By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chair Peter DeFazio will not seek re-election in 2022, two sources briefed on the matter said.
A formal announcement of DeFazio’s retirement is expected later on Wednesday. DeFazio helped lead the effort to dramatically boost infrastructure spending and a comprehensive investigation into the safety of the Boeing 737 MAX.
The 74-year-old Oregon Democrat was first elected to Congress in 1986 and has been involved in key infrastructure issues. He also helped lead the effort to provide U.S. airlines with emergency government assistance after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and pressed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to get tough on passenger misbehavior.
He helped win reforms of the FAA’s certification of new airplanes and delegation of some responsibilities to manufacturers after two fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes in five months killed 346 people.
(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Mark Potter)
