Senate Hearing on Nominations for Transportation and Maritime Oversight Agencies

• •The Senate Committee held a hearing on May 6, 2015, to review nominations for the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC).
• •Daniel R. Elliott III was nominated for the STB, where he has served as Chairman since 2009.
• •Mario Cordero was nominated for the FMC, where he has served as Chairman since 2013.
• •The STB regulates freight railroads, including rate disputes and mergers.
• •The FMC regulates international ocean transportation and marine terminal operators.
• •The STB Reauthorization Act of 2015 (S. 808) was introduced to allow board members to communicate more freely and grant the agency power to initiate its own investigations.
• •The proposed STB reform bill requires the agency to maintain a database of pending complaints and issue quarterly reports.

This hearing concerns the leadership of two federal agencies that regulate freight rail rates, railroad mergers, and international ocean shipping, directly impacting the cost and efficiency of the U.S. supply chain.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.