TTD in the news

[By Keith Laing of The Hill]   The largest collection of unions that represents transportation workers is urging President Obama to go big on their industries in his State of the Union address on Tuesday. “The president has a chance tomorrow night to make the case for rebuilding our nation, beginning with the expansion of […]

[As posted by Kathryn Wolfe in Politico] Most transportation policy-watchers expect President Barack Obama to offer up a comment on infrastructure during his State of the Union speech — just not much of one. One transportation lobbyist says the president will mention infrastructure “in passing. It seems to be a fairly consistent theme. The big […]

[By Larry Ehl of Transportation Issues Daily] USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood will be a tough act to follow. Image – Jonathon Maus, BikePortland. Here are excerpts of reaction from all corners of the transportation industry to USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood’s resignation announcement. President Obama: “As Secretary of Transportation, he has fought to create jobs and […]

[By Keith Laing of The Hill] Transportation unions are urging President Obama to appoint a staunch defender of federal road and transit funding to replace outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. LaHood announced he was retiring this week, forgoing a second term and setting off a scramble among observers to figure out who might replace him […]

[By Nathan Hurst, CQ Roll Call] Organized labor is rallying in opposition to Republican Sen. Jim DeMint’s continued hold on confirmation of the Federal Aviation Administration’s top official. The conservative South Carolina senator initially blocked action on the nomination of Michael P. Huerta, currently the acting FAA administrator, saying he wanted to preserve the opportunity […]

[By Keith Laing in The Hill]   House Republicans will hold new hearings next week on Amtrak, which Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) is targeting for funding cuts despite recent record ridership numbers.The hearings are part of a year-long effort by Mica designed to prove Amtrak’s nearly $1 billion federal subsidy is a waste […]

[By Keith Laing of The Hill] President Obama’s reelection is likely to ensure efforts to privatize Amtrak service and cut transportation funding will be unsuccessful. Unsuccessful Republican nominee Mitt Romney had repeatedly pledged to eliminate government funding for Amtrak, and GOP vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) budget would have limited transportation funding to […]

[By Jen DiMascio and Madhu Unnikrishnan in Aviation Week & Space Technology] A bruising battle over a multi-year aviation policy bill may have settled a fight over how airline workers organize, but new fights over the rights of workers to form unions are on the horizon, as the presidential election is proving to be a […]

[By Keith Laing of The Hill] Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s election would cause flights to be delayed and a planned upgrade of the national aviation system to be grounded, the AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department said Thursday. The union, which has endorsed President Obama’s bid for reelection, said Romney’s budget plans would lead to the […]

[By Politico Pro Transport reporters in September:  Kathryn Wolfe, Jessica Myers, Adam Snider and Burgess Everett] Sept. 13, 2012 WHITE HOUSE FORUM: Top transportation leaders, including Secretary Ray LaHood and FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff, huddled yesterday for a White House forum on job creation and transit’s impact on communities. AFL-CIO TTD’s Ed Wytkind was at […]