. He succeeds James Oberstar (D-Minn.), who
lost the election for his congressional seat in November. Following the elections, Mica indicated that top priorities as committee chair would include passing "a long-overdue Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization" and building "more efficient, cost-effective passenger rail transportation, including a better directed high-speed rail program." Previously the committee's minority leader and one-time chair of the aviation subcommittee, Mica "authored the last multi-year FAA authorization to be signed into law," according to a committee statement. This year Mica also criticized the Transportation Security Administration as a "bloated bureaucracy" and a "rudderless agency." In June, he said, "While we are safer than we were before 9/11, TSA's performance must be improved."