DeFazio to chair House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) last week was elected chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for the 116th Congress.

DeFazio had been the committee's ranking member since January 2015 and a committee member since he first came to Congress in 1987. With the Democrats taking control of the House in the November 2018 midterm elections, DeFazio moves into the committee's top leadership role.

In a statement released by his office, DeFazio said he would be a "tireless advocate for the kind of infrastructure investment that results in job creation, increased economic growth and decreased emissions."

He also said he would work toward building bipartisan support for legislation "that strengthens the federal responsibility for maintaining and providing access to transportation for all Americans."

"I look forward to working with my Democratic and Republican colleagues in order to achieve our shared goals," DeFazio said. "Together, we can lay the groundwork for infrastructure investment that delivers for generations to come."