House T&I Committee Finalizes Chair Assignments, Chairman Shuster Meets Chairman Boxer to Discuss Highway Trust Fund Concerns

House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Bill Shuster (R-PA) held an organizational meeting for the 113th Congress this week where the members approved subcommittee chairmen and ranking members, provided subcommittee assignments, and adopted the Committee rules and oversight plan.  The subcommittee chairmen and ranking Democrat members are as follows: Aviation – Chairman, Frank LoBiondo (N.J.) and Ranking Member, Rick Larsen (Wash.);  Highways and Transit – Chairman, Tom Petri (Wis.) and Ranking Member, Peter DeFazio (Ore.); Railroads, Pipelines & Hazmat – Chairman, Jeff Denham (Calif.) and Ranking Member, Corrine Brown (Fla.); Water Resources and Environment –  Chairman, Bob Gibbs (Ohio)and Ranking Member, Tim Bishop (N.Y.);  Coast Guard and Maritime – Chairman, Duncan Hunter (Calif.) and Ranking Member, John Garamendi (Calif.); and  Economic Development & Public Buildings – Chairman, Lou Barletta (Pa.) and Ranking Member, Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.).  A full list of committee assignments can be found here. Chairman Shuster briefly outlined a very busy agenda that includes tackling a Water Resources Development Act authorization, a rail reauthorization and starting the process of reauthorizing and funding a new surface transportation authorization bill.  Ranking Democrat, Nick Rahall (W.Va.) pledged to work together with Chairman Shuster and all of the committee members on the critical agenda before the committee. The following day chairman Shuster met with Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Cal) Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) to discuss addressing the issues facing their committees. Both reported that a key issue discussed was how to boost revenue for the Highway Trust Fund while acknowledging that its outlook is dire. Both agreed to look at a variety of different funding sources to ensure that the trust fund is able to meet growing transportation investment needs. This week the Congressional Budget Office issued a report on the status of the Highway Trust Fund following enactment of MAP-21 which pointed out that it is projected to run out of funds to maintain current funding levels by the end of fiscal 2014 and will continue to shrink in the out years without an infusion of new revenue.