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US Senate Confirms Duffy as DOT Secretary

[ January 31, 2025   //   Gary G Burrows ]

Sean Duffy was confirmed Jan. 28 as U.S. Transportation Secretary, who has been tapped by President Donald Trump to cut transportation regulations and address the nation’s infrastructure, AP reported.
A former Wisconsin congressman and reality TV star, Duffy, 53, garnered bipartisan approval, with a 77-22 Senate vote. He vowed to “restore global confidence” in Boeing, add more air traffic controllers and remove DEI programs at the agency. Additionally, he vowed to create rules for self-driving cars, replacing myriad state regulation.
The Transportation Secretary oversees more than 55,000 staff, distributes tens of billions of dollars each year, oversees U.S. highways, railroads and air space and sets standards for trains, cars and trucks.
In Duffy’s case, the role will hold sway over Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a key advisor to the Trump administration after giving his campaign a quarter of a million dollars.
Stock for Tesla, Musk’s electric vehicle maker, has soared since the election, AP reported, as investors seem to bank on the DOT putting a halt to multiple investigations it’s opened over the safety of Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” vehicles.
The U.S. National Highway Transportation Administration launched a probe into Tesla’s self-driving system covering 2.4 million vehicles. NHTSA had received reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian, according to AP.
Duffy said lacking “clear rules” for self-driving vehicles puts the U.S. behind other countries with competing cars.
Duffy will directly impact the financial fortunes not only at Tesla, but also at SpaceX, Musk’s rocket company, which has billions of dollars of federal contracts. SpaceX has been fined by the DOT’s Federal Aviation Administration for alleged safety violations during two Florida launches, AP said.

Tags: Sean Duffy, U.S. Transportation Secretary