Sean Duffy’s Nomination Sails Through Committee

Update: Duffy was confirmed by the Senate on January 28 and sworn in as the Secretary of Transportation the same day.

On January 16th, President Trump’s nominee for Transportation Secretary, Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wisc.) testified in front of the Senate Commerce Committee. The tone of his confirmation hearing was one of a friendly homecoming as Duffy served in Congress with 14 of the 28 Senators on the committee and had worked with many of them personally. He was introduced and recommended by both of his Wisconsin home state Senators Ron Johnson (Rep.) and Tammy Baldwin (Dem.). Senator Baldwin also sits on the Commerce Committee. 

In addition to being a former congressman, Duffy has also served as a lobbyist, financial adviser, Fox news host, reality TV star, and a lumberjack sportsman. You can read the biographical questionnaire he submitted to the Senate here and his prepared statement for the hearing, which he read verbatim, is here. While he does not come from a transportation background, that is not unusual for a Transportation Secretary nominee.  

Duffy’s Priorities

Duffy testified that his priority in the role would be safety. His wife was in a severe car crash when she was a young adult and he understands how crashes can change lives. Several Senators asked specifically about the safety of bicyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable road users to which Duffy committed to working with them to address the safety of “pedestrians, bikers, scooter-ers” and everyone using our roads. 

Questions from the Dais

• Senator Baldwin specifically asked about the Sarah Debbink Langenkamp bill which would make it easier for states and local governments to use highway safety dollars to build biking and walking safety infrastructure 
• Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawwaii) commented about the false dichotomy between cars and pedestrians saying you will be the “Secretary of Transportation” and not the “Secretary of Cars” 
• Senators Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) discussed distracted and impaired driving, asking Duffy to reinvigorate efforts to end distracted driving and to push the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to move on technology to stop drunk drivers. (As a father of nine, Duffy noted he is specifically concerned with distracted driving of young people.)
• SenatorsTammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Baldwin brought up accessibility for people with disabilities. Duffy’s ninth child has Down’s syndrome and he discussed his understanding of the need for accessible transportation. 

There were a few other comments of note regarding bicycling and walking. Senator Klobuchar brought up her strong support for the Recreational Trails Program. Senator Bernie Moreno (Rep.), the new Senator from Ohio, made a point of saying almost all Americans drive cars and depend on cars. 

In addition to safety, senators raised questions about a number of issues we expect to hear more about in the reauthorization debate. Duffy’s answers were pretty nondescript, along the lines of “I support safety” or “I will look into that”. Questions touched on a number of themes: 

• Project Delivery: Members on both sides are concerned with how long projects take
• Autonomous Vehicles: there is bipartisan support for creating a regulatory framework 
• Electric Vehicles: both their lack of ‘paying in’ and that they cause more wear and tear to the roads because of their weight, and their benefit to the environment and air quality
• How to Pay for Transportation Infrastructure: Duffy is against raising the gas tax
• “Buy America” Policies: everyone is for it in general terms, but concerns for specific industries
• Disaster Relief: the need for fast deployment

Another topic, more hinted at than deeply discussed, was that of good governance. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the Ranking Democrat on the committee, brought up her concerns over the policy recommendations in Project 2025, and asked Duffy if he would implement the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as written by Congress. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) also asked if Duffy would ensure NHTSA would prosecute Tesla as necessary despite its owner’s relationship with President Trump. Duffy committed to following the law, and he stated that President Trump would set the Administration’s policy. 

Overall, Duffy proved himself to be a strong nominee who was prepared and knowledgeable about the senators’ concerns. His commitment to safety ran throughout his testimony and he regularly emphasized that infrastructure projects are not partisan. 

The committee voted to support Duffy’s nomination 28-0 and his nomination is fast tracked for a quick vote on the House.

On the day of Duffy’s hearing, President Trump nominated Steven Bradbury for DOT’s Deputy Secretary (the number two position formerly held by Polly Trottenberg). Bradbury was the Chief Counsel at DOT under the first Trump Administration. Between Trump Administrations he was at the Heritage Foundation where he was an author of Project 2025. He should also get a hearing although those are rarely as high profile. 

Want to watch parts of the hearing? You can watch specific exchanges with Sean Duffy here. We’ve listed one or more of the topics each Senator asked about, however it’s not a comprehensive list of topics discussed. 

Time stamps

• 27:03 Duffy Testimony
• 33:20 Cruz, TX- project delivery, high speed rail, rural needs
• 39:30 Cantwell, WA- IIJA projects in progress, transit
• 45:20 Fischer, NE  – EVs, paying for transportation, FHWA guidance to states
• 51:05 Schatz, HI- Tribal lands, pedestrian safety
• 57:33 Moran, KA  –Rail and Aviation
• 1:03:06 Baldwin, WI- VRU safety, disabilities, Buy America
•  1:09:32 Sullivan, AK – Rural, project delivery, aviation
• 1:16:23 Klobuchar, MN- Distracted driving, rec trails, blocked rail
• 1:22:02 Blackburn, TN- auto industry, AVs, disaster relief
• 1:27:40 Kim, NJ – Gateway tunnel, transit
• 1:33:10 Budd, NC- Rural , disaster relief
• 1:38:18 Peters, MI- AVs, Auto industry
• 1:44:10 Curtis, UT- Olympics, rural
• 1:49:55 Luján, NM- drunk driving, NHTSA
• 1:56:25 Moreno, OH- auto industry
• 2:01:12 Markey, MA- EVs,CAFE standards, IIJA implementation
• 2:06:41 Capito, WV- Reauthorization help, technical assistance
• 2:12:35 Blunt Rochester, DE- transit,ports
• 2:18:45 Wicker, MI- Amtrak, Merchant marines
• 2:26:18 Duckworth, IL – ADA across modes
• 2:31:29 Sheehy, MT – aviation
• 2:36:31 Rosen, NV – Travel and tourism
• 2:42:39 Young, Indiana – AVs, travel/ tourism, changing trucking rules 
• 2:50:00 Second Round of Questions 
• 2:50:23 Cruz, TX- space travel
• 2:53:21 Cantwell, WA – project 2025
• 2:58:27 Schmitt, MO- Hiring practices
• 3:04:08 Closing Remarks