Maria Cantwell - Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation | Official U.S. Senate headshot
Maria Cantwell - Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation | Official U.S. Senate headshot
On January 22, 2025, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation unanimously advanced Sean Duffy's nomination for U.S. Secretary of Transportation to the full Senate. Chaired by Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the committee voted 28-0 in favor of Duffy, who was nominated by President Trump.
Senator Cruz spoke highly of Duffy during the proceedings: “Today, the Committee will consider the nomination of Sean Duffy to be Secretary of Transportation." He highlighted Duffy's potential impact on a department with over 55,000 employees, emphasizing efforts to ease transportation challenges such as traffic and delays.
Cruz noted that "Congressman Duffy comes to the Department of Transportation at a pivotal moment," citing issues like air traffic controller shortages and opposition to electric vehicle mandates. Emerging technologies like drones and self-driving cars also present both opportunities and challenges for the department.
Duffy's qualifications were praised by Senator Baldwin during his hearing: “Sean is the right person for this job.” As a five-term congressman and former co-chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, Duffy has been involved in significant transportation projects with bipartisan support.
Cruz emphasized Duffy's commitment to safety and infrastructure improvements: “As Secretary, he will prioritize safety while fixing our broken permitting process.” He criticized radical environmentalists' influence on federal permitting processes but expressed confidence that Duffy would address these issues effectively.
Duffy's personal experiences have shaped his perspective on transportation safety. His wife's car accident and raising a daughter with a disability underscore his understanding of family needs: “As the father of nine kids, I think about transportation quite a bit, and about transportation safety a lot.”
In conclusion, Cruz urged support for Duffy’s nomination: “I hope we can agree Mr. Duffy is the kind of consensus-driven leader we need to oversee the Department of Transportation.”
The nominee has garnered backing from various senators and members within America's transportation sector.
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