Washington, D.C. – In his opening statement at today’s Senate Commerce Committee nominations hearing for the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and Amtrak Board of Directors, Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) discussed his support for Lanhee?Chen’s nomination to the Amtrak board. Sen. Cruz also discussed the importance of the FMC in protecting both American consumers and shippers and the NTSB’s critical role in promoting transportation safety following accidents.

Here are Sen. Cruz’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

“Thank you, Chair Cantwell. Today, we will hear from nominees to the Amtrak Board of Directors, the Federal Maritime Commission, and the National Transportation Safety Board or NTSB.

“The nominee to the Amtrak Board is?Lanhee?Chen. Mr.?Chen received his J.D. and PhD from Harvard and has deep experience in business, financial management, and policy. In addition to serving on the boards of both private companies and nonprofits, he was nominated and confirmed by voice vote to the Social Security Advisory Board in 2014.

“Mr. Chen would be a strong addition to the Amtrak Board—having a director with his acumen is particularly important as Amtrak examines service expansions and struggles to manage major capital projects effectively. I look forward to hearing more about his qualifications for this important post from Senator Romney, his former boss, who will be formally introducing him this morning.

“Federal Maritime Commissioner Carl Bentzel will also appear before us today. Mr. Bentzel has been nominated for a second term on the Federal Maritime Commission or FMC. The FMC is the federal agency charged with ensuring ocean transportation is competitive and abides by the Shipping Act, protecting both American consumers and shippers.

“Last Congress, Senators Thune and Klobuchar worked on legislation to reauthorize the FMC, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022. I look forward to hearing from Mr. Bentzel on the Commission’s progress implementing that legislation as well as his views on what may be next for the FMC.

“Mr. Bentzel’s confirmation hearing is timely as the U.S. teeters on the brink of the first union strike among East and Gulf Coast ports since 1977. As usual, the Biden-Harris administration seems to have been caught unaware of the potential for a strike and has shown no leadership in bringing the parties together to negotiate a deal and prevent a strike.

“Let’s be clear about the potential consequences of a strike: a JP Morgan analysis quoted in the New York Times yesterday projected that a port strike could cost the American economy five billion dollars per day.

“While the FMC will not have a role in the negotiations themselves, the Commission issued a notice on Monday that it will continue to monitor transportation stakeholder practices for any violations of the Shipping Act as transportation providers and shippers look to move their goods.

“Finally, we will hear from Thomas Chapman, who has been nominated for a second term on the NTSB. The NTSB investigates transportation accidents and other incidents to identify their causes and recommend safety improvements to prevent similar incidents in the future. The NTSB is not a regulator and has no power to mandate adoption of its recommendations.

“But because of the NTSB’s reputation for thorough and accurate investigations, the results of its investigations are well regarded around the world, and agencies and companies often implement NTSB recommendations voluntarily. The NTSB also provides valuable information for Congress and federal agencies to consider when developing transportation policy.

“Mr. Chapman has many years of experience working on aviation issues, including as staff to this very committee. During his first term at the NTSB, Mr. Chapman increased his attention on roadway safety and recommended several changes to traffic policy. I agree that roadway safety is an important priority—according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration there were almost 41,000 motor vehicle traffic fatalities last year. I look forward to hearing from Mr. Chapman on how we might reduce those numbers without burdensome regulations or reducing consumer choice.

“Thank you, Madam Chair.”

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