Trump picks former lawmaker Sean Duffy to be transportation secretary

WASHINGTON — 

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said connected Monday that helium is nominating erstwhile Wisconsin Representative Sean Duffy, present a Fox News host, to beryllium proscription secretary.

If confirmed, Duffy volition oversee aviation, automotive, rail, transit and different proscription policies astatine the section with astir a $110 cardinal fund arsenic good arsenic important backing that remains nether the Biden administration's 2021 $1 trillion infrastructure instrumentality and EV charging stations.

Trump has vowed to reverse the Biden administration's conveyance emissions rules. He has said helium plans to statesman the process of undoing the Biden administration's stringent emissions regulations finalized earlier this twelvemonth arsenic soon arsenic helium takes office. The rules chopped tailpipe emissions limits by 50% from 2026 levels by 2032 and prod automakers to physique much EVs.

Duffy volition look a fig of large proscription issues.

U.S. postulation deaths person fallen this twelvemonth but inactive stay sharply supra pre-COVID levels. The fatality complaint remains higher this twelvemonth than successful immoderate pre-pandemic twelvemonth since 2008. He volition look unit to easiness rules for self-driving cars sought by Tesla and different automakers.

Trump said Duffy volition prioritize "Excellence, Competence, Competitiveness and Beauty erstwhile rebuilding America’s highways, tunnels, bridges and airports. He volition guarantee our ports and dams service our Economy without compromising our National Security."

Duffy volition oversee the continuing enhanced oversight of Boeing. The Federal Aviation Administration, which is portion of USDOT, capped accumulation astatine 38 737 MAX planes per period successful January aft a doorway sheet missing 4 cardinal bolts flew disconnected an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 successful midair that month, exposing superior information issues astatine Boeing.

If confirmed, Duffy volition besides determine whether to proceed the Biden administration's aviation rider rights propulsion and whether to o.k. much hose associated ventures.

He volition besides beryllium successful complaint of oversight of companies tally by Elon Musk, who has been intimately progressive successful Trump's transition.

USDOT is investigating Tesla Autopilot, portion the FAA has projected to good SpaceX for violating abstraction licence rules. Musk has called for the resignation of FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker.

A persistent shortage of controllers has delayed flights and, astatine galore facilities, portion a bid of adjacent miss incidents involving rider jets person raised information concerns.

Congress besides has been considering important obstruction information reforms successful the aftermath of the February 2023 derailment of a Norfolk Southern bid successful East Palestine, Ohio.