Donald Trump administration Secretary of Transportation appointment, 2017

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Department Secretaries Marco Rubio • Scott Bessent • Pete Hegseth • Pam Bondi • Doug Burgum • Brooke Rollins • Lori Chavez-DeRemer • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. • Scott Turner • Howard Lutnick • Sean Duffy • Chris Wright • Linda McMahon • Doug Collins • Kristi Noem

Following his election as the 45th President of the United States in 2016, Donald Trump and his transition team considered individuals to fill the position of Secretary of Transportation. The secretary of transportation is responsible for overseeing national transportation policies; negotiating and implementing international transportation policies; regulating United States airlines; and issuing preventative regulations in transportation policy in regard to drug and alcohol abuse. Former Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao was nominated for the position on November 29, 2016, and confirmed on January 31, 2017.

Nomination tracker
Candidate: Elaine Chao
Position: Secretary of Transportation
Confirmation progress
a	Announced:	November 29, 2016
a	Hearing:	January 11, 2017
a	Committee:	Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
a	Reported:	January 24, 2017
a	Confirmed:	January 31, 2017
a	Vote:	93-6 (1 voting present)

To read more about the U.S. Department of Transportation and its current staff, click here.

Timeline

See also: Elaine Chao

The following timeline highlights noteworthy events related to this appointment.

• November 29, 2016: Trump nominated Elaine Chao for the position.
• January 11, 2017: Chao appeared before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for a confirmation hearing.
• January 31, 2017: The U.S. Senate voted 93-6 to confirm Chao. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R), Chao's husband, voted present.

Confirmation hearing

The following are some of the key moments from Chao's confirmation hearing:

• On funding a major infrastructure plan: Chao emphasized the importance of the administration working closely with Congress on developing an infrastructure plan. She said, “As the infrastructure proposal is being put together, we will certainly be in great discussion with the Congress, because, once again, we can’t do it on our own.” She added that, while federal spending would likely be included in a potential infrastructure plan, “The government does not have the re­sources to address all the infrastructure needs within our country.” Chao noted that additional capital may come from public-private partnerships such as equity firms, pension funds, and endowments and said that the country should “unleash the potential for private investment in our nation's infrastructure.”

• On privatizing air traffic control: Some Republican members of Congress have proposed privatizing air traffic control operations throughout the country—operations that currently fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Aviation Administration. Supporters of the plan have said that it would help modernize air traffic control operations and make them more efficient. Critics, on the other hand, have said that it could make air travel less safe and that it offers few-to-no improvements over the current system. When asked about her stance on the issue, Chao said, “Obviously this is an issue of great importance, it’s a huge issue that needs to have a national consensus. For that national consensus to occur there needs to be a dialogue. The administration has not made a decision on this point.” She added, “I am open to all ideas” and “I am cognizant of those who are in favor it. I am cognizant of those who have safety concerns.”

Considered candidates for Secretary of Transportation

The table below highlights individuals who were either nominated to the position by Trump or were mentioned in the media as potential nominees.

Considered candidates for Secretary of Transportation
Name	Notable experience	Source
John Mica	Outgoing U.S. Representative from Florida	Politico
James Simpson	Former commissioner of New Jersey Department of Transportation	Politico
Mark Rosenker	Former chairman of National Transportation Safety Board	Politico
Harold Ford Jr.	Former U.S. Representative from Tennessee	Politico
Elaine Chao	Former Secretary of Labor	Politico

See also

Executive Branch portal U.S. Department of State U.S. Department of Homeland Security U.S. Department of Justice U.S. Department of Commerce U.S. Department of Labor U.S. Department of Energy U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. Department of the Treasury U.S. Department of Education U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Department of Health and Human Services U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

External links

• Official Secretary of Transportation website