WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, issued the following statement on the Senate confirmation of Patrick Fuchs to the Surface Transportation Board (STB):

“I congratulate Patrick on his confirmation to serve on the Surface Transportation Board,” said Thune. “His knowledge and expertise as a member of the Commerce Committee staff has been a vital asset over the past four years. I wish him the best of luck and look forward to working with him in his new role.”

Patrick Fuchs currently serves as a senior professional staffer on the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation & Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security and has been with the committee since January 2015, prior to that he was with the White House Office of Management and Budget.  

The STB is the independent federal regulatory body responsible for economic oversight of the nation's freight rail system. Run by a five-member bipartisan board serving five-year terms, the STB has regulatory jurisdiction over railroad rates, mergers, service, line acquisitions, new rail-line construction, line abandonment, and other rail issues. The STB was created by Congress in 1996 as the successor to the Interstate Commerce Commission.