As expected, Florida Republican John Mica will head the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee when the new Congress convenes in January.
Mica, the committee’s ranking Republican, will succeed current chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.), who has been a fixture on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee since the 1970s.
Oberstar lost his reelection bid after 36 years in Congress to Republican challenger and the Republicans will assume control of the House in January after gaining a majority in last month’s election. (Click here for previous story.)
The Transportation Committee — a key panel for the trucking industry — has broad jurisdiction over the nation’s highways, aviation system, transit, rail transportation, pipelines, the Coast Guard, maritime transportation, water resources, economic development, public buildings, and emergency management.
“We must begin immediately to address the significant needs and challenges facing our nation’s infrastructure and create jobs,” Mica said in a statement.
“Our government, elected leaders, and Americans everywhere have no choice but to do more with less,” he said in a statement. “This will also be the committee’s mandate.”
“With limited resources, cutting red tape to complete stalled projects and better utilization of the federal government’s assets are top priorities. Improving our infrastructure will ensure a strong backbone for our economy,” he added.
“The Committee must pass stalled major surface transportation, aviation, and water resources bills, and I will do so as soon as possible in a manner that protects the taxpayers and creates jobs. It is critical that Congress jumpstarts transportation projects to rebuild our nation’s crumbling infrastructure and get people working,” Mica said.
The lame-duck session of Congress is scheduled to end Dec. 17 and the new House will reconvene in early January.
