How will Shuster differ from Mica as chairman?

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee got six years out of its most recent chairman, Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.). Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) will take over in January, and he’ll offer a different approach to getting legislation passed according to Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.).

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Meehan says Shuster (pictured at right) is less ideological than Mica and more likely to look for common ground across party lines.

“Bill has a very good demeanor and an ability to communicate with people,” Meehan says “He’s a consensus builder. He’s very easy to get to know, and he’s effective at including others.”

Meehan also told the Post-Gazette that he respects Shuster even though the two sometimes butt heads. One disagreement Shuster and Meehan have is whether gas taxes should be enforced to support transportation.

In a meeting with reporters Thursday, Shuster said he intends to explore increasing the 18.4-cents-per-gallon gas tax.