Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
February 3, 2023
Transportation and infrastructure are used by everyone – people traveling to work or vacation, grains and parts transported by train, cargo by plane, or goods driven across the country by a semi-truck.
The COVID-19 pandemic aggravated delays and gaps in our supply chain system. Suddenly, Americans couldn’t get their goods in a timely manner. Christmas presents were delayed for weeks, Amazon packages weren’t delivered on time, store shelves were empty for more reasons than one.
When I came to Congress in 2019, the last thing I expected was a global pandemic. When these problems arose during and after the pandemic, I knew Congress should act. I partnered with Rep. John Garamendi to pass the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, addressing delays at ports across the country. We have seen progress from ocean carriers after passage of OSRA, but more kinks in the supply chain have been discovered.
The T&I Committee had our first hearing this week on the State of the Supply Chain. When seeing and hearing problems faced by our nation’s truck drivers – an 80,000-truck driver shortage, an aging truck driver population, and not enough parking spaces for each semitruck on the road – I introduced the SHIP IT Act with Rep. Jim Costa to address these concerns. The bill increases safety and shipping capacity for truckers; provides recruitment and retention incentives for drivers; and includes flexibility during times of emergencies or black swan events.
Maintaining our infrastructure is critical to keep our economy going and growing. This is my second term on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and I’m ready to keep improving our supply chain. I’m on the Subcommittees on Aviation; Highways and Transit; Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, which increases my ability to be a leader on supply chain issues for each of these modes of transport.
No one likes empty shelves, roads covered in potholes, or delayed packages, and out-of-date regulations aren’t keeping up with technology and innovation. The three subcommittees I am on will allow me to keep working on behalf of South Dakota to deliver results that keep our supply chains moving.
Johnson in Wednesday’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Hearing
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