Bloomberg
President-elect Donald Trump Monday said he would nominate former Congressman and current Fox News host Sean Duffy to head the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“Sean will use his experience and the relationships he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our Nation’s Infrastructure, and fulfill our Mission of ushering in The Golden Age of Travel, focusing on Safety, Efficiency, and Innovation,” Trump said in a statement Monday on his Truth Social platform. “Importantly, he will greatly elevate the Travel Experience for all Americans!”
If confirmed, Duffy would take the helm of a department that has grown substantially under the Biden administration as it stood up dozens of new programs as part of the five-year, $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Its budget totals roughly $146.2 billion, including advance IIJA appropriations.
Duffy, 53, was in Congress for nine years before resigning in 2019, and is currently the host of The Bottom Line on Fox Business.
While in Congress, Duffy was the lead sponsor of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act in 2016 to restructure the territory’s debt. In February 2020,
Duffy was a member of the Financial Services Committee and chair — and later ranking member — of the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He also served on the Budget and Joint Economic committees.
After leaving Congress, he was a senior counsel at lobbying firm BGR Group, where he was Financial Services practice co-head and focused on banking, housing, transportation and capital markets, according to the firm.
Before being elected to Congress in 2011, he was a special prosecutor and Ashland County, Wisconsin district attorney. A former professional lumberjack athlete, Duffy is married to Rachel Compos-Duffy, who co-hosts Fox & Friends Weekend with Pete Hegseth, who Trump nominated last week for Defense Secretary.
Duffy would take the position as the new Congress begins to craft the next surface transportation bill, when the IIJA expires in 2026. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials praised the pick, given Duffy’s experience on Capitol Hill.
“As a former member of Congress, Sean Duffy understands how to navigate the political landscape in Washington to get things done, something that we will need in the next leader of the U.S. Department of Transportation as we begin the process of reauthorizing the federal surface transportation programs,” said Jim Tymon, AASHTO executive director in a statement.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington said he expects the committee would continue its bipartisan efforts under his leadership.
“Transportation policy has a long bipartisan history, and I look forward to continuing to maintain the tradition under former Representative Sean Duffy’s leadership and working together to pass the next surface transportation authorization, creating more jobs, if he is confirmed,” Larsen said.