As a professional engineer and forester, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) brings a different perspective to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
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Westerman was recently appointed to the committee, joining U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.).
"I think engineers approach life a little bit differently than some people do," Westerman said. "There's only one forester in Congress, and that's me. And there are only 12 engineers."
In his second term as the 4th Congressional District representative, Westerman's engineering background makes him "the perfect choice" for the committee assignment, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said.
"Ever since I began running for Congress I've gotten a lot of input on infrastructure across my district," Westerman said. "That's one of the reasons I wanted to get on this committee, because there are so many infrastructure concerns across the district."
"Engineering is really applying science to solve problems, so I see it as a way to use my background and experience to solve problems."
Westerman said infrastructure funding will be the biggest challenge facing the committee.
"I know the president is very interested in infrastructure and setting up a system so we have better infrastructure in our country, and I'm quite interested in that as well," he said.
"The biggest issue seems to be funding of infrastructure and making sure that we're spending our infrastructure funds wisely, so I'll be focusing on that as I serve on the committee."
In his "Contract With the American Voter," President Donald Trump pledged to work on an "American Energy and Infrastructure Act" within his first 100 days in office that would prompt $1 trillion in "revenue neutral" infrastructure investment over 10 years.
"We've got to come up with a steady stream of funding for infrastructure," Westerman said. "Serving on the Natural Resources Committee, I've seen how much infrastructure backlog there is on federal lands as well."
Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association, said she was "thrilled" when she found out about his new appointment.
"We have a lot of issues and areas of concern that he will be privy to now that he's serving on that committee," she said. "He has always been really responsive and met with us, but without the committee assignment, he didn't really have an opportunity to weigh in."
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee handles many regulations that affect the trucking industry, including safety regulations such as drug and alcohol testing and hours of service issues.
"It's a great fit for our state, and I know it's something that he's expressed interest in, so it's good all the way around," she said.
Gene Higginbotham, executive director of the Arkansas Waterways Commission, also welcomed the news. "We're very happy to have two congressional members in that committee. That means a lot for the entire state."
He explained that given the 4th District's high number of navigable waterways miles, Westerman "already has an understanding of what we need and what we do. You can't put a value on that."
"Congressman Westerman is doing a great job. We're very happy that he is on the committee with Congressman Crawford," he said. "He's always been really supportive of waterways, and we're glad that he's there."
Westerman highlighted other specific projects he hopes to propel forward in his district, like improving the rivers' aging lock and dam systems, and work on Interstates 49 and 69.
"We're blessed with a lot of resources, and we need good ways to get to those resources to market," he said. "Those two transportation arteries I think will be vital to economic development in those parts of the state."
On Wednesday, Westerman was named to three subcommittees: surface transportation; rail and pipeline; and aviation. "All of those are not only important to my district but to the whole country," he said.
"The Arkansas delegation has always been good about working together to benefit Arkansas," Higginbotham said. "But now that Congressman Westerman is on the committee, he's in even more of a position to help. I think it puts Arkansas in a pretty good position from an infrastructure standpoint."
SundayMonday Business on 02/05/2017