Special Report: The 2014 Election Results & Federal Transportation Investment/Policy

1. 1
Special
Report:
The
2014
Election
Results
&
Federal
Transportation
Investment/Policy
Overview
As
expected,
Republicans
had
a
big
night
November
4.
As
we
write
this,
the
GOP
has
gained
11
seats
in
the
U.S.
House
of
Representatives—expanding
their
majority
in
that
chamber
to
the
largest
the
party
has
enjoyed
since
World
War
II.
The
big
news,
however,
is
Republicans
wrestling
control
of
the
U.S.
Senate
by
picking
up
at
least
eight
seats
previously
held
by
Democrats.
When
the
next
congressional
session
begins
in
January,
Republicans
will
have
at
least
53
seats
in
the
Senate,
while
Democrats
will
control
46.
The
Senate
race
in
Louisiana
is
heading
for
a
December
6
runoff
as
no
candidate
received
more
than
50
percent
of
the
vote.
While
there
will
be
no
shortage
of
spin
from
both
sides
about
what
the
2014
elections
mean
for
each
party
and
their
prospects
in
the
2016
presidential
election,
ARTBA
is
focused
on
what
the
makeup
of
the
next
Congress
means
for
efforts
to
advance
transportation
legislation
over
the
next
two
years.
House
Republicans
will
continue
to
be
able
to
pass
virtually
any
legislation
they
want—
as
they
have
done
since
2010—due
to
the
chamber’s
institutional
rules
that
greatly
advantage
the
majority
party.
The
Senate,
on
the
other
hand,
is
a
more
complicated
environment.
Not
only
do
the
chamber’s
rules
empower
the
minority
to
stop
any
legislation
with
41
votes—a
threshold
Democrats
will
exceed
by
at
least
five
votes—but
Republicans
face
the
same
headwinds
to
control
the
chamber
beyond
2016
as
Democrats
faced
this
year.
Senate
Democrats
had
to
defend
21
seats
in
2014
(seven
of
which
were
in
states
that
Mitt
Romney
won
in
the
2012
presidential
election)
and
Republicans
had
to
defend
15.
Republican
Senate
candidates
won
in
at
least
six
of
the
Romney
states
(Alaska,
North
Carolina,
Arkansas,
South
Dakota,
West
Virginia,
and
Montana)
and
one
Romney
state
(Louisiana)
remains
a
possible
Republican
pick-­‐
ups.
By
contrast,
the
2016
elections
will
require
Republicans
to
defend
24
seats
(seven
of
which
are
in
states
won
by
President
Obama
in
the
2012
presidential
election)
and
only
10
seats
currently
held
by
Democrats
will
be
on
the
ballot.
The
2016
map
does
not
guarantee
Democrats
regain
control
of
the
Senate
in
two
years—just
like
the
2014
map
did
not
guarantee
Republicans
would
win
control
of
the
chamber.
So,
what
does
this
all
mean?
First,
there
is
no
doubt
Republicans
will
control
the
agenda
(what
bills
and
amendments
are
considered,
committee
hearings,
etc.)
on
Capitol
Hill,
but
they
still
do
not
have
enough
votes
to
overcome
objections
by
Senate
Democrats
or
override
any
presidential
vetoes.
Second,
with
control
of
the
Senate
in
play
again
and
a
presidential
election
in
two
years,
it
is
unclear
at
this
point
how
both
sides
are
going
to
balance
the
competing
needs
of
contrasting
themselves
with
the
other
party
and
producing
accomplishments
to
show
they
are
worthy
of
the

2. 2
responsibility
to
govern
(Republicans
are
already
under
pressure
from
conservative
activists
not
to
work
with
Democrats).
Last—but
certainly
not
least—divided
government
means
enacting
any
new
laws
will
require
support
from
both
parties.
Of
all
the
major
issues
before
Congress,
few
can
rival
the
broad
bipartisan
support
that
transportation
investment
and
policy
reforms
have
routinely
enjoyed.
Another
key
advantage
for
the
federal
transportation
programs
is
that
unlike
many
other
areas,
the
looming
Highway
Trust
Fund
revenue
shortfall
and
expiration
of
the
federal
highway,
transit
and
aviation
programs
in
2015
will
require
congressional
action
of
some
form.
So
despite
all
the
spin
about
the
“game
changing”
2014
elections,
we
are
looking
at
another
busy
year
on
the
transportation
front.
Senate
As
this
goes
to
press,
Republicans
have
delivered
on
expectations
and
will
control
at
least
53
seats
in
the
U.S.
Senate
during
2015.
Republicans
won
seats
in
eight
states
previously
held
by
Democrats
(Alaska,
Arkansas,
Colorado,
Iowa,
Montana,
North
Carolina,
South
Dakota,
and
West
Virginia),
while
successfully
defending
all
15
Senate
seats
held
by
Republicans.
Senator
Mary
Landrieu
(D-­‐La.)
and
challenger
Bill
Cassidy
are
headed
to
a
December
6
runoff
in
Lousiana.
As
such,
Republicans
have
the
potential
of
picking
up
one
more
Senate
seat
and
further
expanding
their
majority
in
the
chamber.
Due
to
Senate
rules,
the
magic
number
is
60.
Any
senator
has
the
right
to
filibuster
legislation
and
stopping
this
parliamentary
tactic
requires
60
votes.
Over
the
last
several
decades,
this
arcane
procedure
has
evolved
from
a
lone
Senator
talking
a
bill
to
death,
to
a
tool
that
both
parties
wield
to
stop
legislation
with
which
they
disagree.
As
a
result,
any
major
legislation
now
requires
a
supermajority.
In
2015—just
like
2014—the
majority
party
will
be
unable
to
achieve
60
votes
without
support
from
at
least
a
handful
of
minority
party
members.
That
means
Republicans
will
have
the
ability
to
schedule
votes,
but
only
bills
with
bipartisan
support
will
actually
pass
the
chamber.
House
Republicans
have
expanded
their
majority
in
the
House
by
at
least
11
seats
and
will
hold
the
party’s
largest
majority
since
World
War
II.
Republicans
have
controlled
the
House
since
2011
and—unlike
the
Senate—House
rules
greatly
empower
the
majority
party
regardless
of
the
size
of
that
majority.
The
chamber
requires
only
a
simple
majority
to
approve
legislation
and
bestows
on
the
majority
complete
control
of
the
legislative
agenda.
Republicans
maintaining
a
majority
of
the
House
was
widely
expected.
This
is
due,
in
large
part,
to
the
2010
elections
where
not
only
did
Republicans
regain
control
of
the
House,
but
also
captured
many
state
legislatures
and
governorships.
The
election
coincided
with
the
2010
decennial
national
census,
the
results
of
which
were
used
in
2011
to
determine
how
many
House
seats
each
state
gets
and
the
new
congressional
map
drawn
by,
in
most
states,
the
governors
and
state
legislators.
Because
of
the
big
Republican
victory
in
2010,
the
GOP
had
much
more
sway
in
the
redrawing
of
the
congressional
maps
and
in
many
states
drew
favorable
districts
to
help
secure
its
House
majority.
The
next
redrawing
of
House
districts
is
not
slated,
in
most
states,
until
2021,
making
a
Republican
controlled
House
very
likely
until
that
point.

3. 3
State
and
Local
With
36
gubernatorial
races
and
87
out
of
99
state
legislative
chambers
holding
elections
this
year,
control
of
governments
at
the
state
level
was
once
again
put
to
voters.
Five
of
the
36
governor’s
mansions
up
for
grabs
flipped
to
another
party
yesterday,
with
two
more
races
still
too
close
to
call.
This
brings
the
new
total
breakdown
to
31
Republican
governors,
17
Democratic
governors,
and
three
states
where
the
outcome
is
still
undecided.
That
compares
to
the
current
breakdown
of
29
Republicans
and
21
Democrats—meaning
a
net
gain
of
at
least
two
governorships
for
the
GOP.
Down
ballot
from
the
gubernatorial
elections,
46
states
held
some
sort
of
state
legislature
elections,
with
only
Louisiana,
Mississippi,
New
Jersey
and
Virginia
not
voting
for
state-­‐level
offices.
Going
into
the
November
4
elections,
Democrats
controlled
21
state
House
and
18
state
Senate
bodies,
while
Republicans
held
majorities
in
28
state
House
and
31
state
Senate
chambers.
Nebraska
has
only
one,
technically
non-­‐partisan,
legislature,
though
the
majority
of
its
members
are
Republicans.
After
the
newly-­‐elected
members
are
sworn
in
later
this
year
and
early
next
year,
Democrats
will
now
hold
majorities
in
16
state
House
and
15
state
Senate
chambers.
Republicans,
in
turn,
will
control
33
House
and
34
Senate
chambers.
Prior
to
the
election,
Democrats
held
the
governorship
and
state
House
and
Senate
in
14
states,
compared
to
23
states
where
all
three
were
led
by
Republicans.
This
is
now
the
case
in
seven
states
for
Democrats
and
23
states
for
Republicans,
leaving
18
states
with
split
party
control
of
their
government.
Balance
of
All
99
State
Legislative
Chambers
Pre-­‐Election
Post-­‐Election
Chamber
Democrat
Republican
Split
Non-­‐Partisan
Democrat
Republican
Split
Non-­‐Partisan
State
Senates
18
31
0
1
15
34
0
1
State
House
21
28
0
0
16
33
0
0
Total:
39
59
0
1
31
67
0
1
What’s
Next
in
Washington?
While
much
of
the
recent
national
political
focus
has
been
on
who
will
be
serving
in
Congress
beginning
in
2015,
members
of
Congress
already
on
the
job
still
have
plenty
of
unfinished
business
to
attend
to
between
now
and
the
end
of
this
year.
Issues
that
still
need
to
be
resolved
include:
• The
“absolutely-­‐must-­‐pass-­‐to-­‐avoid-­‐a-­‐government-­‐shutdown”
FY
2015
appropriations
bills
that
are
currently
operating
under
a
short-­‐term
continuing
resolution
(CR)
set
to
expire
December
11.
These
annual
appropriations
bills
set
funding
for
the
discretionary
part
of
the
federal
government—including
all
programs
administered
by
the
U.S.
Department
of
Transportation.
Given
past
practices
and
the
relatively
short
time
before
the
current
interim
funding
bill
expires,
another
government-­‐wide
catch
all
measure
is
likely
to
be
approved
during
the
post-­‐election
session.
It
remains
to
be
seen,
however,
if
Congress
will
approve
funds
for
the
remainder
of
FY
2015,
or
approve
another
short-­‐term
measure
that
would
require
further
action
next
year
to
keep
federal
programs
operating.
Regardless
of

4. 4
the
path
taken,
the
lack
of
a
long-­‐term
surface
transportation
authorization
bill
and
another
Highway
Trust
Fund
revenue
crisis
looming
in
May
2015
make
it
likely
Congress
will
keep
highway
and
transit
funding
locked
in
at
FY
2014
levels.
• Various
national
defense
and
international
issues
have
accelerated
in
recent
months
and
some
members
of
Congress
have
discussed
legislative
action
relating
to
the
use
of
force
in
Iraq
and
Syria
in
response
to
the
actions
of
insurgent
terrorist
groups.
Similarly,
members
of
Congress
have
called
for
action
to
attempt
to
limit
the
spread
of
Ebola
in
the
U.S.
Both
of
these
policy
issues
could
become
part
of
the
must-­‐pass
legislation
to
keep
the
federal
government
operating
into
the
next
year.
Other
issues
that
could
get
addressed
in
the
“lame
duck”
session
are
the
annual
Department
of
Defense
Authorization
bill,
and
a
host
of
possible
trade
agreements.
• Another
likely
area
for
action
between
now
and
the
end
of
the
year
is
the
extension
of
a
series
of
tax
breaks—many
of
which
were
part
of
the
2009
American
Recovery
&
Reinvestment
Act—that
were
originally
meant
to
be
temporary,
but
have
been
extended
annually
since
their
origin.
These
“tax
extenders”
are
now
set
to
expire
December
31.
These
breaks
include
the
ARTBA-­‐supported
bonus
depreciation
and
“Section
179
Expensing”
provisions
that
allow
companies
to
write
off
equipment
purchases
and
capital
expenditures.
• While
the
Highway
Trust
Fund
has
sufficient
revenues
to
continue
operations
through
May
of
2015,
some
members
of
the
House
and
Senate
are
interested
in
advancing
a
long-­‐term
trust
fund
revenue
solution
before
the
end
of
2014.
ARTBA
has
met
with
congressional
leadership
and
tax
committees
over
the
last
two
months
to
urge
action
to
stabilize
the
fund
well
in
advance
of
May
to
avoid
unnecessary
disruptions
in
the
2015
construction
season.
For
example,
the
Tennessee
Department
of
Transportation
announced
October
24
that
nearly
$400
million
in
transportation
investments
were
being
delayed
due
to
uncertainty
at
the
federal
level.
It
remains
to
be
seen,
however,
if
there
will
be
an
opportunity
to
advance
a
Highway
Trust
Fund
stabilization
plan
during
the
lame
duck
session.
Regardless
of
what
happens
in
the
next
two
months,
transportation
issues
will
play
a
major
role
in
the
agenda
for
the
incoming
congressional
session.
Reauthorization
of
the
federal
highway
and
public
transportation
programs
also
faces
a
May
deadline
and
action
on
such
a
measure
will
not
be
possible
until
the
Highway
Trust
Fund
is
on
solid
fiscal
footing.
The
next
Congress
will
also
need
to
reauthorize
the
federal
aviation
programs
by
September
30.
ARTBA
will
be
pushing
for
increased
federal
airport
infrastructure
investment
as
well
as
an
increase
for
the
cap
on
Passenger
Facility
Charges,
ticket
fees
that
airports
collect
to
help
make
capital
improvements
during
that
debate.
The
simple
fact
remains
that
despite
the
outcome
of
the
elections,
federal
transportation
investment
and
policy
reforms
remain
one
of
the
few
issue
areas
capable
of
garnering
broad
support
from
members
of
both
political
parties.
A
point
made
increasingly
clear
by
House
Speaker
John
Boehner
(R-­‐Ohio)
when
he
recently
cited
a
“big
highway
bill”
as
one
of
the
areas
in
which
House
Republicans
and
President
Obama
can
find
common
ground.
The
undeniable
contribution
of
improved
transportation
infrastructure
to
economic
strength
and
quality
of
life
is
not
a
partisan
issue.
ARTBA
will
continue
to
emphasize
the
merits
of
our
arguments
as
we
work
with
members
of
both
parties
to
advance
pro-­‐transportation
policies.
The
following
pages
provide
a
more
detailed
analysis
of
the
2014
elections.

5. 5
Summary
of
2014
Election
Results
Democrats
Republicans
Independents
Vacancies
Undecided
Senate
(2014)
53
45
2
Senate
(2015)
44
53
2
1
House
(2014)
199
233
3
House
(2015)
186
244
5
Governor
(2014)
21
29
Governor
(2015)
17
31
2
Newly-­‐Elected
Members
of
Congress
and
Governors
As
of
November
5,
65
new
members
of
the
U.S.
Senate
and
House
of
Representatives
were
elected
along
with
10
new
governors—these
ranks
include
some
former
members
who
are
returning
to
Congress
and
also
some
House
members
who
will
now
serve
in
the
Senate
and
as
governors.
ARTBA
and
its
leadership
will
begin
meeting
with
these
newly-­‐elected
officials
and
their
staff
in
January
to
inform
them
of
the
importance
of
federal
transportation
investment
to
their
state
or
district
as
soon
as
they
begin
their
work
here
in
Washington.
While
some
of
the
congressional
races
are
still
officially
unresolved,
we
can
report
these
new
members
of
Congress
and
governors:
Representatives
Gary
Palmer
(R-­‐Ala.)
James
“French”
Hill
(R-­‐Ark.)
Bruce
Westerman
(R-­‐Ark.)
Ruben
Gallego
(D-­‐Ariz.)
Mark
DeSaulnier
(D-­‐Calif.)
Steve
Knight
(R-­‐Calif.)
Ted
Lieu
(D-­‐Calif.)
Norma
Torres
(D-­‐Calif.)
Mimi
Walters
(R-­‐Calif.)
Ken
Buck
(R-­‐Colo.)
Gwen
Graham
(D-­‐Fla.)
Carlos
Curbello
(R-­‐Ill.)
Earl
Carter
(R-­‐Ga.)
Jody
Hice
(R-­‐Ga.)
Barry
Loudermilk
(R-­‐Ga.)
Richard
Allen
(R-­‐Ga.)
Mark
Takai
(D-­‐Hawaii)
Rodney
Blum
(R-­‐Iowa)
David
Young
(R-­‐Iowa)
Robert
Dold
(R-­‐Ill.)
Michael
Bost
(R-­‐Ill.)
Seth
Moulton
(D-­‐Mass.)
Bruce
Poliquin
(R-­‐Maine)
John
Moolenaar
(R-­‐Mich.)
Michael
Bishop
(R-­‐Mich.)
David
Trott
(R-­‐Mich)
Debbie
Dingell
(D-­‐Mich.)
Brenda
Lawrence
(D-­‐Mich)
Thomas
Emmer
(R-­‐Minn.)
Ryan
Zinke
(R-­‐Mont.)
Bradley
Walker
(R-­‐N.C.)
David
Rouzer
(R-­‐N.C.)
Alma
Adams
(R-­‐N.C.)
Frank
Guinta
(R-­‐N.H.)
Donald
Norcross
(D-­‐N.J.)
Thomas
Macarthur
(R-­‐N.J.)
Bonnie
Coleman
(D-­‐N.J.)
Cresent
Hardy
(R-­‐Nev.)
Lee
Zeldin
(R-­‐N.Y.)
Kathleen
Rice
(D-­‐N.Y.)
Elise
Stefanik
(R-­‐N.Y.)
John
Katko
(R-­‐N.Y.)
Steven
Russell
(R-­‐Okla.)
Ryan
Costello
(R-­‐Pa.)
Brendan
Boyle
(D-­‐Pa.)
John
Ratcliffe
(R-­‐Texas)
Will
Hurd
(R-­‐Texas)
Brian
Babin
(R-­‐Texas)
Mia
Love
(R-­‐Utah)
David
Brat
(R-­‐Va.)
Don
Beyer
(D-­‐Va.)
Barbara
Comstock
(R-­‐Va.)
Glenn
Grothman
(R-­‐Wisc.)
Alexander
Mooney
(R-­‐W.Va.)
Even
Jenkins
(R-­‐W.Va.)

6. 6
Senators
Tom
Cotton
(R-­‐Ark.)
Cory
Gardner
(R-­‐Colo.)
David
Perdue
(R-­‐Ga.)
Joni
Ernst
(R-­‐Iowa)
Gary
Peters
(D-­‐Mich.)
Ben
Sasse
(R-­‐Neb.)
Thom
Tillis
(R-­‐N.C.)
James
Lankford
(R-­‐Okla.)
Mike
Rounds
(R-­‐S.D.)
Dan
Sullivan
(R-­‐Alaska)
Shelley
Moore
Capito
(R-­‐W.Va.)
Governors
Asa
Hutchinson
(R-­‐Ark.)
Doug
Ducey
(R-­‐Ariz.)
David
Inge
(D-­‐Hawaii)
Bruce
Rauner
(R-­‐Ill.)
Charlie
Baker
(R-­‐Mass.)
Larry
Hogan
(R-­‐Md.)
Pete
Ricketts
(R-­‐Neb.)
Tom
Wolf
(D-­‐Pa.)
Gina
Raimondo
(D-­‐R.I.)
Gregg
Abbott
(R-­‐Texas)
It
is
never
too
early
to
begin
educating
new
members
of
Congress
and
governors
about
the
importance
of
transportation
investment
in
their
state.
2014
Elections
and
the
Relevant
House
and
Senate
Committees
Although
Republicans
will
gain
control
of
both
the
House
and
Senate
in
January,
the
leadership
in
both
chambers
will
likely
remain
the
same.
In
the
House,
John
Boehner
is
expected
to
retain
the
Speaker’s
gavel.
Majority
Leader
Kevin
McCarthy
(R-­‐Calif.)
and
Majority
Whip
Steve
Scalise
(R-­‐La.)
will
likely
remain
in
their
leadership
positions.
McCarthy
ascended
to
his
position
in
July
after
former
Majority
Leader
Eric
Cantor
(R-­‐Va.)
lost
his
primary
election
June
10.
Scalise
was
then
elected
by
his
GOP
colleagues
to
take
McCarthy’s
place
as
the
party’s
chief
vote
counter.
On
the
Democratic
side,
all
indications
are
that
leadership
ranks
will
remain
the
same,
with
current
Minority
Leader
Nancy
Pelosi
(D-­‐Calif.),
Minority
Whip
Steny
Hoyer
(D-­‐Md.)
and
Democratic
Caucus
Assistant
Leader
James
Clyburn
(D-­‐S.C.)
maintaining
the
top
three
positions
for
their
party
in
the
House.
While
the
Republican
majority
in
the
Senate
will
certainly
affect
the
policy
direction
of
the
chamber,
the
leadership
personnel
for
each
party
is
likely
to
remain
the
same,
just
in
opposite
rolls.
Current
Minority
Leader
Mitch
McConnell
(R-­‐Ky.)
is
widely
expected
to
ascend
to
the
Majority
Leader
spot
in
2015,
and
Minority
Whip
John
Cornyn
(R-­‐Texas)
will
likely
become
the
next
Majority
Whip
after
party
leadership
elections
are
held
in
November.
On
the
Democratic
side,
current
Majority
Leader
Harry
Reid
(D-­‐Nev.)
should
maintain
his
leadership
role
as
the
next
Minority
Leader,
current
Assistant
Majority
Leader
Dick
Durbin
(D-­‐Ill.)
will
likely
become
the
next
Minority
Whip
and
Policy
Committee
Chair
Chuck
Schumer
(D-­‐N.Y.)
will
stay
on
as
the
number
three
Democrat
in
the
Senate.
ARTBA
will
provide
an
update
on
House
and
Senate
leadership
decisions
as
they
are
made
by
each
party
in
the
coming
weeks.
Transportation
&
Infrastructure
(T&I)
Committee
Current
T&I
Committee
Chairman
Bill
Shuster
(R-­‐Pa.)
will
retain
the
gavel
of
the
committee
that
oversees
all
transportation
related
policy
issues
and
is
charged
with
producing
the
next

7. 7
surface
transportation
and
aviation
program
reauthorization
bills.
2015
will
be
Shuster’s
third
year
as
chairman,
after
helping
lead
the
way
for
enactment
of
the
Water
Resources
and
Reform
Development
Act
of
2014
(WRRDA).
There
will
be
a
change
at
the
helm
of
the
Highways
&
Transit
Subcommittee,
as
current
chairman
and
long-­‐time
transportation
advocate
Tom
Petri
(R-­‐Wis.)
will
retire
at
the
end
of
this
year.
This
opens
the
door
for
numerous
members
of
the
committee
to
seek
the
chairmanship
of
the
subcommittee
that
will
help
write
the
successor
to
MAP-­‐21.
ARTBA
will
provide
updates
as
this
process
unfolds
over
the
next
few
months.
On
the
Democrat
side
of
the
committee,
Representative
Nick
Rahall
(D-­‐W.Va.)
lost
a
hotly
contested
bid
for
re-­‐election.
Rahall
has
championed
strong
federal
transportation
policy
and
increased
investment
throughout
his
38
years
in
Congress.
With
his
departure,
committee
Democrats
will
very
likely
be
led
by
current
Natural
Resources
Committee
Ranking
Members
Peter
DeFazio
(D-­‐Ore.).
DeFazio
has
held
various
subcommittee
leadership
positions
in
both
the
majority
and
minority
on
the
T&I
Committee
and
is
expected
to
continue
as
a
strong
leader
on
both
policy
and
investment
issues.
Eleanor
Holmes
Norton
(D-­‐D.C.)
is
expected
to
continue
to
be
the
lead
Democrat
on
the
Highways
&Transit
Subcommittee
in
2015.
Including
retirements,
defeats
and
those
who
ran
for
other
office,
of
the
60
current
members
of
the
committee
nine
will
not
be
a
part
of
the
next
House
of
Representatives.
Those
members
are:
Tom
Petri
(R-­‐Wis.)
Nick
Rahall
(D-­‐W.Va.)
Howard
Coble
(R-­‐N.C.)
Tim
Bishop
(D-­‐N.Y.)
Gary
Miller
(R-­‐Calif.)
Mike
Michaud
(D-­‐Maine)
Shelley
Moore
Capito
(R-­‐W.Va.)
Steve
Southerland
(R-­‐Fla.)
Steve
Daines
(R-­‐Mont.)
House
Appropriations
Committee
The
House
Appropriations
Committee,
which
sets
annual
funding
levels
for
all
federal
discretionary
programs,
will
continue
to
be
led
by
Chairman
Hal
Rogers
(R-­‐Ky.)
on
the
GOP
side
and
Ranking
Member
Nita
Lowey
(D-­‐N.Y.)
on
the
Democratic
side.
Changes
at
the
Transportation,
Housing
and
Urban
Development
(THUD)
subcommittee
will
be
significant,
as
both
current
Chairman
Tom
Latham
(R-­‐Iowa)
and
current
Ranking
Member
Ed
Pastor
(D-­‐Ariz.)
are
both
retiring
at
the
end
of
2014.
We
will
provide
more
information
about
the
successors
to
Latham
and
Pastor
as
the
shuffling
of
the
deck
chairs
on
this
panel
gets
underway.
House
Ways
&
Means
Committee
The
House
Ways
&
Means
Committee
has
jurisdiction
over
all
tax
policy,
including
all
transportation
related
taxes
and
trust
funds.
Current
Committee
Chairman
Dave
Camp
(R-­‐Mich.)
is
retiring
at
the
end
of
the
year.
Current
House
Budget
Committee
Chairman
and
2012
Republican
nominee
for
Vice
President
Paul
Ryan
(R-­‐Wis.)
is
expected
to
take
the
helm
of
the
committee
beginning
in
2015.
Congressman
Kevin
Brady
(R-­‐Texas),
who
is
more
senior
on
the
committee
than
Ryan,
has

8. 8
announced
he
will
also
seek
the
chairmanship,
but
he
is
facing
an
uphill
climb.
Ryan
has
a
mixed
record
on
federal
transportation
and
infrastructure
investment
issues.
As
chairman
of
the
Budget
Committee,
Ryan
has
continually
put
forth
budgets
that
would
align
highway
and
transit
spending
with
revenues
coming
into
the
Highway
Trust
Fund,
which
since
2008
would
have
resulted
in
devastating
cuts
to
the
programs.
However,
recent
budgets
have
been
accompanied
by
statements
explaining
these
proposals
reflect
what
the
trust
fund
could
support
at
current
revenue
levels,
and
included
“reserve
clauses”
that
would
allow
adjustment
of
the
budget
accordingly
if
additional
trust
fund
revenues
were
generated.
He
also
voted
for
MAP-­‐21
and
the
most
recent
MAP-­‐21
extension
and
short-­‐term
Highway
Trust
Fund
fix.
Current
Ranking
Democrat
Sander
Levin
(D-­‐Mich.)
is
expected
to
maintain
his
position
as
his
party’s
leader
on
the
committee.
House
Budget
Committee
With
current
Budget
Committee
Chairman
Paul
Ryan
looking
to
take
over
the
Ways
&
Means
Committee
at
the
beginning
of
2015,
that
leaves
a
vacancy
at
the
top
of
his
current
committee
for
Republicans.
Committee
Vice-­‐Chairman
Tom
Price
(R-­‐Ga.),
a
former
member
of
leadership
in
the
GOP,
seems
like
the
front-­‐runner
but
he
could
receive
a
challenge
from
numerous
members
for
the
gavel.
Chris
Van
Hollen
(D-­‐Md.)
is
the
current
Ranking
Member
for
the
Democrats
and
will
likely
maintain
that
position
in
the
114th
Congress.
Senate
Environment
&
Public
Works
(EPW)
Committee
As
a
result
of
the
new
Republican
Senate
Majority,
Senator
Jim
Inhofe
(R-­‐Okla.)
will
become
chairman
of
the
Senate
EPW
Committee
in
2015—the
committee
has
jurisdiction
over
the
federal
highway
program.
Inhofe
chaired
the
committee
during
the
2005
surface
transportation
bill
and
was
the
panel’s
lead
Republican
during
the
2012
surface
transportation
program
reauthorization
process.
Inhofe
is
widely
considered
one
of
the
Senate’s
most
conservative
members,
but
routinely
points
to
infrastructure
and
defense
as
two
of
the
primary
functions
of
the
federal
government.
Current
EPW
Chairman
Barbara
Boxer
(D-­‐Calif.)
is
expected
to
continue
as
the
lead
Democrat
on
the
panel
next
year.
As
Inhofe
will
be
displacing
Senator
David
Vitter
(R-­‐La.)—who
is
also
running
for
Louisiana
governor
in
2015—as
the
top
EPW
Republican,
it
is
unclear
if
Vitter
will
take
over
the
chairmanship
of
one
of
the
EPW
subcommittees.
Senator
Tom
Carper
(D-­‐Del.)
is
the
current
chairman
of
the
EPW
Transportation
&
Infrastructure
Subcommittee
and
John
Barrasso
(R-­‐Wyo.)
is
the
subcommittee’s
ranking
Republican.
If
Vitter
does
not
displace
Barrasso
and
Barrasso
remains
on
the
EPW
panel,
Barrasso
would
be
expected
to
chair
the
subcommittee
in
2015
and
Carper
would
be
it
ranking
Democrat.
Senate
Appropriations
Committee
The
leaders
of
the
Senate
Appropriations
Committee
and
the
panel’s
THUD
Subcommittee
will
all
return
in
2015.
While
current
Committee
Chairman
Barbara
Mikulski
(D-­‐Md.)
will
become
the
Ranking
Democrat,
former
Ranking
Republican
Thad
Cochran
(R-­‐Miss.)
is
now
in
line
to
chair
the
full

9. 9
committee.
This
means
current
Ranking
Republican
Richard
Shelby
(R-­‐Ala.)
will
likely
get
demoted
from
the
lead
role
on
the
panel.
Shelby,
however,
is
expected
to
chair
another
full
committee
(see
Banking
Committee
below)
and
his
choice
of
the
subcommittees
on
appropriations.
With
some
senior
members
of
the
committee
leaving
Congress
at
the
end
of
this
year
and
the
typical
post-­‐
election
committee
shake-­‐up,
there
will
be
new
faces
at
the
leadership
of
the
various
appropriations
subcommittees.
As
a
result,
it
remains
to
be
seen
if
current
THUD
Subcommittee
Ranking
Member
Susan
Collins
(R-­‐Maine)
will
become
the
panel’s
next
chairman
and
if
Senator
Patty
Murray
(D-­‐Wash.)
will
continue
to
be
the
top
Democrat
on
the
subcommittee.
Senate
Finance
Committee
Senate
Finance
Committee
Ranking
Republican
Orrin
Hatch
(R-­‐Utah)
will
become
chairman
of
the
Senate
tax-­‐writing
panel
in
2015.
Finance
Committee
Chairman
Ron
Wyden
(D-­‐Ore.)
will
be
the
panel’s
ranking
member
when
the
new
Congress
convenes
in
January.
Hatch
and
Wyden
worked
cooperatively
to
develop
the
latest
Highway
Trust
Fund
patch
in
July,
and
Hatch
has
routinely
called
for
a
long-­‐term
trust
fund
solution.
Hatch
has
also,
however,
suggested
that
spending
cuts
should
also
be
considered
as
part
of
any
trust
fund
stabilization
effort.
Senate
Banking
Committee
If
current
Appropriations
Committee
Ranking
Republican
Richard
Shelby
is
bumped
from
his
perch
atop
the
powerful
spending
committee
by
Senator
Cochran,
he
will
likely
take
the
chairmanship
of
the
Banking
Committee.
The
panel
oversees
transit
policy
and
a
host
of
financial
issues
in
the
Senate.
On
the
Democratic
side,
current
Chairman
Tim
Johnson
(D-­‐S.D.)
is
retiring,
opening
the
door
for
a
new
Democrat
to
lead
the
committee.
While
Senator
Schumer
is
next
in
line,
his
role
in
the
Democratic
leadership
may
lead
him
to
step
aside,
allowing
for
a
more
junior
member
to
lead
the
Democrats
on
the
committee.
Senate
Commerce
Committee
Current
Ranking
Republican
John
Thune
is
slotted
to
take
the
gavel
of
the
committee
which
will
be
charged
with
contributing
safety
provisions
of
the
next
surface
transportation
bill,
along
with
reauthorizing
federal
aviation
law
in
2015.
With
current
Chairman
Jay
Rockefeller
(D-­‐W.Va.)
retiring,
Senator
Bill
Nelson
(D-­‐Fla.)
is
in
line
to
be
the
panel’s
lead
Democrat.
Senate
Budget
Committee
Current
Budget
Committee
Chairman
Patty
Murray
and
Ranking
Republican
Jeff
Sessions
(R-­‐Ala.)
will
likely
swap
roles
on
the
committee
starting
in
January.
Polls
Close,
Hard
Work
Remains
Federal
investment
constitutes
on
average
more
than
half
of
all
U.S.
highway
and
bridge
capital
improvements.
The
individuals
elected
November
4
will
be
making
decisions
that
directly
impact
the
transportation
construction
industry
marketplace
for
years
to
come.
MAP-­‐21
is
already
on
its
first
extension
and
needs
to
be
reauthorized
by
May
31,
along
with
adequate
revenues
for
the
Highway
Trust
Fund
to
pay
for
any
new
legislation.
A
few
months
later,
the
federal
aviation

10. 10
program
reauthorization
comes
due,
with
Congress
left
to
deciding
funding
levels
for
capital
investments
at
our
nation’s
airports.
We
cannot
wait
to
begin
educating
members
of
Congress,
particularly
those
that
are
newly
elected,
about
the
need
to
find
a
long-­‐term
Highway
Trust
Fund
revenue
solution
to
preserve
and
grow
federal
surface
transportation
investment.
With
the
elections
completed,
now
is
a
perfect
time
to
reach
out
to
your
current
Representatives
and
Senators
to
engage
them
about
the
value
of
transportation
improvements
in
your
community
and
the
need
for
action
to
stabilize
the
Highway
Trust
Fund
NOW!
Please
contact
ARTBA’s
Vice
President
of
Congressional
Relations
Dean
Franks
at
dfranks@artba.org
or
202-­‐289-­‐4434,
for
assistance
in
reaching
out
to
your
members
of
Congress.
###