Businesses urge Senate to act on cargo theft bill

A coalition of retail, industrial, business and supply-chain companies and organizations is asking U. S. Senate leadership to act on cargo theft legislation previously passed by the House.

More than 200 companies and groups, including the Association of American Railroads and BNSF Railway (NYSE: BRK-B), have signed a letter urging swift passage of HR 2853, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act. The bill passed the House last month by a 348-60 margin.

It would coordinate efforts by federal, state, local, and railroad law enforcement agencies to address organized theft operations through joint investigations. It would also improve coordination between law enforcement and the private sector, enhancing the ability of investigators and prosecutors to deal with the networks behind the thefts.

The letter – addressed to Majority Leader John Thune, Majority Whip John Barrasso, Minority Leader Charles Schumer, and Minority Whip Dick Durbin – says organized retail and supply-chain theft costs billions of dollars annually, including a cost to the trucking industry of $18 million daily.

Railroads said they sustained more than $200 million in losses from cargo theft in 2025. “In recent years, these crimes have also become more violent,” the letter says, “increasing the risks faced by workers, law enforcement, and the communities they serve.

Criminal networks increasingly exploit cargo, resale channels, and financial mechanisms, including gift cards, to convert stolen goods into proceeds that fuel broader illicit activity. … “Importantly, CORCA is narrowly focused on organized criminal conduct.

It does not address routine retail theft, nor does it expand immigration or border enforcement authorities. Instead, it reflects a targeted, bipartisan effort to close persistent gaps that sophisticated criminal enterprises continue to exploit.”

Among others signing the letter are the American Trucking Associations, Retail Industry Leaders Association, the National District Attorneys Association, and U. S. Chamber of Commerce. The bill is currently in the hands of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it was assigned the day after its passage by the House.

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