Next Stop for Thune's Bipartisan STB Reforms: President's Desk

Press Release

U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and lead Senate sponsor of S. 808, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) Reauthorization Act of 2015, issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives approved the bill by voice vote:

"When the ability to transport products to and from South Dakota is jeopardized, it's the farmers, ranchers, businesses, and ultimately the consumers who pay the price," said Thune. "This bill, which I hope is signed into law without delay, will help address the uncertainty encountered by businesses and agriculture producers who are forced to deal with the STB, and it will increase the board's accountability. By finding common ground among many different rail customers, shippers, and railroads themselves, we are reforming the STB for the first time since the board's establishment in 1996. This is good news for states like South Dakota that depend on freight rail as a critical tool for shipments -- coming or going."

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