New Chairman in the House For Transport Appropriations

The leadership shuffle in Congress puts a lawmaker with a short record on transportation issues as chairman of a key House Appropriations subcommittee in place of one with extensive transportation experience.

	Rep. Hal Rogers	Rep. Frank Wolf

Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) replaces Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) as chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation. Wolf, who has been vocal in his criticism of trucking safety and enforcement by the federal government, will assume Rogers’ leadership post on the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary.

Wolf had wanted the Department of Transportation’s trucking oversight placed under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. His insistence that trucking issues were being shortchanged under the Federal Highway Administration helped sparked creation of the higher-profile Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

In a statement on his appointment, Rogers said he is looking forward to “working with Congress and with the Bush Administration to ensure that our nation’s transportation system is ready for the demands of the future.

For the full story, see the Jan. 15 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.