BREAKING: Bill Shuster to chair House T&I Committee

Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) was selected by the House Republican Conference to be the next Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (T&I) on Tuesday. He succeeds Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL).

Shuster has served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee since coming to Congress in 2001. Previously, he has served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials and as chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management. Shuster will be “Chairman-elect” until the start of the 113th Congress in January.

Shuster made the following statement after the announcement of his selection:

“It is a great honor to be selected by my colleagues to serve as Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and I thank them for the confidence they have placed in me.

“Transportation issues are among the most critical that we face in Congress and as a nation. 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.

“I look forward to continuing to work to reform programs, focus our resources where they are needed most, restore regulatory balance and better manage our federal assets.”

Rep. Shuster also announced that Christopher Bertram will serve as chief of staff of the T&I Committee with Stephen Martinko serving as deputy chief of staff.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Hall will continue in her position as general counsel to the committee, while Jim Tymon will serve as senior advisor to the chairman and continue as the staff director of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee. Tymon is a 10-year veteran of the committee, which he joined in 2002 after working at the Office of Management and Budget. He was the lead staff negotiator for the House during the Conference with the Senate for MAP-21 and also negotiated the previous surface transportation bill (SAFETEA-LU) and the last two pipeline safety bills.