U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Oreg., the top Democrat on the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, turned to South Florida to bring on a new member.
DeFazio announced that U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., who was first elected to Congress in 2010, will be joining the committee. U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., is the only other Democrat from the Sunshine State on the committee.
“As ranking member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I have demonstrated an ability to both work with my Republican counterparts on the committee, and to aggressively fight for Democratic priorities,” DeFazio said. “In the coming Congress, I will be prepared to work with the majority and the new administration where we find common ground. However, I will not hesitate to fight short-sighted proposals that seek to privatize our transportation systems, jeopardize American jobs and manufacturing, or gut critical regulations that protect our workers and communities. We must unite and work together to ensure our nation makes the necessary infrastructure investments to strengthen our economy, increase U.S. economic competitiveness, and improve the daily lives of our citizens.”
For her part, Wilson said her new assignment would help her bring jobs to South Florida. Wilson helped found and lead the Florida Ports Caucus back in 2013.
“Since my first day in Congress, my mantra has been jobs, jobs, jobs,” Wilson said on Thursday. “The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee plays a pivotal role in spurring job creation and economic growth. This appointment will provide excellent opportunities to work across party lines to advance an agenda to rebuild and strengthen America’s infrastructure and transportation systems, which will make our nation both safer and more competitive.
“South Florida’s airports and seaports are significant economic drivers in our state and gateways to commerce in other states,” Wilson added. “As a member of this vital committee, I will work hard to open doors of opportunity for both employees and businesses at home and across the nation.”
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