With the nation in the grip of ongoing affordability challenges, Congress will soon consider whether to make everyday costs even more expensive by piling burdensome new rules onto America’s freight rail operators under the pretense of “safety.” The proposed new rail regulations tucked into much needed transportation program reauthorization would raise the cost of moving cargo from factories and ports to communities across the country. Those higher costs would ultimately be passed on to consumers through higher prices. The must-pass infrastructure package funds critical improvements to highways and bridges while shaping federal policy governing much of the nation’s transportation system. It could reach the House floor as soon as this month (April). Unfortunately, organized labor is seeking to use this essential legislation as a vehicle to hit businesses with new mandates that primarily benefit union membership without doing much for consumers and taxpayers. Additional regulations are the last thing companies need during this period of economic uncertainty, and Congress should block these efforts to impose new burdens on the industry. Nevertheless, a handful of Senators recently introduced the misnamed “Railway Safety Act.” Despite its reassuring name, the bill gives unions a massive windfall, imposes costly penalties, increases spending, and ironically would do little to meaningfully improve rail safety. More than three-dozen center-right organizations noted these concerns in a letter when the first iteration of the RSA was originally introduced back in 2023. The biggest problem with the RSA is a new government mandate requiring rail carriers operate trains with two crew members.…
