes funding is required.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XXI
Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House
of Representatives, the Committee is required to include a list
of congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited
tariff benefits, as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of
rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives. H. Res.
1366, as amended, does not contain any earmarks, limited tax
benefits, or limited tariff benefits under clause 9(e), 9(f),
or 9(g) of rule XXI.
CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT
Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, H. Res. 1366, as amended, is a
resolution of the House of Representatives, and therefore does
not have the force of law. As such, clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII
does not apply.
FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT
H. Res. 1366, as amended, contains no Federal mandates.
PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION
Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974
requires the report of any Committee on a bill or joint
resolution to include a statement on the extent to which the
bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt state, local,
or tribal law. The Committee states that H. Res. 1366, as
amended, does not preempt any state, local, or tribal law.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT
No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act are created by this
legislation.
APPLICABILITY TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the resolution does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (P.L. 104-1).
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED
H. Res. 1366, as amended, makes no changes in existing law.