TCU Releases the Legislative Watch for the 111th Congress

The TCU Legislative Watch contains the end of session status of those bills in Congress we have an interest in and/or worked on throughout 2010.

The House, on Wednesday December 220d, passed a motion to adjourn the 111th Congress “Sine Die,” bringing to a close Democrats’ four-year majority in the lower chamber. The blitz of bill signings that took place completes a dramatic first two years for President Obama and the 111th Congress.

Senate Democrats and Republicans joined together to pass a string of major legislation, including an $858 billion tax relief and unemployment benefits package. Every time a bill to extend unemployment benefits came up we had to work closely with Congress and have them add Railroad Retirement into the bill. Also the social security 2% tax holiday for this year did not initially include Railroad Retirement or government workers. We succeeded in convincing the Senate to add Railroad Retirement tier I tax into the tax holiday provision of the bill. So we know we make a difference for our members with the various bills that affect us.

We also followed very closely any clean energy legislation that affect the use of coal. Twenty-five percent of the Class One Railroad’s business is related in some way to the transportation of coal. That is one in five railroad jobs that is tied to coal.

Click here
to read the TCU Legislative Watch.