U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., has been named chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for the 112th Congress.
The committee’s ranking Republican has said one of his priorities would be to pass a multiyear bill for transportation spending. President Obama has said he wants to pass a $50B infrastructure-spending bill next year, along with a long-term transportation plan, and those measures would likely be created by Mica’s committee. In addition, Mica says he would like to pass an aviation bill that would launch plans to modernize the country’s air traffic control system.
“Today, our government, elected leaders and Americans everywhere have no choice but to do more with less,” Mica said in a statement. “This will also be the Transportation and Infrastructure 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,” he says. “Improving our infrastructure will ensure a strong backbone for our economy.
“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,” Mica concluded. “It is critical that Congress jumpstarts transportation projects to rebuild our nation’s crumbling infrastructure and get people working.”
The committee 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.
Mica has served as the committee’s Republican leader in the past two Congresses. From 2000 to 2006, he was chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee, during which he authored the last multi-year Federal Aviation Administration authorization to be signed into law. He has been a member of the committee since his election to Congress in 1992.
Want a discount on ARN Conference registration? Purchase a subscription to ARN! Click Here!
