Mica Hopes T&I Regains Traction After Wheel-Spinning in 2007
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee struggled to find its footing in the first session of the 110th Congress, and only succeeded when Democrats reached out to work together with their Republican colleagues, according to the Committee's Republican Leader.
"The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's achievements were few and far between in 2007," said U.S. Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL).
"Although the Committee concluded the year with hundreds of hours of hearings under its belt, its few successes came only when majority Democrats worked in a bipartisan manner with Republicans, as with the Water Resources Development Act and legislation to increase the retirement age for commercial airline pilots.
"In 2007, Republicans successfully opposed proposals to increase the federal gas tax and dramatically expand the federal government's jurisdiction over the nation's waters.
"I hope this committee can regain its traction and begin to move forward after spinning its wheels in 2007," Mica said.
During the first session of the 110th Congress, the Committee held more than 100 meetings, involving over 340 hours and the testimony of more than 700 witnesses. Eleven Committee bills from the first session that have become law designate the name of a federal building, room or road, and an additional bill authorizes the construction of an arterial road in Missouri.
The three major Committee bills that became public law were all approved with strong bipartisan support: the "Water Resources Development Act of 2007" (H.R. 1495), the "Fair Treatment for Experienced Pilots Act" (H.R. 4343), and a bill to authorize emergency funding for the reconstruction of the I-35W bridge in Minnesota (H.R. 3311).
"A host of issues remain for 2008," Mica added. "Stalled reauthorizations of the Federal Aviation Administration, the Coast Guard, and a number of the nation's economic development programs remain as unfinished business. An important bill providing corrections to the federal highways and transit programs also remains. This nation continues to lack a strategic transportation plan that draws on the strengths of all modes of transportation in unison, including a true high speed rail system.
"I look forward to working closely with Chairman Oberstar this year to address these issues, alleviate the nation's crippling transportation congestion and improve the abysmal condition of our crumbling infrastructure," Mica concluded.