Representative. Chris Deluzio (PA-17) announced his nomination to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for the remainder of the 118th Congress. He was elected by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries to fill the vacancy left by the death of his colleague, a congressman from New Jersey Donald Payne.
This committee has jurisdiction over all modes of transportation and is responsible for program approval and oversight of the Department of Transportation. Additionally, it has jurisdiction over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, most types of water infrastructure, national emergency preparedness and response programs, federal economic development agencies, the Coast Guard, and federal buildings.
“I want to thank Leader Jeffries for appointing me to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,” Deluzio said. “I didn’t expect to spend so much of my first term in Congress fighting for our safety against the big railroads as they did in the 19th century, but I am determined to continue this fight and make freight rail safer for us . Membership on this committee provides me with more opportunities to fight not only for rail safety, but also for Western PA’s top priorities such as better passenger rail, stronger and more resilient infrastructure such as water and flood management systems, airports, highways, bridges, transportation public, locks and dams, and more.”
“I am pleased to announce that Congressman Chris Deluzio has been appointed to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,” Jeffries said. “Chris is a leader who gets things done and a champion for the hardworking people of Western Pennsylvania. I look forward to working together to rebuild our crumbling roads, bridges, tunnels, airports and rail systems while creating good-paying union jobs.”
Since the February 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment that impacted his Beaver County constituents, Deluzio has tirelessly fought for resources for Pennsylvanians affected by the derailment and accountability for the at-fault railroad. In addition to leading efforts to hold Norfolk Southern accountable for toxic derailments, he is also the lead sponsor of the House of Representatives Railroad Safety Act, a bipartisan, comprehensive measure to make America’s freight rail safer. Deluzio also commissioned a congressional report showing that 95 percent of his constituents in Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District lived within five miles of freight railroads, underscoring the urgent need to ensure rail safety for western Pennsylvanians.
