Washington Democrat Rick Larsen Will Serve As Chairman Of The Aviation Subcommittee

House leadership has announced the selection of Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) to chair the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the 116th Congress.

Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) (pictured, left) has served as the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure since January 2015, and has been a member of the Committee since he first came to Congress in 1987. During his time on the Committee, he has served as Chairman or Ranking Member of four of the six subcommittees: Aviation, Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, Highways and Transit, and Water Resources and Environment. DeFazio has taken a lead role on several multi-billion-dollar surface transportation and FAA reauthorization bills, and worked to strengthen safety and worker protections, including Buy America.

“Every state and territory in our country is profoundly affected by the decisions made in this committee. Our communities and businesses depend on our network of roads, bridges, airports, rail, ports, and public transit to move people and goods safely, whether it is across town, across the country, or internationally. And millions of American jobs are directly tied to the health of our infrastructure," Congressman DeFazio said in a statement posted on his website.

“We are approaching a transportation crisis in our country, and with that in mind, I am especially honored to have the strong support of my colleagues to lead the caucus as the new Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

“As Chairman, I will be a tireless advocate for the kind of infrastructure investment that results in job creation, increased economic growth, and decreased emissions. I will fight for common sense, comprehensive solutions to address the major issues facing our aging, 20th century infrastructure and champion a smarter, greener infrastructure that helps to reduce carbon pollution, and is more resilient and better equipped to handle the impacts of climate change. I will work to build bipartisan agreement around legislation that strengthens the federal responsibility for maintaining and providing access to transportation for all Americans. I will balance this with our duty to provide reasonable and responsible oversight of the Trump Administration’s implementation of laws under the Committee’s jurisdiction.

“I look forward to working with my Democratic and Republican colleagues in order to achieve our shared goals. Together, we can lay the groundwork for infrastructure investment that delivers for generations to come.”

“The National Air Transportation Association praises the selection of Representative Peter DeFazio to head the important House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the upcoming Congress," said NATA president Gary Dempsey in a statement released to the media. "Congressman DeFazio’s commitment to the general aviation community has been critical to our goal of promoting the safety and success of the aeronautical service industry. The Chairman’s understanding of general aviation as a critical economic engine in thousands of rural communities across the nation has always been a great asset to the committee. We are proud to consider Congressmen DeFazio a leading voice for general aviation in Congress and look forward to our continued work together,” Dempsey said.

Tim Obitts, NATA Chief Operating Officer, emphasized NATA’s commitment to collaborating with the Chairman on the important issues facing aviation businesses. “In the coming year, NATA will focus on numerous issues impacting the community, including ongoing efforts to combat illegal charter and prohibited flight sharing operations, continued collaboration with the federal agencies tasked with implementing the many reports imposed as part of the FAA reauthorization bill, and a repeal of legislation that diverts billions of dollars from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund," Obitts said. We look forward to working closely with the incoming Chairman and the committee to ensure that these important issues are understood by every member and become a priority in the 116th Congress.”

Chairman DeFazio will be joined by general aviation advocate Rick Larsen (D-WA) (pictured, right), who will chair the Aviation Subcommittee.

(Source: NATA and Congressman DeFazio news releases. Image from file)

FMI: transportation.house.gov, www.nata.aero, defazio.house.gov