President-elect Donald Trump announced on Monday that he was nominating former Wisconsin Representative Sean Duffy as transportation secretary.
Duffy, who was the co-host of Fox Business’ The Bottom Line and a former cast member on a season of The Real World, is the second Fox News host to be nominated for Trump’s cabinet, the other being Pete Hegseth as defense secretary.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) oversees the nation’s infrastructure, including roads, bridges, railways, airports, and ports, ensuring their safety and efficiency. It regulates vehicle safety standards, manages air traffic control, and enforces pipeline and railroad safety laws.
The DOT also administers billions of dollars annually in federal grants for infrastructure projects and transit systems. Additionally, it plays a role in advancing technological innovations, such as electric and autonomous vehicles.
If certified by the Senate, Duffy will take over from Pete Buttigieg in January 2025, and will inherit several complex problems facing the Department of Transportation.
Newsweek has contacted the Trump transition team via email for comment.
Here are some of the key issues he will have to address:
Aviation Safety Concerns
Duffy will take over the DOT amid ongoing aviation safety concerns, particularly with Boeing.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the DOT’s largest agency, has ramped up scrutiny of Boeing following several high-profile incidents, including a door panel flying off an Alaska Airlines plane in January 2023, capping the number of aircraft Boeing can produce monthly.
Former Representative Sean Duffy and Donald Trump in Washington D.C., January 24, 2019. Trump announced on Monday that he was nominating Duffy as transportation secretary. Former Representative Sean Duffy and Donald Trump in Washington D.C., January 24, 2019. Trump announced on Monday that he was nominating Duffy as transportation secretary. Mandel Ngan/Getty Images
This comes after years of whistleblower allegations about safety and manufacturing lapses at Boeing and its suppliers, with FAA receiving 126 reports of safety problems this year alone, up from 11 the previous year.
Boeing’s former Chief Executive Dave Calhoun appeared before the U.S. Senate in June. He said,