Washington, D.C.—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, "Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Member Day.”
Video of Ranking Member Larsen’s opening statement is here.
More information on the hearing can be found here.
Ranking Member Larsen:
Welcome to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s 2026 Member Day Hearing.
Before I start, I just want to take a moment to remember Doug LaMalfa.
I knew Doug as a fierce advocate for his constituents.
You always knew where he stood on the issues, and that earned him my respect and the respect of the members of this committee.
The T&I Committee will miss his presence and bipartisan efforts to help rural Americans. My condolences are with his family.
This hearing is an important opportunity for our colleagues not on the T&I Committee to advocate for the specific needs of their districts and share the priorities most pressing to their constituents.
Over 30 members, both Democrats and Republicans, have signed up to speak before the Committee today.
As Chairman Graves and I often note, the work of this Committee transcends the "red team versus blue team" mentality that permeates much of Washington, D.C.
We are here to solve problems and create economic opportunities for every American. The high level of participation from Members from both parties today is a testament to that shared mission.
The enthusiasm of Members seeking to testify today is not surprising. Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), sustained investments are rebuilding roads, bridges, rail, transit and water systems in every corner of the country.
These investments have resulted in the American Society of Civil Engineers raising the nation’s overall infrastructure grade to a “C” from a “C-” four years ago, with no sector receiving a “D-” for the first time since their first report card was issued in 1998.
While this progress is encouraging, a “C” is not the final goal, and we shouldn’t be satisfied with it for our national infrastructure.
That is why our Committee is committed to passing a bipartisan surface transportation bill that will continue to improve our infrastructure and transportation systems.
The Committee will also take up a Water Resources Development Act this year to continue to invest in the nation’s waterways, flood mitigation infrastructure and ecosystem restoration efforts.
We have started receiving proposals for the bill through our Member Submission Portal which opened earlier this week.
The testimony our colleagues deliver today will no doubt aid us in crafting legislation that creates jobs, improves safety and accessibility, and benefits the communities we represent.
Thank you, Chairman Graves, for holding this hearing and for your continued commitment to working in a bipartisan manner.
Making sure Members can directly advocate for their districts is an important part of the process.
Thank you to all the Members who have made time to come before the Committee today. I am eager to hear your testimony.
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