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Contact: Chad Kolton September 16, 2009 202-789-4365
WASHINGTON, D.C.- The House Judiciary Committee moved forward railroad reform today by approving a bill that would protect American jobs and the U.S. economy by closing the monopoly loopholes that exempt big railroads from antitrust regulation. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), a long-time champion of transportation reform, is the sponsor of H.R. 233, the Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act of 2009. "This kind of reform has been a long time coming. It will undoubtedly benefit American consumers, farmers and manufacturers. This loophole has been a detriment to our economy and job market for far too long and now’s the time to make things right," said Glenn English, Chairman of Consumers United for Rail Equity. Currently, freight rail companies enjoy a major loophole which exempts them from U.S. antitrust laws, setting them apart from every other American industry. Railroads are instead regulated solely by the Surface Transportation Board, which has historically allowed the railroad industry to exploit antitrust exemptions at the expense of their customers, and ultimately, consumers across the nation. In 2004, the Justice Department told Congress it opposed "sector-specific exemptions to the antitrust laws." Rep. Baldwin’s leadership, along with work in the Senate by Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller, IV (D-WV) and Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI), adds to the growing momentum in Congress for action on behalf of consumers. Both Senators have promised to incorporate similar reforms into their version of the bill. The Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act has recently garnered support from U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Christine Varney, 20 state Attorneys General, the American Bar Association, the National Industrial Transportation League and the Consumer Federation of America. ### |
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