July 29, 2021
The following are opening remarks, as prepared for delivery, from Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) during today's hearing titled, "Assessing the Federal Government's COVID-19 Relief and Response Efforts and its Impact." Video of DeFazio's opening statement is here. More information on the hearing can be found here.
Chair DeFazio:
Today we will hear about the impact the government's COVID-19 relief funding has had on the transportation secto… Continue Reading
July 28, 2021
The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure approved a slate of measures during a committee markup today, including bipartisan legislation led by Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR) to preclude new foreign airlines from operating to and from the United States that exploit "flags of convenience" to avoid the regulations of their home countries, or otherwise undermine labor standards. The legislation is now ready for consideration on the House floor.
"As Americans start to travel again after … Continue Reading
July 27, 2021
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. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would set stricter limits on the discharge of wastewater from coal-fired power plants, which often contains toxic metals such as arsenic and mercury that contaminate lakes, rivers, and streams near these facilities. … Continue Reading
July 21, 2021
In a commentary published in Fortune earlier this month, Ike Brannon and Michael F. Gorman took great liberties in trying to debunk my concerns with precision scheduled railroading (PSR). Please allow me to set the record straight.
I have served on the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for 34 years, crafting public policy through seven different presidential administrations, both Democratic and Republican. Freight transportation is critical to our economy. The ability to… Continue Reading
June 02, 2021
As chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I have a responsibility to ensure that actions Congress and the federal government take regarding our transportation networks contribute to, and do not detract from, public safety. That's why I oppose the Federal Communications Commission's decision to repurpose more than half of the 5.9 GHz radio frequency band, also known as the Safety Band.
Since 1999, the 5.9 GHz band has been reserved for dedicated short-range communications t… Continue Reading
May 14, 2021
It's no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to tough times for transit agencies, riders, and workers. Not only have transit agencies nationwide seen a 65 percent drop in ridership; at the same time, many have incurred new costs associated with providing personal protective equipment, or PPE, to workers and passengers in order to keep their systems safe, and some temporarily stopped collecting fares altogether to encourage social distancing to save lives.
Despite these unprecedented challe… Continue Reading
