Press Releases
GAO Report: Every State Receives More Highway Funding than it Contributes to the Highway Trust Fund
October 12, 2011Washington, D.C. - Over the course of the last multi-year surface transportation authorization (SAFETEA-LU) from 2005 to 2009, every state received more funding for highway programs than what they contributed to the Highway Trust Fund, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report being released today that was requested by U.S. Representative Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “Instead of being consumed by the parochial … Continue Reading
Transportation Leaders Introduce Bill to Create Jobs, Protect Water Quality
October 12, 2011Washington, D.C. - Leaders on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee yesterday introduced bipartisan legislation to create American jobs by investing $13.8 billion over five years through the State Revolving Fund (SRF) and other efforts to improve water quality. “In addition to creating immediate construction jobs, funding for modern water and wastewater infrastructure improves the quality of life for area residents and helps to provide the kind of basic services needed to … Continue Reading
TTI Report: Cost of Congestion More Than $100 Billion
September 27, 2011- Report Highlights Need for Congress to Pass Robust Surface Transportation Bill - Washington, D.C. - The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) today released its annual Urban Mobility Report, finding that the cost of congestion continues to cost the United States over $100 billion annually. U.S. Representative Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said the report highlighted the need for Congress to pass a robust surface transportation … Continue Reading
CEOs: Congress Must Pass Robust Transportation Bill to Rebuild America
September 22, 2011Washington, D.C. - With nearly 150,000 deficient American bridges that are crippling our Nation’s economic competitiveness from coast to coast, CEOs of 20 major U.S. corporations called on Congress to pass a robust multi-year surface transportation bill to create jobs and rebuild America. U.S. Representative Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today released the following statement in response to the letter from the CEOs to … Continue Reading
Rahall: Surface and Air Transportation Extensions Keep Construction Crews on the Clock as Congress Completes its Work
September 13, 2011Washington, D.C. - The House of Representatives today passed legislation to keep the Nation’s aviation and surface transportation programs running while Congress completes its work on long-term reauthorizations. “Extending these programs is critical to our economic recovery, and the pending measure does so without any poison pills or draconian cuts to investment in our surface transportation programs,” said U.S. Representative Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), top Democrat on the House Transportation … Continue Reading
Rahall Statement on President Obama’s Address on Jobs
September 08, 2011Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, tonight released the following statement in response to President Barack Obama’s address to a Joint Session of Congress on jobs: “In the bipartisan spirit that has been a hallmark of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for decades, I invited Chairman John Mica to sit next to me during tonight’s address. We may have walked out of the chamber with … Continue Reading
Rahall, Bishop Call on President Obama to Support Water Infrastructure Investments to Create American Jobs
September 08, 2011Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, U.S. Representative Timothy H. Bishop (D-NY), top Democrat on the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, and 50 of their colleagues in Congress today urged President Barack Obama to ensure water infrastructure investments are part of any plan to create American jobs. “While we agree with you on the economic and societal benefits of investment in the … Continue Reading
Rahall Statement on FAA Shutdown
August 04, 2011Washington, D.C.- U.S. Representative Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today released the following statement after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced, subject to Senate approval, a proposal to move the process forward that would end the partial shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): “The Republican-driven FAA shutdown has jeopardized tens of thousands of American jobs and caused the Aviation Trust Fund to … Continue Reading
Rahall Statement on 30th Anniversary of the Air Traffic Controller Strike
August 03, 2011—Republican-driven FAA Shutdown Threatens Nearly 90,000 American Workers, 3,600 FAA Aviation Experts, Over $1 Billion in Lost Revenue— Washington, D.C.- U.S. Representative Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today released the following statement on the 30th anniversary of the air traffic controller strike: “Thirty years ago this week, thousands of air traffic controllers were fired by President Ronald Reagan for fighting for their … Continue Reading
Republicans Go on Vacation While FAA Aviation Experts and Construction Crews go without Paychecks
August 02, 2011—Republicans Skip Town Stranding Nearly 90,000 American Workers, Furloughing 3,600 FAA Aviation Experts, Jeopardizing Over $11 Billion in Contracts, Losing over $1 Billion in Revenue— Washington, D.C.- Despite last minute pleas by House Democrats to solve the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) shutdown, House Republican leaders closed up shop for the month of August, ensuring the devastating damage from the Republican-led FAA shutdown will last for at least another month. “House Republicans … Continue Reading
Rahall, Costello: Republicans Should Not Fly Home for Vacation before Finding a Solution to end the Senseless FAA Shutdown
August 01, 2011—$30 Million per day Republican-led Shutdown of FAA Jeopardizing the Jobs of Nearly 90,000 American Workers and 3,600 FAA Aviation Experts— Washington, D.C.- On the tenth day of the Republican-led shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that has cost tens of thousands of American jobs and nearly $300 million in lost revenue, U.S. Representative Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and U.S. Representative Jerry Costello … Continue Reading
Groups Call on Republicans to End Senseless Shutdown of the FAA
July 29, 2011Washington, D.C.- Continuing their ‘my way or the runway’ shotgun approach, House Republican leaders refuse to end the senseless shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has jeopardized nearly 90,000 American jobs, furloughed 3,600 engineers, safety analysts, and aviation experts, and has cost nearly $200 million in lost revenue. Every Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee joined together on Tuesday to introduce the “Aviation Jobs and Safety Act … Continue Reading
Report: America’s Crumbling Infrastructure to Cost Economy 877,000 High-Skill Jobs
July 27, 2011—Rahall Says Report Highlights Urgency for Robust Surface Transportation Reauthorization— Washington, D.C.- Citing a first-ever report released today by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) that found America’s crumbling surface transportation infrastructure will cost the economy more than 877,000 jobs, U.S. Representative Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, renewed calls for Congress to craft a robust surface transportation … Continue Reading
Transportation Committee Democrats Introduce Clean Extension to End FAA Shutdown
July 26, 2011—Rahall, Costello Call on House Republican Leadership to Schedule Immediate Vote to Stop Jeopardizing the Jobs of Nearly 90,000 American Construction Workers, End Furlough of 3,600 FAA Aviation Experts— Washington, D.C.- Just one day after the U.S. Department of Transportation started issuing stop-work orders to airport construction companies across the country and House Republicans refused to convene a conference committee on the long-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bill, every … Continue Reading
House Republican Leadership’s “My Way or the Runway” Shotgun Approach Causes Midnight FAA Shutdown
July 22, 2011—Nearly 90,000 American Construction Workers Will See Their Paychecks Halted, 3,600 FAA Aviation Experts Furloughed to Appease Tea Party Extremists— Washington, D.C.- The House Republican leadership today will shut down major parts of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at midnight to appease Tea Party extremists, a risky bet that will jeopardize $2.5 billion in construction projects, 87,000 American construction jobs, furlough 3,600 FAA aviation engineers, safety analysts, and other … Continue Reading
Rahall: House Republican Tactics Jeopardize FAA Negotiations
July 20, 2011Washington, D.C.- U.S. Representative Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today warned that tactics by House Republicans to force major policy provisions into an otherwise noncontroversial funding extension for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) could jeopardize efforts to enact a multi-year reauthorization. “Holding hostage the negotiations is not the way to move the reauthorization process forward. In fact, it is almost … Continue Reading
Transportation Leaders to Hold Press Conference on EU Emissions Trading Legislation Tomorrow
July 19, 2011Washington, DC - U.S. House Transportation Committee leaders will hold a press conference tomorrow, July 20th, to discuss the introduction of bipartisan legislation regarding the European Union’s unilateral decision to require participation of U.S. air carriers and other operators in the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme. Committee members will detail the bill’s provisions that challenge European Union plans to impose a costly fee or emissions credit purchase on any civil aviation operators … Continue Reading
Panel Holds Hearing on Silvertip Pipeline Oil Spill in Yellowstone River
July 14, 2011Washington, D.C. - The House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials today held a hearing on “The Silvertip Pipeline Oil Spill in Yellowstone County, Montana.” Below is the opening statement of U.S. Representative Corrine Brown (D-FL), Democratic Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, as prepared for delivery: Statement of the Honorable Corrine Brown, Ranking MemberSubcommittee on Railroads, … Continue Reading
House Passes Rahall Bill to Rein in EPA Regulatory Overreach – Legislation Restores Federal-State Partnership –
July 12, 2011Washington, D.C.- The U.S. House of Representatives today passed bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Representative Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), top Democrat on the Committee, and U.S. Representative John Mica (R-FL), Chairman of the Committee, aimed at reining in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) overreach in the Clean Water Act permitting process that is threatening the future of coal mining jobs and communities throughout Appalachia. “Under the guise of ensuring clean water, the … Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Respond to Republican Surface Transportation Proposal
July 07, 2011Washington, D.C.- Republicans on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today unveiled the framework for a controversial multi-year surface transportation proposal to reauthorize our Nation’s highway, highway safety, transit, and rail programs. Democratic leaders on the Committee responded at an afternoon news conference on Capitol Hill. “While we have yet to see much of the details of this legislation, based on the funding levels alone, it appears that this bill can best be … Continue Reading