WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has bolstered its lobbyist efforts on Capitol Hill to support its effort to merge with Norfolk Southern.
Politico reports the railroad has hired a team from the firm of Squire Patton Boggs led by former U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), who spent 18 years in the House, including six as chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, before retiring in 2019. Shuster will provide “strategic advocacy in support of creation of America’s first transcontinental railroad,” according to a filing quoted by the news site. Others involved in the effort are Tommy Andrews, a special assistant for legislative affairs during President Trump’s first term; former Shuster aid Rebekah Sungala, and David Schnittger, a former aid to Rep. John Boehner.
Shuster has previously lobbied for the Association of American Railroads. A UP representative told Politico the hiring is part of “efforts to educate all stakeholdres about the merger.”
UP spent $3.04 million on lobbying in 2024, according to the website Open Secrets, which tracks political spending. It has spent $1.95 million so far this year. Norfolk Southern, which spent $2.14 million in 2024, has spent $1.29 million so far this year.
