WASHINGTON (December 1, 2022) — The American Chemistry Council (ACC) and its member companies applaud the passage of legislation in the Senate to avoid a catastrophic shutdown of the rail network.
“We commend the Senate for quickly approving a bipartisan legislative solution that will prevent a major disruption of chemicals that are critical to everyday life,” said Chris Jahn, president and Chief Executive Officer of the American Chemistry Council. “We also thank the members of the House for their hard work earlier this week and President Biden for directly engaging with Congress to help find a solution.”
“This legislation puts one major problem to rest, but we’re certainly not out of the woods yet when it comes to fixing the breakdown of the freight rail network,” he continued. “To get to the heart of the matter and prevent the next crisis, Congress and the Surface Transportation Board must address the root causes of rail service problems that continue to put the brakes on U.S. manufacturing.”
The country needs more effective freight rail policies. Specifically, Congress and the Surface Transportation Board must adopt long overdue regulatory reforms to set clear service standards, track how well major railroads are performing for their customers, and provide greater access to competitive rail service through reciprocal switching.
