Senate Panel Approves Elaine Chao as Secretary of Transportation
The Senate Commerce Committee on Jan. 24 approved the nomination of Elaine Chao to be Secretary of Transportation.
The panel also approved President Trump’s choice of Wilbur Ross to be Secretary of Commerce.
“We hit the ground running at our first markup of the 115th Congress,” said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the committee’s chairman. “With this bipartisan endorsement, the Senate should now move forward on confirming both Secretary Chao and Mr. Ross to President Trump’s cabinet.”
The Republican-led Senate is likely to consider both nominations as early as this week, Capitol Hill aides told Transport Topics.
Chao told the panel, during her Jan. 11 confirmation hearing, the administration would emphasize the potential benefits of public-private partnerships as a way of funding big-scale infrastructure projects.
“It is important to note the significant difference between traditional program funding and other innovative financing tools,” Chao said.
Ross said at his confirmation hearing Jan. 18 the administration would revisit the Nafta agreement with Canada and Mexico.
“I am not anti-trade. I am pro trade. But I am pro sensible trade, not trade that is detrimental to the American worker and to the domestic manufacturing base,” Ross said in prepared remarks.
