Last week, U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Fla., announced he will lead the U.S. House Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee.
U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., the chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, picked Webster to lead the subcommittee.
“Our subcommittee chairs bring to the table a broad array of talent, proven leadership capabilities, and legislative expertise,” said Graves. “This is an effective team of returning leaders, as well as two new lead Republicans to bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the Committee’s important work. This will be a busy Congress for T&I, and these chairs are all ready to get to work in our newfound Republican majority to ensure a stronger, safer, and more efficient transportation and infrastructure network for our country.”
“I thank Chairman Graves for the opportunity to serve in this capacity. I am excited to continue applying my depth of experience, knowledge, and unique perspective as an engineer on behalf of hardworking Americans,” said Webster. “I am confident we can balance protecting U.S. waters, seas, access to fishing and energy exploration, while ensuring our Coast Guard have the resources they need. I look forward to working with my colleagues to develop and pass legislation that saves taxpayer money, protects communities across the United States, boosts our resilience, and strengthens our economy.”
Now 73, Webster has had something of a dramatic ride during his time in Congress. While he crushed then-U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., in 2010, Webster had a tough time beating Democrat Val Demings in 2012 after redistricting. After another round of redistricting, Webster set his sights away from I-4 to a GOP-leaning district to the north. He faced a close challenge from Laura Loomer in last year’s Republican primary.
Before serving in Congress, Webster put in decades of service in the Florida Legislature. First elected to the Legislature in 1980, Webster was the first Republican to lead the Florida House since Reconstruction and served as majority leader in the state Senate. However, Webster flopped in some of his efforts for higher office, including failing to become state Senate president and in a U.S. Senate bid back in the 2004 election cycle. After the 2014 election, Webster offered a leadership challenge to U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, but came up short and was thrown off of the powerful U.S. House Rules Committee. After Boehner stepped down in 2015, Webster made another attempt to grab the gavel but lost out to then U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc.
