US: Leadership changes coming to US transportation committees

The committees charged with overseeing transportation issues in the US will both undergo a series of leadership changes when the next Congress commences in January. In the House, where Democrats won back majority control of the chamber in November’s mid-term elections, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-New York) will assume chairmanship of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, which industry-watchers are hopeful will act on assembling an infrastructure package that includes increased funding for airports. DeFazio will likely be joined in the ranking member slot by Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri), after current chairman Bill Shuster decided to retire at the end of the term and Rep. Jeff Dunham (R-California)—Graves’s contender to the ranking member slot—lost his bid for re-election. In the Senate, where Republicans grew their majority by two seats, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) is expected to be the new chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, as current chairman John Thune (R-South Dakota), who was instrumental in passing a multi-year bill to reauthorise the FAA, is set to become the Senate majority whip.<br/>