Rep. Shuster taps Transportation subcommittee chairmen

New House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) announced the chairmen of the panel's subcommittees on Wednesday.

Shuster appointed Reps. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.), Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), Lou Barietta (R-Pa.), Tom Petri (R-Wis.), Rep. Jenn Denham (R-Calif.) and Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) to run the House Transportation Committee's six subcommittees. Additionally, he tapped Rep. John Duncan (R-Tenn.) to be the panel's vice chairman.

LoBiondo will be chairman of the Transportation Committee's Aviation Subcommittee, taking over for Petri. The long-time Wisconsin rep will move over to the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, which was chaired previously by Duncan.  

Denham will take over the Transportation Committee's Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. Denham is a vocal opponent of a proposed high-speed railway in California and he has sought to deny federal funding for the project.

Rep. Shuster also announced that Hunter will become chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee and Gibbs will assume the gavel of the Water Resources and Environment Committee.

Shuster called the subcommittee chairmen "an extremely talented team of capable, proven leaders with diverse backgrounds that will be instrumental in the committee’s important work this Congress.

“I look forward to working together to promote competitiveness and economic growth, reform programs, and strengthen our nation’s infrastructure,” he said.

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