After his party regained control of the House of Representatives Tuesday night, Republican U.S. Rep. John Mica has been a popular guy.

“I have gotten calls from Secretary of Transportation [Ray] LaHood, calls from the vice president who wants to meet with me, and a lot of press calls,” he said.

Mica, a veteran lawmaker whose district runs from south of Jacksonville to Winter Park, has ascended to Washington D.C.’s version of the cool-kids-table because he almost assuredly will become chairman of the committee that controls transportation policy when the 112th Congress begins in July.

“I will have an excellent shot of leading the biggest committee in Congress,” said Mica, whose confirmation as chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is viewed by many as a foregone conclusion.
He said his top priority would be grabbing momentum for proposed $500 billion surface transportation bill that has been stalled since he helped write it in 2009.

“We have to get a bill up early this year, because I have to get it through the Senate,” he said. “I only have until about August. That’s when the presidential politics begin.”

The biggest issue surrounding the bill, which is aimed at helping the nation’s aged infrastructure, has been a sufficient funding source. Some industry insiders have brought up the idea of raising the federal gas tax to generate the cash needed to get dirt moving, but Mica said that is “off the table.”

He said money in existing transportation trust funds should instead be used.

“When I have billions sitting in accounts, billions in harbor maintenance that is still sitting there, and unused stimulus money for transportation, I don’t think it’s needed,” he said.

Industry groups have gotten the message.

“The Republicans ran on a platform of reducing federal spending, and no new tax increases. I doubt their will be much talk of new gas taxes or anything like that,” said Jack Schenendorf, a lobbyist for the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials, which supports a gas tax increase to fund transportation projects.

He said he does have faith in Mica, who has been the committee’s top Republican for two terms, and says he thinks the industry is “comfortable” with him as chairman.

Another issue soon to hit Mica’s plate is $10 billion recently doled out by President Barack Obama for rail projects. Mica says he wants to reexamine many of the grants to make sure they are not being wasted.

“I have concerns about some of those...[because] they became campaign agenda items. We will look at those, and if states back away, or if the projects prove not to be viable I will do everything I can to redirect the money,” he said.

One of those projects is a proposal connect Tampa, Orlando and eventually Miami. Mica says that he does not want the project to become a “crazy train” that leaves taxpayers on hook for the entire $2 billion cost of the project.

He thinks the private sector should be tapped to help fund the project.
“If significant private sector contributions come in, maybe we can fill the gap,” he said.

As a plan B, Mica has discussed the idea of creating a scaled back line between the Orlando airport and the city’s theme parks.
Some say that Mica becoming chairman could provide a boost for Northeast Florida.

“I you would expect the person in the highest leadership role would probably get more money for the area they represent,” said Aage Schroder, former Florida Department of Transportation district secretary for Northeast Florida.
“I feel good that he really understands the issues impacting the area,” he said.

One of those issues that Mica said is on his radar is working to get railroad terminals at the Port of Jacksonville.