Press Releases
Chairs DeFazio and Larsen Mark Anniversary of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Crash
March 10, 2021Washington, DC - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Rick Larsen (D-WA) observed the second anniversary of the deadly crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302. All 157 people onboard died when the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. It was the second crash of a Boeing 737 MAX within a five-month span. In October 2018, Lion Air flight … Continue Reading
Committee Leaders Urge Protection of American Shippers from Unjust Shipping Practices Resulting from COVID-19 Pandemic
March 08, 2021Washington, DC - Today, bipartisan leaders of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation called on the Federal Maritime Commission to ensure that ocean carriers are abiding by U.S. law and are not engaging in unjust and unreasonable shipping practices resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO), Subcommittee on … Continue Reading
Chairs DeFazio, Payne Announce Subcommittee Hearing on the Relevance of Rail for U.S. Economic and Environmental Progress
March 05, 2021Washington, DC - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ) announced the Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, "Full Steam Ahead for Rail: Why Rail is More Relevant Than Ever for Economic and Environmental Progress." This is the first Subcommittee hearing that newly elected Chair Payne will preside over. More information about the … Continue Reading
Chair DeFazio Statement on Infrastructure Meeting at White House
March 04, 2021WASHINGTON-Rep. Peter DeFazio, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, released the following statement after today's bipartisan meeting at the White House to discuss infrastructure. "I thank President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Secretary Buttigieg for convening today's bipartisan meeting in the Oval Office to chart a path forward on an infrastructure bill. It is a critically important conversation to have, and timely as I intend to move a surface … Continue Reading
Committee Leaders Release DOT Inspector General’s Ethics Report on Former Secretary Elaine Chao
March 03, 2021Washington, D.C.- Today, Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) released the report from the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT OIG) ethics investigation into former Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao. Both Chairs requested the investigation in 2019 amid public reports that raised questions about the former Secretary's actions … Continue Reading
Ahead of Introduction of Surface Transportation Legislation, Chairs DeFazio and Norton Announce New Process for Members of Congress to Submit Their Project Priorities
March 03, 2021WASHINGTON, DC-As the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure prepares to advance surface transportation authorization legislation this spring, Committee Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced the Committee will provide an opportunity for Members of Congress to submit requests for highway and transit project designations. A formal process to do so will be announced later this month. In … Continue Reading
VIDEO: Chair DeFazio Stresses the Need for Significant Federal Investment in U.S. Infrastructure After Newly Released ‘Report Card’ Shows Little Improvement
March 03, 2021New report from the American Society of Civil Engineers gives America's infrastructure a C- T&I Chair DeFazio: "This is not acceptable. The States can't go it alone. The cities can't go it alone. They need a Federal partner." Washington, DC- Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) renewed his call for passing a transformational infrastructure bill in the new Congress after the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave U.S. … Continue Reading
Chairs DeFazio, Larsen Statements from Hearing on COVID-19’s Effects on the U.S. Aviation Sector
March 02, 2021Washington, D.C. - The following are opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, from Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Rick Larsen (D-WA) during today's hearing titled, "COVID-19's Effects on U.S. Aviation and the Flight Path to Recovery." Videos of DeFazio and Larsen's opening statements are here and here. More information on the hearing can be found here. Chair DeFazio: Thank you, Chair Larsen, … Continue Reading
Committee Leaders Highlight Need for Updated U.S. Coast Guard Fleet Mix Analysis
March 01, 2021Washington, DC - The bipartisan leadership of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee stressed to the U.S. Coast Guard the importance of an updated analysis of its fleet capabilities. Congress required the Service to provide an updated analysis, given the most recent version is outdated and no longer reflects current threats, missions, or recent experiences involving construction of new cutters. Transportation and … Continue Reading
Aviation Committee Leaders Request GAO Review of FAA’s NextGen Implementation
February 26, 2021T&I leaders to GAO Comptroller General: "…we must remain vigilant about the numerous further uncertainties regarding FAA funding, the disruption of air travel due to COVID-19, and other factors that could affect NextGen implementation" WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO), Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Garret Graves … Continue Reading
Chairs DeFazio, Larsen Announce Subcommittee Hearing on COVID-19’s Effects on U.S. Aviation Sector
February 26, 2021Washington, DC- Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Rick Larsen (D-WA) announced the Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, "COVID-19's Effects on U.S. Aviation and the Flight Path to Recovery." This is the Subcommittee's first hearing in the 117th Congress. More information about the hearing, including testimony and a live webcast, can be found here once available. HEARING DETAILS The … Continue Reading
Committee Leaders Call on GAO to Review Status of FAA’s Efforts to Integrate Drones into the Nation’s Airspace
February 25, 2021WASHINGTON, D.C. - Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO), Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Rick Larsen (D-WA), and Subcommittee Ranking Member Garret Graves (R-LA) are requesting the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) review efforts by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to integrate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS). UAS continue to provide Americans … Continue Reading
Chairs DeFazio and Larsen Statements on DOT Inspector General’s Second Report Regarding the Boeing 737 MAX
February 24, 2021Washington, DC - Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Rick Larsen (D-WA) released the following statements after the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of the Inspector General finalized the second of its two reports regarding the certification of the Boeing 737 MAX. Chairs DeFazio and Larsen had requested the DOT IG investigation shortly after the second Boeing 737 MAX crash occurred in March … Continue Reading
Chairs DeFazio, Norton Statements from Hearing on Equity in Transportation Safety Enforcement
February 24, 2021Washington, D.C. - The following are opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, from Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) during today's hearing titled, "Examining Equity in Transportation Safety Enforcement." Video of DeFazio and Norton's opening statements are here and here. More information on the hearing can be found here. Chair DeFazio: Thank you, Madam … Continue Reading
Chairs DeFazio, Napolitano Statements from Hearing on the Urgent Need to Invest in America’s Wastewater Infrastructure
February 23, 2021Washington, D.C. - The following are opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, from Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA) during today's hearing titled, "Building Back Better: The Urgent Need for Investment in America's Wastewater Infrastructure." Video of DeFazio and Napolitano's opening statements are here and here. More information on the hearing can … Continue Reading
Chairs DeFazio, Norton Announce Subcommittee Hearing on Examining Equity in Transportation Safety Enforcement
February 19, 2021Washington, DC- Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) announced the Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, "Examining Equity in Transportation Safety Enforcement." This is the first hearing of the Subcommittee in the 117th Congress. More information about the hearing, including witness testimony and a livestream, can be found here once available. … Continue Reading
Chairs DeFazio, Napolitano Announce Subcommittee Hearing on the Urgent Need to Invest in America’s Wastewater Infrastructure
February 19, 2021Washington, DC- Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA) announced the Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, "Building Back Better: The Urgent Need for Investment in America's Wastewater Infrastructure." This is the first hearing of the Subcommittee in the 117th Congress. More information about the hearing, including witness testimony and a … Continue Reading
Chair DeFazio Applauds Biden Administration for Rescinding Artificial Financing Barrier to Major Infrastructure Projects
February 16, 2021WASHINGTON, DC- Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) released the following statement after the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) rescinded guidance the Trump administration put in place in June 2018 regarding Capital Investment Grant (CIG) projects. Chair DeFazio had urged the Biden administration to review the Trump-era guidance that meant Federal loans were counted as part of the entire Federal share of CIG projects, even though … Continue Reading
Chair DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves Urge President Biden to Start Using Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund Immediately to Maintain U.S. Ports and Harbors and Support American Jobs
February 12, 2021DeFazio and Graves on full utilization of the HMTF: "This would directly benefit the countless businesses, industries, farmers, and workers whose livelihoods depend on coastal and inland harbors for the movement of goods and services" Thanks to WRDA 2020, billions of dollars in unused funds have been unlocked for their intended purpose - maintaining U.S. ports and harbors Washington, DC - House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Ranking Member … Continue Reading
Following All-Day Markup, Committee Advances Key Portions of President Biden’s COVID Relief Legislation to Deliver Badly-Needed Aid to the American People
February 11, 2021Washington, DC- The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has advanced nearly $100 billion in badly-needed aid to the American people-including transportation workers whose jobs are at risk due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic-as part of President Biden's American Rescue Plan. "By approving this legislation, our Committee is moving forward with providing much-needed relief to the millions of transportation workers and rural and urban communities alike that have been devastated … Continue Reading