Sam Graves, Jeff Denham Pursue House Transportation Panel’s Gavel in 2019

Presiding over a hearing of the House subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials on Sept. 13, Rep. Jeff Denham took a moment to send off the subpanel’s outgoing ranking member, Rep. Mike Capuano (D-Mass.). Removing his jacket to reveal a white, short-sleeve business shirt — Capuano’s trademark look — Denham (R-Calif.) quipped that he had learned to appreciate the “cooling effect” of the wardrobe choice, a gentle jibe that elicited laughter from committee members. Presiding over a Highways and Transit Subcommittee hearing a week earlier, Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) delivered opening remarks in a level tone and introduced colleagues and witnesses with military precision. When Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-Mich), the last member to question the witnesses, joked about flying cars, Graves did not break. “Seeing that there are no other further questions, I’d like to thank each of our witnesses for your testimony today,” Graves said, concluding the hearing.