Sean Duffy, the former five-term Republican Congressman from Wisconsin and Fox News host, is poised to receive US Senate confirmation of his appointment as Secretary of Transportation after a unanimous committee vote advanced his nomination to the full Senate. I want to take a few moments to offer my thoughts on Duffy and what I hope he can accomplish running DOT.
Sean Duffy Set To Become Secretary Of Transportation
Duffy was advanced 28-0 in a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on January 22, 2025.
Ted Cruz (R – TX), who chairs the panel, said:
“He will work, as Senator Baldwin said, with both sides of the aisle to improve our infrastructure and address the challenges that arise in years ahead. Most importantly, Congressman Duffy’s personal experiences, his wife Rachel’s head on-crash, his dedication to raising a daughter with a disability show that he appreciates the responsibility of the role.”
Duffy’s wife surived a head-on crash and Duffy used that chilling story to convince Senators that his focus would be on reducing the 40,000 American deaths each year that occur on roads and highways.
During his confirmation hearing, he told Senators his focus would include:
- aviation safety
- highway safety
- air traffic controller shortage
- gaining back public trust in Boeing
I had not heard of Duffy before his nomination, but he seems like an affable, albeit partisan, guy and a potential chameleon candidate.
In his role on Fox News, Duffy did not miss an opportunity to attack former DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg or Joe Biden and blamed the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 issue on DEI initiatives. Concerningly, he did not seem in favor of any federal consumer protections for consumers:
“Southwest will fix this…Pete Buttigieg never will!”
At the same time, flight attendants and other airline unions have embraced him, including the “world’s most powerful flight attendant” Sara Nelson of the AFA-CWA:
“I think we can work with him. I’m pleased with his focus on safety and on rebuilding the air transportation system, on hiring and training air traffic controllers, which was a very welcome emphasis during his confirmation hearing.”
He has pledged to keep the 1,500-hour pilot certification standard on the books, which earned him praise from pilots’ unions. After opposing Amtrak funding while in the House, he is also now for it. He also is now in favor of the Essential Air Service (EAS), which provides subsidized commercial flights to smaller communities.
Yet there is concern over potential conflict of interest. After leaving Congress, Duffy was a lobbyist for the Partnership for Open Skies, an airline group that includes American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.
Airlines for America, the main lobbying arm of the US airline industry, was ecstatic about his nomination:
“We are thrilled that President-elect Trump has chosen Congressman Duffy to lead the Department of Transportation. Congressman Duffy has a proven track record for getting things done, and we are eager to collaborate with him on key issues impacting the U.S. airline industry.”
Accountable.us, a 501(c)3 organization that focuses on “holding corporations and public officials accountable for their actions” asks, “How can American consumers trust he will prioritize their interests over the policy preferences of his former clients?”
“Sean Duffy’s lobbying work for the same airlines now suing to overturn a Transportation Department rule against surprise junk fees poses a major conflict. Will Duffy use his power to protect the bottom line of his former corporate clients by scrapping basic transparency protections at the expense of everyday Americans? Duffy is just one of several Trump nominees with similar conflicts of interest that confirm the incoming administration intends to take care of wealthy corporate special interests first and working people last.”
It’s a fair question…
I’m far less concerned about his willingness to support mergers (in fact, I think that is probably necessary in the USA) as I am about his potential dismantling or not enforcing rules meant to protect airline consumers in case of delays, cancellations, or schedule changes. I view these rules as essential for holding airlines accountable.
Duffy told Senator Maria Cantwell (D – WA) that he was “committed” not to gut consumer protections, but there was not a deep dive into this matter during the confirmation hearing.
CONCLUSION
How will Duffy do? We’ll have to wait and see…it’s too early to tell.
At this point, I’m neither opposed nor in favor of Duffy. My policy priorities include robust consumer protections and continued investment in infrastructure. I favor mergers and alliances if necessary to save JetBlue, Frontier, and Spirit. Whether those policies will be a focus will become clear in the days ahead.
What are your predictions for Duffy’s tenure as DOT Secretary?
image: US Senator Dan Sullivan
@Matthew: If you had the power to nominate the Secretary of Transportation, who would that be?
You have more than a few things in common with Sean and his family. He is a family man first and they are deeply religious and believe in core life values that many call “old fashioned” today.
The fact that the entire committee voted for him in this political climate is telling on the person Sean is. He will do a great job, but make no mistake, everything he does within his power will be from the right side of the aisle and with Trump’s philosophical blessing.
He’s better than Trump’s “national security” and “law enforcement” picks, but those are so bad that the standard has been lowered and Duffy is like lipstick on a pig. Duffy is less qualified than Buttigieg was for the job, but look at the other clowns Trump has chosen this time around.
I’ve known some of Duffy family members for a long time. He I’ve seen at airports, in his state and elsewhere, while he was a Congressman for much of the area that was Dave Obey’s and Melvin Laird’s before Obey. Laird was head of DOD for a Republican Admin. Obey was the D in charge of House Appropriations.
Air Traffic Controller shortage: we are down about 10% from 2012 staffing levels, while pax enplanements are up about 1/3. This reduced controlled airspace capacity increases delays, many of which morph into cancellations. Increased workload for individual controllers reduces safety margins. Not often mentioned is the ATC staffing shortage reduces the supply of available seats in the market, demand for fewer seats driving up prices. Upgauging across the industry has ameliorated some of these effects, but not all. It seems reasonable to start a conversation with a 10% ATC increase would increase air traffic 10%.
He will last 2 years then quit