Transcripts For CSPAN Hearing On COVID-19 Impact On Transportation Critical Infrastructure 20240712

Transportation and infrastructure. Transportation industry representatives testify about their role about shipping personal protective equipment and other essential goods during the pandemic. Today we will hear from these speakers. Thank you all for being here. One of our participants is testifying remotely. Welcome to each and every one of you. We have conducted a series of hearings on covid19. We are hearing those discussions. We are continuing that by hearing about the Transportation Industry. Theave underscored importance of our Transportation Network and moving goods and people safely and efficiently as well as ensuring supply chain fluidity in response to the unexpected events. Manye grateful for the frontline workers who have shown resilience and resourcefulness to help deliver Critical Care supplies to those in need. The transportation sector has countless numbers of these unsung heroes. Introduced a Critical Infrastructure employee protection act. For arcde support frontline Critical Infrastructure employees. The del webb directs the department of transportation to coordinate with the centers for Disease Control and prevention and the federal Emergency Management agency to support state and local governments in making sure that Critical Infrastructure employees have access to testing and personal protective equipment. The covid19 crisis has had dramatic effects on the transportation sector. U. S. Rail traffic has seen some of the weakest level since the great recession. The American Trucking associations for hire truck tonnage index dropped 12. 2 in april. Automotive production reese to its lowest level since world war ii. We saw the closure of auto and truck manufacturing plants, affecting thousands of employees and their families. In the face of that adversity, our Transportation Network and their hardworking employees has persevered. Some automakers have been producing ventilators. They continue to do so as they reopen manufacturing plants. Freight railroads prioritize the movement of essential materials. Truck drivers have continued to deliver. Pipeline employees have assured that our businesses and hospitals are running. The transportation sector has also embraced technology to respond to covid19. We have seen the use of Automated Vehicle systems and right hailing vehicles to deliver food to frontline workers and transport medical equipment. The u. S. Dot has worked diligently to support the transportation sector. The cares act provided help to amtrak, aviation, and transport. We included language to give states grants. Which thelegislation Ranking Member and i introduced with other senators. Flexibilitye states on their use of federal funds for commercial Vehicle Safety activities. Gives witnesses the chance to discuss covid19 and how it is affecting the transportation sector. I would ask our witnesses to provide the work of our members. We are sending a letter to other transportation groups to solicit that. We would like to give our witnesses the chance to participate during this. I recognize my dear friend, the Ranking Member for her comments. Thisank you for Holding Hearing on the state of our Critical Infrastructure. Thank you to the witnesses for being here. Frontline workers have been tirelessly working to mitigate the spread of the virus. And keep america functioning. Hear from you today on these issues. Transportation workers have been critical for getting people to and for work. Transportation workers have also kept food moving to our supply systems, our kitchen tables. They have stocked our stores with the central goods. Workers have put themselves in harms way on a daily basis to try to keep America Running greatest pandemic. We have lost some transportation workers and their families have been impacted. Fornt to bring one to mind my home state of washington. She drove a bus in king county and she leaves behind a husband who was also a bus driver with three children. My heart goes out to her and her family and the loved ones that are impacted by this. Held a hearing recently on how our airports and airlines were doing as it related to Public Health. We have heard from dr. Godwin of university of washington. We sent a letter to the task force for the covid19 crisis. Vice president pence and secretary chao and other members asking for such guidelines. They still have not been issued. Im not sure they will be issued. I think that is a mistake. Guidelines can help us move forward. But the right Safety Measures in place so our economy to move forward. Our colleagues last month introduced the Critical Infrastructure employee protection act. Chairmane join whitaker on this bill. I want to mention that that includes firefighters in my state. Someone who has been left out from the ppe funding has been firefighters. It is so important because they are essential in transporting individuals from our nursing home facilities into hospitals. High number of deaths have been in nursing homes. They deserve access to this personal protection equipment. This bill would require abiding by the cdc recommendations. An provisions for personal protective equipment to our frontline workers. Him for beingk here. The transportation sector has been critically impacted. The covid19 pandemic has turned our trade into a small trade of what it was before. If we want to get this right, having good guidelines, continuing to open the prospect arereight capacity and shipment vessels is really important. I also want to mention that having the right personal equipment is critical. Company partnered with gm to increase ventilators. These efforts are also something we should talk about. We are thinking about what we can do to use those talents. To get the security of ppe right. I think it is a national priority. We need to do more to continue to reopen. I look forward to hearing the discussion and the impacts on these infrastructure areas today. A lot of this previous legislation has built been about previous infrastructure. Thank you very much and i look forward to hearing from our witnesses today. Thank you, senator cantwell. We will move to our witnesses. Your entire testimony will be included on the record at this point. We ask each of you to summarize for no more than five minutes. Thank you very much. We will begin. Thank you. On behalf of the alliance for automotive innovation, i thank you for the opportunity to share my perspective on how covid19 has affected the Automotive Industry and how our industry continues to respond to this Public Health crisis. We are meeting today during a time of great stress in our country. As we watch what is happening following the deaths of george floyd, armand arbery, and breonna taylor. Justiceto reconfirm our and peace and safe communities. Events weigh heavily on us as we enter this hearing today. The american of Auto Industry fully represents the diversity of our country. For generations, the Auto Industry has been a powerful engine for Economic Advancement and know bit mobility. We emphasize that racism and hate have no place in our industry. We stand in solidarity against racism and advocate inclusion. It will take months if not years to fully comprehend the toll of the pandemic. I am proud of how the industry and the men and women we employ across the country have stepped up to this challenge. They are counting on all of us to care just as deeply about the future of their industry. Recession,he great the auto sector strength was key to our national recovery. 40,000 more americans work in our industry than when the recession began. Then the pandemic head. Sales fell 33 . For the First Time Since world war ii, all major north american production facilities were idle. While the gears of Motor Vehicle manufactured ground to a halt, the Auto Industry did not stop working. Instead, our members continue to innovate. We leveraged purchasing networks and utilized Precision Manufacturing prowess to make and distribute medical devices and personal protective equipment to those on the battles front lines as well as their own employees. We employed automatic vehicles to provide contactless delivery. We contributed and retrofitted vehicles. The contributions of auto innovators and companies underscore why motive Vehicle Manufacturers and supply chains are designated Critical Infrastructure. Today i am here with the committee to list those contributions. I would ask if they would be submitted for the record. These are a few examples of hundreds in the industry. These are the incredible stories of the men and women and amazing ingenuity that make this possible. Areuction facilities responsibly resuming operations. We have worked closely with Public Health authorities, collaborated with industry partners, and absorbed lessons from around the globe to implement a broad range of precautions. The industry is bringing supply chains back to life. Requires extensive collaboration. To facilitate a safe and reliable restart to vehicle production. Public Health Issues will remain a challenge moving forward. We must be prepared to adapt and a ball to protect their employees, customers, and suppliers. There is still a high degree of uncertainty when it comes to supply days, consumer confidence, and the overall economy. Before this crisis, analysts were projecting sales of almost 17 million units. Projections say we will not release reach those levels until 2023. This could result in job losses of nearly 100000 and 2 million jobs lost across the entire economy. This will be a challenge for the industry. But the comeback from the Auto Industry from this crisis can drive a broader economic resurgence. I look forward to working with you as we find ourselves on the cost of this transformative moment in the future of the u. S. Auto industry. Thank you very much. Mentioned in your remarks an additional document which you asked to be included in the record. If it can simply be attached to your written statement. Without objection, it will be. Now, testifying remotely, is the chairman. You are welcome. Can you hear us . Yes, i can. Thank you. I am the president of triple g express. It is my honor to speak with you today as chairman of the National Trucking association. With affiliates in all 50 states, our membership encompasses more than 34,000 suppliers representing every second segment of the industry. ,ince the onset of the pandemic the Trucking Industry has been thrust to the forefront of our national consciousness. While most activity ground to a halt across the country, americas 3. 5 million Truck Drivers kept moving. These heroes continued serving on the front lines, ensuring everyone had the ability to get through these challenging times. The term isd essential more frequently of late as the American Public wakes up to the gravity of what essential means. Doctors and nurses use ppe to protect themselves. The resilience of our supply chain rests on the dedication of these heroes. President trump proclaimed, thank god for truckers. Lawmakers would be wise to look at our industry branches. There are several reasons why. When our industry lacks the capital and resources to get to point a from point b, the impact is felt immediately. Far and wide. Us but by the people we serve, our customers. Grocery stores, pharmacies, hospitals, First Responders, farmers, manufacturers, business , thes, and the consumer American People, just to name a few. Demonstrated over the past few months, truckers by nature are industrious. We know how to get the job done. We dont complain about the problems. We propose concrete solutions. We did not point to obstacles. We Work Together to find and clear away forward. As our country moves from crisis to recovery, our industry is ready to lead. With that in mind, here are three policy points for congress and this committee that i would like to emphasize. Number one, invest in infrastructure. It will create jobs and advance our recovery while improving our nations coupling roads and highways safety. And no mistake, we can should be fully paid for. We have a plan to generate hundreds of billions of dollars without adding a dime to the federal deficit. Two, provide incentives to Trucking Companies to invest in safer equipment. A temporary holiday from the federal excise tax through calendar year 2021. That would deliver a direct boost to the economy. Safety and the environment impact. Number three, provide reasonable protections against excessive litigation. Not lead thiswill economic recovery. They do not create jobs, they destroy them. The Trucking Industry will create jobs. Will continue delivering supplies. Trucks will lead the way to recovery. Thank you for working with us. So that we can serve our country through these tough times and into a better tomorrow. I look for to answer your questions. Thank you. Thank you. With thean jeffries association of american remotes railroads. Ofgood afternoon to members the committee, thank you for the opportunity to be here representing americas great railroads. Inppear before you today challenging and tragic times for all americans. We are all grateful to the courageous frontline professionals confronting the pandemic. Especially our medical professionals but also the thousands of critical transportation workers keeping supply chains moving. Throughout the pandemic, rail workers are delivering critical goods to communities, families, and businesses across the country. Since the onset of the pandemic, railroads have closely followed and exceeded recommendations to protect employees from this devastating disease. Most railroad jobs require employees to be on site. Ppe use is pervasive and selfquarantine protocols are in place for those who have the virus or are showing symptoms. In the meantime, great railroads have worked closely with their flexible,to provide highquality service that meets shippers needs. Customers partners with our customers. Like all businesses, they have been facing a lowering of volume. Every day, railroads continue to deliver things like loin based disinfectants for water treatment, consumer goods moving in ecommerce, food and Energy Products to meet customer and Community Needs across the country. Reliabilityity and in a Global Crisis is a testament to the proposed relationship between railroads and customers. The power of American Ingenuity and the financially secure railroad industry. I often say that railroads play the long game and the Strong Service levels we see now are the direct result of years of sustained private Network Investment paired with modernized operational plans that enable highly resilient and flexible operations. Policy hasvernment also helped in the continuity of real operations. Guidance from dhs and the supporting document from the transportation board has been valuable in the ring the critical nature of the rail operations. Governmentscal think about how to protect themselves. Regulatory waivers issued by the federal Railroad Administration have been critical in allowing class one freight railroads to implement social distancing policies to enhance employee safety. Railroads are also great provisions in the cares act and two individuals on this committee that make the Rail Industry employees for enhanced sickness and employee benefits. As Congress Considers more stimulus, we urge you to consider the here and now. Legislation to prioritize access for Critical Infrastructure workers to testing, ppe, and other healthrelated supplies. The focus should be on the funding and product delivery. Congress should soundly reject controversial policy writers pursued by special interest. Despite the unknowns, one thing is clear. Successful navigation of these times requires flexibility, determination, innovation, all characteristics not only of todays freight Rail Industry but our country. While we entered the challenges, the future is bright. I am happy to answer any questions you might have. Thank you very much. The interim president of interstate natural gas association. Members of the committee, good afternoon. Thank you for holding this hearing and the opportunity to testify today. Committeese the interest in ensuring that our nations Pipeline Infrastructure continues to safely and reliably deliver the energy that americans need during the covid19 pandemic. Transport natural gas through a network of transmission pipelines that are analogous to the interstate highway system. Capacity large Critical Infrastructure systems that span multiple states and nationso bring the Natural Gas Resources to market. Our members provide an essential link to every major natural supply basin in the country to every natural area in the lower 48 states. All of this infrastructure is building maintained using private capital. Responsible operations include meeting the nations generally energy needs through the emergency and taking every step to protect our workforce and the communities in which we operate. Our members have made significant changes to our operation to confront covid19 and have also contributed millions of dollars toward relief and recovery efforts. I wish to convey four main points today. Because most uses of natural gas are essential to the safety and wellbeing of American Families and businesses, our nations manned for interstate Natural Gas Transportation Services has largely persisted during the emergency. This reflects the new ways americans are living and working during this time. We are quite confident that we will be able to energy provide Energy Supplies safely throughout this crisis. The stability of our national a highe grid provide level of Energy Reliability for the nation. Recognizeompanies that as operators of Critical Infrastructure, it is our responsibility to implement safeguards that ensure maintenance and construction activities can safely continue. Our frontline employees and contractors have demonstrated a remarkable resilience during these challenging times and our Member Companies have taken numerous actions to protect them consistent with the guidelines of cdc, osha, and state and local health apartments. Actions of specific include using backup pipelines to separate essential workers into isolated shifts, collaborating with Pipeline Contractors to implement pandemic planning across the supply chain, and developing plans to respond to covid19 infection if needed at a work location. I would like to commend several federal agencies for providing the targeted support that pipeline operators need to ensure safe and Reliable Energy delivery. The pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has repurposed the agencys plans for responding to extreme weather events to establish a mechanism for operators to notify the agency for a need to temporarily reschedule less important compliance activities until after the emergency subsides. Other federal agencies including rolescdc, have taken lead in the coordinating local and state agencies to ensure that a Critical Infrastructure worker has access to covid19 testing, ppe, and other Health Related supplies. We are grateful for these joint efforts, and it is important as continue. Support this act which will ensure Government Agencies continue to manage this effort. Tohough not directly covid19, the reauthorization of our nations Pipeline Safety programs will continue to provide stability for state pipeline agencies as they worked to adapt to the inga supports an operation bill that increases funding for federal pipeline and safety programs and establishes clear policy priorities for phinsa for the next four years. We appreciate this committees bipartisanance a bill last july and look forward to continuing to work with you on this important legislation. Thank you again for the opportunity to testify today. I will be happy to answer any questions you have. Thank you, mr. Oehlor. Our timer shows that you still have five minutes on your remarks. I hope were not malfunctioning here. And our final witness is mr. Larry willis, president of transportation trades department, aflcio, and mr. President , were glad to have you. And youre recognized. Well, thank you, chairman wicker, and senator cantwell for the opportunity to testify this afternoon. And im proud to represent our 33 affiliated unions and the millions of frontline workers that belong to those affiliates. Our workers operate and build a network that brings people, goods and critical supplies to every corner of our nation. Whether they work in aviation, transit, rail, construction or longshore, maritime sectors, they are essential by any definition of the word. Mr. Chairman, you called them unsung heroes. And i could not agree more. As covid19 has spread across our country, many of these workers have continued to perform their essential duties. Often at great personal cost. Im talking about transit workers who have continued to drive and maintain busses in the face of the pandemic, despite hundreds if not thousands of deaths in this sector alone. For the long shore workers who continue to load and unload vessels in close quarters, despite outbreaks in ports and harbors, to freight rail workers who forge ahead, even as carrier workforces are already dangerously thin. Im also talking about those who have lost their jobs as our economy has ground to a halt. Are unsure of when their next paycheck is coming. And now find themselves without health care during a pandemic. Since the beginning of this crisis, transportation labor has prioritized the safety of our nations front line workforce. We have called for appropriate ppe, workplace sanitation and cleaning procedures and proper social distancing. Despite these repeated calls for actions, this administration and far too Many Employers have failed to appropriate an appropriate response to this virus and have flat out refused to act. Those failures have directly caused infections and a loss of life, many of which could have been prevented with early and well coordinated strategy. In the absence of leadership and quick action, it has been working people. Working people and unions who have sounded the alarm and used our collective power to make change. While some progress has been made, we cannot continue to forge ahead with piecemeal solutions. A crisis of this magnitude demands a national response. Congress must act decisively with the full authority of the federal government. For transportation workers, this means enforceable models or specific rules which we know will keep our members, passengers and their families safe. Many of these mandates we have called for were included in legislation to be introduced by senator blumenthal, i know senator cantwell is a cosponsor as well, senator markey, i want to thank all of you and urge to pass this commonsense bill. We also support the every Worker Protection act of 2020 introduced by senator baldwin. It would require osha to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard within seven days. By adopting these measures, congress can make a real difference in the lives of front Line Transportation employees and all workers. Your job, however, cannot end there. The Economic Impact of covid19 will reverberate years beyond this Immediate Health care crisis. As States Reopen and some americans return to work, the economy will not immediately snap back to precovid levels of productivity. Congress must use every tool at its disposal to mitigate the incredibly hard Economic Times that we know are to come. As part of that, we need bold federal investments in our Transportation Network. Public Transit Needs billions more to maintain Critical Services and to avoid job cuts in communities across the country. Amtrak reports that optimistically, well see a 50 cut in ridership next fiscal year and plans to furlough 20 of its workforce, a shortsighted plan that should be rejected. The closure of School Facilities have resulted in loss of right for thousands of school bus drivers. Congress must do better with targeted funding for these critical employees. Slowing cargo volumes shred the threatens the sector. Stipends for those enrolled in the maritime project should be increased to keep these skilled maritime employees working. And to sustain good jobs and Construction Maintenance and operations. And smartamerica rule procurement reforms are adopted, we can also grow our Manufacturing Sector as well. Whats more, when we improve the quality and accessibility of our Transportation Network, the Economic Opportunity of those investments extend to every corner of our economy. From businesses who can move quicker and more reliably, to workers who can reach new opportunities because of improved highway and transit access. Finally, mr. Chairman, let me close by noting that my heart is heavy thinking of george floyd and so many before him who have faced racial violence and death, way too often in this country. We have systemic racism, discrimination that we need to fix across our economy. We know, as we talk about a covid19 response that our black and Brown Brothers and sisters face disparate impact from an economic perspective. I want to consider those messages as we consider what the right response is coming out of this committee. With that id be happy to answer any question. Thank you again. Thank you, president willis. And let me say other witnesses have alluded to what our country is going through at this point, not only with the covid19 but also the protests, the indignation and outrage from what weve seen by a few people. Against totally innocent people. So, i appreciate what youve said. Our sympathies go out to the arbery family, the Taylor Family and the family of george floyd. I understand, sir, that your aflcio Building Sustained damage during the protest on sunday. And we regret that there was some people who took that opportunity to destroy private property needlessly. But i do appreciate those who have mentioned that. And i can assure you that members of this committee are trying to get our arms around this question and find a way to voice our feelings in this regard. So thank you for that. Let me ask, is there anyone on the panel, including the four present and the one testifying, mr. Guilot, do any of you dont believe we need a real strong infrastructure bill sooner rather than later . Were unanimous on that. Senator cantwell and i are unanimous on that, too. Mr. Bozella, you mentioned shared commitment from industry and government. So, thank you for those of you from labor and industry who are willing to do your part on this commitment. Railcar loads are 22. 2 . And shipments down 17. 2 . For hire truck tonnage has dropped 12. 2 in april alone. So, yes, thank you for helping to share this commitment. If you want to describe some more of the commitment that you intend to offer, thats fine. But what suggestions do you have to the federal government, to the agencies that might be listening, but particularly to those of us who enact the legislation about what our share of the commitment might be . Who wants to go first . No one wishes ill take it. Good, then. So, i think, you know, several of us pointed out the legislation introduced by this committee by you, mr. Chairman, and you Ranking Member cantwell. Because as weve all discussed and as my colleague mr. Willis focused on as well, you know, were relying on front line workers to be out doing the jobs, to keep america moving. To serve americans throughout this process. And thats not ending anytime soon. And ensuring that they have full access to testing to ppe and other medicalrelated supplies is key. I think, you know, we owe that to them. And the railroads have worked very hard to ensure that their employees have what they need to be able to do the job safely. There were challenges in the supply chain early on, getting those materials. Weve worked through a lot of that, but as we continue testing thats going to be a challenge. So that piece of legislation is key. I think beyond that, you mentioned a big bold infrastructure bill. We think that Congress Pushes forward on that, theres a real opportunity to put significant funding out into a much needed multimodal system. Wed like to see it not get bogged down on policy fights but lets focus on getting the money out there and getting projects done. Yes. That would create hundreds and hundreds of thousands of american jobs, as were trying to climb out of this recession that were in. It also, we would have lots of assets available. Let me ask you also to comment on the supply chain which you mentioned several times in your testimony. You talked about how some automakers were able to forge new partnerships, retool, train is it fair to say that pivoting to doing different things, largely required a different supply chain, and is it fair to assume that you are not purchasing as many components on these flyers. Yes, mr. Chairman. Thanks for the question. And, youre right about the need for automakers and suppliers. The pivot and senator cantwell, of course, referenced the partnership between gen tech and General Motors that produced ventilators. So there was an increased demand for medical devices and ppe that the Auto Industry was able to respond to because of extensive supply chains. So, we were able to retool and reimagine the manufacturing process supply chain. I think youre exactly right, though, that the supply chain for the automotive sector is very stressed right now. The entire sector is. And as we start re or beginning our Manufacturing Processes again, hopefully, well see a little bit of relief there but there are still liquidity challenges in the supply chain that need to be addressed. I will say, back to your previous question, it really is combhornt important that we continue to work on alignment between various states and our trading partners in the region, mexico and canada, to make sure the regional supply chain is there, and ready to go as the industry restarts. Thats a very important aspect, the supply chain, is it not . Yes. Thank you. Now, were in the middle of a second vote. And i think what ill do is hand the gavel to Ranking Member cantwell. And she will be asking her questions while shes got the gavel. And ill try to be back as soon as possible, and we wont have to stop the proceedings during this vote. Senator cantwell, youre recognized. Thank you, mr. Chairman. And i want to thank the witnesses for mentioning george floyd and the tragedy that has occurred in our nation. And i also want to add my condolences to his family. Most importantly i want to say that im committed to making sure that we get justice for george floyd and that we reform our system. And thats going to take a lot of work by all of us. Not sure much of that work is in our jurisdiction, but nonetheless, very much appreciate mentioning that fact today. And the Business Community, the Business Community can help us with this. So very much appreciate you mentioning him today. Youve also said some very interesting things, each of you, and i thank you for that. I like the words robust, multimodal infrastructure investment. Supply chains mean expertise, jobs, youre going to keep your Manufacturing Base because you have the efficiency and the skilled workers to put it all together. So, got to keep that going. But i think ill start with you, mr. Willis. You were talking about the safety and security of the workforce when you put them back to work. Youre most obviously with the recent things we talked about because of aviation and what we tried to get the Covid Task Force to do in aviation. What do we need to do in other private transportation sectors to make sure the work is safe . Well, thank you, senator cantwell. Mr. Jeffries mentioned it. The chairman mentioned it. Access to testing and ppe are obviously important but, quite frankly, what my members are telling me, every single day is that what they need to see in the workplace are real safety requirements under employers. You know, this you know, treatment, access to masks is fine. But there needs to be a requirement that it actually gets used and deployed in the right way. That cleaning, that disinfection procedures are occurring in the correct manner. That social dance isistancing like were doing here is done in the transportation workplace. Again, pursuant to cdc guidelines. Weve had to work way too hard with our employers on too many occasions. Weve asked this administration, both d. O. T. And the various modal agencies, osha, to step in and impose these requirements to protect workers, and we havent gotten there. So i think the legislation that you mentioned that senator blumenthal and others are doing, we think its the right course. And it needed to be included in any type of broader Covid Response build that this senate would consider. Thank you, mr. Guilot, thank you for your testimony. And certainly, we know how important moving freight is. Do you have any comments on the safety and security of your workforce . And im curious, you mentioned an infrastructure investment, what were you referring to, you thought you had a good idea how to move forward on infrastructure and investment. With that question right there, the American Trucking association has proposed an increase in the fuel sales tax, 5 cents for the next four years. It will go up to 20 cents. That will add up to hundreds of billions of new dollars to the treasury there to assist with additional funding for infrastructure. Getting back to the question concerning our work, safety of our workers, it has been extremely important for us, through this Health Pandemic to get the property equipment to each and every one of their hands. We have an unique problem in the respect that most of our workers may not come to a place of our business, our terminal locations because Truck Drivers transverse across the country. So immediately, when the pandemic first happened, you know, if you will, finding our Truck Drivers, getting the proper equipment to them. It was extremely difficult to do that. We rallied. We were innovative as an industry. The American Trucking association has helped with thousands of gallons of Hand Sanitizer, in certain locations across the country for Truck Drivers. Weve got a face protection mask thats been available across the nation so we are as an industry, most notably our Truck Drivers. Ill say this, even a company as small as mine weve got dispatchers who taught our Truck Drivers how to make Hand Sanitizer from products at home. Ive purchased face masks from other employees, secondary businesses of mine, to help supply with our Truck Drivers. So i think were innovative in that respect. Were partner ss with distilleries getting hand were partners with distilleries getting hand sanitation made from that. Our industry working together with partners is very important to us and employees and Truck Drivers in particular in the front lines. As we certainly want to keep them there for the rest of the economy. Thank you. And again, thank them for that work because theres a lot of critical supply, specifically food, thats been delivered. So we so appreciate it. Senator fischer is next. Hello, am i unmuted . Thank you. Thank you, senator cantwell, i appreciate you and chairman wicker holding this hearing today. Mr. Jeffries, you briefly mentioned in your testimony, aar support from the Railroad Retirement board request for funding to continue i. T. Modernization work. Senator duckworth and i sent letters to the Appropriations Committee for several years in support of continued funding for that work. Mr. Jeffries or mr. Willis, can you describe what the impact of modernizing the Railroad Retirement boards i. T. System would have on our railroaders . Certainly, senator. A great question. Ill take a crack and let mr. Willis fill in because i think this is one where we definitely see eye to eye on. Both rail labor and the railroads have jointly made those requests in support of increased i. T. Funding. And certainly, thank you for your support, senator, which is invaluable for getting those increased funds. Quite frankly, what we have right now in the rail retirement system, under the rail retirement board is something, going to the dmv in the 1960s in a lot of instances. So, this is really just allowing that agency the ability to, id say, take the giant leap forward providing an Online System that doesnt require retirees and potential retirees to drive and travel to an Office Location that may not be near where they live or work to do their paperwork manually. To spend time and energy going through that manual process. It really brings a base level of technology into the rail retirement process. And will create dramatic efficiencies for the agency. And of course, for retirees and potential retirees. Mr. Willis, did you have anything to add . Yeah, let me just first of yeah, let me just first of all, thank you for your support, on those issues, as you note, this is something that we in the rail carriers, aar and others have been able to partner on. You know, the field offices are critical. And i think that has to be part of the answer as well. But making sure that our members can access their accounts and make changes and get information online. I mean, given that, its absolutely essential. And the Technology Improvement money that youve championed and talked about is continuing to get out and make real improvements there. So, you know, this is a system that is funded by both workers and the industry. Its our collective money, it is worked, quite frankly, remarkably well. But some of the i. T. Challenges have gotten behind the board. And i think the money that congress is attempting to appropriate and authorize here is absolutely the right answer. So, again, thank you for your work on that. Well, thank you, sir. Mr. Is it guillot, i hate to wreck your name there. Truck Driver Retention for loading and unloading was an issue even before the pandemic. Some reports indicate that some of the facilities worsened early on in this pandemic. What do you think may have caused an increase in drivers being detained at these shipper facilities early in the pandemic . And then additionally, has the industry gained any kind of insight on driver detention in the last couple of months . And do you have any recommendations for this committee on ways that we can address this issue Going Forward . Thank you for your question. I think initially, when the pandemic first happened, we seen a surge in certain consumer products. Everybody knows a shortage of toilet paper on the grocery shelves, right . So, certain facilities i think received a surge in affected business. We did actually did have an expansion of detention. It was certainly a problem beforehand. We continue working with shippers and receivers to try and improve upon that. I think were seeing some recent headway. A little less a little over a year ago, Electronic Devices kind of brought that topic to the forefront. Weve been working together to try and improve upon those issues. As far as what have we learned in the last couple of months . Again, i would like to implore upon the shipping public. Its shimppers and receivers, working with Trucking Companies to minimize or eliminate the delays. Certainly, if were delivering a load that may be consumertype goods, but yet our next load may be the medical supplyies that a particular community may need. Well, even if its not a critical commodity unloading or load, thats from the next truck driver that were hauling. Every load is critical or unloaded. And as far as the detention and demurrage in the intermodal business. I have been my career. Im extremely concerned with the relationship with companies around the country, concerning those unjustly, it puts an additional burden on the supply chain and we want to continue working with the osha lines, and, quite frankly, have not had as much response from them as wed like to see. After they joined this covid19 pandemic. Thank you, sir. Thank you, senator cantwell. In the name of the chair, i call on senator udall. Thank you very much. Generally, if the state or federal government is giving Liability Protections, theres a strong safety standard that Industry Needs to meet to benefit from that kind of protection. Otherwise, it simply gives business a huge incentive to take unreasonable risks and pursue the problems. We are hearing calls from some industries that they want to be profited from paying damages to their employees and customers who get sick, due to the lack of covid protections. This question really goes all the panel. Specific and buying standards are appropriate if congress were to consider limiting liability . Senator, this is john bozella with auto innovators. Ill get started, i guess. First of all, at least from our perspective, the liability limitations that were talking about should be and need to be targeted and limited. And related to this set of issues. And the concerns we have with regard to covid19, they should not in no way be related to instances of gross negligence or companies that act in a reckless manner. Really what were trying to focus on is getting the right balance between avoiding numerous lawsuits and restarting the economy in a safe manner. With regard to safety, our Member Companies have robust and very, very indepth safety protocols that are built on cdc guidance as a baseline that are put in place in consultation with state and local authorities. And that are in place on the ground, responsive to local issues. And so, thats what were doing right now. Frankly, weve been doing it since january, because were getting perspective as we restart in economies around the world. And so, we are working from a very robust and strong set of standards from the getgo. Anyone else jump in on that . This is Randy Guillot with the American Trucking association. Our industry, the Trucking Industry, is on the forefront of safety each and every day. Were very concerned with following the guidelines as issued by cdc, as well as osha. And want to comply with that each and every day at every one of our companies. The limited Liability Protection that we are referring to is similar to what mr. Bozella made comment on. If there happens to be a bad actor, were not asking for protections for a bad actor. Were asking for limited protections for people acting in good faith, trying to follow all of these guidelines that are coming out. Thank you for your question. Let me follow up on this question. New analysis published in the medical journal lancet found that n95 masks and other respirator masks offered offered while surgical masks only provided 77 percent protection against the coronavirus. Havesential workers should access to these masks but we know essential workers should have access to these masks, but supplies are limited. What steps should we take so that workers can return to work with confidence . 95 masks, given the nature of this virus, should be provided to transportation workers in many situations. It is obviously an airborne arease and those masks designed to confront that. Is manyquite frankly First Responders are not able to secure those today. I think this is a failure of the administration to get in front of this, to see what was happening in china and elsewhere and marshall the u. S. Industries makemore organized way to these masks and other ppe we knew were going to be needed. Using the defense production act in a better matter, using the buying power of the federal government. Ofognizing their are a lot masks out there advertised to do are a lot ofre masks at there advertised to do things they do not do. Hasing that equipment out to be a priority as we try to we open the economy and to see more density in the transportation space. Quite frankly on our Freight Network as well. Much. Nk you very i doinally summarize not think there is any doubt that if the president had used the defense production act we would be well down the line of having more equipment and having people able to go back to work feeling protected. Thank you senator udall. Senator blackburn will join us remotely. Sen. Blackburn thank you for being at the hearing with us today. Esther gilley at, mr. Guillot, i want to come to you. Commission,maritime the supply Chain Task Force has worked on this trying to address it. I want to see what you know about that issue. We know it is vitally important to the port and indeed as part of the transportation infrastructure for the entire region. Thank you for your question senator. I am very familiar with the ofpping base and the needs the community there especially servicing through the railroads in and out of memphis. We have been saying that as the ownerships got out of market, theyhip should get out of the market completely and let trucking come in. We want free, open choice. The current environment now dictates that ocean lines although they are not in ownership and control of the chassis, they are in control of procuring them at the expense of the shipping public. We have been fighting long and hard to get that rectified and forould much reap prefer truckers to be able to secure chassis as necessary that will be efficient and economical for all usage. Sen. Blackburn thank you for that. I dont think many realize that memphis is the fifth largest inland porch that we have. There is a tremendous amount inland port that we have. That is vitally important for that area. You have fedex, the railroads that come through their, the there, the through pipeline that goes from the refinery to the airport. So much infrastructure related that memphis relies on. Has beenf frustration the chassis issue. Chairman wicker has put the focus on having that committee. We think that is a good thing to do. I want to ask each of you a little bit about workforce. As we have gone through the covid shut down and as we look has beent, tennessee very successful in its restart, but with that said, we have 133,000 interstate who applied for unemployment. I have had several in the Logistics Industry who said we need to put more attention on kforce and develop it will a workforce of for the logistics for some looking privatepublic partnerships. Very briefly, from each of you, if you would have a little about your own thoughts on workforce development, Companies Working with the Public Sector to provide the education necessary. Mr. Guillot, we will start with you. As you probably already know, the Trucking Industry was 6000 drivers short before the pandemic. Gang closer te millionoser to one needed drivers over the next decade, we are very concerned. Getting private partnerships to new truck and finance drivers coming into the industry is critical for us. We may havey unemployment within our own industry, we look forward to additional training. The stoppage of that training even in a short. Period of a short time will hurt us. Sixkforce is 62 seven seven years older than workers in other industries. I will be brief. The Auto Industry in your state is committed to partnering with community colleges. That is critical. By far the most important thing right now is ensuring the health and safety of our workers as we restart. We are committed to workforce development, especially partnering with our states. Thank you very much, senator blackburn. Senator baldwin joins us remotely now. Sen. Baldwin . Mr. Chairman. I appreciate all of our witnesses today. While this is focused on the infrastructure dedicated to providing Critical Services during the pandemic, i want to make sure we are attempting all. Mericas from line workers my legislation requires osha to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard that covers all workers and requires all workplaces to implement Infectious Diseases exposure control plans to keep workers safe. Llwell s, you noted that thatillis, you noted legislation and your opening remarks. Can you describe why it is necessary to have enforceable, mandatory Emergency Temporary Standards during this pandemic to protect the workers you represent . If you have any anecdotal information to provide about why the failure to have such mandatory enforceable standards is a problem and thank thank you you again for your leadership on this issue. The fact that this legislation is even needed is a disgrace. We have been calling on osha to do this very early on even before covid19 hit frankly. Aflcio was forced to bring last week toast force them to do their job. If we do not have mandatory tions, enforcement, mandatory sanctions, enforcement, testing equipment was not sanitizing equipment was not getting out there. We believe the only way to protect the safety of our members is to have these standards out there. The other part of legislation is that workers have whistleblower privileges. This committee whistleblower protections. This committee must understand how critical these protections are. Are sorotections important when workers have the ability to report security violations without fear of being retaliated against. Issue, it iscal critical legislation, and we need to get that implemented along with the modal mandates that senator markey and to senator blumenthal have been talking about. Thank you. I would like to note for my colleagues that the Senate Judiciary Committee Held a title hearing title to examining liability during the covid19 examining titled liability during the covid19 pandemic. The chairman asked business poseds the question he it to them is do you believe the country would be better off if agencies like osha issued guidelines industry specific as to what the best Business Park this is our in terms of stopping the spread Business Practices are in terms of stopping the spread . All six witnesses agreed that clear, enforceable Safety Standards from osha were necessary to provide workers and employers a roadmap to keep everyone safe as our country works to safely reopen. I want to encourage my colleagues on this committee, if you join me in cosponsoring this legislation, i might add that i work very hard on putting this together with senator duckworth, working on his several iterations of this, but i would encourage other witnesses here today to at that legislation. Thank you. Thank you senator baldwin. Senator thune. So both rune. Thune ee thank you. Pute men and women have themselves at risk of exposure to the virus to provide Frontline Health care workers with ppe and to keep store shelves stocked. They deserve the nations sincere thanks. I know you are here to see what we can do to help the Transportation Industry. Illot, you mentioned that the Trucking Industry will need to hire one million drivers in the next years to keep up with demand. Could you elaborate on some of the challenges currently faced by the industry when it comes to driver training, testing, and permanents of waivers of this kind could be helpful . Mr. Guillot our training and our Testing Facilities for the most part is shut down with the recommendation of the cdc and closevernment saying for proximity. We are asking for exemptions concerning those topics and how we can continue training to continue getting our workforce back with a pipeline of drivers coming in. We work very well with the dot and csa on exemptions and we feel confident working with them Going Forward to help us with training drivers going into the industry coming into the industry Going Forward. Mr. Jeffries super thune sen. Coons dutchffries, we have worked out a lot of these apply the supply chain challenges but that may not be the case working forward, which is why we are supportive of legislation from this committee to picture we continue to be sen. Coons thune what steps are you taking to make sure that you have proper access to ppe . Mr. Jeffries several opportunities are being pushed out to employees. It is based on strong relationships that have developed between the railroads into their suppliers. All helpingen help related companies and stakeholders, even my organization acquire ppe that is needed. A question of ensuring that pipeline continues to flow in a manner that everyone who needs ppe to safely do their job has access to that. Thune mr. Bozzella, could you describe any challenges the industry is facing with the current emergency use authorization in place that could prevent you from making an even larger impact . Mr. Bozzella the industry has made large numbers of medical devices and ppe and there might be a concern if the Emergency Declaration is withdrawn that would no longer be an effect and we would at these products would no longer be usable. That would be a concern if we are not clear on what the pathway the pandemic is. Sure that fore example a truck or rail car filled with ppe on its way to First Responders are autoworkers when the pandemic Emergency Declaration is withdrawn would no longer be usable. That will be a concern. Thune we appreciate everything youre doing to meet a critical supply need. We will followup with you as this pandemic continues to affect the country. You, senator thune. Senator rosen. You rankingthank member cantwell and thank you, witnesses, for being here today. I represent the state of nevada and we have a servicebased economy that relays heavily on trucking, rail, and relies heavily on trucking, rail, and the air. Our nations Transportation Network ensures a critical supplies like food and medicine get to where they need to even in a crisis so we have to be sure that these networks are resilient. Safetyans ensuring the and wellbeing of the workers, increasing the reliability and safety of our infrastructure and fully appreciating that each component in the supply chain is essential to making sure goods reach their final destination. Our supply chain an interdependent ecosystem, no part more important than the other, but between over stockpiling of certain items into supply shortages due to factory closures, there and supply shortages due to factory closures, there have been struggles to meet demand. Do you see some creative incentive that we could possibly offer to encourage stakeholders to build resiliency in our overall supply chain in order to minimize disruptions such as the severer whether weather . What are some recommendations you have to congress to build resiliency . , i will go to you first and then after that mr. Jeffries. Foremostot first and the suspension of a tax until 2021 will help our industry cap back get back. 60 of our membership would be willing to spend more compared to not having the suspension of the fet. That is very critical for us. It helps the resilience of our , better, moreer environmentally friendly equipment on the road, but it also helps the manufacturers supplying our industry as well. That is a point i would like to make. They guilt, senator, for that thank you, senator for that question. You use the word resilience and that is a word i have used a lot in describing the Rail Industrys response. Resilience is dependent upon investment. Investment in the Rail Industry has put it in a place where it can respond quickly. We are looking at a position where as we look towards the future, all our members have Crisis Response plans that allow them to flax and i just their adjust to flex and their operations as needed Going Forward. Visible supply chains as possible to create a flexible just in time supply chain across all modes, that is based on the but it is also based on embracing new technologies and demonstrating ways to serving our customers into the communities in which we operate. Willis, i have just a short time. I want to ask about ppe. We lack the National Strategy to ensure we have adequate amounts and the types of ppe. Would you agree a National Strategy is necessary . Mr. Willis there has to be a National Strategy led by the federal government. There are significant needs that have been met, but we have a long way to go. Thee bring more density to Transportation System especially on the passenger side whether it , we will needion more equipment and a national, coordinated strategy has to be implemented. I appreciate you all for being here. Stay safe. Rosen. K you senator senator cap to, you have been senator, youo have been keeping a lonely vigil down there. I have. I did not want to go remote. Anecdotally, one thing we have touched on is the downturn in state revenue shortages when it comes to fuel tax, dmv fuel fees and other things and then the expenditures that are state dots have had to take on when it comes to making sure highway workers are safe. Those are the biggest employers of a state decides the department of education. It in west virginia, revenue on. Otor fuel is down 47 think about this as i ask my first question. As you lookn is over the last three months, are you looking for upturns . Downturns . That will be the last question i ask. I also want to put a plug in for the highway bill. I know the chairman has already plugged to that. Issue with ourn State Government to be able to move forward with this. Mr. Er bozzella bozzella, i spoke to a car manufacturer about this. They are worried about the supply chain, a different aspect than what senator rosen was talking about. They imply employ more than 500 people but they do not have the capital to provide the supplies for manufacturers as they expand manufacturing growth. Have you experienced that in the industry . Mr. Bozzella this is a big concern and i think it is a potential real challenge for a successful and safe getting to the industry. Two thirds of automotive employment is small and mediumsized businesses. They are not sufficiently capitalized right now. A focus on liquidity for small and mediumsized suppliers is critical. If we have a bit of an uptick, then a downturn, and we are forced to stop production again, this could be catastrophic. Thank you. A. Jeffries, do you have reply to my last question . The question being as you look over the three months, we think it is really bad now, it is going to get worse, is it . Is it not . Mr. Jeffries what i hope is the trough of rail traffic was a 25 yearoveryear decrease, we started seeing that number improved slightly. There will not be a dramatic spike, but given the number of auto parts we move, we are now at about a 60 . We have seen that number come up. That number is coming up in other places. Continue to increase. I will not call them green shoots, but we are consciously optimistic about that gradual increase. , i want to ask you that question, but i have another question about the implementation of the clean water act where some states have been overshooting their authorities and that has impacted pipelines. Can you give me more perspective on how the epas role will help your members . Mr. Oehler we are pleased to see it finalized. The investments we made, we have had a lot of discussions about infrastructure. The investments are members are making our own billiondollar billion plus investments. One thing we are seeing with this particular permit you are referencing was some agencies were delaying the permit longer than they would be able to under the statute, what the statute calls for. To some agencies were being expansive in terms of how they would apply that and not focus on the relatively narrow issues it is supposed to be around. We welcome environmental permitting. Tilte confident we can pipelines in an environmentally safe matter build pipelines in an environmentally safe manner. The demand for Transportation Services has persisted in our industry. There has been some softening in the energy markets. I am sure you have seen that in your own perhaps you have seen that in your own state. Yes, i have. Perhaps a little bit longer than three months out. Were hopeful the economy can ramp up to where it was and our job is to move energy to people who need it and so as the economy grows that demand for energy will come back and youll see us respond. Thank you. I think my times up. Thank you, senator caputo. Those who have signed up before the gavel are sinema, i believe i dont believe she is at the moat the remote facility right now. Are you there . Senator scott, are you there . Good. Senator scott, youre recognized. Thank you, mr. Chairman, for holding this meeting. I want to thank all of you for what you do and thank our industries for what theyre doing, especially during this time of crisis. My father was a truck driver, its a tough job. He was gone a lot. At that time, didnt pay much. Now, its gotten a lot better pay. So, what do you think the changes will be for people like my dad, the over the road truck driver Going Forward . How has their life changed and is there anything we ought to be doing to be able to improve how they do their jobs and what type wife they have . Thank you for your question, and thank your father for all serving our industry for such a long time there. Like so many of us, our families have been involved in trucking throughout our lifetimes. And your father, we thank him for driving a truck. As far as our industry Going Forward, infrastructure is critical for us, to be able to invest more in infrastructure, our congestion on the highways is certainly critical to the lives of the Truck Drivers on the road. We found with the pandemic, in surveys that weve taken, a lot of our bottle necks across the country might have been brought down through peak hours to as little as 10 to 15 miles an hour on average, is averaging almost at speed right now. So, i think that just reenforces the demand and need for investment in infrastructure Going Forward, and that would help Truck Drivers such as your father as far as the quality of life on the road. Congestion is certainly a big task of ours. And certainly, the protection of our Drivers Health and wellbeing on the road, with this pandemic and learning from these experiences here, and what can we do in the future to get equipment out to them as quick as possible as we are now. But assure that they got a good supply chain Going Forward with that type of issue Going Forward. Thanks. I think all of us would agree that we need to make the most of the infrastructure, its difficult. This year, were going to have close to 4 trillion deficit and 20 trillion in debt. Hard to continue to invest in the infrastructure. I did as governor. We have to figure out to get the budget under control and invest like when i was governor. In addition to infrastructure is there anything else that congress could be doing to make the life of over the road Truck Drivers better . As far as congress is concerned, one of the issues we ran across pandemic, is difficult. As we cross into state lines the inconsistencies of the requirements going in and out of those facilities. We also ran across the ability of just Restroom Facilities and fueling facilities as the pandemic hit early on. Being able to have a truck driver pull into a rest driver that was closed. Theres a big difference when you close all rest areas. We work with the state holders and state affiliates to try to help these things out. Certainly, i think we need alarm what weve done in last couple months and apply it to Going Forward into the future. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you, very, very much. Now, ive got senator tester, is he with us remotely . John, are you there . Ok. Well, let me it may be that senator blumenthal will be back in a moment. Let me ask this. Ok. Im told that senator duckworth is waiting, remotely. Im here, mr. Chairman. Youre recognized for five minutes. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I have long held belief building our infrastructure is much more sustainable mechanism in building our economy transportation investments will play a key role in rebuilding our economy relief for state and local governments, that are responsible for 75 of our infrastructure investments. I look forward to working with this community to develop meaningful legislation to invest in our Public Transportation and state networks while improving and promoting safety across all modes. But first, the senate must consider the house passed heroes act to reenforce state and local partners and build a bridge from crisis relief to economic recovery. Mr. Willis, it is good to see you again, even remotely, accessible but remote. My first question is for you and about the availability of covid19 testing for our essential workforce. I remember President Trump speaking at cdc headquarters just a couple months ago on march 7 and telling cameras, and i quote, anyone who wants a test can get a test. Thats our president speaking. As we all know, that was false. Three months later, it is still difficult for americans in many areas of the country to receive covid19 testing. Experts told congress we should be conducting 900,000 tests every single day to reopen the country safely but current capability is only onethird of that. Wednesday once a vaccine is developed, essential workers should have access to covid tests like our First Responders and most vulnerable neighbors. Mr. Willis, i appreciate you mentioning covid19 every Worker Protection act that senator baldwin also mentioned. I do want to share your frustration with oshas current pace on actions to protect workers. We can all applaud the department of transportations announcement last week to send out to 15,000 of the workforce and we had discussion today about trying to get the ppe. But im curious what essential workers are tell you about the availability of testing and the cost to them, as well as discussion of ppe. Can you discuss first the testing, how much is it costing people . Can they get it when they need it . Is it too expensive . And what going on with ppe . Thank you, senator. Look, Public Health officials and our members tell us that a key to getting this economy back up and running and Transportation Systems to full capacity is adequate testing. Thats not a cost to mourn on individual workers. We have a find a way for the government to aggressively come in and help fund it. You know, again, for transportation workers today, many of them, we are going to work, and we are being exposed. So, this isnt about just opening up the economy. We need to know if our members are safe to go into the workplaces every day and to protect themselves from their colors, from passengers, and to protect their families. You know, transportation agencies need to coordinate at the state and local level to find these tests and to get a steady supply chain. I talked about some of the issues that i think this president should be more in front of early in this crisis both on the testing and personal protective equipment. And i think this congress, through these hearings, but more importantly through legislation has to really hold their feet to the fire to lead both on testing and ppe. So, thank you for the question but more importantly for your leadership here. Its critical. Z thank you. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, every industry represented here today at one time or another has been to my office, yours as well, to share concerns about the states regulations. Yet the president s new testing plan for covid19 doubles down on his previous assertion it should be the responsibility of states and municipalities not the federal government to coordinate testing supplies and coordinate Contact Tracing efforts. Im thankful that our governors and mayors, especially Governor Pritzker and mayor lightfoot in illinois is standing up to federal leadership. Mr. Jeffries, is it easier or more complex to coordinate with each states municipality as they operate in testing and tracing efforts . Certainly easier when we operate with one federal guideline. Thank you. Mr. Gilliard, your members are spread across the nation and continually crisscross various jurisdictions. Are your members able to coordinate quickly on testing and tracing . I think it is an ongoing challenge. We are in support of more testing. In support of more just the health needs of the workers and crossing state lines makes it problematic to to be consistent in our service and our health with our employees. Thank you. Thank you. I think its clear the president s 50 state approach is not efficient or effective in our Transportation Industry as opposed to what we should be having, which is a unified federal effort. Im out of time. Thank you, mr. Chairman. And thank you, senator duckworth. Senator lee . Thank you very much, mr. Chairman. Thanks to all of you for joining us. Mr. Ohler, id like to start with you. During the global covid pandemic, we know that the oil and gas industry has been hit hard. And we also know that during that time your companies, americas Natural Gas Companies have been on the front lines , working hard to try to ensure that americans can have energy provided to their homes and so that our economy can continue to operate. But we also know that there is something of a shortage of pipelines in our country. Particularly in some parts of the country, including the northeastern United States and places like puerto rico. We could solve this problem, of course, by allowing ships to carry lng, along the u. S. Coast. The problem is, of course, the jones act. The jones act, which is about to celebrate its 100th birthday. Id say thats 100 birthdays too many for the jones act creates a significant problem here in particular. The jones act of course is this law that restricts shipping between u. S. Ports to only those vessels that are u. S. Built and u. S. Flagged and u. S. Crewed. Now, that might sound fine enough at the outset and maybe in some instances, there are some people who would be ok with it. I personally dont see any need for it anywhere. I think its a bad law. But no matter what, i think its ridiculous to make the jones act apply even in those areas, even in those marketplaces where there is no jones act compliant vessel, that its capable of carrying something, say, for example, lng. As a result of this, predictably u. S. Markets have had to turn to other sources where they would otherwise be able to turn to a u. S. Supplier, in many instances theyve had to import natural gas from foreign countries. Not just any for even countries but in many instances, its had to be countries that are our geopolitical adversaries, like russia and venezuela, rather than purchasing lng from american suppliers. So, my question for you is, in an unprecedented economic time, one in which americans are facing job losses and other significant economic and personal challenges, wouldnt it make sense for us to take steps to ensure that oil and Gas Companies can meet u. S. Demand before potentially forcing the u. S. Into the arms of geopolitical adversaries like russia and venezuela . Thank you for that question. I agree with what youre saying. I think all of us in this room spent a great deal of our careers in Public Policy thinking about the United States dependency on foreign countries. And in a very short period of time, weve been able to turn that around. Were now the world leader in energy production. You mentioned the northeast. Something that comes to my mind is we have one of the most prolific natural gas supply base basins in pennsylvania, which is a short drive from those northeastern states. And its a supply basin thats creating jobs. Its domestic production, very rigorious regulations surrounding that production, and then transportation. But sometimes it is difficult to get new Pipeline Capacity built in order for those reaches of the country that dont have that supply to take advantage of it and then theyre forced to turn to foreign suppliers or even fuel sources that are not as carbon friendly as natural gas es. That circumstance, in light of what you described, wouldnt a temporary waiver of the jones act at least allow Natural Gas Companies to be able to better access American Market thats are otherwise difficult or in some cases impossible to access due to the jones act or in some cases because of other infrastructure challenges . Senator, on this particular issue, the jones act, as an association, we have not looked at that and taken a position on it. We certainly have heard about it and heard the concerns that youve articulated today so what id like to do is talk to our members and get back to your office. That would be wonderful. And if youd like me to visit more with you or with any of your members, id be honored and pleased to do that. I think your organization, in particular, is one that really ought to focus on this and could be a voice of clarity here. Particularly, if were talking about this narrow area. Why on earth would we want to be strengthening the hands of oppressive regimes in russia and in venezuela . When we dont even have access to a single Jones Actcompliant vessel that could take care of these markets . Weve got an abundance of natural gas available in this very country. This is exactly the kind of crony capitalism that we should be on the lookout for. Maybe a hundred years ago, friday, when they passed this, maybe they had some ideas. I dont know what they were. I do believe those who were defending it to this day, especially in these extreme circumstances like what were describing here, are being disingenuous. And i think its time the American People understand its not just the american businesses that are being harmed. Its everyday consumers, and its everyday american citizens, whose safety and National Security is jeopardized by our shameless commitment to a crony capitalist legal regime. Thank you very much. Well, senator, i have to, here. As someone who strongly supports the jones act, we worry about foreign dependence, whether shipping or wherever else. We start to close down miritime maritime and flagging convenience to further dominate in this place. We dont supply good mariner job, when we need sea capacity in times of National Emergency those foreign crews i promise you will not be there. This hearing is about protecting promoting frontline workers. Theres no better way to do it than protecting, quite frankly expanding the Chandler Jones act. And on this 100th anniversary on friday will celebrate as a land mark celebration that many on this committee support. Thank you. How on earth could you justify, whether you think jones act is good idea, which it is not, how on earth can you justify the application of this law, forcing americans to buy natural gas from venezuela and russia when theres not a single jones act compliant vessel in the United States capable of carrying this commodity that we so badly need . How can you justify that. Senator that . Senator lee, were going to ask the witness to take that for the record and your eight minutes has expired. Senator blumenthal . Thank you, mr. Chairman. Before i begin my question, i just want to note that the burden of this pandemic has fallen with extraordinary weight on our surface Transportation System. We see it in northeast. The plummeting of Passenger Rail usage on lines like amtrak, on Commuter Rail like metro north, and strikingly, on the motor coach transportation companies. Im thinking of a company known as datco in new britain. These entities are struggling as they confront unprecedented financial and logistical hardships. On monday, amtrak resumed service on the northeast corridor. The only profitable, at least the most profitable for amtrak, and one of the busiest, our national Passenger Railroad, faces a 95 decline in ridership and ticket revenue and recently announced plans to cut its workforce by about onefifth in the next fiscal year. This kind of plummeting usage is a threat to our National Security, and likewise Commuter Rail services, metro north, for example, has seen a decline in revenue in ridership and theyre now grappling with the same logistical difficulties in the tristate area of new jersey, new york, and connecticut. And most of the 3,000 company thats make up the United States motor coach industry remain shuttered. Its nearly 100,000 employees are unemployed. And almost entire fleet of 36,000 busses. Thats 100,000 employees. 36,000 busses, all idle. And as i mentioned, theyre familyowned small multigeneration businesses that face a very uncertain future. So, i hope in one of the next hearings is, mr. Chairman, we hold on surface transportation and devote attention to the issues faced by these industries. Earlier today, i introduced the essential transportation employee safety act of 2020. I want to think Ranking Member cantwell and senator marquee for their support. Among other provisions, this bill would protect personal protective equipment and cleaning disinfectant and sanitation requirement for owners and operators of equipment for facilities use the by sanitation transportation and employers used in this Public Health crisis. And i want to thank the senators for their efforts on covid19 , every Worker Protection act of 2020, im proud to support that legislation, as well. We need to protect all of our workers, everyone who continues to be on the job during this pandemic from exposure to covid19, regardless of the industry, and frankly, the absence of direction of osha only heightens the urge ens urgency of this legislation. So let me ask you, mr. Willis, if i may. First of all, i couldnt agree more strong federal mandates are necessary to provide front line workers protections to keep them safe. Could you please expand on how the current pandemic affects your members and some of the onthejob challenge that they face . What is it like for them to go to work facing the shortages of this equipment and the other challenges that they have . Well, thank you, senator. You know, i would say that our members i dont like to use this word, but you know, theyre scared. Theyre scared to expose themselves. They want to know that more is being done to protect them and their families and theyre scared about their jobs, about the economic instability that weve already seen in these sectors of our economy and really, i think, challenging times ahead, that this congress has to respond to in a aggressive way. You mentioned the motor coach side. And it is has not been discussed yet today. And its an important one. We represent drivers at many of those companies. Not only on the inner city, but on commuter bus, on tour bus, in a number of cities. Theyve been essentially shut down. They are in need of specific assistance, and something i think this committee needs to seriously consider. So, we need to provide some safety assurances, some economic assurances to our members because, as i said, theyve got some real anxiety as they go to work every day. Thank you. Thank you very much to all of you for being here. And thanks for your leadership, mr. Willis. Thank you. Thank you, senator blumenthal. Let me ask this. Mr. Bazella, on may 12, representative walden and i sent a letter to the Automotive Industry asking how its using innovation in respond to the pandemic. Senators throone and peters, members of this committee, have been championing Autonomous Vehicle legislation, and ive tried to be supportive of that. The national highway traffic Safety Administration has highlighted some of the ways new innovations are being use in response to this covid crisis, including the use of automated driving systems to transport covid19 tests and ridehailing vehicles to transport essential goods such as medical supplies, mail and groceries. How do you see the covid19 pandemic effecting the Automotive Industry focus on Innovative Technologies in the future . Senator, mr. Chairman, there is a tremendous amount of innovation going on as a result of covid19. Behind me is a table filled with ventilators and respirators and other materials that Auto Industry responded with to the industry innovated to respond to the crisis. Looking forward, we see the types of innovation youre talking about, highly automotivive vehicles to do contactless delivery. Were already seeing that in california and other locations. Where . Where are we saying that . In certain industries. Already pilots under way for highly Automated Vehicle pilots under way. I think the committee can focus on creating a federal framework to allow for widespread testing and deployment of these vehicles as long as they can be determined to be safer than the vehicles that they replace. I think thats a really important effort for the committee and for the congress to take on because it does set up this innovative future that i think the pandemic speaks to right now. Anybody else want to jump in there . Yeah, let me just add, you know, weve been involved in. In the av discussion in front of this committee and i think that, you know, it is something to talk about. We should not, though, get in front of the real safety challenges that i think this Technology Still confronts, and, you know, if were going to move forward with pilots, if were going to move forward with early deployment of avs and highly Autonomous Vehicles, nis a has got to do a better job both as this technology is tested on our roads and again early deployment, you know, really making sure, getting in there that, again, these are safe technologies and quite frankly , theres also a worker, a job component here that i think we need to think a little bit more about before we get too far along. And mr. Willis, has that been problematic in california in places where pilots are already well underway and ongoing . You know, i think the ntsb has spoken of this on the crash that occurred in arizona. We would echo that there was, you know, really a lack of Regulatory Oversight by nitsa and quite frankly, in that situation, i think the company is doing better. But we have to see more robust, you know, real regulation here from nitsa before were comfortable with looking at these avpilots and testing schemes. Ok, well if anybody on the panel wants to elaborate on the record on the issue, please do so. Mr. Bazella, ive got two vehicles that have on star. I dont know what the various brand names are, but subscriptionbased communication systems. Someone told me yesterday, in getting ready for this hearing, that actually those systems amount to wifi hotspots. I mean, conceivably, if the remotest place of the country, i could take my books out to the car and have wifi there. Am i correct there . And is this a point that is even worth making . Would you comment to that . Yes, mr. Chairman. Its a great point and what were seeing during the pandemic is the use of these subscription Telematic Services and their embedded wifi to actually provide wifi hot spots, so, as students can continue to learn remotely. The telematics represents, these systems represent an enormous opportunity for more innovation here in the United States and frankly, leadership. And i think that in addition to to wifi hotspots, what youre seeing is automated emergency services, the vehicle can automatically notify First Responders in the case of a crash even if the driver is unable to do so. Saving, Ground Breaking technologies we are seeing brought to market and there are tens of millions of vehicles on the road with these technologies today. More and more every day. It is a fairly High Percentage of new vehicles now today. How costeffective is it . It provides Great Service to customers, talk about lifesaving services, automatic connections to First Responders, conveniences, navigation systems. I think its what people want lome talk about intelligent Transportation Systems and telematics and safety. Thank you very much if you would hold for a moment. Othert think we have any members who are in line and so i want to thank our witnesses, hearing theting, subject matter and it very interesting presentation. Exhibit in thee back of the room and i should have mentioned it. Those still in the room and many math many Staff Members are , welcome to encouraged to stop by the table on the way out and thank you for that. The hearing record will remain open for two weeks, during that time they are asked to submit any questions for the record. Upon receipt, the witnesses are requested to submit their written answers to the committee as soon as possible. Than wednesday, july 1, 2020. Thank you to the witnesses for appearing today and this hearing is now adjourned. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] , taking yourwhat calls live on air for the news of the day and policies that impact you. A conversation on Race Relations in the u. S. Following the death of george floyd with justice correspondent for the nation follow by robert woodson, founder and president of the woodson center. Watch washington journal live at 7 00 eastern this morning and be sure to join the discussion of the phone call. This morning, House Speaker nancy pelosi is leading a News Conference with members of the Congressional Black Caucus and Senate Democrats when Villages Police reform, racial profiling and equal justice. That is live at 10 30 a. M. Eastern on cspan. Edo app. T online radio app. The u. S. Senate plans to spend the week on the Great American outdoors act, legislation to establish a fund for maintenance of National Parks and other land. You can watch live coverage on cspan2. On capitol hill, the Senate Judiciary committee continued its review of the fbis russia probe considering subpoena authorization for documents and witnesses related to the investigation. A final vote authorization was postponed until this week, would members spent nearly two hours debating the issue. At one point the committee does vote on the nomination of Justin Walker to serve on the d. C. Circuit court of, sending his nomination for consideration at a time to be determined. Span. Enough to we have hold over the act and the judge for the fifth circuit. My colleagues,