Sean Duffy won approval before a Senate Committee today to draw closer to becoming Transportation Secretary in the new Trump Administration, putting him on track to replace Pete Buttigieg in that job thanks to bipartisan support in Congress and calls from the freight business community for a quick confirmation.
The former Republican Congressman from Wisconsin was nominated for the job in November, had a smooth committee hearing on January 15, and today won approval before that committee in a vote of 28-0.
Those steps earned Duffy support from members of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, as well as from his home state senators, Tammy Baldwin (D) and Ron Johnson (R), according to the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA). In an analysis of Duffy’s stance in that hearing about some of the higher-profile issues before the DOT, the NMFTA said: Duffy expressed a belief that there’s space for both electric vehicles (EVs) and gas-powered vehicles; he committed to improving the apprenticeship program allowing truck drivers under age 21 to haul freight across state lines; and he said that the patchwork of state laws on autonomous vehicle technology was preventing further rollout and adoption of the technology.
In a statement today before the Senate Committee vote, the National Association of Waterfront Employers (NAWE), an organization representing U.S. marine terminal operators and stevedores, called for a quick confirmation of Duffy to the post. “Mr. Duffy’s extensive experience in public service, coupled with his deep understanding of the complexities of multimodal transportation systems, uniquely positions him to lead the DOT at this pivotal moment,” NAWE President Carl Bentzel said in the release. “His demonstrated commitment to fostering collaboration among government, industry, and labor stakeholders aligns closely with NAWE’s mission of promoting safety, efficiency, and sustainability within the U.S. maritime sector.”
