By Ron Thaniel
December 20, 2010

U.S. Representative John L. Mica was confirmed by vote of the House Republican Conference on December 8 to serve as Chairman on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the 112th Congress. The Committee has jurisdiction over highways, aviation, transit, rail, pipelines, the Coast Guard, maritime, water resources, economic development, public buildings, and emergency management.

Mica said, "We must begin immediately to address the significant needs and challenges facing our nation's infrastructure and create jobs."

"The Committee must pass stalled major surface transportation, aviation, and water resources bills, and I will do so as soon as possible in a manner that protects the taxpayers and creates jobs," said Mica. "It is critical that Congress jumpstarts transportation projects to rebuild our nation's crumbling infrastructure and get people working."

Speaking to a priority of The U.S. Conference of Mayors in the reauthorization of the federal surface transportation law, on November 3, the day after the Republicans took control of the House, Mica called for "cost effective passenger rail transportation, including a better directed high-speed rail program." At a special briefing of congressional members on the Conference of Mayors study on the Economic Impact of high-speed Rail on Cities and their Metropolitan Areas on June 30, Mica told Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Albany (NY) Mayor Gerald D. Jennings that he is committed to a high-speed rail program in the next transportation bill. The Conference of Mayors groundbreaking study on economic opportunities associated with high-speed rail is at usmayors.org/highspeedrail.

In the previous two congresses, Mica served as the Committee's Ranking Member. Prior to that, from 2000 to 2006, he was the Chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee.

Mica has been a member of Committee since his election to Congress in 1992. He represents Florida's 7th congressional district, which includes all of Flagler and St. Johns County, including St. Augustine; a portion of eastern Putnam County; parts of Volusia County, including the central areas of DeLand and Deltona, and the northeastern coastal areas of Ormond Beach and Daytona. He also represents much of western Seminole County and a portion of Orange County.