Port security, harbor dredging, waterways repairs and marine highways will be among the principal issues to be taken up on Capitol Hill in 2011 as new chairmen are assigned to lead full committees and subcommittees.
The November Election Day Republican sweep included three of the industry’s strongest supporters as chairmen and leaders on their respective committees. Those were Rep. Jim Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee; and Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., a Defense and Seapower subcommittee chairman and active advocate for the maritime industry.
As surprising as their losses were, the prospective replacements appear to follow the seniority track.
Our informants tell us Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., will chair the T&I Committee. Some maritime noses were a bit out of joint when the congressman at a press briefing did not mention the maritime industry as one of the six divisions of the committee. His office has assured me it was only an oversight.
Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., who served as co-chair with Oberstar, will be ranking minority member on T&I.
The experienced Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., is expected to take back his chairmanship of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation subcommittee, with Maryland’s Elijah Cummings moving across as ranking minority member. LoBiondo has stated he intends to focus on port security in order to assure this country’s safety in international trade.
The House Appropriations Committee had three old friends vying for the chairmanship: Reps. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif.; Bill Young, R-Fla.; and Hal Rogers, R-Ky.
There will not be much of a change on the Senate side since the Democrats still have the majority and Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawaii, remains chairman of the very powerful Appropriations Committee and chairs its Defense subcommittee. He also ranks in the second spot on the full committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and on each of its subcommittees.