Sean Duffy, President-elect Trump's nominee to head the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), said during his confirmation hearing Wednesday that it will take “tough love” for Boeing to recover from a series of safety failures and that Tesla's He said advanced driver safety research is necessary. The subsidy system will continue.
Duffy, a former five-term Republican congressman from Wisconsin, received a warm welcome during his address to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Wednesday. The former Fox News personality introduced eight of his nine children on the panel, along with his wife, “Fox Noticias” host Rachel Campos Duffy.
Duffy said during the hearing that if given the opportunity to lead the DOT, he would focus on aviation safety, including ensuring that the public's confidence in aircraft manufacturing giant Boeing is restored.
“I think we have to make sure they're implementing the safety plan. We have to push the FAA. [Federal Aviation Administration] To make sure they have a safety plan in place,” Duffy told senators.
The former congressman said he intends to work with the FAA and Congress to “restore global confidence in Boeing and ensure the safety of our skies.”
“Someone said in one meeting that they needed some tough love, but that's what they needed,” he said.
Following a near-tragedy mid-air accident in January when a door panel on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 exploded, and a number of other accidents at various U.S. airlines over the last year, federal regulators have ordered commercial aircraft monitoring is being strengthened.
Duffy will also oversee the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is investigating Tesla, led by tech billionaire and Trump megadonor Elon Musk, over the car company's advanced driving technology. It turns out.
Last October, regulators launched an investigation into Tesla's fully self-driving (FSD) software after the company was reported to have been involved in four crashes, and the investigation involved approximately 2.4 million vehicles. targeted.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) asked Duffy if he could “commit” that NHTSA would “follow the evidence and operate objectively.”
“Yes, I promise this committee and all of you that I will let NHTSA investigate,” Duffy said. “I think I also mentioned that a lot of the players in this space, I’ve never met any of them.”
In response to a question from the committee's chairman, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Duffy said the FAA had ordered SpaceX, also led by Musk, to license the aerospace company for two launches. It said it would consider the fine it had recommended to the company after it announced it had breached the requirements. In 2023.
Duffy also voiced support for changes to the way federal highways are funded, suggesting more revenue needs to come from electric vehicle drivers. The Highway Trust Fund (HTF) is funded by gas taxes, meaning roads used by electric vehicles are effectively tax-free.
Duffy told Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), who raised the issue, “They should pay for the use of our roads. I think it's a little more difficult to figure out what to do about that.” He added that he would love to cooperate. Fischer and the committee want to “make it happen.”
Duffy, a former lobbyist, also told senators he would focus on eliminating “bureaucracy” that prevents “critical infrastructure projects from moving forward and ensuring that funds are used efficiently.” He added that President Trump told him he wanted to invest in the country's development. “Crumbling” infrastructure.
The former congressman said his first official trip as DOT chief will be to visit hurricane-hit areas in Tennessee and North Carolina in September.
