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Floor Speech
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Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, this afternoon, I come here with genuine concern about the possibility of the failure to resolve a railroad labor management dispute, and I express my support for that resolution.
I represent a State, the State of Kansas, its people, America's largest supplier of wheat, and a top leader in agricultural markets of many other crops. I can tell you that a labor strike would disrupt the stability of our ag markets and could prove catastrophic to our global food supply.
At a time in which hunger is rampant around the world, again one of the last things we need is more difficulties in getting agriculture, commodities, and food to people around the globe who are looking for a meal tonight. In my State, corn, soybeans, grain, sorghum--that harvest is underway, and farmers need to be able to ship their crops by train around the country and to our ports where the grain will be sent to feed that hungry world.
In parts of Kansas facing severe drought, feed yards, places that we feed cattle, are shipping grain in from other areas of the country to feed their livestock.
Rail service is critical to making sure these producers are able to get the feed they need and to keep their livestock fed and healthy. The U.S. rail network moves critical agricultural commodities across the Nation, and a complete shutdown of the rail system would result in devastating consequences across an already weak supply chain.
The Association of American Railroads found that a nationwide rail shutdown could idle more than 7,000 trains and lose more than $2 billion a day in missed economic output. As the deadline approaches, we are already seeing the impact of contingency planning by railways, showing that a full shutdown would be totally unacceptable.
With the trucking industry and other transportation systems already at their maximum capacity, there is no alternative plan that could mitigate the losses in case of a rail transportation strike and that rail service coming to an end.
I have been in regular contact with our rail leaders, including those at Union Pacific and the Kansas City Southern, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and I continue to urge all parties to reach an agreement.
Our constituents deserve certainty that will come from reaching that agreement. In the event that the conclusion is not reached, I will utilize my opportunities as a Member of the Senate, as a Member of Congress for congressional intervention and work to shield the impact of a rail shutdown across the Nation.
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