Marie Newman Appointed To House Transportation Committee

LAGRANGE, IL — Congresswoman-elect Marie Newman received her House committee appointments. The U.S. House of Representatives is set to convene at noon Jan. 3 as specified in the Constitution, which is unusual because the date falls on a Sunday. New members will be sworn into the 117th Congress.

The rookie congresswoman-elect announced her appointment to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, said to be one of the most sought after in Congress. The committee has jurisdiction over all modes of transportation, as well as the U.S. Department of Transportation, Amtrak and the United States Coast Guard.

Many returning and new members of Congress were vying for spots on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Illinois’ 3rd District is home to Midway International Airport, thousands of acres of intermodal rail yard and warehousing, and critical ground transportation and rail arteries that carry millions of pounds of freight and hundreds of thousands of commuters each day.”

“This appointment will put my office in the best possible position to serve my constituents and effectively represent the 3rd District’s unique and historic transportation footprint,” Newman said.

Today’s transportation systems face significant challenges and would be her top legislative priority. She blamed years of disinvestment and a lack of collaboration between local, state and federal transportation agencies, stating short- and long-term planning has failed to mee the needs of Illinois’s 3rd District.

“I will use my role on the Committee to advocate for critical investments to modernize existing assets and plan for new, clean multimodal transportation systems whose construction will bring much-needed economic development to my District, Newman said. “We are at a pivotal moment in American history and our ability to right the ship will be defined, in part, by critical legislation in front of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.”

In addition to a surface transportation reauthorization bill, Newman said she would support funding for ongoing maintenance and future capital investments.

“I believe it is absolutely essential that we pass a massive infrastructure stimulus package to jumpstart our economy and create good-paying American jobs that will put people back to work,” Newman said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Committee as well as Transportation Secretary Designee Buttigieg and the incoming Biden Administration to build a new future for my district and our country.”