[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16707-16708]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         FEINBERG CONFIRMATION

  Mr. MANCHIN. I come to the floor to speak on behalf of the Acting 
Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, who is no longer 
acting but now our Administrator and my friend, Sarah Feinberg.
  As a native West Virginian, she has the same pragmatic approach to 
problem solving that we see among our congressional delegation every 
day. When it comes to politics in West Virginia, it really doesn't 
matter whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. What matters is if 
you can get the job done.
  During my time in the State legislature, Sarah's father, Lee 
Feinberg, and I served together. At that time Lee was head of the West 
Virginia Governmental Ethics Commission, and he instilled in her the 
same sense of moral responsibility that also led him into public 
service. Today she sits before the Senate, seeking to continue in 
public service as the Administrator of the Federal Railroad 
Administration, and I am so pleased this has happened.
  Over the past 9 months, I believe she has proved herself to be an 
effective and engaged leader with the courage to make tough decisions 
and the character to accept the criticism they often incite. She was 
baptized by fire after being appointed to this position on January 9 of 
this year and leading the agency's response to five major incidents 
within her first 60 days at the helm.
  On February 3, six people were killed when a commuter train hit an 
SUV at a grade crossing in Valhalla, NY. On February 4, 14 tank cars 
carrying ethanol derailed just north of Dubuque, IA. Three of them 
caught fire. On February 16, 27 tank cars derailed outside Mount 
Carbon, WV, releasing 378,000 gallons of crude oil and igniting a fire 
that destroyed a nearby house. On February 24, a commuter train in 
Oxnard, CA, hit a tractor-trailer at a grade crossing and jumped the 
tracks. On March 6, 21 cars derailed outside of Galena, IL, near the 
border with Wisconsin, and five of them caught fire.

[[Page 16708]]

  I am a firm believer that elected officials need to be on the ground 
in emergency situations, supporting first responders and assisting 
those in need, and I was impressed by Ms. Feinberg's response to the 
Mount Carbon derailment in West Virginia, which I witnessed firsthand. 
Five weeks into her new job, she executed an efficient and effective 
Federal response that was one of the best I have ever seen in my 
experience as an elected official and a public servant.
  There are a lot of smart policy people here in Washington, DC, but 
the best policy in the world will not mean a thing if it doesn't 
translate into anything in the real word. Sarah's response to the Mount 
Carbon accident showed me that she understood that, and that gave me 
faith in her ability not just to lead but to listen to the people we 
are here to serve.
  Over the past 10 years, the increase in domestic energy production 
has been an engine of economic growth. The Energy Information 
Administration predicts that growth will continue through 2020. From 
2009 until 2014, crude oil production in the United States increased by 
more than 62 percent--up from 5.35 million barrels per day in 2009 to 
8.68 million barrels a day in 2014--and the majority of this product is 
moving by rail.
  In 2008, our railroads moved a meager a 9,500 tank cars carrying 
crude oil. Last year, that number grew to 500,000 tank cars--a 5,000-
percent increase. That is unbelievable.
  Unprecedented new challenges come along with the new economic 
opportunities presented by the growth in domestic energy production, 
and Ms. Feinberg's experience makes her uniquely qualified to lead the 
FRA through this transition. As Chief of Staff to Secretary Foxx, she 
helped the Department of Transportation develop a holistic strategy to 
improve the safety and security of crude by rail that required 
coordination between multiple administrations within the Department.
  The tough new tank car safety regulations that were finalized in May 
were dependent on close collaboration between the FRA and the Pipeline 
and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Sarah's experience in 
the Secretary's office and her existing relationships throughout the 
Department allow her to cut through redtape and get the right people in 
the room to get the job done.
  While the new rules do not solve every problem, they represent a 
major step in the right direction. They satisfy all or part of 10 
outstanding National Transportation Safety Board recommendations, 
including all 4 recommendations that were made in April of this year.
  Since taking the helm at the FRA earlier this year, I have been very 
much impressed with Ms. Feinberg's willingness to tackle difficult 
issues and engage stakeholders about realistic solutions. In May, she 
convened a positive train control task force to try to identify 
opportunities for the FRA to help railroads meet their 2015 deadline 
and become a real part in this process. I think her proactive approach 
to problem-solving will be an asset to the FRA and the entire 
Department of Transportation.
  I thank Chairman Thune and Ranking Member Nelson for moving her 
nomination through the committee yesterday on a strong bipartisan vote 
of 19 to 1. I want to thank all my colleagues for not only nominating 
Sarah but confirming her today. I think she will be a great asset to 
our country and do us all proud.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I will take my time now. I know my friend 
wanted to have a little time, so I will yield to Senator Inhofe.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma.

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