Union Pacific Turns to Former House Transportation Chair as Merger Battle Heats Up

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Why It Matters

Union Pacific is in the middle of a regulatory process that could reshape American freight rail for decades. The company's proposed $85 billion merger with Norfolk Southern — which would create the first coast-to-coast freight railroad in U.S. history — was rejected by the Surface Transportation Board in January 2026 as incomplete. The companies notified the STB in February 2026 of their intent to refile a comprehensive application by April 30, 2026, keeping a 2027 closing target in play.

That regulatory timeline runs directly through Congress. Lawmakers from both parties have weighed in with pointed skepticism. A legislative solution — or at minimum, a favorable regulatory environment — requires sustained engagement on Capitol Hill. A new Union Pacific lobbying disclosure reveals the railroad is keeping its Washington team intact as it navigates one of the most consequential regulatory fights in freight rail history.

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By the Numbers Union Pacific Railroad Co. filed a first quarter 2026 lobbying disclosure — LDA filing 2076371 — reporting $110,000 in external lobbying expenditures through Squire Patton Boggs.

The first quarter 2026 filing represents a continuation of a lobbying ramp-up that began in the third quarter of 2025. According to prior filings in the one-year window:

Spending nearly doubled from the third to the fourth quarter 2025 — from $60,000 to $110,000 — and held at that level into the first quarter 2026. Total identified spending through Squire Patton Boggs over the one-year window is $280,000, including a $0 registration filing from August 2025.

A second firm, Austin Legal and Public Affairs PLLC, also filed a disclosure on behalf of Union Pacific in early April 2026, reporting $0 in activity. That filing lists no specific issues or lobbyists by name, making it difficult to assess its scope.

Union Pacific has maintained a Washington presence for years. The current Squire Patton Boggs engagement, however, appears tied specifically to the merger timeline.

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The Agenda

The first quarter 2026 filing lists **no specific issues lobbied and no legislation.

The two prior Squire Patton Boggs filings — third and fourth Quarter 2025 — did identify a lobbying focus: "Issues related to Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern merger." That language does not appear in the first quarter 2026 filing, though the lobbying team is unchanged and the merger process remains active.

Beyond the merger, the broader policy environment suggests Union Pacific may also be engaged on freight rail safety legislation, surface transportation reauthorization, and STB economic regulation. Several bills are active in the 119th Congress that could directly affect Union Pacific's operations, including H.R. 928, the Railway Safety Act of 2025, which would establish a statutory two-crew minimum for freight trains, and H.R. 341, the Railroad Responsibility Act of 2025, which would give states authority to regulate blocked grade crossings — a preemption issue railroads have historically opposed. There is no disclosure in this filing indicating Union Pacific is lobbying on these specific bills.

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The Lobbying Team

The transportation lobbying team deployed for Union Pacific through Squire Patton Boggs is built around one of the most recognizable names in Republican transportation policy.

Bill Shuster served as a Republican Member of Congress representing Pennsylvania's 9th District from 2001 to 2019. He was Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee — the committee with primary jurisdiction over freight rail, surface transportation, and infrastructure policy. His background makes him a central figure in any railroad industry lobbying disclosure of this magnitude.

Rebekah Sungala served as Executive Assistant to Rep. Shuster and as a staff member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee during his chairmanship — giving her direct institutional knowledge of the committee's operations and membership.

Dave Schnittger brings more than 14 years of congressional experience, including a role as Education Policy Counsel on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. His lengthy tenure spanning nine Congresses suggests broad Hill relationships beyond any single committee.

Tommy Andrews previously served as a Staff Assistant in the office of Rep. John Boehner during the 111th Congress, when Boehner was House Minority Leader.

Three of the four lobbyists have direct ties to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee — the committee that would have primary oversight over any legislative response to the merger or freight rail safety concerns.

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Broader Context

The political environment surrounding this Union Pacific Railroad lobbying engagement has been unusually charged. Congressional opposition to the proposed UP-NS merger has been bipartisan and vocal.

In October 2025, Sens. John Hoeven (R-ND) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led a 17-senator bipartisan letter pressing the STB to apply heightened scrutiny to the merger, warning that a combined UP-NS would handle more than 40 percent of all U.S. freight rail traffic across 50,000 route miles.

In February 2026, Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) led 47 House colleagues in expressing concerns to the STB, stating he was "inherently skeptical that consolidation in any market leads to better outcomes for customers."

Sen. Tammy Baldwin has been among the most persistent critics. She pressed STB nominees on their independence in November 2025, noting that Union Pacific's CEO had visited the White House and committed to helping fund a presidential renovation project — framing it as a potential conflict of interest in the merger review. Sen. Elizabeth Warren named Union Pacific directly in a December 2025 tweet questioning whether corporate donations were linked to favorable regulatory treatment.

In January 2026, the Monopoly Busters Caucus and House Labor Caucus leaders jointly pressed the STB on the merger's impact on rail workers, noting that the number of Class I freight railroads has dropped from 33 to six since the 1980s, while rail employment has fallen from 500,000 to fewer than 200,000.

Adding to Union Pacific's Congressional exposure, Rep. Troy Nehls was on-scene at a 23-car Union Pacific derailment in Richmond, Texas in March 2026 — just weeks before the first quarter filing was signed — and linked the incident to his own rail safety legislation.

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The Bottom Line

Union Pacific is maintaining a steady, well-resourced lobbying presence in Washington at a moment when its most significant strategic initiative — the proposed merger with Norfolk Southern — faces scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers in both parties. The first quarter 2026 Union Pacific lobbying disclosure shows no reduction in spending or staffing from the prior quarter, suggesting the company views the current period as critical to the merger's outcome. The team's deep roots in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee give Union Pacific experienced representation in the arena where freight rail policy is made.

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