Former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., was flanked by both sitting Wisconsin senators in a bipartisan show of support to kick off his Wednesday confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee.
Duffy, who served five terms after flipping a seat held by Democrat David Obey for decades, later moved on to work at Fox News; most recently co-hosting ‘The Bottom Line’ with Dagen McDowell on FOX Business.
‘I’m humbled by the fact that President Trump has nominated me to this very important position,’ Duffy said in his opening statement.
He also introduced the eight of his nine children present – as well as his wife, ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy.
He noted that his eldest son could not be in Washington on Wednesday, as he and his wife recently had a child and also live in Southern California, which is being ravaged by wildfires.
‘No federal agency impacts Americans’ daily lives and loved ones like the Department of Transportation,’ he said, adding that President-elect Donald Trump ‘is a builder’ and knows the importance of maintaining and building critical infrastructure. He also noted that Campos-Duffy survived a deadly head-on automobile collision, which brought highway safety to the forefront in his family.
Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., disclosed he too was involved in an accident with a drunk driver 30 years ago and does not like to talk about it.
Lujan appeared to get briefly emotional as he addressed Campos-Duffy in connecting over their shared experience – and praised Duffy for his stated goal to be remembered as a secretary who improved transportation safety.
Later in the hearing, Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., also stressed the importance of highway safety and disclosed he had been hit by a car at age 5.
Duffy also pledged to restore Americans’ trust in the airline industry amid some recent incidents, including problems at Boeing. ‘We want the best and the brightest air traffic controllers. We must modernize our systems with cutting edge technologies. I’ll work with Congress and the FAA to restore global confidence in Boeing, and to ensure that our skies are safe,’ he said.
Similarly, Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan noted the Last Frontier was not yet a state when President Dwight Eisenhower launched the federal interstate program – and that 251 communities in his state still are not connected by roads.
Duffy pledged support for the federal program that ensures essential air service to far-flung communities in Alaska and other sparsely-populated states.
Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Ted Budd, R-N.C., brought up the importance of making sure Hurricane Helene victims are ‘not forgotten.’
Blackburn noted Interstate 40 – a crucial transcontinental artery from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Barstow, California, remains washed out across the Great Smoky Mountains.
During the September hurricane, a stretch of the eastbound lanes in Haywood County, North Carolina, collapsed into the then-raging Pigeon River, stymieing regional commerce and access to mountain communities. Parts of Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee continue to see long-term closures of major arteries and communities trying to rebuild.
‘We’re continuing to try to work through this process to get that rebuild, but we need to know this will be front and center with you so we can get that interstate rebuilt and reopened,’ Duffy told Blackburn.
He pledged to make his first official trip as secretary be one to the Helene-affected region of those states.
Speaking about support for alternative transportation means, ranking member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., noted at one point that the monthly cost to own a car can be as high as $1,000, while riding public transit averages $100 per month.
Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said one issue that the Department of Transportation must address is the lack of means for electric vehicle drivers to pay into the highway trust fund. At present, taxes on gasoline are the main component of that revenue source.
Duffy responded that there should be a method through which green vehicles help fund the roads they drive on.
In a light moment partway through the hearing, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, made mention of Duffy potentially visiting the Aloha State, to which Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, joked that it may be a good junket for the entire panel.
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., asked Duffy to bring attention to passenger rail service in the Heartland, remarking that many times the primary focus has been on Amtrak’s Northeast Regional – which runs between Newport News, Virginia, and Boston.
He mentioned the Southwest Chief, a key two-day run between Chicago and Los Angeles, and how it is key to his state.
Additionally, New Jersey Democratic Sen. Andy Kim discussed recent mysterious drone sightings across the Garden State, as well as regional transit issues plaguing New York City suburbs.