| | | | |  | | By Alex Daugherty | Presented by Freight Rail Works | With help from Oriana Pawlyk
| | | — A mostly symbolic ban on Russian ships in U.S. waters could be coming, but some members of Congress want to seize ships that are already here. — The trucker convoy made it to D.C., sort of, and members' goals are ambiguous. — New drone rules would make it easier for unmanned aircraft to fly with GPS and AI assistance. IT'S MONDAY: You're reading Morning Transportation, your Washington policy guide to everything that moves. Send tips, pitches, feedback and song lyrics to us at adaugherty@politico.com, tsnyder@politico.com and opawlyk@politico.com. You can also find us on Twitter: @alextdaugherty,@TSnyderDC and @Oriana0214. "Roll on highway, roll on along/Roll on, Daddy, 'til you get back home/Roll on family, roll on crew/Roll on, Mama, like I asked you to do/And roll on, eighteen-wheeler, roll on"
| | | | A message from Freight Rail Works: In times of recovery, America needs a transportation network that can keep goods moving, help businesses prosper and remain responsive to changing customer needs. Not only does freight rail invest $25 billion annually to provide U.S. businesses with safe, reliable service. Today's rail shipping rates are 44% lower than in 1981, which keeps U.S. businesses competitive. See how railroads are helping America get back on track. | | | | | | MOSTLY SYMBOLIC: The White House is considering barring Russian-flagged ships from entering U.S. ports and waterways, after Canada imposed similar restrictions last week , but Russian ships aren't a major player in the international shipping world. Zero Russian companies are part of the World Shipping Council, a trade association that includes more than 90 percent of the container shipping market. And while tankers would still be able to carry Russian oil to U.S. ports, most of those ships are not Russian-flagged. SEIZURES COMING? Rep. Don Young (R-Ak.) has a bill moving through Congress that goes a step further. Young's Bringing Oligarch Accountability Through Seizure (BOATS) Act, H.R. 6890 (117), would authorize the seizure of Russian-flagged and Russian-owned yachts and commercial vessels currently within the waters of the United States. Young's bipartisan bill was included in the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act, H.R. 6865 (117), which advanced through the House Transportation Committee last week. GET IN, GET OUT: While Russian planes have been banned from U.S. skies from nearly a week, Daniel Lippman reports that a Russian plane was given permission to enter U.S. airspace on Saturday to pick up 13 expelled Russian diplomats. The plane, an Ilyushin Il-96, left Moscow en route to St. Petersburg on Friday night and arrived at Dulles on Saturday afternoon. It landed back in Russia around 5:30 a.m. on Monday. "The U.S. government approved a flight chartered by the Russian government to facilitate the departure of Russian UN Mission personnel who were expelled for abuse of their privileges of residence," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to POLITICO. GAS SPIKING: Russia's invasion of Ukraine is continuing to make the price of gas skyrocket.-- The nationwide average price for a gallon of gas is now greater than $4, according to AAA, with average prices in California clocking in at a whopping $5.29 per gallon.
| | | | HAPPENING TUESDAY, INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION ON THE WOMEN IN AFGHANISTAN: Join Women Rule editor Elizabeth Ralph for a panel discussion on the future for Afghan women. Guests include Hawa Haidari, a member of the Female Tactical Platoon; Cindy McCain, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture; Roya Rahmani, Afghanistan's first female ambassador to the U.S.; and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). Learn how female Afghan veterans are planning their futures, what the women still in Afghanistan face, and what the U.S. can do to help. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories.
| | | OCCUPY … HAGERSTOWN? The sole truck convoy that made it to the D.C. region spent the weekend 80 miles from Washington, hanging out at a dirt track in Hagerstown, Md. The "People's Convoy" said its trucks were not going to enter Washington, but are planning to circle the D.C. beltway (which technically enters Washington for about 400 feet over the Potomac River, if you're a geography nerd like your MT host). "We don't want to shut D.C. down," convoy organizer Brian Brase told reporters. "We're not anti-vaxxers. We're not. We just want freedom. ... We just want the choice. So tomorrow is basically a show of just how big we are and how serious we are." SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT? The convoy's goals are unclear, with participants calling for an end to Covid "mandates" which in many cases and locales have already been lifted. National Guard units continue to be stationed around D.C., along with police from around the country, even though a fence around the U.S. Capitol was removed shortly after Tuesday's State of the Union speech.
| | | | A message from Freight Rail Works:   | | | | | | UP, UP AND AWAY: After forming its charter group in 2021, the FAA's beyond visual line of sight rulemaking committee has finally given the FAA its formal safety and environmental proposals for operators flying their drones outside the pilot's normal visual range, the drone industry group Small UAV Coalition announced Friday. Drone operators currently need to request waivers from the FAA to initiate BVLOS flights over longer distances. "This rulemaking is the key to unlocking the tremendous potential for and benefits of drone operations, including delivery and inspection, as well as assistance to search and rescue, firefighting, and other emergency needs," Small UAV Coalition said in a statement. UNMANNED AND UNBOTHERED: BVLOS rule reform also has the potential to open the door to more automation — with GPS coordinate and/or AI systems guiding rones toward their destination, in addition to their pilots' instructions. Allowing BVLOS flights to become more widespread is is one of many steps the FAA is considering as the agency moves to integrate drones into the airspace.
| | | CONSTRUCTION JOBS ARE BACK: T he construction industry added 60,000 jobs on net in February, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall, the industry has recovered 99 percent of the jobs lost during earlier stages of the pandemic. But ABC has said new projects funded by the infrastructure law will require additional hiring in the construction industry, which is disproportionately staffed by older workers now nearing retirement.
| | | | DON'T MISS POLITICO'S INAUGURAL HEALTH CARE SUMMIT ON 3/31: Join POLITICO for a discussion with health care providers, policymakers, federal regulators, patient representatives, and industry leaders to better understand the latest policy and industry solutions in place as we enter year three of the pandemic. Panelists will discuss the latest proposals to overcome long-standing health care challenges in the U.S., such as expanding access to care, affordability, and prescription drug prices. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | | Wayne Monteith, the FAA's associate administrator for commercial space travel transportation, will retire at the end of March. Monteith served in the U.S. Air Force before joining the FAA and overseeing the rapid growth of commercial space travel, with more than 400 FAA-licensed space launches occurring under his watch. He also reorganized the commercial space travel office to provide licenses that allowed the space tourism industry to grow. Brook Taylor is now vice president, government relations and strategic partnerships for EV maker VinFast. Taylor previously managed regulatory affairs at Mercedes-Benz and also served as deputy director for business and economic development under California Gov. Jerry Brown.
| | | | A message from Freight Rail Works: Alleviating an extraordinary supply chain crisis requires an extraordinary transportation network—like America's freight railroads. The dedicated employees of America's freight railroads are working 24/7 to find powerful solutions to maximize efficiency and reliability. Learn more about how railroads are creating an unbreakable link between manufacturers, retailers and other critical rail customers. | | | | | | — "Amtrak crash trial leads to not guilty verdict for Brandon Bostian." Philadelphia Inquirer. — "A History of the Secretary's Ability to Approve (or Disapprove) Highway Projects." Eno Center for Transportation. — "If you've rented a car from Hertz, there could be a warrant out for your arrest." USA Today. — "Zelenskyy's emotional, direct Zoom plea to Congress: No-fly zone, Russian oil ban, more military aid." POLITICO. — "As workers make fewer office trips, commuter rail systems struggle to fill empty seats." Washington Post. — "Amtrak suspends service between DC, Philadelphia after coal freight train derails in Harford County." Baltimore Sun. Did we miss an event? Let MT know at transpocalendar@politicopro.com. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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