FEDERALhearing transcript

Senate Field Hearing on Rail Shipping and Small Business

Original title: HOW SMALL BUSINESSES BENEFIT FROM SMART RAIL SHIPPING REGULATION

January 1, 2019

railroad regulation small business logistics transportation shipping

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The Frame

What this does

This hearing gathered testimony from industry stakeholders to inform potential future federal oversight or policy adjustments regarding rail shipping costs and logistics for small businesses.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Small business owners

Small businesses that rely on rail transport for shipping goods are subject to the regulatory and operational environment discussed.

Railroad companies

Railroad operators are subject to the federal regulations and oversight discussed during the hearing.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2019.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship held a in New Orleans to discuss how rail shipping regulations impact small businesses and the broader economy. Industry experts, government officials, and business representatives provided testimony on the challenges and operational realities of relying on rail transport.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on November 16, 2018, at the Port of New Orleans Auditorium.
The session was a field hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
The hearing focused on the role of railroads in supporting small business commercial success.
Witnesses included representatives from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, Olin Corporation, Solvay America, Inc., New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
Written testimony was submitted by all panelists prior to the hearing.

Why It Matters

This hearing gathered testimony from industry stakeholders to inform potential future federal oversight or policy adjustments regarding rail shipping costs and logistics for small businesses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of this hearing?

The hearing was held to allow the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship to hear directly from rail industry experts, government officials, and business owners about the challenges of rail shipping.

Who presided over the hearing?

U.S. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana presided over the hearing.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

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

policy shift80% confidence

Regional Focus on Rail Logistics

The committee moved the hearing to New Orleans, indicating a specific interest in the intersection of port logistics and rail shipping for small businesses.

Port of New Orleans Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Connected Entities

personJohn Kennedy“U.S. Senator from Louisiana who presided over the hearing.”Map →

personLyra Gulfo“Rail Category Manager at Solvay America, Inc.”Map →

personPaul Roberti“Chief Counsel at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.”Map →

personRenee Amar“Director of Small Business at the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry”Map →

organizationCommittee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship“The Senate committee responsible for the hearing.”Map →

personJohn McIntosh“Executive Vice President of Olin Corporation.”Map →

personAilsa von Dobeneck“Director of External Affairs at New Orleans Public Belt Railroad.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance40
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz5
Current news / social attention level

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