Chairs DeFazio and Napolitano Issue Statements on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Decision on the Pebble Mine Project
Washington, 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) released the following statements after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced its decision on the Pebble Mine Project in Bristol Bay, Alaska, denying the permit. Chair DeFazio: “Today’s decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is great news for the Bristol Bay … Continue Reading
November 25, 2020
House Chairs Seek Accounting of Political Appointees Burrowing into Career Positions at Dozens of Agencies
Chairs Also Seek Information on Civil Service Jobs Being Reclassified Under Harmful New Trump Executive Order Washington, D.C. (Nov. 25, 2020)-Today, House Committee Chairs sent a letter to 61 federal agencies requesting information on conversions of political appointees to civil service positions during the Trump Administration. "Protecting the nonpartisan expertise of the career civil service is essential to the safety and security of the American people," the Chairs wrote. "The merit … Continue Reading
November 25, 2020
Chairs DeFazio and Larsen Urge GAO to Study the Risks of Air Travel During a Public Health Crisis
GAO reviews could help inform future Federal response and legislation Beating COVID-19 is not the only concern; within the last two decades, there have been five other major public health epidemics with global ramifications, demonstrating the need to prepare for future outbreaks Washington, 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) have made a formal request to the U.S. … Continue Reading
November 20, 2020
T&I Chairs Press Pebble Limited Partnership and Army Corps for Records after Secret “Pebble Tapes” Reveal Company’s Contradictory Claims about the Mine Project’s Size and Duration
Members request records regarding any plans by Pebble to expand its proposed Pebble Mine beyond what it submitted to the Army Corps in its 2017 permit application In the Members' request: "Pebble was dealing with two sets of facts, one to lure potential investors to the Pebble project and one to alleviate fears of Alaskan Natives, the U.S. Congress and Federal agencies..." Washington, D.C. - Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of … Continue Reading
November 18, 2020
Chairs DeFazio, Lipinski Statements from Hearing on “Examining the Surface Transportation Board’s Role in Ensuring a Robust Passenger Rail System”
Washington, 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 Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) during today's hearing titled: "Examining the Surface Transportation Board's Role in Ensuring a Robust Passenger Rail System." A recording of today's hearing can be found here. Chair DeFazio: Thank you, Chairman Lipinski … Continue Reading
November 18, 2020
Chairs DeFazio and Larsen Statements on the FAA’s Decision to Unground the Boeing 737 MAX
Washington, 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) released the following statements: Chair DeFazio: "While Congress has no direct role in today's decision, I am grateful that the FAA last year agreed to the request from Chair Larsen and myself to stand up an independent panel of experts-the Technical Advisory Board, or TAB-to review Boeing's proposed changes to the 737 … Continue Reading
November 18, 2020
T&I Committee Leaders Criticize Final FCC Vote to Reallocate Part of 5.9 GHz Spectrum Band
Chair DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves join safety advocates, the U.S. Department of Transportation and state transportation agencies in all 50 states in expressing serious concerns over FCC plan to share "safety band" spectrum with unlicensed operations. Washington, D.C. - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Sam Graves (R-MO) criticized the Federal … Continue Reading
November 17, 2020
In the Wake of the Boeing 737 MAX Tragedies, T&I Leaders Applaud House Passage of Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen FAA’s Certification Process and Improve the Aviation Regulatory System
The comprehensive bill, which was approved by the full Committee in September, includes nearly 30 provisions to strengthen the aircraft certification process, ensure transparency and accountability, address issues related to pilot training and cockpit automation, and lock in new requirements on the disclosure of safety-critical information Washington, DC - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) … Continue Reading
November 17, 2020
DeFazio-Led Bill to Reduce Financial Burdens on States and Communities Facing Disasters amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, including Wildfires and Hurricanes, Passes the House
Washington, DC - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA), Chair of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Dina Titus (D-NV), Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations Nita Lowey (D-NY), and Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) applauded House passage of H.R. 8266, the FEMA Assistance Relief Act … Continue Reading
November 13, 2020
Chairs DeFazio and Lipinski Announce Subcommittee Hearing on Examining the Surface Transportation Board’s Role in Ensuring a Robust Passenger Rail System
Washington, 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 Daniel Lipinski (D-IL) announced the Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, "Examining the Surface Transportation Board's Role in Ensuring a Robust Passenger Rail System." Members will appear by videoconference or in person in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building. Additional details, including witness … Continue Reading
November 12, 2020
New GAO Report Reinforces Bipartisan Concerns over Multi-Billion Dollar Coast Guard Shipbuilding Contract
Washington, DC - The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a new report that reinforces the bipartisan concerns of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders related to the U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG) $12 billion plan and initial contract to build a new class of cutter, the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC). GAO undertook the study at the request of the Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Full Committee Ranking Member Sam … Continue Reading
November 10, 2020
House Committee Chairs Send Dozens of Letters Directing White House and Federal Agencies to Preserve Documents
Washington, D.C. (Nov. 10, 2020) - Today, Committee Chairs across the House of Representatives sent letters directing the White House and more than 50 federal agencies within their jurisdictions to comply with federal record-keeping laws and preserve information responsive to congressional subpoenas and investigations. "As the Trump Administration prepares for the transition of power to the new Biden Administration, we write to remind you that all Executive Office of the President employees … Continue Reading
November 08, 2020
After Four Years of Empty Promises from President Trump, Chair DeFazio Looks Forward to a Real ‘Infrastructure Week’ under a Biden Administration
Springfield, OR - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) released the following statement: "Despite all his talking and tweeting about investing in our Nation's crumbling infrastructure, President Donald Trump's most significant contribution to the conversation on infrastructure was turning Infrastructure Week into a running joke. As a result, the American people got four years of worsening congestion, increased carbon pollution, and … Continue Reading
October 30, 2020
Chair DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves Request GAO Study on Safety Implications of Opening Up 5.9 GHz Spectrum Band
Washington, D.C. - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Sam Graves (R-MO) sent a letter to U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Comptroller General Gene Dodaro requesting the agency conduct a study into the safety implications of sharing more than half of the 5.9 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum band. Currently, the entire 5.9 GHz band is reserved exclusively … Continue Reading
October 27, 2020
Chairs DeFazio and Napolitano Press Trump EPA on Rollback of Limits on Toxic Wastewater Discharges from Coal Power Plants
Members to EPA Administrator Wheeler: "Your proposal once again shows that the Trump administration prioritizes polluters over people, needlessly endangering our water sources and human life" Washington, D.C. - 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) sent a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler, a former coal … Continue Reading
October 14, 2020
Amid Allegations the Trump White House Intervened on CDC’s ‘No Sail Order’ for Cruise Industry, Chair Maloney Expands Records Request to CDC
Washington, D.C. – The Chair of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) officially requested additional documents from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) amid new reporting that the Trump administration intervened in a decision on when cruise ships can safely resume sailings. Multiple press reports allege the CDC attempted to extend the ‘No Sail Order’ to February 15, 2021, but following White … Continue Reading
October 05, 2020
Support Builds for the “Aircraft Certification Reform and Accountability Act”
The bipartisan legislation, which advanced out of Committee last week, would strengthen the FAA's certification process and improve the regulatory process in the wake of the two deadly Boeing 737 MAX crashes Washington, DC- The list of groups coming out in support of the bipartisan "Aircraft Certification and Accountability Act" continues to grow. The bill, introduced last week by Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Ranking Member Sam Graves … Continue Reading
October 02, 2020
Chair DeFazio Statement on Bill to Extend Critical Worker Support Program
Washington, DC- Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) issued the following statement after Republicans blocked H.R. 8504, the Payroll Support Program Extension Act, from moving forward. H.R. 8504 would extend the highly successful Payroll Support program to keep hundreds of thousands of workers employed, with benefits, through March 31, 2021. Bill text can be found here. "Millions of Americans are out of work through no fault of their own, and … Continue Reading
October 02, 2020
Chairs DeFazio and Larsen to FAA: Before Ungrounding the Boeing 737 MAX, Release Your Documents Regarding Design Changes and Evaluations
From their letter: “To assure the flying public...the FAA will need to do more than merely certify that the plane is now compliant” Washington, 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) are calling on the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to publicly release all documents related to design revisions or evaluations concerning the return to service of … Continue Reading
October 01, 2020
Chair DeFazio’s Bill to Curb Sexual Assault and Harassment in Passenger Transportation Clears Full House
H.R. 5139 addresses incidents on airplanes, commuter and intercity passenger railroads, subways, buses, cruise ships, taxis, and ridesharing vehicles Washington, DC- Today, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously adopted legislation introduced by Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) that would help track and prevent sexual assault and harassment from occurring in different modes of transportation. H.R. 5139, the "Stop Sexual Assault … Continue Reading