Page 3 - 2020 Annual Report

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Supporting the Short Line Workforce in Congress

Working with Leadership to Understand the Impact and Needs of the Industry
Congressional action is most effective when guided by constituent input. ASLRRA spends considerable time
on members’ behalf ensuring that Congress deeply understands our needs and the impact of their decisions.
ASLRRA’s Government Affairs team and Legislative Policy Committee members addressed the following
Crystal Gitchell congratulates Representative Annie Kuster (D-NH, 2nd) important priorities in the final year of the 116th Congress:
on the introduction of HR 5947 - Invest in America Act, February 21, 2020.
Permanence for the 45G Tax Credit
There has not been a single more important legislative accomplishment for short lines than creating a permanent
path forward for industry investment that will elevate safety, spur growth, and provide continued outstanding
service to our shipper customers and our Class I partners. 45G became permanent with the passage of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, into law.

Influencing Congressional Action in 2020
• Providing Parity in Unemployment Benefits as part of COVID-19 relief legislation
• Ensuring CRISI, BUILD and other grant programs are funded, and remain accessible to short line railroads
• Preventing truck size and weight changes
• Defending the right of railroads to select crew size based on business need, rather than dictated by regulation
• Ensuring funding and support for the Short Line Safety Institute
The 45G Tax Credit, made permanent in December 2020, has allowed • Communicating Short Line needs in Transportation Reauthorization legislation
short lines to invest $5B since its inception in 2005 to rehabilitate rail
and bridges across the country.

Henry Posner III, Chairman, Iowa
Interstate Railroad shares an elbow Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) shares
bump and a preference for bow ties with insights with ASLRRA’s LPC Committee,
Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR, January 2020.
3rd).
COVID-19 restrictions did not prohibit short lines from telling their story to members of Congress. Many meetings were held via
Zoom and other online methods in 2020, while Railroad Day on the Hill was held in-person in early March, just before the world
went all virtual.

Railroad industry members meet with Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) at ASLRRA Annual Report 2020
Railroad Day on March 4, 2020 - one of 330 meetings held that day.