—The following are opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, from Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Rick Larsen (D-WA) during today’s hearing titled, “Oversight of the Department of Transportation’s Policies and Programs and Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request.”Video of Ranking Member Larsen’s opening statement is here.More information on the hearing can be found here.Ranking Member Larsen:Thank you for holding this hearing, Chairman Graves.Secretary Duffy, … Continue Reading
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today approved bipartisan legislation to strengthen, support, and authorize funding through 2029 for the United States Coast Guard and its critical missions to safeguard the nation’s borders, facilitate maritime commerce, ensure maritime safety, and more. The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 4275) was approved during a legislative markup today. The bill was first introduced by Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Gr… Continue Reading
—Following the devastating flooding along the Guadalupe River and surrounding areas in Texas, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA), Subcommittee on Public Buildings, Economic Development and Emergency Management Ranking Member Greg Stanton (D-AZ), House Committee on Science, Space and Technology Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Subcommittee on Environment Ranking Member Gabe Amo (D-RI) wrote to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) … Continue Reading
June 26, 2025
Hurricane season is here, and according to government forecasts it’s shaping up to be brutal. And then comes wildfire season, which is growing more destructive in the West. The U.S. just faced the worst tornado season in more than a decade. You wouldn’t know it by the Trump administration’s approach to disaster preparation. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is in disarray, and President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kirsti Noem want to dismantle the disaster response agency altog… Continue Reading
February 05, 2024One year ago, a Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, displacing a community, jeopardizing health, harming the local environment and exposing gaps in our rail safety laws. The derailment and subsequent fire of tanker cars carrying vinyl chloride led Norfolk Southern to release and burn these toxic chemicals to prevent a dangerous explosion. As a result, the town was forced to evacuate all residents within a one-mile radius, upending thousands of lives. Thanks to the … Continue Reading
February 03, 2022By Chairs DeFazio and Larsen The rollout of our country's 5G wireless network has been marked by delays, dysfunction and denial. It didn't have to be this way! In 2019, aviation stakeholders, policymakers like us and safety advocates loudly warned it would be a grave mistake to turn on 5G without first ensuring that interference from these powerful networks wouldn't adversely impact aviation safety. Unfortunately, the Federal Communications Commission ignored and even mocked these concern… Continue Reading