Congressman Rick Crawford (R-AR) issued the following statement today regarding his recent trip to Memphis, Tennessee, with members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee’s Panel on 21st Century Freight Transportation, including Chairman John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-TN), Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and Reps. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Daniel Webster (R-FL), and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK). The Members toured facilities including the Port of Memphis and FedEx, and met with representatives of the Southern region’s freight transportation industry. This special panel has been tasked by T&I Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) with gathering information to address challenges faced by the U.S. freight industry for inclusion in future committee legislation.

“I was pleased to join my colleagues on the House Transportation and Infrastructure’s Panel on 21st Century Freight Transportation on a very productive trip, conducting several fact-finding tours and meetings that will allow the full Committee a better understanding on mounting challenges facing our nation’s freight transportation industry. My colleagues and I, along with Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA), are committed to a broad discussion of this issue involving stakeholders from all relevant industries as we craft policy affecting our nation’s infrastructure. I was pleased to host Lane Kidd, President of the Arkansas Trucking Association, Lorie Tudor, Assistant Chief Engineer at the Arkansas Highway Department, Mark Young, CEO of the Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce, and representatives from Nucor Steel at our meetings to contribute their unique expertise and Arkansas perspective on this issue.

“The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will continue to work toward improving and maintaining a thriving infrastructure system that promotes commerce and meets the needs of the public as well as private industry. I am pleased that Committee Chairman Shuster and Panel Chairman Duncan chose to visit the Memphis metropolitan area, including the town of West Memphis in my district, to highlight the important role freight transportation plays in the Southern heartland of America. Ultimately, a federal government saddled with crippling debt is the largest threat to sustaining a healthy system of roads and waterways that generate the economic activity to create jobs. My colleagues and I are committed to addressing these issues in a way that will lower the debt, create jobs and facilitate a thriving transportation system nationwide.

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