Talk:House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

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Hi to all Transportation and Infrastructure Watchers!

I'm still trying to figure out what the heck we're doing, but I've found out a few things in the meantime.

First, the Republicans did a really lousy job updating the House Transportation website ([1]). Then again, what do you expect? They had NO transcripts available for the 109th Congress, only the 108th. Either they didn't do anything or they don't want the public to know what they did...

The minority page on the other hand was pretty good. Shortly after the election, James Oberstar (D-MN), ranking member and expected Chair of the committee put out a press release with some of the main issues the committee plans to tackle:

Pass the Water Resources Development Act, if the current Congress fails to do so in the upcoming post-election session. Accelerate the dredging of harbors in the Great Lakes and move ahead with the second lock at Sault Ste. Marie. Move ahead also with the bi-national authority between the US and Canada for operation of the St. Lawrence Seaway, providing one set of staff, fees, and regulations for users of the system. (Note: PDF of WRDA can be found at [2])

Renew the state revolving loan fund for wastewater systems and sewage treatment plants.

Reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration, ensure the integrity of the Aviation Trust Fund, and make sure that the airports in our smaller communities have the resources they need to compete.

Work to make the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) the effective agency it was during the Clinton Administration

Deal with port security -- the Achilles' heel of homeland security.

This is just for starters, I assume -- clearing up the mess the Republicans left behind. I'm sure there's going to be lots of other stuff coming up in the next couple of years.

I'll try to do some research on Oberstar in the next week or so, to see if I can figure out where he stands on some of the key issues -- for me, that would include Amtrak and public transportation support, my two main interests (as a non-driver and spouse of a bus driver).

Looking forward to doing something useful for once for the dKos community...

Cheers to all,

Roberta (aka Cali Scribe)

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