With Democrats rising to power in the U.S. House of Representatives and the government recently reopened (temporarily at least), it's time to plot the legislative ambitions of the coming session in Congress.
Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) sat down for an interview with Angie Schmitt to lay out expectations for transportation policy as a result of new Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives.
Rep. DeFazio is the chair of the House Transportation Committee, and is thus "perhaps the most powerful person to shape federal transportation policy," according to Schmitt. Rep. DeFazio's track record in Congress, serving since 1987, includes leadership "on issues such as holding designers accountable for unsafe streets and promoting increased protection for women on public transit," according to Schmitt.
The interview ranges from major policy pushes, funding for alternative transportation, the Highway Trust Fund, a potential federal infrastructure bill, and pedestrian safety. Rep. DeFazio opens the interview with a bold statement about the need to move beyond fossil fuels in transportation.
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