Shuster To Head Transportation Committee

Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA) will be taking over as Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in January at the start of the 113th Congress, replacing John Mica (R-FL), due to term-limitation rules.

Shuster, who has represented the 9th district of Pennsylvania in Congress since 2001 – the same seat held by his father, Bud Shuster, who also served as T&I Chairman – is a self-professed advocate for strong government oversight of the U.S. transportation system, but also backs efforts to find new ways to fund it.

"Transportation infrastructure is a core function of government," Shuster said at committee meeting in May, when he served as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

Shuster also supports "streamlining" reform efforts to speed up transportation construction timetables while also providing more funding flexibility so states can determine what projects need such monies the most.

As part of an effort to, in his words, "hit the ground running" when the 113th Congress opens, Shuster has already made several key staff appointments to the T&I committee.

The first is Christopher Bertram, currently CFO at the U.S. Department of Transportation, who will serve as Committee Chief of Staff. This will be Bertram’s third tour on Capitol Hill, with previous stints as Staff Director of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee from 1996 to 2001; Staff Director of both the Senate Aviation and Surface Subcommittees between 2003 and 2009; and CFO of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Stephen Martinko, currently Chief of Staff for Shuster’s personnel office, will be appointed Deputy Chief of Staff. Jennifer Hall – a six-year veteran of the T&I committee will continue in her position as General Counsel, while Jim Tymon – a ten-year committee veteran – will serve as Senior Advisor to Chairman Shuster as well as continue to serve as Staff Director of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee.

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