Today, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) announced the Ranking Members of the panel’s six subcommittees for the 116th Congress.

“These are six experienced, hard-working Members of Congress who know the Committee’s issues and know how to get things done,” said Graves.   “These are the type of leaders the Committee will need as we work together in the coming weeks and months on an infrastructure package and other priorities that address the needs of America’s infrastructure and make our transportation network stronger, safer, and more efficient.”
The following Republican Members have been selected to serve as Subcommittee Ranking Members:
Subcommittee on Aviation:
Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) ­– Rep. Graves served as Chairman of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee in the 115th Congress and was instrumental in the development and passage of the America’s Water Infrastructure Act.  Graves also worked closely with other Committee leaders on the Disaster Recovery Reform Act to improve Federal Emergency Management Agency programs and strengthen U.S. communities’ ability to become more resilient to disaster.
“The world population is approaching eight billion people and global trade is soaring,” said Rep. Garret Graves.  “We need modern infrastructure and an air transportation system that reflects this growth and change.  We are not there yet.  I am excited about the opportunity to be on the front lines helping to modernize our technology and aviation system from the one we have to the one we deserve.”
Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation:
Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH) – Rep. Gibbs, whose Ohio district reaches toward the outskirts of Cleveland and the shores of Lake Erie, is a long-serving Member of the Committee.  Rep. Gibbs is also the former Chairman of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee and, over the years, has worked to improve the Nation’s water resources infrastructure and ensure a more common sense regulatory structure.
“It is an honor to serve as Ranking Member of the Coast Guard Subcommittee,” said Rep. Gibbs.  “The maritime industry plays a vital role in interstate and international commerce, while the Coast Guard is a critical element to national security.  I look forward to continuing my work in water transportation and infrastructure.  Having grown up on the shores of Lake Erie, I know how important the Great Lakes are in the Coast Guard’s mission to maritime safety.  On the Water Resources Subcommittee, I worked to find commonsense reforms to federal water navigation and environmental policy.  I thank Ranking Member Graves for this opportunity to continue this work on the Coast Guard Subcommittee.”
Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management:
Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) – Rep. Meadows has served on the Committee since first being elected to Congress in 2013.  Prior to his election, he was a small business owner for nearly 30 years.  He is the former Chairman of the Government Operations Subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
“The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has been at the forefront of some of the strongest bipartisan work Congress has been able to accomplish the last several years,” said Rep. Meadows.  “I look forward to continuing that work alongside my colleagues and Ranking Member Graves, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help lead the Economic Development Subcommittee in the 116th Congress.”
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit:
Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) ­– Rep. Davis has served on the Committee since coming to Congress in 2013 and has played key roles in the development and passage of many pieces of Committee legislation in recent years, including the current long-term surface transpiration reauthorization law, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.
“It’s been an honor to serve on this committee for my tenure in Congress, and I’m thankful to Ranking Member Graves for this incredible leadership opportunity,” said Rep. Davis.  “We have an opportunity for true bipartisanship and to actually get something done.  Roads and bridges impact every single American and are critical to our economy.  I look forward to working with Ranking Member Graves, Chairman DeFazio, and my colleagues on the Committee to move forward legislation to address our highway, bridge, and transit system needs.”
Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials:
Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) – Rep. Crawford is a senior Member of the Committee who was a key player in the development of the FAST Act, which provided the current authorization of federal rail and hazardous materials transportation programs.  Rep. Crawford is also the former Chairman of the Agriculture Committee’s General Farm Commodities and Risk Management Subcommittee.
“Our country’s infrastructure system faces many tough challenges, but our rail system is one that works,” said Rep. Crawford.  “It plays a crucial role nationwide, in facilitating Arkansas’s agriculture and industry, and is an industry in and of itself with several rail car manufacturing facilities in Arkansas’s First District.  I look forward to working with Ranking Member Graves, Chairman DeFazio, and the rest of the T&I Committee to preserve and improve the best rail system in the world and to address the safe transportation of hazardous materials and products by pipeline.”
Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment:
Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) – Now serving his third term in Congress, Rep. Westerman worked to ensure passage of last year’s Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which was included in the America’s Water Infrastructure Act.  He is the previous Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the Committee on Natural Resources.  An engineer and forester by trade, he is also a former state legislator, having served as Republican House Majority Leader in the Arkansas House of Representatives before being elected to Congress.
“Investing in our Nation’s clean water, inland waterway system, dams, levees, and other water resources projects is essential to American economic development, safety, and health,” said Rep. Westerman.  “It’s vital that we invest in water infrastructure, as well as long-term conservation projects, to curb invasive species, clean up hazardous waste, and make sure we’re good stewards of the environment.  Arkansas and our region are blessed with abundant and economically vital clean water resources, including the Arkansas, Red, Ouachita, White, and Mississippi Rivers.  Being chosen to lead Republicans on this subcommittee in the 116th Congress is an honor, and I hope to implement effective policies that maintain and develop infrastructure while conserving our country’s resources.”