More than 100 members of Congress are pressing regulators to allow American Airlines and U.S. Airways to keep their airport slots at Reagan National Airport, Reuters reports.

Regulators are investigating big banks over practices used to collect on delinquent credit card debt, according to The Washington Post.

President Obama’s push to seat three judges at once on one of the nation’s most influential benches holds major implications for the administration’s regulatory agenda, RegWatch reports.

The United States signed an Open Skies air transport agreement with Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, allowing for unrestricted air travel between the two countries.

After a transition period, the agreement will allow for “unrestricted air service by the airlines of both countries between and beyond the other’s territory, eliminating restrictions on how often the carriers fly, the kind of aircraft they use and the prices they charge,” according to the State Department. The goal is to strengthen and expand trade and tourism links with Saudi Arabia, “benefitting U.S. and Saudi Arabian businesses and travelers by expanding opportunities for air services and encouraging vigorous price competition by airlines, while preserving our commitments to aviation safety and security.”

The agreement was signed by U.S. Ambassador James Smith and Saudi Arabia’s deputy director of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, Faisal bin Hamad Al-Sugair. The United States has more than 100 Open Skies agreements with partners around the world and at all levels of development.

Please send tips and comments to Julian Pecquet: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Follow us on Twitter: @TheHillGlobal and @JPecquetTheHill

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Tuesday that it was monitoring developments about a freight rail train derailment that has reportedly caused explosions and building collapses.

A freight train being operated by CSX derailed Tuesday afternoon in the Baltimore suburb of White Marsh, according to reports.

The Baltimore Sun reported that the train crash was followed by "a loud explosion and sent a plume of white smoke into the sky that could be seen clearly from downtown Baltimore." 

President Obama cited his administration's decision to award $3.7 billion to public transit systems that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy last year on Tuesday during his trip to the New Jersey shore.

Obama said the funding, from the Department of Transportation (DOT), showed his administration's commitment to the long-term recovery of the badly damaged parts of New Jersey's Atlantic Ocean coastline.

"We've … got to remember that rebuilding efforts like these aren't measured in weeks or month, but they're measured in years," Obama said. "That's why ... just this past Thursday, we announced billions of new relief aid for New York and New Jersey transit agencies."

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the public comment period on draft gasoline and vehicle emissions rules that the refining industry alleges the EPA is ramming through without enough input.

The agency is extending the comment period by 18 days — from June 13 until July 1 — on draft rules that will force refiners to sharply cut the sulfur content of gasoline.

The EPA unveiled the rules in late March, but published them just last week in the Federal Register, a step that formally opened the comment period.

The extension announced Tuesday wasn't enough to satisfy the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group that opposes the rules and says the formal comment period should be 90 days.

American Airlines' mechanics are on the verge of holding an election to join the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, officials with the union said on Monday.

The mechanics have submitted a petition to the National Mediation Board (NMB) that contains signatures in favor of holding a vote.

The Teamsters' union has been campaigning to represent the American Airlines' mechanics since June 2012. 

After the long weekend, a flurry of new rules and regulations are hitting the Federal Register on Wednesday. Here are the big ones:

Energy and environment:
The Obama administration is extending the comment period for its automobile emissions rule proposal by 18 days.

Lawmakers and travel industry advocates expect Penny Pritzker to aggressively pursue ways to boost foreign travel to the United States.

The incident in Missouri comes after an earlier bridge collapse in Washington reignited debate over infrastructure spending.