Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) was selected by the House Democratic Caucus this morning to serve as the Ranking Member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for the new Congress starting January 2013. Rahall has been a Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for his entire tenure in Congress and served as the Committee’s top Democrat during the current Congress.
“I am deeply grateful for the trust that my colleagues have again placed in me to continue to serve as the top Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,” said Rahall. “To me, there are few things in Congress as important as the work we do on this Committee in supporting job creation, the flow of commerce, and linking our communities to each other and the world. That work takes on added significance during these turbulent times when good paying American jobs and strong economic growth are so desperately needed.
“I have full confidence that the Committee can help meet our current economic challenges if we are able to return to the bipartisan tradition which characterized our panel for so many years. To that end, I am heartened by the selection of Bill Shuster as Chairman and by his stated willingness to reach across the aisle and to leave no stone unturned as we work to restore the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. I look forward to working with Bill, and with members of all political stripes to repair our Nation’s infrastructure and create a 21st Century transportation network.”
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has broad jurisdiction over the Nation’s highways, railways, airports, seaports, bus lines, and pipelines, as well as the Economic Development Administration, Appalachian Regional Commission, Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other crucial economic development programs.
Throughout his service on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rahall has worked diligently to provide Federal support to build better highways, modern bridges, water and sewer systems, flood control projects, broadband infrastructure, and to keep airports up and running throughout southern West Virginia. Rahall has also used his position on the Committee to hold the EPA accountable and prevent the Agency from circumventing Congress in order to issue regulations harmful to coal mining.
“Our transportation network serves as the backbone of economic security both for those I have the privilege of representing and for our nation as a whole,” said Rahall. “I look forward to continuing my service on this distinguished Committee and hope that in the 113th Congress we will once again recognize the important role transportation plays in our nation’s ongoing economic recovery and long-term economic growth.”
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