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It's official, Bill Shuster will chair House Transportation

U.S. House Republicans made it official on Wednesday, selecting Rep. Bill Shuster, R-PA, to chair the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. His term will officially begin with the 113th Congress in January.

Shuster has served on the committee since 2001 when he was elected to the congressional seat that Bud Shuster, his father and former T&I chairman, held. While on the committee, Bill Shuster has chaired the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials and the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.

OOIDA issued a statement saying the Association and its membership look forward to working with Chairman Shuster and the committee.

“We stand ready to work with Mr. Shuster and are optimistic he will advance legislation that will actually help the small-business truckers out there on the road,” OOIDA Executive Vice President Todd Spencer said. “His background and leadership record have more than prepared him for the challenge ahead.”
 
OOIDA hopes that the new chairman will work to preserve an industry where owner-operators are able to thrive and small businesses are able to compete.

“The future of small-business trucking could be at stake if we continue to pursue costly and unnecessary regulations that offer no safety benefits while ignoring areas of the industry where drivers are being abused and the free flow of goods stifled,” said Spencer. “We hope for an era of smart policy.”

Shuster, who succeeds Rep. John Mica, R-FL, who was term-limited by Republican conference rules, called it an honor to serve as chairman. He said he looks forward to continuing to reform the federal program and focusing resources where they are needed most. He also said he would work to restore regulatory balance.

“Transportation issues are among the most critical that we face in Congress and as a nation,” Shuster stated on his website.

“Our transportation infrastructure is the backbone that supports economic growth and global competiveness. Working together in the 113th Congress, the committee will focus on strengthening America’s transportation networks to make us more efficient, more competitive, and more prosperous.”

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