Senate Confirms Trump's Pick for Transportation Secretary
The U.S. Senate voted ninety-three to six to confirm Elaine Chao as transportation secretary on Tuesday.
Chao, a former labor secretary and deputy transportation secretary, will face familiar issues while providing oversight on some new obstacles — specifically, autonomous vehicles and upholding President Trump’s promise to improve the nation’s infrastructure.
However, during her confirmation hearing earlier in the month, she neglected to take a strong stance on several key issues. She has yet to express her thoughts on public safety concerns over the transportation of oil by rail, the privatization of air traffic control jobs, and if there is any need for regulation on fast-advancing automotive technologies.
“As the next Secretary of Transportation, Elaine Chao will have the unique opportunity to advance new and transformative safety innovations like self-driving vehicles,” said the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets, a pro-autonomous lobbying group for Waymo, Uber, Lyft, Volvo, and Ford.
“We congratulate Secretary Chao on today’s confirmation, and we look forward to working with her on delivering the promise of self-driving technology to make our neighborhoods safer and enhance mobility for the disabled and disadvantaged.”
A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.
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She met Trump's only requirement.... she's a 7
It would be nice to have increased Amtrak passenger rail service and frequency. Although I have a strong passion for automobiles, I have an even stronger passion for passenger rail. Hopefully, she's for that as well.
This pic of her is like 20 years ago....I hate it when they do that.
Some of us in the general aviation world view her appointment with some trepidation as it's not clear where she stands on the issue. The proposals to privatize ATC are driven by the airlines who would rather pay fees for ATC service than a fuel tax (which is how current ATC costs are funded). Since a jet burns an awful lot of fuel, a $50 or $100 charge (which is an estimate) to use ATC services for a flight is a substantial cost reduction. For someone flying a single-engine Piper Archer, it's a major additional cost.