Donald Trump’s choice to lead the U.S. Transportation Department plans to tell lawmakers that he’ll cut red tape slowing big infrastructure projects if confirmed for the role, according to remarks he’s set to deliver during a Senate hearing on January 15.
President-elect Trump “has told me that this department is a top priority for him,” Transportation Secretary nominee Sean Duffy said in prepared testimony seen by Bloomberg News. “He asked me to focus on big, durable projects that connect our country and people.”
If confirmed, the former Fox News personality and Wisconsin congressman will lead a department that will steer billions of dollars in federal infrastructure funds as well as Trump’s policy agenda for the aviation, automotive and rail industries.
Duffy’s new job would heavily overlap with Elon Musk’s empire, requiring him to navigate the priorities of an outspoken billionaire who spent millions to elect Trump, and runs companies with operations that fall under the agency’s jurisdiction. Tesla Inc., Musk’s car company, and SpaceX, Musk’s rocket company, are regulated by agencies within the department that have frequently drawn their CEO’s ire. Members of Trump’s transition team are also eyeing a federal framework for self-driving cars — something the Tesla CEO and Trump adviser called for prior to the election.
Complicating matters further, Musk also now co-leads an advisory body convened by Trump charged with rooting out government waste. Even before Trump takes office, Musk and co-lead Vivek Ramaswamy have begun collecting examples of federal regulations to be eliminated.
Duffy’s confirmation hearing comes as the department contends with an array of high-profile safety issues, including a shortage of air-traffic controllers, and tougher oversight of Boeing Co.’s manufacturing practices after a panel blew off an airborne 737 Max jetliner last year.
Duffy plans to tell the Senate Commerce Committee that he will work with Congress and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration “to restore global confidence in Boeing and to ensure our skies are safe.”
Duffy also plans to say he’ll prioritize regulations that balance safety and innovation as the department grapples with new technologies such as electric air-taxis, drones, self-driving cars and commercial space launches. The FAA recently published final rules for the nascent air taxi industry that clear the way for companies like Joby Aviation Inc. and Archer Aviation Inc. to eventually begin commercial operations.
“Transportation is entering an extraordinary new era,” Duffy plans to say, adding “we are in a global race to out-innovate the rest of the world.”
The Wisconsin native gained a public profile in the late 1990s by appearing on MTV reality shows including The Real World: Boston. He later worked as district attorney for Ashland County, Wisconsin, before he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served from 2011 to 2019.
During his time in Congress, Duffy was a supporter of Trump’s immigration policies, including a controversial 2017 travel ban barring entry to people from several majority-Muslim countries. He also introduced legislation in 2019 to expand Trump’s tariff powers.
