Rep. John Mica has decided to step aside and end his push to remain the House’s Transportation Committee chairman for the 113th Congress. He was a ranking member of the committee in the 110th and 111th Congresses — 2007 through 2010 — and served as the committee’s chair in the 112th Congress, since Republicans won control of the house in 2010.Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) has decided to end his bid to retain chairmanship of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the U.S. House, according to a letter sent from Mica to Speaker John Boehner, obtained by Politico.
Mica was up against a term-limit implemented by the Republican Party, which allows congressmen to only serve as a committee chair or ranking member for six years. Mica wanted Boehner to give him a waiver — as he has for Rep. Paul Ryan — but Boehner denied it.
In the letter, Mica also endorsed Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) to succeed him.
