Trump Nominates STB Board Member Following RCC Push
July 9, 2018
President Trump has nominated Martin Oberman, a Chicago attorney and rail industry veteran, to serve as a Democratic member on the five-member Surface Transportation Board (STB), the independent agency that adjudicates railroad and common carrier unreasonable rate and service disputes and reviews railroad mergers.
The nomination follows a letter late last month from the Rail Customer Coalition (RCC) to President Trump, requesting action on Mr. Oberman’s nomination. ILMA was a signatory to the letter.
President Trump previously nominated, and the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously approved, Republicans Patrick Fuchs and Michelle Schultz as STB members. Senate Democrats had been blocking floor action on their nominations, insisting that the Senate should confirm the one Democrat seat and two Republican seats as a “package.”
“It is imperative that we have a fully-staffed STB committed to moving forward on freight rail policy reforms that will streamline overly burdensome regulatory procedures and promote greater competition in the rail sector,” the RCC to the president stated in pushing the Oberman nomination.