Freight rail adds to year-end legislative pileup

Presented by Delta Air Lines: Delivered every Monday by 10 a.m., Weekly Transportation examines the latest news in transportation and infrastructure politics and policy.

Nov 28, 2022 View in browser   By Alex Daugherty Presented by Delta Air Lines Quick fix — Congress is on the clock to address a potential freight rail strike that could begin on Dec. 9. — Air travel over Thanksgiving appeared to be relatively smooth. — The agreement to bring Amtrak back to the Gulf Coast is a secret, but the STB says it'll lead to a faster resumption of service than if the government were forced to step in. IT'S MONDAY: You're reading Morning Transportation, your Washington policy guide to everything that moves. As always, send tips, pitches, feedback and song lyrics to adaugherty@politico.com . You can find all of us on Twitter: @alextdaugherty, @TSnyderDC and @Oriana0214 . "You say you stand/By your man/Tell me something/I don't understand/You said you loved me/And that's a fact/And then you left me/Said you felt trapped."   A message from Delta Air Lines: At Delta Air Lines our people are our most worthy investment. That's why we are proud to be ranked No. 6 on Forbes' list of World's Best Employers for 2022. We provide industry leading benefits, because caring for our people empowers them to take care of you. Learn more at People & Culture | Delta News Hub   Driving the Day POST-HOLIDAY BLUES: Congress will return this week after the Thanksgiving holiday, and the lack of a contract agreement between four freight rail unions and the freight railroads will add to an already jam-packed year-end workload. In particular, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be heavily involved in any attempts to pass legislation that would prevent a nationwide freight rail shutdown starting as soon as Dec. 9. In reality, the deadline is even shorter because shipments of certain chemicals and hazardous materials will begin leaving the rails about five days before a strike could begin. Expect long-distance passenger trains to begin canceling journeys a couple of days in advance, while many commuter trains and other shipments will be sidelined starting Dec. 9 unless an agreement is reached. TIGHT TO THE VEST : So far, Democrats have said little about their preferred legislative path, preferring that both sides work it out themselves after a tentative contract agreement brokered by President Joe Biden was reached in September. But rank-and-file union members were angry with the railroads' sick leave policies and thought the deal didn't go far enough to address quality-of-life issues. The problem for Schumer and Pelosi in this case is that Capitol Hill's preferred option in situations like these — buying more time — runs into the problem of a GOP-controlled House starting in January. NO REAL ALTERNATIVE: There's also no alternative for shipping goods if the nation's freight rail network shuts down. There aren't enough trucks to pick up the slack for a shutdown that the railroads estimate would cost about $2 billion per day. Republicans are also hoping for a resolution without legislation, but say they will pursue implementing a Biden-appointed board's recommendations if an agreement is not reached. Those recommendations made public earlier this year did not address the quality-of-life issues and the unions see them as a step back compared with the tentative agreement reached in September. Aviation SMOOTH SAILING: The vast majority of Thanksgiving air travelers had a smooth experience after DOT and lawmakers were keeping close tabs on the airlines during the busy travel season. DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg tweeted throughout the weekend that flight cancellation rates were well below 1 percent, and cancellations remained low throughout the day on Sunday. Lawmakers are questioning why Congress' $50 billion in federal pandemic relief didn't leave the airlines better prepared for the sharp bounce-back in travel demand, particularly over the summer.   GO INSIDE THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT: POLITICO is featuring a special edition of our "Future Pulse" newsletter at the 2022 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit from Dec. 6 to 8. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of health industry leaders and innovators solving the biggest global health issues to ensure a healthier, more resilient future for all. SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE .     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. Rail DETAILS A SECRET : The return of Amtrak service to the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., is definitely happening, though details about the arrangement agreed to last week are confidential because the freight railroads and Amtrak chose to settle before the Surface Transportation Board was scheduled to vote on the issue in December. But STB Chair Martin Oberman said that the settlement will lead to passenger trains on the rails faster than if the STB was forced to formally settle the dispute. "The settlement of this case will hasten the return of passenger rail operations in the Gulf," Oberman said in a statement. "This will result in a substantial public benefit by providing a public transportation option for Gulf Coast residents and visitors alike and will have a very positive impact on the economy of the region. I look forward to the parties informing us of the specific infrastructure improvements that will be made to the rail network as a result of the settlement."   A message from Delta Air Lines:   Automobiles WHEN FLORIDA IS NO LONGER A SWING STATE: The Treasury Department granted permission to Chevron to produce and export oil from Venezuela following the country's decision to restart talks with opposition groups, Matt Daily reports . The move could add supply to the global oil market, which may ease fuel prices and speed the declines in U.S. gas prices that have been a political burden for President Joe Biden since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. POLITICAL CARROT : A senior administration official said the easing of sanctions was not driven by the oil market pressures and was instead a response to the Venezuelan regime's decision this week to participate in the negotiations with opposition groups. Those talks, which were originally launched in Mexico City in September 2021, are expected to focus on humanitarian programs and setting future elections. "This action is not being taken in response to energy prices, this is a limited license. As we have said in the past, this is about the regime taking the steps needed to support the restoration of democracy in Venezuela," the official said. VIEW FROM THE HILL : Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, welcomed the move but warned Caracas to live up to its new promises. Menendez said if President Nicolas Maduro uses the talks "to buy time to further consolidate his criminal dictatorship, the United States and our international partners must snap back the full force of our sanctions that brought his regime to the negotiating table in the first place."   POLITICO APP USERS: UPGRADE YOUR APP BY DECEMBER 19! We recently upgraded the POLITICO app with a fresh look and improved features for easier access to POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Starting December 19, users will no longer have access to the previous version of the app. Update your app today to stay on top of essential political news, insights, and analysis from the best journalists in the business. UPDATE iOS APP – UPDATE ANDROID APP .     The Autobahn — "A rail strike won't screw up your holidays. Here's how it'll affect you in other ways." CNN . — "For Dulles Airport, Silver Line extension comes as airport begins makeover." The Washington Post . — "Preparing for the next hurricane season should start now with supply chain resiliency." South Florida Sun-Sentinel .   A message from Delta Air Lines: At Delta Air Lines our people are our most worthy investment. That's why we are proud to be ranked No. 6 on Forbes' list of World's Best Employers for 2022. We provide industry leading benefits, because caring for our people empowers them to take care of you. Learn more at People & Culture | Delta News Hub     Follow us on Twitter Kathryn Wolfe @kathrynwolfe Alex Daugherty @alextdaugherty Oriana Pawlyk @Oriana0214 Tanya Snyder @tsnyderdc   Follow us

To change your alert settings, please log in at https://www.politico.com/_login?base=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com/settings This email was sent to rouf@idiot.cloudns.cc by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA Please click here and follow the steps to unsubscribe.