Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is retiring from Congress at the conclusion of his current term. 

Graves has served as the top Republican on the House panel since 2019. Graves recently said the committee could begin moving a draft surface transportation reauthorization during April. The current highway funding law expires on Sept. 30. 

“Before the end of this year, the Committee must complete a vital surface transportation reauthorization bill to fund America’s roads, bridges, highway safety, transit, and rail transportation systems – a surface bill that will be the most important of its kind in decades,” Graves said in a statement. 

“Serving as Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where members of Congress can and have so often worked together to get things done for all of America, has been a tremendous honor that will drive me until my last day in Congress,” he added. 

Earlier in March, the House panel voted to advance Dalilah’s Law, which is aimed at strengthening commercial driver’s license (CDL) requirements and improving highway safety.

“If you can’t speak and read English, or if you’re not properly trained to drive a semi down our highways, you’ve got no business holding a CDL in the United States,” Graves said ahead of the vote.