AAR to Biden-Harris: We ‘Stand Ready to Work’

With Biden now in the White House, several policy areas are of particular interest for the rail industry beyond economic recovery, AAR said, “including trade, climate change and modernizing U.S. transportation systems.”

Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in on Jan. 20 as the 46th President and the first woman Vice President of the United States, respectively. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) has extended its support.

AAR President and CEO Ian Jefferies released this statement:

“Congratulations to President Biden and Vice President Harris. Our new President and Vice President enter office with numerous complex challenges to address, with none more immediate than leading the country out of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic and enacting policies to enable full economic recovery. The nation’s railroads stand ready to work alongside the new Administration to meet these and other pressing national challenges—including sensible infrastructure policy—to move the country forward.” 

Biden has already gotten to work. On Jan. 14, he unveiled a $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan tackling the pandemic—including $20 billion for transit. To be introduced next month is his Build Back Recovery Plan, which will “make historic investments in infrastructure and manufacturing, innovation, research and development, and clean energy,” he said.

After the election, many rail associations, including AAR, welcomed the opportunity to work with Biden, his Administration and Congress—and help the industry, and the country, recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Among them: the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), Amtrak, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and the Railway Supply Institute (RSI).