U.S. infrastructure includes rail networks, bridges, energy systems, wastewater services, aviation networks, roadways, drinking water systems and more. Maintaining and modernizing U.S. infrastructure impacts national security, economic prosperity and the overall well-being of all residents.

• There are many issues related to Infrastructure that Congress is looking to address with legislation. In the ‘About’ section of this post is an overview of the issues and potential solutions, party positions, and web links. Other sections have information on relevant committees, chairs, & caucuses; departments & agencies; and the judiciary, nonpartisan & partisan organizations, and a wikipedia entry.
• To participate in ongoing forums, ask the post’s curators questions, and make suggestions, scroll to the ‘Discuss’ section at the bottom of each post or select the “comment” icon.

The Infrastructure category has related posts and three posts on issues of particular focus: High Tech Manufacturing, Income Equality, and Inflation.

Transportation in the United States is governed by laws and regulations of the federal government. The Department of Transportation is responsible for carrying out federal transportation policy, and the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for security in transportation.

• In the ‘About’ section of this post is an overview of the issues or challenges, potential solutions, and web links. Other sections have information on relevant legislation, committees, agencies, programs in addition to information on the judiciary, nonpartisan & partisan organizations, and a wikipedia entry.
• To participate in ongoing forums, ask the post’s curators questions, and make suggestions, scroll to the ‘Discuss’ section at the bottom of each post or select the “comment” icon.

The Transportation category has related posts on government agencies and departments and  committees and their Chairs.

The electrical power grid that powers Northern America is not a single grid, but is instead divided into multiple wide area synchronous grids. The Eastern Interconnection and the Western Interconnection are the largest. Three other regions include the Texas Interconnection, the Quebec Interconnection, and the Alaska Interconnection.

• In the ‘About’ section of this post is an overview of the issues or challenges, potential solutions, and web links. Other sections have information on relevant legislation, committees, agencies, programs in addition to information on the judiciary, nonpartisan & partisan organizations, and a wikipedia entry.
• To participate in ongoing forums, ask the post’s curators questions, and make suggestions, scroll to the ‘Discuss’ section at the bottom of each post or select the “comment” icon.

The Electric Grid category has related posts on government agencies and departments and  committees and their Chairs.

Broadband access includes a wide range of speeds and technologies, all of which provide much faster access to the Internet than dial-up. The term “broadband” once had a technical meaning, but today it is more often used as a marketing buzzword to simply mean “faster”. Broadband connections are continuous or “always on” connections, without the need to dial and hangup, and do not monopolize phone lines.

• In the ‘About’ section of this post is an overview of the issues or challenges, potential solutions, and web links. Other sections have information on relevant legislation, committees, agencies, programs in addition to information on the judiciary, nonpartisan & partisan organizations, and a wikipedia entry.
• To participate in ongoing forums, ask the post’s curators questions, and make suggestions, scroll to the ‘Discuss’ section at the bottom of each post or select the “comment” icon.

The Broadband category has related posts on government agencies and departments and  committees and their Chairs.

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is a Cabinet department in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government.

Although its beginnings were in the House and Home Financing Agency, it was founded as a Cabinet department in 1965, as part of the “Great Society” program of President Lyndon B. Johnson, to develop and execute policies on housing and metropolises.

The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is a federal Cabinet department of the U.S. government concerned with transportation. It was established by the Department of Transportation Act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967. The secretary of transportation is the head of DOT.

The department’s mission is “to develop and coordinate policies that will provide an efficient and economical national transportation system, with due regard for need, the environment, and the national defense.”

Mission:  
Has broad jurisdiction over all matters concerning interstate commerce, science and technology policy, and transportation, the Senate Commerce Committee is one of the largest of the Senate’s standing committees, with 26 members in the 117th Congress.

House counterparts: Energy and Commerce Committee; Science, Space, and Technology Committee; and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Democratic Members (Minority):
Maria Cantwell, Washington, Ranking Member
Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota
Brian Schatz, Hawaii
Ed Markey, Massachusetts
Gary Peters, Michigan
Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin
Tammy Duckworth, Illinois
Jacky Rosen, Nevada
Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico
John Hickenlooper, Colorado
John Fetterman, Pennsylvania
Andy Kim, New Jersey
Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware

Republican Members (Majority):
Ted Cruz, Texas, Chair
John Thune, South Dakota
Roger Wicker, Mississippi
Deb Fischer, Nebraska
Jerry Moran, Kansas
Dan Sullivan, Alaska
Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee
Todd Young, Indiana
Ted Budd, North Carolina
Eric Schmitt, Missouri
Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia
Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming
John Curtis, Utah
Bernie Moreno, Ohio
Tim Sheehy, Montana

Featured Video: 
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Hearing Q&A 06/24/2021

Mission:  
Jurisdiction for legislation and oversight of the natural and built environment and for studying matters concerning environmental protection and resource conservation and utilitization.

House counterparts: Committee on Energy and Commerce; Committee on Natural Resources; Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Democratic Members (Minority):
Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island, Ranking Member
Bernie Sanders, Vermont
Jeff Merkley, Oregon
Ed Markey, Massachusetts
Mark Kelly, Arizona
Alex Padilla, California
Adam Schiff, California
Lisa Blunt Rochester, Delaware
Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland

Republican Members (Majority):
Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia, Chair
Kevin Cramer, North Dakota
Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming
John Curtis, Utah
Peter Ricketts, Nebraska
John Boozman, Arkansas
Roger Wicker, Mississippi
Dan Sullivan, Alaska
Lindsey Graham, South Carolina
Jerry Moran, Kansas

Featured Video: 
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee holds hearing to debate transportation infrastructure

Focusing on transportation, including civil aviation, railroads, water transportation, transportation safety (except automobile safety and transportation security functions of the Department of Homeland Security), transportation infrastructure, transportation labor, and railroad retirement and unemployment (except revenue measures related thereto)

Senate Counterpart: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Subcommittees:

• Aviation
• Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
• Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management
• Highways and Transit
• Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
• Water Resources and Environment

Chair: Sam Graves, Missouri, 
Ranking Member: Rick Larsen, Washington

Majority Staff Director: Jack Ruddy
Minority Staff Director: Katherine W Dedrick
Meeting Location: 2165 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515; Phone: (202) 225-9446

Featured Video: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Members’ Day Hearing – April 14, 2021
Web Links

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction over the areas of broadband access, fair competition, radio frequency use, media responsibility, public safety, and homeland security.

The FCC was formed by the Communications Act of 1934 to replace the radio regulation functions of the previous Federal Radio Commission. The FCC took over wire communication regulation from the Interstate Commerce Commission. The FCC’s mandated jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the territories of the United States. The FCC also provides varied degrees of cooperation, oversight, and leadership for similar communications bodies in other countries in North America. The FCC is funded entirely by regulatory fees. It has an estimated fiscal-2022 budget of US $388 million.

Source: Wikipedia

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine accidents, pipeline incidents, bridge failures, and railroad accidents.

The NTSB is also in charge of investigating cases of hazardous materials releases that occur during transportation. The agency is based in Washington, D.C. It has four regional offices, located in Anchorage, Alaska; Denver, Colorado; Ashburn, Virginia; and Seattle, Washington. The agency also operates a national training center at its Ashburn facility.

Source: Wikipedia