Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

The committees with jurisdiction over transportation are shrinking. In the Senate, committee membership is only going from 21 to 20. But the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is experiencing a much more significant belt-tightening, shrinking from a committee of 75 to just 59. Of those 59, 33 are Republicans and 26 are Democrats.

John Boozman is one of three new Republican members of the Senate EPW Committee.
John Boozman is one of three new Republican members of the Senate EPW Committee.

Congressional staff confirms that while not all committees were downsized in the transition to Republican rule, most were. And T&I was an easy target, being the biggest committee in the House (a position it retains, even at a slim 59 members).

Republicans say they trimmed committee size in the interest of creating a smaller and more accountable government. House Speaker John Boehner cut committee budgets by five percent.

Meanwhile, as promised, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has announced its new roster for the 112th Congress:

Democrats: Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Max Baucus (D-MT), Thomas Carper (D-DE), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tom Udall (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)

Republicans: Ranking Member James Inhofe (R-OK), David Vitter (R-LA), John Barrasso (R-WY), Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Mike Johanns (R-NE), John Boozman (R-AR)

The Democratic side is the same as the last session except that Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) has dropped off and hasn’t been replaced. Also, Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, who started last session as a Republican and then switched to the Democratic party, was defeated in the November election. Meanwhile, on the Republican side, Sessions, Johanns, and Boozman are new members. All of that leaves the committee with a ten to eight balance of Democrats to Republicans. Last session, with a bigger majority, the balance was twelve to seven after Specter switched parties.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Thursday’s Headlines Are Open 24 Hours

Between an egg surcharge and now EV chargers, late-night diner chain Waffle House looks ready to thrown down with the Trump administration.

May 22, 2025

How A Single Transportation Emergency Can Keep Parents From Achieving Their College Dreams

Abigail Seldin of Scholarship America about the 3.8 million U.S. students who are earning degrees while raising families.

May 22, 2025

Republican Senators Press Attack on CA’s Clean Air Laws

Anyone hoping that Congressional Republican leaders would follow generations of precedent regarding the role of the non-partisan Senate Parliamentarian or the Government Accountability Office (GAO) had a very bad day yesterday.

May 21, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines Have a System

The safe systems approach to street design, popular in Europe, could cut U.S. traffic deaths in half.

May 21, 2025

Does Transportation Advocacy Have a Place In the Wake of a Deadly Tornado?

Much of St. Louis is struggling in the wake of a deadly tornado. Amid such disasters, urbanism needs a pause and a rethink.

May 21, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Show Elections Have Consequences

"Woke" transit agencies need not apply for federal grants now that father of nine Sean Duffy is in charge.

May 20, 2025
See all posts