Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Al Franken (D-MN) send a joint letter to STB Acting Chairman Ann Begeman expressing concerns over the STB delaying actions on Major Proceedings.

Dear Acting Chairman Begeman:

We write regarding the Surface Transportation Board (STB)’s recent quarterly reports to Congress in which you indicate the Board has placed several of its consequential rulemaking proceedings on hold.

In the Board’s First Quarter 2017 Report on Pending STB Regulatory Proceedings on April 3, 2017, you noted the current three-Member Board is in a period of transition and has postponed action on important rulemaking decisions until a full complement of five Members may consider the issues. Accordingly, target dates for already long-delayed issues—including reciprocal switching, railroad revenue adequacy, new large-case maximum rate standards, rail fuel surcharges, and commodity exemptions, were referred to as “TBD” or otherwise undetermined timelines… read more »