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ancient Representative Sean DuffyR-Wis., was flanked by the two sitting Wisconsin senators in a bipartisan show of support to begin his confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
Duffy, who served five terms after flipping a seat held by Democrat David Obey for decades, he later went on to work at Fox News; most recently, he co-hosted “The Bottom Line” with Dagen McDowell on FOX Business.
“I am humbled by this President Trump has appointed me to this very important position,” Duffy said in his opening statement.
He also introduced all eight of his nine children in attendance, as well as his wife, “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy.
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Former Rep. Sean Duffy, pictured here, listens to Sen. Ted Budd, R-NC, at his confirmation hearing for Transportation Secretary. (Fox News Digital/Charlie Creitz)
He noted that his oldest son would not be able to be in Washington on Wednesday because he and his wife recently had a son and also live in Southern California, which is being ravaged by wildfires.
“No federal agency affects the daily lives of Americans and their loved ones like the Department of Transportation,” he said, adding that President-elect Donald Trump “is a builder” and knows the importance of maintaining and building critical infrastructure . He also noted that Campos-Duffy survived a fatal car crash, which put road safety at the forefront of her family’s mind.
Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, DN.M., revealed that he too was involved in an accident with a drunk driver 30 years ago and doesn’t like to talk about it.
Lujan appeared briefly moved as she turned to Campos-Duffy to connect with their shared experience and praised Duffy for her stated goal of being remembered as the secretary who improved transportation safety.
Later in the hearing, Sen. Edward Markey, D-Massachusetts, also emphasized the importance of road safety, revealing that he had been hit by a car at the age of 5.
Duffy also pledged to restore Americans’ confidence in the airline industry amid some recent incidents, including problems at Boeing. “We want the best and brightest air traffic controllers. We need to modernize our systems with cutting-edge technologies. I will work with Congress and the FAA to restore global confidence in Boeing and to ensure our skies are safe,” he said.
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Similarly, Alaska Republican Senator Dan Sullivan noted that the Last Frontier was not yet a state when President Dwight Eisenhower launched the federal interstate program and that 251 communities in his state are still not connected by roads.
Duffy pledged to support the federal program that ensures essential air service to remote communities in Alaska and other sparsely populated states.
Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Ted Budd, RNC, raised the importance of making sure the victims of Hurricane Helene “are not forgotten.”
Blackburn noted that Interstate 40, a crucial transcontinental artery from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Barstow, California, remains washed out through the Great Smoky Mountains.
During the September hurricane, a section of the eastbound lanes in Haywood County, North Carolina, collapsed into the Pigeon River at the time, impeding regional commerce and access to mountain communities. Parts of Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee continue to see long-term closures of major arteries and communities trying to rebuild.
“We continue to try to work through this process to get this rebuilt, but we need to know that this is going to be front and center with you so that we can rebuild and reopen this interstate,” Duffy told Blackburn.
He pledged to make his first official trip as secretary to the Helene-affected region of these states.
Speaking about support for alternative transportation, Ranking Member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., noted at one point that the monthly cost of owning a car can be as high as $1,000, while public transportation averages $100 a month.
Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said one of the issues the Transportation Department needs to address is the lack of means for EV drivers to pay into the highway trust fund. Currently, gasoline taxes are the main component of this revenue source.
Duffy responded that there should be a method through which green vehicles help fund the roads they drive on.
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Former Rep. Sean Duffy, right, greets Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio. (Fox News Digital/Charles Creitz)
In a lighthearted moment midway through the hearing, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, mentioned that Duffy might visit the Aloha State, to which Speaker Ted Cruz, R-Texas, joked saying it could be a good adventure for the whole panel. .
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., asked Duffy to draw attention to passenger rail service in the Heartland, noting that too often the main focus has been on Amtrak’s Northeast Regional, which between Newport News, Virginia and Boston.
He mentioned the Southwest Head, a key two-day route between Chicago and Los Angeles, and how it is key to his state.
Additionally, New Jersey Democratic Senator Andy Kim discussed the recent sightings of mysterious drones in the Garden State, as well as regional traffic issues affecting the New York City suburbs.
