Press Releases

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s top Republican today announced that U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) has been named to serve as the Ranking Republican Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

U.S. Rep Sam Graves (R-MO), the Ranking Member of the full Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, named Katko to fill the subcommittee leadership role.  The full Committee is scheduled to formally approve Katko’s selection on Wednesday.

“I am humbled and honored to be named Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management,” Katko said.  “As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee with jurisdiction over the Federal Emergency Management Agency and economic development agencies and partnerships including the Northern Border Regional Commission, I am eager to work with members on both sides of the aisle to improve our nation’s response to natural disasters and promote economic opportunity for individuals in Central New York and across the country.  I thank Ranking Member Graves for this opportunity and am looking forward to working alongside Chairwoman Dina Titus in the coming days.”

“Congressman Katko is one of the hardest working Members of our Committee, and I am excited to add him to the ranks of our Republican leadership,” said Graves.  “This subcommittee has broad oversight of programs that impact the lives of Americans in numerous ways.  John’s experience will help him lead this subcommittee in its work to improve how our communities prepare for and recover from disasters, foster economic development in distressed regions across the country, and save taxpayer dollars through more effective management of federal office space and property.”

Background Information:

Rep. Katko has served on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee since he was first elected to represent New York’s 24th Congressional District in 2014.  Shortly after graduating from Syracuse University College of Law, Katko began his career in public service, serving first as a Senior Trial Attorney at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  He then worked for 20 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).  During this time, Katko worked with the DOJ’s Criminal Division, Narcotics & Dangerous Drug Section and spent time working as a Senior Trial Attorney on the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso, Texas and in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  Most recently, he served as a federal organized crime prosecutor in Syracuse, leading high-level narcotics federal prosecutions. 

The Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management conducts oversight of the federal management of emergencies and natural disasters, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery programs.

In addition, the Subcommittee has jurisdiction over public buildings and the federal real estate programs of the General Services Administration (GSA) – the civilian landlord of the federal government.  

The Subcommittee also has jurisdiction over agencies and programs for promoting economic development in communities suffering economic distress, such as the Economic Development Administration, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and other similarly structured commissions.