Senate Commerce Committee advances Sean Duffy nomination 28-0, orders favorably reported to full Senate

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee voted unanimously, 28-0, to advance the nomination of former Rep. Sean Duffy of Wisconsin to be secretary of transportation and ordered the nomination reported favorably to the full Senate. Ranking Member Maria Cantwell moved the nomination; a second was requested but not named in the record.

The nomination matters because the Department of Transportation oversees roughly 55,000 employees and leads policy on aviation safety, road and bridge projects, freight and supply chains, and emerging technologies such as unmanned aircraft and self-driving vehicles. In opening remarks supporting the nomination, committee members highlighted those responsibilities and the need to carry forward federal infrastructure investments.

Ranking Member Maria Cantwell said the confirmation process should be “a fair and thorough and complete process” and noted she would support advancing the nomination after receiving the nominee's FBI reports. Cantwell said she expects Mr. Duffy to honor funding commitments already made by Congress for infrastructure projects and to safeguard decisions from political interference.

Senator Tammy Baldwin was quoted by a committee member as saying, “Sean is the right person for this job.” Committee members on both sides cited Mr. Duffy's past work on projects such as the St. Croix Crossing and said he had committed to prioritizing safety and streamlining permitting processes. Members also raised current issues before the department, including an FAA shortage of air-traffic controllers and federal debate over electric-vehicle policy.

Following the roll call, Senator Amy Klobuchar said she had worked with Mr. Duffy on a bridge project between Minnesota and Wisconsin and urged that, with the committee's bipartisan vote, Mr. Duffy follow through on support for projects in members' districts and the funding provided by the bipartisan infrastructure law. Klobuchar also expressed concern about a recent presidential executive order that could delay or pause some infrastructure funding decisions.

The committee's clerk called the roll during the vote; the record listed 28 ayes and zero noes. The committee chair announced that the nomination would be reported favorably. No amendments to the nomination or conditions on the committee's recommendation were recorded in the transcript.

The committee adjourned its executive session after the vote; the nomination now proceeds to the full Senate for consideration.