Shuster to address Chamber of Commerce

Ahead of his first full meeting as House Transportation Committee Chairman, Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) will speak at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's infrastructure summit.

The summit is scheduled to take on Wednesday morning.

It will be followed approximately two hours later by a hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee intended to debate the "federal role" for government spending on road and transit projects.

Other speakers at the summit will include Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue and representatives from groups such as the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Trucking Association (ATA).

Shuster is likely to use his remarks to buttress a pitch to conservative members of his Republican Party he has foreshadowed about the necessity of spending federal money on transportation. 

“Transportation and infrastructure have long been recognized as federal responsibilities shared with the states," Shuster said in a statement announcing the hearing last week.

"Understanding the federal role in financing, building and maintaining an efficient system of infrastructure is critical to ensuring U.S. economic growth and global competitiveness," he continued.

The transportation committee's hearing is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

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