Twenty-eight agricultural organizations, including the National Chicken Council, sent a letter to the House of Representatives yesterday to “strongly urge passage of multiyear surface transportation legislation” that would “provide adequate funding and greater certainty” for infrastructure projects currently in limbo. Highway funding has received short-term extensions more than 30 times on Capitol Hill, and critics point to the uncertainty as a contributing factor to the present state of America’s infrastructure.
The groups specifically requested that the hours-of-service rule be amended to permanently remove the 30-minute break after eight hours of service in order to avoid unnecessary discomfort for livestock and poultry. In addition, the groups requested that legislation address the following other areas:
- Positive Train Control
- Trucking Efficiency and Productivity
- Commercial Driver Access
- Motor Carrier Regulation
- Endorsements
- Covered Farm Vehicles
- Port Performance Data
- Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization/Rail Reform Legislation
In the letter, the groups also made the case that the cost of food could be directly affected by a more reliable transportation system. “A large portion of the consumer cost of food is directly attributable to the cost of transportation throughout the food supply chain,” the letter said. “Strong infrastructure, such as highways and bridges, are hugely important in keeping U.S. agriculture competitive and consumer food costs down.”
