WASHINGTON, D.C., December 2, 2021 – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) announced he will run for Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for the 118th Congress. Larsen, a senior member of the Committee and Chair of the Aviation Subcommittee, made the announcement in a letter to colleagues after Chair Peter DeFazio (OR-04) announced his retirement at the end of his term.
In his letter to colleagues, Larsen communicated his 20-years of service to the committee responding to members’ needs, and his ability to “get things done” when in both the majority and minority party in Congress.
The letter Larsen sent to colleagues announcing his run for Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee in its entirety can be found here.
Larsen Statement on Retirement of Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter DeFazio
Rep. Larsen, released the the following statement after Committee Chair DeFazio announced his retirement at the end of his term.
“It has been an honor to work with Pete DeFazio, my colleague and friend, on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for the last two decades looking out for the interests of the people of Washington and Oregon. Pete has made his mark with his steadfast leadership on behalf of the safety of the traveling public and the women and men who build, maintain and repair our nation’s infrastructure, as well as in seeking to build a cleaner and greener transportation system.”
What is the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
According to its website, the  House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has jurisdiction over all modes of transportation: aviation, maritime and waterborne transportation, highways, bridges, mass transit, and railroads. The Committee also has jurisdiction over other aspects of our national infrastructure, such as clean water and waste water management, the transport of resources by pipeline, flood damage reduction, the management of federally owned real estate and public buildings, the development of economically depressed rural and urban areas, disaster preparedness and response, and hazardous materials transportation.
In addition, the Transportation Committee has broad jurisdiction over the Department of Transportation, the U.S. Coast Guard, Amtrak, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and others. The Committee also has jurisdiction over federal buildings, which includes the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is one of the largest committees in Congress, and includes six subcommittees:
- Aviation
- Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
- Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management
- Highways and Transit
- Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
- Water Resources and the Environment