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October 1, 1999 10:25 AM, EDT

WASHINGTON — Despite stiff opposition from rail labor organizations and farm-state senators, the Senate Commerce Committee voted Sept. 30 to confirm Linda J. Morgan to a second five-year term as chairman of the Surface Transportation Board.

The committee also approved the nomination of Stephen D. Van Beek to be associate deputy secretary and director of the Office of Intermodalism at the Department of Transportation and Michael Frazier to be assistant secretary for government affairs at DOT. No date was set for action by the full Senate, but committee aides predicted a prompt vote.

At a hearing two days before the Senate confirmation, Morgan was grilled by Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), who made it clear he would “prefer to see someone else as chairman.”

Rockefeller is upset by what he termed “outrageous behavior” by railroads in not addressing concerns of captive shippers and the lack of progress in passing legislation that would give the STB more power to protect shipper interests.

For the full story, see the Oct. 4 print edition of Transport Topics. .