Another key week for Norfolk Southern

Presented by Moms Clean Air Force

Quick Fix

— It’s a big week on the Hill, with aviation, rail and budget hearings galore. Here’s what to expect.

— House members from Ohio unveiled a bipartisan rail safety bill, though it doesn’t go as far as the Senate’s.

— Phil Washington’s detractors are appealing to Sen. Jon Tester on Washington’s nomination to head the FAA.

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“Gone to Denver, gone to Denver, gone to mend a broken heart/Now I was goin’ and if I’m goin’ I’d better be gone, gone to Denver.”

Driving the Week

HEARINGS ON HEARINGS: It’s a big week for Congress, with Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw testifying before the Senate Commerce Committee, a markup on Phil Washington’s nomination to head the FAA — and DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s first congressional appearance since the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Here’s a cheat sheet:

— Wednesday morning, the Senate Commerce Committee will mark up Washington’s nomination. It hasn’t been entirely clear how much support from Democrats, or opposition from Republicans, Washington has had — some Democrats have said they will vote yes. Similarly, despite fierce opposition from Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), most Republicans on the committee have also been quiet. On Thursday, Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) said she hadn’t counted votes, but has been talking Washington up to her colleagues. One thing to keep in mind: The Commerce Committee doesn’t typically schedule anything that requires a vote unless the majority expects it to succeed.

— The Commerce Committee will also consider House-passed legislation, H.R. 346 (118), that would create a task force charged with studying how to improve the FAA’s NOTAM system, after that system failed and grounded planes nationwide in January. This is the first time the Senate has acted on the bill, which previously passed the House without fanfare.

— After those markups are done, Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw will make his second Senate appearance since the Feb. 3 East Palestine derailment, this time in front of the Commerce Committee. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, AAR CEO Ian Jefferies, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Ohio Sens. Sherrod Brown and Vance, Ohio safety and labor officials and an East Palestine resident will also speak before the committee. Senators are considering a bipartisan bill, S. 576 (118), from Brown and Vance that would impose new rail safety regulations and mandate two-person crews, something the freight railroads have opposed for years.

— Thursday morning, DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg will appear before the Senate Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development to defend the administration’s fiscal 2024 budget request for his agency. It’s his first time facing lawmakers since the East Palestine derailment and a rash of near-misses on runways across the country, and if you’re looking for fireworks, this is probably the surest bet.

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On the Hill

OHIO HOUSE DELEGATION HAS A RAIL BILL: The majority of House members from Ohio on Friday introduced a bill that aims to improve rail safety in the wake of last month’s derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, including provisions related to notification, first responders, rail inspections and more, Alex reports.

— The bill is being led by Democratic Rep. Emilia Sykes and Republican Rep. Bill Johnson, whose district includes East Palestine. It would require DOT to issue new rules based off the findings of an ongoing NTSB investigation into the derailment, increase the number of train inspections, require railroads to notify states and tribal governments of hazardous materials shipments, strengthen requirements for safety placards on train cars and new regulations for wheel bearings.

— But it doesn’t include a two-person crew requirement and therefore doesn’t go as far as the Senate bill introduced by Vance and Brown that made a splash earlier this month.

80 IS THE NEW 50: POLITICO’s Congress team is out with one you’re going to want to read, detailing how the sheer number of ailing or otherwise absent senators is starting to affect the way the world’s greatest deliberative body does its work. Beyond being one of the oldest confluence of senators in history, “it’s not just age keeping one member — and sometimes six or more — from the floor: Blame a confluence of illnesses, family matters and impending retirements dating well into last year.”

Aviation

WORKING THE LOCAL ANGLE: Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) is one of the Commerce Committee Democrats who have yet to take a position on Phil Washington’s nomination, and on Friday a group of general aviation pilots from Montana wrote the committee to express opposition to Washington. Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) have also not taken a position on Washington’s nomination.

“Having read his resume, we noted no aviation or aeronautical experience whatsoever, and no indication that he is at all familiar with the myriad functions of the FAA, especially aviation safety,” the Montana Pilots Association wrote in a letter to the Commerce Committee.

BACK TO 2019 IN THE AIR: U.S. airlines are projecting that air travel this spring will return to levels not seen since before the pandemic hit and sent travel plummeting, your MT host reports. A4A said it expects a 9.7 percent year-over-year growth this spring, with travel volumes projected to reach 2.6 million per day. That would represent a 1 percent increase over levels seen in 2019.

— That continues the trend of air travel’s rapid resurgence — in 2022, U.S. air travel swelled by some 30 percent, BTS reported last week. But the surge comes as the aviation industry is beginning to show signs of strain: The airline industry is racing to rescale its operations, adding 96,000 jobs over 2021 and 2022, and this year has already seen a spike in near-collisions between aircraft, prompting acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen to convene a safety summit last week.

ON PASSENGER EXPERIENCE: The House Aviation Subcommittee will hold a hearing Thursday on passenger experience, its third so far as members craft the FAA reauthorization bill. The hearing’s witness lineup includes representatives from A4A, the Airports Council International-North America, NATCA and Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Shifting Gears

Travis Mason joins Merlin as the company’s first chief policy officer. He has previously served as vice president of certification and regulatory affairs at Airbus, and chief of staff and head of policy at Alphabet’s X.

The Autobahn

— “Gatik partners with Kroger on self-driving truck deliveries to Dallas-area stores.” Dallas Innovates.

— “The CEO of GM’s Cruise thinks driverless cars will rule the road in 5 years: ‘Humans are so bad at driving.’” Yahoo Finance.

— “Oil refiners struggle to make premium fuel for luxury autos.” Bloomberg.

— “Amtrak seeks funds for new long-distance train study.” AASHTO Journal.

— “Via acquires Citymapper.” Mass Transit.

— ”Foxconn finds EVs are harder to build than iPhones.” Bloomberg.