TRANSPORTATION LEADERSHIP IN THE NEW CONGRESS

I have spoken with a few Hill insiders to see what they see as the challenges and opportunities that may or may not come out of the new Congress. Most agree that if there is disruption, it will be generated in the House. The Senate will continue to stay the course, as the election brought minimal changes. The administration will spend an increasing amount of time before the House in oversight hearings and most likely position President Biden for another campaign in 2024.

With control of the House of Representatives shifting to the Republican Party, the leadership of committees that impact the transportation industry is changing. Though Democrats still control the Senate, changes are being made by both parties to the leadership structure of several key transportation committees there as well. The transportation leader for the New Jersey delegation remains Senator Cory Booker who serves on key Senate transportation committees.

Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) has been selected to serve as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He served as the committee’s ranking Republican for the last four years.

“One of my highest priorities is a bipartisan, long-term reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration and aviation programs,” he said in a statement. “Aviation is a major sector of our economy, and we must ensure our nation remains the world’s gold standard in safety and at the forefront of incorporating new technologies into the system,” Rep. Graves added. “I am also looking forward to working across the aisle to develop other key authorizations for our transportation and infrastructure systems, including a pipeline safety bill, a Coast Guard bill, and the next Water Resources Development Act.”

He is also focused on some of the long-term funding issues involved with the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) enacted in November 2021.

“The biggest criticism is that IIJA is not paid for, and that could be a huge problem,” he said. “We still have a lot of work to do in terms of funding the IIJA. Also, Congress’ biggest job over the next two to four years is oversight of how that money will eventually be spent.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) will serve as the chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means. The committee is expected to examine trade policy and the nation’s tax code to re-shore and strengthen the country’s supply chains, where products and services vital to national security are made at home using American labor.

Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) will serve as chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, which she’s served on for most of the 20 years she’s spent as a member of Congress.

“As the committee responsible for federal funding, it’s our responsibility to reduce spending where we can and ensure that we prioritize resources on national security,” she noted in a statement.

In the Senate, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) becomes the ranking member on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Commit-

BY NICK YAKSICH

tee, replacing Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) who is moving over to the Committee on Armed Services.

For the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over transit in the Senate, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) becomes the ranking member.

For the Committee on Appropriations, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) becomes the chair, replacing Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) who retired. Concurrently, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) becomes ranking member as Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) is retiring.

These committee leaders collectively have the responsibility to meet the funding obligation of transportation programs enacted in the record 2021 bill. This investment will be critical to maintain and expand New Jersey’s critical transportation network.