Senate Panel to Vote on Trump’s Transportation, Commerce Nominees
The Senate Commerce Committee has scheduled a vote Jan. 24 to consider President Trump’s nominees to lead the departments of Transportation and Commerce, setting up potential confirmation votes in the Senate as early as this week.
Trump tapped former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao to lead DOT. If confirmed, Chao would succeed Anthony Foxx.
During her confirmation hearing Jan. 11, Chao said the Trump administration would look to enhance states’ access to private capital, through public-private partnerships.
“It is important to note the significant difference between traditional program funding and other innovative financing tools, such as public-private partnerships,” Chao told the panel.
To run the Commerce Department, Trump turned to billionaire Wilbur Ross. During his confirmation hearing Jan. 18, Ross said investments in infrastructure lead to high-paying jobs. He also stressed the administration would revisit the Nafta agreement with Canada and Mexico.
“Anything that can be done to facilitate transportation will help the economy just in and of itself. Let alone, infrastructure spending is a very high labor content, generally around 44%, so it's a very good way to provide high-paying jobs to ordinary people,” Ross said.
Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.), and other members of the panel, have praised both nominees. The committee hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
