The White House announced plans on Friday to appoint Patrick Fuchs, a current Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee staff member, to serve a five-year term on the Surface Transportation Board (STB).
Fuchs previously served as a policy analyst Presidential Management Fellow at the Office of Management and Budget, overseeing railroad and maritime regulatory reviews. Fuchs has had a hand in developing and enacting railroad legislation dating back to the creation of the STB in 1996.
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-SD), the chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, applauded Fuchs’ nomination to the STB.
“While I will miss Patrick and his expertise at the Commerce Committee, I am excited for him to have this opportunity to serve on the Surface Transportation Board,” Hoeven said. “Railroads and their customers will benefit from his sense of fairness and his talent that we utilized over the past three years at the Commerce Committee to help pass legislation reauthorizing passenger railroad service, making resources available to improve safety and reforming the Surface Transportation Board. Once the committee receives the formal nomination and other required submissions, I expect we will move quickly to convene a confirmation hearing.”
As on the STB’s five members, Fuchs would help oversee railroad mergers, rates, service, line acquisitions, rail-line construction, line abandonment, and additional rail issues.