Arlington, VA – Today, FMI - The Food Industry Association welcomed the commitment from Congressional leaders to pass legislation that would prevent a rail shutdown from occurring on December 9 after rail stakeholders failed to reach consensus in recent weeks.  

FMI Chief Public Policy Officer Jennifer Hatcher stated, “Freight rail networks play a critical role in our nation’s food and consumer goods supply chain, transporting raw materials to manufacturing and processing plants that ultimately produce many of the goods sold on grocery store shelves. As we head into the busiest shopping season of the year, Congress must act now to keep our railroads operational. We are encouraged that leaders in the House and Senate have signaled their commitment to passing legislation to avert a rail shutdown, and we strongly urge lawmakers in both chambers to swiftly approve the bill in bipartisan fashion.”   

Hatcher continued, “A potential rail closure would have significant ramifications for our economy as well as the food industry’s ability to operate as efficiently as possible to meet consumer demand. As we are in the midst of the busy holiday season, American consumers and businesses cannot afford to have our economy shut down."