Congressman Peter A. DeFazio (OR-04) served as Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure from 2019-2023. DeFazio, the longest serving member in Oregon’s history and the 65th longest-serving member of the House in U.S. history, earned the title of “Tiger of the House.”
During his time as Chair, DeFazio led the passage of more than 100 bills through the House and more than 30 bills that were signed into law. DeFazio served as Ranking Member of the Committee from 2015-2018 and has been a member of the Committee since 1987, his first year in Congress. During his time on the Committee, he has served as Chair or Ranking Member of four of the six Subcommittees: Aviation, Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, Highways and Transit, and Water Resources and Environment.
Chair DeFazio took the lead role on several multi-billion dollar surface transportation and FAA reauthorization bills, and worked to strengthen safety standards, worker protections, and Buy America requirements. Chair DeFazio led the successful passage of three major pieces of bipartisan legislation that were signed into law in 2020: the Water Resources Development Act of 2020; the Elijah E. Cummings Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2020; and the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, which reforms and strengthens the FAA’s aircraft certification process in the wake of two deadly Boeing 737 MAX crashes and reflects the findings from the Committee’s 18-month investigation into the design, development, and certification of the MAX.
In 2021, Chair DeFazio led the House in passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will modernize our roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, airports, broadband, and drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. Overall, DeFazio helped pass $660 billion in total funding for the U.S. Department of Transportation programs over five years, including over $400 billion in highway and major projects funding, $108 billion in transit funding, and $102 billion for rail. Another of his proudest accomplishments was unlocking up to $10 billion in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for ports and guaranteeing that 15 percent of annual trust fund expenditures will be dedicated to small harbors.
Congressman DeFazio, who announced his retirement in December 2022, proudly represented Oregon’s Fourth Congressional District from 1987 to 2023. In addition to his work on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, DeFazio served on the House Committee on Natural Resources from 1987 to 2015, and as its Ranking Member from 2013 to 2014, as well as on the House Committee on Homeland Security, where he helped create the Transportation Security Administration. DeFazio co-founded the Congressional Progressive Caucus and House Small Brewers Caucus.
A significant cornerstone of DeFazio’s legacy was the wilderness spaces that he helped preserve for future generations. During his career, DeFazio passed and signed into law protections for over 30,000 acres of old growth forest, 250 miles of wild and scenic rivers, and over 100,000 acres of critical steelhead and salmon habitat.