Press Releases
Chairs DeFazio, Napolitano Respond to Trump Administration’s Devastating Rollback of Clean Water Protections
January 23, 2020Washington, D.C. - 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) responded to the Trump Administration's announcement that it will rollback clean water protections included in the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) regulation. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's own documents, this rollback will eliminate clean water protections on … Continue Reading
Chair DeFazio, Ranking Member Graves, joined by 36 Members of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Question FCC Plans that Undermine the Development and Deployment of Safety Critical Technology
January 22, 2020Washington, D.C. - Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Sam Graves (R-MO), and 36 Members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to raise serious concerns with the FCC's plan to redirect more than half the 5.9 GHz spectrum band. In December, the FCC proposed to reallocate more than … Continue Reading
On the Heels of the Trump Administration’s Attempt to Undermine One of the Nation’s Bedrock Environmental Laws, Chairs DeFazio, Grijalva, Ranking Member Carper, and 164 Members of Congress Press CEQ to Allow More Public Input
January 21, 2020Washington, D.C.-Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works Tom Carper (D-DE), along with 123 House Members and 41 Senators urged the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to extend the public comment period for the Trump Administration's proposed rule to fundamentally re-write the National … Continue Reading
Committee Leaders Kick Off Bipartisan Development of WRDA 2020
January 17, 2020Washington, D.C.- This week, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Sam Graves (R-MO), Chair of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Bruce Westerman (R-AR) sent a letter to their colleagues urging them to finalize their priorities for the Water Resources … Continue Reading
Chairs DeFazio, Larsen Release Statements on Newly-Released Report on Certification Process for the Boeing 737 MAX
January 16, 2020Washington, D.C. - 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 regarding the newly-released report on the certification process for the Boeing 737 MAX. "Our Committee's investigation has already revealed multiple junctures at which the current certification process failed, and as I've made clear, I intend to propose legislative fixes to ensure safety … Continue Reading
Chair DeFazio Calls into Question Railroads Commitment to Combatting Climate Change
January 16, 2020Washington, DC - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) sent a letter to the President and CEO of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Ian Jeffries, asking for follow up after an article in The Atlantic. The article suggested AAR's commitment to combatting climate change is a farce and that in reality, AAR's members help finance campaigns to deny the realities of climate change. "The article indicates that the four largest Class I … Continue Reading
Chairs DeFazio, Larsen Statements from Hearing Titled “Oversight of Working Conditions for Airline Ground Workers”
January 15, 2020Washington, 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: "Oversight of Working Conditions for Airline Ground Workers." Chair DeFazio: Thank you, Chair Larsen, for calling today's hearing on working conditions for the tens of thousands of employees who are intrinsic to the operations of an … Continue Reading
Chairs DeFazio, Maloney Statements from Hearing on Decarbonizing the Maritime Industry
January 14, 2020Washington, 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 Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) during today's hearing titled: "The Path to a Carbon-Free Maritime Industry: Investments and Innovation." Chair DeFazio: Thank you, Chairman Maloney, I commend you for taking up the topic of "green shipping" as the first … Continue Reading
Chairs DeFazio and Titus Call for Public Hearing on Trump Organization’s Potential Sale of Old Post Office Building Lease and GSA Stonewalling
January 10, 2020DeFazio and Titus: "We have serious concerns that this potential sale could result in violations of the Emoluments Clauses, national security risks, and ethics questions." Washington, DC - Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Dina Titus (D-NV) will be inviting the General Services Administration (GSA) to testify at a public hearing about the … Continue Reading
Chair DeFazio’s Statement on Newly-Released Boeing Emails
January 09, 2020Washington, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter DeFazio released the following statement after Boeing made new emails public which shed new light on Boeing's internal discussions regarding the design, development, and certification of the Boeing 737 MAX as well as problems with the 737 MAX simulators: "These newly-released emails are incredibly damning. They paint a deeply disturbing picture of the lengths Boeing was apparently willing to go to in … Continue Reading
Chair DeFazio Applauds T&I Member Effort on PFAS
January 09, 2020Washington, D.C. - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) offered his support for H.R. 535, the PFAS Action Act of 2019. This comprehensive legislation attempts to prevent or limit human and environmental exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) related chemicals from a variety of pathways, as well as spur the cleanup of PFAS-related contamination. These so-called "forever chemicals" because of their long-term persistence … Continue Reading
Chair DeFazio Reacts to Trump Administration’s Proposed Rule to Gut NEPA
January 09, 2020Washington, D.C. - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) responded to the Trump Administration's decision to move forward with a rule to enable Federal agencies to no longer consider the environmental effects of infrastructure projects. "When tackling new and critical infrastructure projects across the country, we need to consider the impacts to our environment. Pretending like our climate isn't changing is reckless and costly. Today's … Continue Reading
Chairs DeFazio, Napolitano Statements from Hearing on WRDA 2020 Proposals
January 09, 2020Washington, 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: "Proposals for a Water Resources Development Act of 2020." Chair DeFazio: While we may have disagreed on certain policy matters, during his tenure, I am proud to have worked with Chairman Shuster in … Continue Reading
Chairs DeFazio and Larsen Issue Statements on Boeing’s Announcement Regarding Simulator Training for 737 MAX Pilots
January 07, 2020Washington, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Subcommittee on Aviation Chair Rick Larsen (D-WA) released the following statements after Boeing announced it would recommend simulator training for all Boeing 737 MAX pilots as Boeing works toward the goal of returning the airplane to service. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has jurisdiction over all aspects of civil aviation, has been investigating the … Continue Reading
Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment to Hold Hearing on Proposals for WRDA 2020
January 03, 2020Washington, 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, "Proposals for a Water Resources Development Act of 2020." The Subcommittee will receive testimony from Lieutenant General Todd T. Semonite, Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This hearing will … Continue Reading
Chairs DeFazio and Titus to GSA Administrator: Either Comply with the Subpoena for Trump Hotel Documents, or Explain Your Refusal at Public Hearing
December 23, 2019DeFazio and Titus: "It gives us no comfort that under your direction GSA is resisting not just the legitimate efforts of the U.S. Congress but also the oversight efforts of your own internal Inspector General" Washington, DC - Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Dina Titus (D-NV) issued an ultimatum to the Administrator of the U.S. General … Continue Reading
Chair DeFazio Statement on Dennis Muilenburg’s Departure as Boeing CEO
December 23, 2019Washington, D.C. - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure released the following statement after Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg resigned his position following two deadly crashes involving the Boeing 737 MAX: "Based on what we've discovered so far in our investigation into the design, development and certification of the Boeing 737 MAX, it's clear Dennis Muilenburg's ouster was long overdue. Under his watch, a long-admired company made a number of … Continue Reading
Amid New Report of Secretary Chao Using a Taxpayer-Funded Program to Dole Out Favors, Chair DeFazio Formally Requests DOT Inspector General Broaden Ongoing Inquiry
December 20, 2019Washington, DC - Two months after requesting that the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General investigate reports that U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and her staff gave preferential treatment for discretionary grants, today Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) formally asked the Inspector General to broaden the inquiry. In accordance with Chair DeFazio's original request, the DOT IG is currently investigating whether … Continue Reading
Chair DeFazio, Rep. Malinowski Urge PHMSA to Conduct Thorough Safety Analysis of Transporting LNG by Rail
December 18, 2019Washington, DC - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), and Congressman Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) sent a letter to the top official at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) urging immediate action be taken to conduct a thorough analysis of the potential impacts of transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) by rail tank car. The letter was sent in response to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published by PHMSA in late … Continue Reading
Chair DeFazio Slams Trump Administration Over Continued Plans to Roll Back Protections for Nation’s Waters
December 17, 2019Washington, D.C. - Today, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) sent a letter to Administrator Andrew Wheeler of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expressing his strong disapproval of the Trump Administration's plans to move forward with rolling back protections for our Nation's waterways-a clear and destructive priority of this Administration. "Your repeated refusal to publicly quantify the scope of waters that would lose existing … Continue Reading