89–008 

111TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 111–542 

RECOGNIZING AND HONORING THE FREIGHT RAIL 

INDUSTRY 

JULY 15, 2010.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed 

Mr. OBERSTAR, from the Committee on Transportation and 

Infrastructure, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H. Res. 1366] 

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, to whom 

was referred the resolution (H. Res. 1366) recognizing and honoring 

the freight rail industry, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with amendments and recommend that the resolution 

as amended be agreed to. 

The amendments are as follows: 

Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the following: 

That the House of Representatives— 

(1) recognizes the contributions the freight rail industry and its employees 

have made to the national transportation system; and 

(2) supports the efforts of the freight rail industry and its employees to continue improving safety as our Nation moves forward with developing its infrastructure. 

Amend the preamble to read as follows: 

Whereas the United States utilizes the most efficient and productive freight railroad 

system in the world; 

Whereas freight rail has played a critical role in the economic development of the 

United States and has helped to build cities and strengthen infrastructure 

throughout this great Nation; 

Whereas the first common carrier railroad in North America, the Baltimore & Ohio 

Railroad, was chartered by the State of Maryland in 1827; 

Whereas freight rail has been instrumental in bringing American goods to market 

nationally and internationally since 1830; 

Whereas the United States freight rail network has over 560 railroad companies, 

includes 140,000 miles of track and carries more than 2,200,000,000 tons of 

freight annually; 

Whereas 43 percent of all intercity freight volume is moved by freight rail, including 

the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the coal we use for domestic energy, and 

the automobiles we drive; 


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Whereas freight railroads have nearly doubled the amount of cargo they have 

shipped over the past 3 decades with virtually no increase in fuel consumption; 

Whereas freight rail is one of the most fuel-efficient modes of transportation, able 

to move one ton of freight 480 miles on 1 gallon of diesel fuel; 

Whereas freight railroads have increased fuel economy by an average of 45 percent 

since 1990; 

Whereas, from 1980 to 2009, United States freight railroads consumed 

55,000,000,000 fewer gallons of fuel and emitted 617,000,000 fewer tons of carbon dioxide than they would have if their fuel efficiency had not improved; 

Whereas the freight railroad sector complies with the Environmental Protection 

Agency’s new locomotive emissions standards which will cut particulate emissions by up to 90 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 80 percent; 

Whereas the freight rail industry has created good-paying jobs and provided its 

workers with good benefits, and as of 2008, there were 183,743 employees working for the freight railroads; 

Whereas freight rail continues to play a vital role in the United States growth, job 

creation, and economic recovery; 

Whereas freight rail companies have reinvested $460,000,000,000 in revenues toward equipment, maintenance, and rail expansion since 1980, which has supported employment and economic activity throughout the United States; 

Whereas such investments have continued even during the economic downturn, with 

major railroads spending more than $10,000,000,000 in 2008 on capital improvements and similar amounts in 2009; 

Whereas for every $1 invested in freight rail capacity, the national economy sees 

$3 in economic output; 

Whereas freight rail growth will continue to generate jobs and produce a reliable 

means of transporting goods; 

Whereas the seven Class I freight railroads have joined the Environmental Protection Agency’s ‘‘SmartWay Transport’’, which works to improve fuel efficiency 

and reduce harmful greenhouse gases; 

Whereas both the public and private sector and organized labor have contributed 

significantly toward the creation of the freight rail infrastructure we use today; 

Whereas the freight rail industry has built one of the world’s most envied infrastructure networks; and 

Whereas a strong freight rail system is critical to the economic and environmental 

well-being of the United States of America: Now, therefore, be it 

Amend the title so as to read: 

Resolution recognizing and honoring the freight railroad industry and its employees. 

PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION

H. Res. 1366, as amended, recognizes and honors the freight railroad industry and its employees; recognizes its important contributions to the national transportation system; and supports the efforts of the freight rail industry and its employees to continue improving safety as our Nation moves forward with developing its infrastructure. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

Freight railroads have a long and important history in the 

United States. As early as 1827, freight railroads have aided in the 

expansion and development of this nation, its infrastructure and its 

economy. The first common-carrier railroad in North America, the 

Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad, was chartered by the State of 

Maryland in 1827. The B&O continued to operate until 1963, when 

the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway took control of the railroad; 

today, it operates as part of CSX Transportation. The B&O was 

preceded by a few other freight railroads including the Granite 

Railway in Massachusetts, which began operations in 1826, and 

the Mohawk & Hudson Railroad in New York, which was created 

in 1826 and began operations in 1831. 


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Since 1830, freight rail has been instrumental in bringing American goods to markets both nationally and internationally. Today, 

43 percent of all intercity freight volume is moved by freight rail. 

Over the past three decades, freight railroads have nearly doubled 

the amount of cargo they ship with virtually no increase in fuel 

consumption. Freight railroads are one of the most fuel-efficient 

modes of transportation; they are able to move one ton of freight 

480 miles using only one gallon of diesel fuel. One train can take 

280 trucks off the road, the equivalent of 1,100 automobiles. 

Today, the freight rail industry is comprised of more than 560 

railroad companies that operate on 140,000 miles of track across 

the nation. Freight rail carries more than 2.2 billion tons of freight 

annually. The freight rail industry employs more than 183,000 people. Since 1980, the freight railroad industry has reinvested $460 

billion in revenue toward equipment, maintenance, and rail expansion, which has supported employment and economic activity 

throughout the United States. For every dollar invested in freight 

rail capacity, the national economy experiences $3 in economic output. 

SUMMARY OF THE LEGISLATION

H. Res. 1366, as amended, recognizes and honors the freight railroad industry and its employees. The resolution recognizes the important contributions that the freight rail industry and its employees make to the national transportation system. Further, the resolution supports the efforts of the freight rail industry and its employees to continue improving safety as our nation moves forward 

with developing its infrastructure. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

On May 18, 2010, Representative Phil Hare introduced H. Res. 

1366. This resolution has not been introduced in a previous Congress. 

On July 1, 2010, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure met in open session to consider H. Res. 1366. The Committee adopted an amendment in the nature of a substitute to the 

resolution by voice vote with a quorum present. The Committee on 

Transportation and Infrastructure ordered H. Res. 1366, as amended, reported favorably to the House by voice vote with a quorum 

present. 

RECORD VOTES

Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires each committee report to include the total number of 

votes cast for and against on each record vote on a motion to report 

and on any amendment offered to the measure or matter, and the 

names of those members voting for and against. There were no recorded votes taken in connection with consideration of H. Res. 

1366, or ordering the resolution, as amended, reported. A motion 

to order H. Res. 1366, as amended, reported favorably to the House 

was agreed to by voice vote with a quorum present. 


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COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of 

the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee’s oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in this report. 

COST OF LEGISLATION

With respect to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, H. Res. 1366, as amended, is a resolution of the House of Representatives, and therefore does not have 

the force of law. As such, there is no cost associated with this resolution for fiscal year 2010, or any fiscal year thereafter. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII

1. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and section 308(a) of 

the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee advises that 

the resolution contains no measure that authorizes funding, so no 

comparison of the total estimated funding level for the relevant 

programs to the appropriate level under current law is required. 

2. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the resolution contains no measure that authorizes funding, so no statement of general performance and objectives for any 

measure that authorizes funding is required. 

3. With respect to the requirement of clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 402 of the 

Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee advises that the 

resolution contains no measure that authorizes funding, so no cost 

estimate nor comparison for any measure that authorizes funding 

is required. 

COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XXI

Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House of 

Representatives, the Committee is required to include a list of congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits, 

as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of 

the House of Representatives. H. Res. 1366, as amended, does not 

contain any earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits under clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of rule XXI. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, H. Res. 1366, as amended, is a resolution of the 

House of Representatives, and therefore does not have the force of 

law. As such, clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII does not apply. 

FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

H. Res. 1366, as amended, contains no Federal mandates. 

PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION

Section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 requires the 

report of any Committee on a bill or joint resolution to include a 

statement on the extent to which the bill or joint resolution is inVerDate Mar 15 2010 09:52 Jul 16, 2010 Jkt 089008 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR542.XXX HR542

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tended to preempt state, local, or tribal law. The Committee states 

that H. Res. 1366, as amended, does not preempt any state, local, 

or tribal law. 

ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act are created by this legislation. 

APPLICABILITY TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The Committee finds that the resolution does not relate to the 

terms and conditions of employment or access to public services or 

accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act (P.L. 104–1). 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

H. Res. 1366, as amended, makes no changes in existing law. 

Æ 


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