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Gallagher Selected to Represent WI-8 on Transportation & Infrastructure Committee

May 24, 2018

Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Mike Gallagher announced that he has been selected to serve on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, one of the largest committees in Congress. He will also serve on the Highways and Transit; Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials; and Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management subcommittees.

In response to his new assignment, Rep. Gallagher said, "I'm honored to represent Wisconsin's 8th District on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, whose work is vital to our success in today's competitive global economy. From shipping our agricultural and manufacturing products across the globe, to ensuring safe airtravel at the Green Bay and Appleton airports, to maintaining our ports and strong maritime commerce, the transportation and infrastructure industries impact nearly every aspect of our local economy." Gallagher continued, "As a member of the committee, I will work as hard as possible to ensure Northeast Wisconsin's needs are addressed with responsible and common-sense legislation."

Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Bill Shuster, said, "Rebuilding the nation's transportation systems and providing America with a 21st century infrastructure are vital to our economic growth, prosperity, and global leadership." Chairman Shuster continued, "Just like his predecessor Reid Ribble, Congressman Gallagher will be a valuable and thoughtful addition to the Committee and I look forward to working with him."

Committee Background: The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has jurisdiction over all modes of transportation: aviation, maritime and waterborne transportation, highways, bridges, mass transit, and railroads. The Committee also has jurisdiction over other aspects of our national infrastructure, such as clean water and waste water management, the transport of resources by pipeline, flood damage reduction, the management of federally owned real estate and public buildings, the development of economically depressed rural and urban areas, disaster preparedness and response, and hazardous materials transportation.

U.S. Infrastructure by the numbers:

  • According to the committee the United States has more than four million miles of public roads, 19,700 civil airports, and over 138,000 miles of freight rail;
  • Amtrak maintains billions of dollars in infrastructure assets, and 726 public transit agencies receive federal assistance;
  • The General Services Administration owns or leases 9,600 assets and maintains an inventory of more than 362 million square feet of space;
  • There are approximately 1,700 miles of levees, 650 dams and 383 major lakes and reservoirs, 12,000 miles of commercial inland channels, and 75 hydropower generating facilities owned by the federal government;
  • The United States also operates and maintains waterways leading to 926 coastal, Great Lakes, and inland harbors and 241 individual lock chambers at 195 sites nationwide.