Four Amtrak board nominees to be questioned at Senate hearing

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee will hold a confirmation hearing tomorrow (Wednesday, Sept. 11) for four nominees to the Amtrak board of directors.

The hearing will take place in Room 253 of the Russell Office building and will be live-streamed on the committee’s website starting at 10 a.m. Eastern. Written testimony from the participants will be added after the hearing is underway.

The four nominees to be considered for confirmation are:

• Ron Batory, who served as Federal Railroad Administration administrator in the Trump Administration. Currently living in New Mexico, he formerly led the Belt Railway of Chicago and Conrail Shared Assets as president.
• Elaine Clegg, CEO of Boise, Idaho’s, Valley Regional Transit and a city council member for 20 years in that city.
• David Capozzi, a Maryland-based advocate for the disabled community.
• Samuel Latham, a labor leader from Delaware.

The nominations of Batory, a Republican, and Clegg, a Democrat, were advanced by President Biden this year [see “Biden to nominate FRA head Batory, Idaho transit official Clegg for Amtrak board,” News Wire, May 2, 2024]. Their nominations fulfill the requirements to represent areas served by long-distance trains. Capozzi and Lathem were first nominated in 2022.

Though the Senate confirmed current Amtrak board chairman Anthony Coscia, as well as Normal, Ill., Mayor Chris Koos, and former Department of Transportation official Joel Szabat in January [see “Senate confirms three nominees for the Amtrak board,” News Wire Jan. 24, 2024], senators from both parties held up confirmations of Capozzi and Lathem, both residing in the Northeast Corridor, until the geographical balance issue was resolved with the Batory and Clegg nominations.

What will be interesting to watch is how much Amtrak’s current operational and capacity challenges will enter into the questioning by Chairman Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Ranking Member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and other committee members.