New House freight panel to examine modernizing freight transportation

The House transportation committee’s newest panel will examine freight transportation through October, with its first hearing April 24.

Panel Chairman Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr. said the “Panel on 21st Century Freight Transportation” will evaluate the state of freight transportation and how improving it can strengthen the economy.

“In the past, the conversation about freight transportation and goods movement has focused only on one specific mode of transportation or another,” the Tennessee Republican said. “But freight doesn’t move just by ship, or by rail car, or by truck.

Bottlenecks encountered from the manufacturer to the market hike costs, making improving the flow of freight “critical to a healthy economy,” he said.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) is the panel’s ranking member. Additional Democrat congressional members are Corrine Brown of Florida, Daniel Lipinski of Illinois, Albio Sires of New Jersey and Janice Hahn of California.

Other Republican members serving on the panel are Gary Miller of California, Rick Crawford of Arkansas, Richard Hanna of New York, Daniel Webster of Florida and Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma.