▶ 0:23:38Heat. Heat.
▶ 0:26:31The committee on transportation infrastructure will come to order and I'd ask unanimous consent that the chairman be authorized to declare a recess at any time during today's hearing. Without objection, that is so ordered. As a reminder, if members insert a document into the record, please also email it to documents ti at And so due to the um expected votes this afternoon and understanding the secretary's uh schedule um after consulting with ranking member Larson,
▶ 0:27:02without objection, I would ask unanimous consent to limit member questions to three minutes uh each to allow maximum member participation. Um and I also will be forgoing my questions. Um so with that, I recognize myself for an opening statement and I want to thank you Secretary Duffy. uh Sean for being here today to discuss the Department of Transportation's policies or programs uh and uh fiscal year 2026 budget request.
▶ 0:27:31Um you have an extremely you have had an extremely busy um six months and I appreciate you coming in to answer uh members of Congress's questions. Um, following the tra uh the tragic aviation accidents in the recent months and years of underinvestment in FA's capital budget, this committee responded by providing the FAA with a 12.5 billion down payment to modernize um air traffic control uh systems as part of the reconciliation
▶ 0:28:01bill. This funding will allow the administration to immediately get to work to replace critical telecommunications infrastructure and radar systems. uh invest in runway safety and airport surveillance projects and replace antiquated air traffic control facilities. I appreciate your work on the administration's brand new air traffic control system plan and I look forward to working with you and the administration to ensure um this funding supports the plan's goals and helps deliver a state-of-the-art ATC system.
▶ 0:28:32We're also uh we also recently marked uh the one-year anniversary of FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 being signed into law. Um, this bipartisan law significantly advances the aviation industry through safety reforms, requirements for the FAA to plan for modernizing the ATC system, improvements to address workforce challenges, increased funding for airports across the country, improvements to the passenger experience, and the inclusion of the very first ever
▶ 0:29:02general aviation title. I look forward to working with you, Secretary Duffy, so that this law is implemented in a way that ensures America's aviation system remains the gold standard for the world. Additionally, the committee is already working on the next surface transportation bill, which we plan to consider before the end of the year. The current authorization, which is set to expire next September, has plagued infrastructure planning with delays, um cost increases, and administrative uh confusion.
▶ 0:29:32The committee has a prime opportunity to focus on core infrastructure that moves people and goods safely and efficiently. Cut red tape and accelerate project delivery, ensure that states have the flexibility that they need to address their priorities and shore up the bankrupt highway trust fund. We must maintain the user pays principle and offer solutions for putting the highway trust fund on a more sustainable fiscal path.
▶ 0:29:58I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of uh of the aisle to address the trust funds funding uh challenges. Simply put, we have to make America uh build again. And with that, I want to thank you, Mr. Secretary, for again being here with us today, and I look forward to uh to hearing your uh uh your testimony and a productive hearing. With that, I recognize Rick for his opening Thank you. Uh thanks for holding this hearing, Chair Graves, Secretary Duffy.
▶ 0:30:25Uh thanks for taking your time out of your busy schedule as the head of two federal agencies. Uh now I appreciate your uh appearance before the committee. This this committee is a workhorse committee. We're not a show horse committee. It has a history which I appreciate Chair Graves continuing of enacting legislation to fund critical transportation and infrastructure projects to create jobs, working across administrations to get these investments to our constituents. And I certainly want to continue that partnership.
▶ 0:30:53There's a lot of critical work ahead of us to modernize the air traffic control infrastructure and boost controller staffing to improve rail safety to upgrades roads, bridges, airports and ports and transform how we move people and goods safely through communities and across the country. We have a great opportunity to work together on job creating infrastructure investments this Congress, including a surface transportation authorization bill. But to do any of that work, we do have to rise above the chaos.
▶ 0:31:20Delaying grants authorized in statute or conditioning transportation funding on things that don't have to do with transportation won't get us CS. DOT is currently reviewing 1300 approved grants and your 26 budget request seeks to cancel 5.7 billion in EV charging grants. So I urge you to get on with the review of the remainder of these grants um because we are leaving construction jobs on the table without these grants going out the door.
▶ 0:31:47Holding up these grants stalls badly needed job creating infrastructure investments and we need to get them going on that. Firing federal workers who oversee infrastructure or carry out critical safety missions won't get us to yes. More than 4,100 DOT employees have left the department and several agencies in the department including uh FHWA, FTA, and Nitsa have seen reductions of more than 25%. So, I urge you to consider how you're going to expedite project delivery and advance safety with the decimated workforce.
▶ 0:32:17Privatizing air traffic control won't get a CS. The 24 FA reauthorization for uh for airports provides a blueprint to make long overdue investment in ATC infrastructure. My priorities are increasing the FA's ATC and aviation safety workforce to meet growing airspace demand, expediting the deployment of critical runway safety technology, and replacing outdated ATC infrastructure, notably telecommunications, which are the nervous system of the ATC network.
▶ 0:32:46In the wake of tra the tragic PTOIC mid-air collision and trend of near misses, we have to get it right. Now that Congress has uh provided DOT 12.5 billion dollars to launch this mission, we need specifics on DOT's plan to improve our ATC system and ensure the safety of the flying public. And cutting off critical safety investments won't get us. We have a national epidemic of preventable highway deaths.
▶ 0:33:08There's a clear federal interest for us investing in the infrastructure to ensure the safety of all modes of travel, including cars, trucks, bikes, shared use uh paths, and sidewalks. Congress has enacted programs that make these projects specifically eligible for for federal funding and unilateral actions by DOT to halt legally dedicated funding and reaching back to already awarded grants will make the traveling public less safe. The DOT's job is to implement the laws that Congress has negotiated and passed.
▶ 0:33:38And it's every member uh of this committee's job to hold DOT accountable to that standard regardless of party, regardless of party in power, and regardless of how much we like the secretary or not. And I do want to say I do like the secretary um but he hears from me a lot. So this so far this administration has played a little fast and loose with the division of responsibility between the legislative and executive branches and has given deference to executive orders even if Congress has already passed a law with a very different idea.
▶ 0:34:05So you received a lot of letters and inquiries from many members on this committee. You'll I certainly collect a longer list of inquiries today and I urge you to respond to each of these requests in a timely manner. I do want to thank you in advance for keeping us informed of the department's actions so that we can represent our constituents, solve transportation problems, and improve safety. I look forward to your remarks and today's discussion. Before I move on, I do want to yield the remainder of my time to represent Chewy Garcia uh for a brief statement.
▶ 0:34:34Thank you, uh, Ranking Member Larson for yielding so that I can express my support for the disadvantaged business enterprise program. This committee regularly considers and reauthorizes the DBE program, most recently in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. This program combats intentional discrimination and ensures that womenowned and minorityowned businesses have a fair chance to compete for the transportation and infrastructure contracts.
▶ 0:35:04The committee has also collected statistical and qualitative evidence of discrimination faced by women and minorities in their attempts to establish, grow, and operate construction businesses and bid for highway, transit, and airport projects across the country. I've personally heard from firms across Chicago line, including Mrs.
▶ 0:35:27Dish who said, "The DBE program creates opportunities for my company to pursue a piece of the project that would typically be too large for my company to pursue as a whole." Miss Weiss said, "The DBE program has brought me into the projects and partnership that literally keep my lights on." And Mr.
▶ 0:35:48Castro said, "The DBE program has given our firm an incredible opportunity to work the engineering space on high-profile projects in our community." End of quotes. As we prepare for the surface bill, the committee has received over 100 uh submissions supporting the continuation of this program and ensuring businesses in our districts are not not shut out of the construction contracting opportunities.
▶ 0:36:17I ask unanimous consent to insert these letters into the hearing record without objection. Thank you and I yield back. Yield back. Um so now again I want to welcome our witness uh Secretary Duffy. Uh and again thank you for being here. I don't have to explain the lights to you and um and let's all be mindful of the time uh constraints that we have.
▶ 0:36:41I'd ask unanimous consent that the witness uh the full statement be included in the record and without objection that is so ordered. I'd ask unanimous consent that the record at today's hearing remain open until such time as our witness has provided answers to any questions uh that may be submitted to them in writing without objection. That is so ordered.
▶ 0:37:01I'd also ask unanimous consent that the record remain open for 15 days for any additional comments and information submitted by members of the or witnesses to be included in the record of today's hearing without objection. That is so ordered. Your written testimony has been made part of the record. The committee asks that you try to keep your oral remarks to uh to five minutes. So with that, Mr. Secretary, turn it over to you. Thank you uh Chairman Graves, Ranky Member Lorson, members of the committee. Uh thank you for having me today to testify uh before this great body.
▶ 0:37:31Uh my aim over the course of this hearing is to provide you a sense of how building big beautiful infrastructure is at the top of President Trump's priorities and how we can all work together in a bipartisan effort. And I would just note that uh for nine years I sat where you sat and I would tell you it's much more fun to sit where you're at than where I'm at. Um so uh but it's good to be here with you all.
▶ 0:37:53Uh I took office nearly six months ago and in my first full day on the job uh we experienced a sobering reminder of why the department's top priority is and always must be safety. The 67 lives lost by a mid-air collision of an army helicopter and a commercial flight over the PTOIC was a stark reminder of what's at stake in our most fundamental mission at the Department of Transportation.
▶ 0:38:18This tragic episode is also why the construction of a brand new air traffic control system is at the top of our agenda as we get America building again. I want to thank you all for passing one big beautiful bill, the 12.5 billion, which is a down payment for this build.
▶ 0:38:36I know all of you did not vote for the big beautiful bill, but I believe this portion, the 12.5 billion, I think we would have had unanimous support throughout the committee because you know probably better than anyone else how important uh our air traffic control infrastructure is more so than probably anyone else in the country. And so uh though everyone didn't vote, I appreciate everyone's support for what we're trying to do. Uh in May, I unveiled a three to fouryear plan to execute a complete overhaul of this outdated system.
▶ 0:39:06And let's be clear, flying is safe. I fly I fly out of Newark all the time. It's now my uh most used airport. And uh we saw glitches in the system a few months ago in the Treycon uh in Philadelphia that impacts uh impacts uh the Newark airspace. Um and those have exposed uh some issues within the system as a whole.
▶ 0:39:31Our job is to keep air travel safe, which is why I've dedicated my tenure to delivering an allnew brand, a brand new air traffic control system, state-of-the-art, best in the world. Uh, our goal is to make air travel uh not just safer, but also more efficient uh with more commercial flights, more drones, more air taxis, and uh an everexpanding commercial uh airspace as well.
▶ 0:39:57uh this is the time if we're going to be able to meet all those needs to rebuild this system. Our department has also moved swiftly to streamline the hiring process for new air traffic controllers. You all know we're 3,000 controllers short. And so in May, we launched a spring initiative to supercharge our controller fleet uh with lucrative bonuses to controllers uh who are eligible for retirement. We're asking the most they're the most experienced too, by the way. We're asking them to stay longer.
▶ 0:40:24We're giving them a 20% uh upfront cash bonus to stay beyond their eligible date of retirement uh to try to fill this uh gap. Um we have uh already cut months off the hiring pipeline as uh we're enrolling uh new people into the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. Um this is not and we're probably going to talk about this. This is there's not one silver bullet to shoot on air traffic control.
▶ 0:40:49We have to take all of these multiple steps to move as quickly as possible to get uh more uh young people into the business of air traffic control and keep more of those experienced controllers um on the payroll. And uh as you know, as a graduate of the academy comes out, it they just don't go into a tower and they're not certified. It takes time to certify in the different airspaces across the country. So, uh I ask for your patience, but also we have some money in the big beautiful bill to help with that.
▶ 0:41:16We're hoping in 2026 to get to 2500 new controllers out of the academy and start uh their certification process. Uh recent changes at Newark Liberty International Airport have demonstrated uh the effectiveness of our proposal to fix the aging system. And just you know real quick uh the the runway was uh was completed almost two weeks before schedule.
▶ 0:41:41Uh, one of our problems is that we we have companies that we deal with at mid mid-management level. Uh, I'd just say the DoD gets the top level management. They're the first uh they're the first project on the docket for many of these companies. Um, we are now getting CEO engagement. Uh, Verizon helped us. They laid a fiber line between uh the Philly Treycon and N90 within a month. We took another month and tested that line.
▶ 0:42:07And so in two months after you saw what happened in Newark, we had the new line up and running uh alleviating those issues we had with telecom. And I think that's just I know some of you have asked, can the FAA do this? We can. And I think this is a great example of how we're thinking about and engaging corporate America differently to accomplish the goals that you're going to set for us. I I know I'm out of time and we don't have a lot of time today. I know we're going to talk about surface reauthorization.
▶ 0:42:32I'm happy to have a conversation about that as we uh hopefully together uh in a bipartisan fashion uh come up with a plan for uh for America on how we rebuild this infrastructure. Uh I appreciate the time of the committee and I look forward to your questions. And with that, I don't know if I get to yield back as a witness or not, but I'm I yield back. We'll turn to uh Rick Crawford. You're Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Secretary, I'll try to be brief because I only have 15 minutes.
▶ 0:43:05Great to see you back here. I think you're doing a fantastic job and I think it's not lost on us. The baptism by fire that you underwent on your first day on the job and I think you've just done a fantastic job. I want to talk real quick about um a couple of things I know that you're attuned to. Something I've been working on for quite some time. It has to do with uh truck parking. It's been a big issue for for the trucking industry. Our interstate system in previous administration not authorizing that issue.
▶ 0:43:32Uh we need ample and safe locations for truck drivers to be able to rest and we need to start looking for how to redirect funding for this. Um ADA provided 7.5 billion dollars for EV charging infrastructure projects um and very little results to show for that. So our nation was not and still not at a point where rapid rollouts of charging infrastructure is a pressing issue.
▶ 0:43:53In contrast, our trucking industry is certainly not in a in a position where uh that transitioning to electrification is a priority and and but we do need parking. And so that said, I was happy to see the announcement by the administration of a commitment of $275 million directed to truck parking. However, I believe redirecting funding that was meant for EV infrastructure to support truck parking is actually a step in the right direction. Can you talk about that a little bit?
▶ 0:44:18What are the efforts within the agency agency to explore redirecting EV infrastructure as it applies to first parking truck parking uh you saw in co how important our truckers are and so there's two components of this one it's the quality of life for our truckers but also it's a safety issue we have our our our trucks parking on on ramps off ramps in any location they can find and I think it's important for us to think through how do we provide more truck parking to provide safety for the truckers but also the other traveling public again a big grant went to Florida.
▶ 0:44:47Uh but we are going to continue to focus on the highest needs around the country where uh we can deploy uh grants to provide additional truck parking again safety and quality of life for the Excellent.
▶ 0:45:01um FY2020 NDAA, Congress passed the Transit Infrastructure Vehicle Security Act, and our intent was clear in that legislation that was to prohibit US taxpayer dollars from being used to purchase buses and passenger rail cars from Chinese state-owned entities or supported companies. TISA was a necessary step to protect national security, strengthen American manufacturing, and prevent market distorting Chinese entities from undercutting US transit supply chains.
▶ 0:45:29Companies like BYD and Ride are attempting to exploit the law now through deceptive affiliate creation designed to evade TISA's restrictions. I've been working with Representative Kana on the Stop China Act to strengthen TISA, but in the meantime, it's critical that the department implement existing law in full alignment with congressional intent.
▶ 0:45:49Can you talk about the um what your commitment looks like in terms of uh implementing TIVA consistent with congressional intent and making sure companies like Bide are BYD and Riot are not permitted to circumvent the law. Just real quick, I know we had the we had a grants for no and low B no and no and low emission buses. We're getting a lot of uh uh communities that have reached out to us that they're telling us that the no emission doesn't work. They want more uh low emission options. we're going to work with them uh on that.
▶ 0:46:18But uh I believe in by America. Um and uh my my good friend Tammy Baldwin, Democrat senator from my great state, the greatest state, maybe Wisconsin, uh is hard on this and I would agree with her assessment that we do have to make sure uh that at all costs uh that uh these products are built in America and we have to get around the gimmicks. Thanks, Secretary. Appreciate Thanks for being here. Thank you, Rick. Yeah. Uh thanks, Secretary, for being here. Appreciate it.
▶ 0:46:44Um, so we chatted a little bit last week on the phone about uh the last issue you had brought up, but I want to talk um ask you about the outstanding uh grants. This morning you announced the secretary uh department announced another five 415 grants that you have cleared so that local governments, state governments and so on can negotiate and move forward on getting these dollars obligated. So you're about 1,900 cleared out of 3,200 grants cleared and I appreciate that.
▶ 0:47:14uh it's always what have you done for me lately? And so there's still another 1300 grants uh out there and these are grants that are going to be you know implemented on the ground um building projects creating local jobs in construction. Do you have a specific timeline to finish the review the remaining 1300 grants so that communities can get on with job I appreciate the question. My my hope is that in late summer, early spring, I early fall, we can we can complete that review. And just there's a lot of questions on this.
▶ 0:47:44Can I just have 20 seconds to say that we we have been left 3,200 grants. That is a historic number from the last administration. I know you all want your grants, but I don't think everyone recognizes the workload that was left to us. There was announcements without the work done to do grant agreements. We are working through it. And I would just note for the committee that uh at the first the the the the first quarter of uh every year of the last administration versus this quarter, we are getting more grants completed and out the door. But I know that's not a that's not enough for everybody.
▶ 0:48:14Everyone wants their grants right now and so we are working diligently to do that as quickly as possible. Well, we're going to uh certainly keep pushing that. There's three in my district that were part of this new trunch and uh looking forward to the to the rest of of mine in my district and um so I'll speak for me but I'm sure everyone else has the same view about the grants um including the uh Scadget Transit uh maintenance and operation facility. Still waiting on that one. Um I'll ask a second question quickly here just about uh roadway safety.
▶ 0:48:44I argue it is a federal interest to invest in sidewalk and bike paths because we have a roadway death epidemic in this country. 20% of those roadway deaths involve a bike uh someone on a bike or someone walking. We need to separate those folks from the cars and trucks for the so that the f folks driving cars and trucks know that they are themselves separated from bikes and ped. That's why there's a federal interest in decreasing the number of these roadway deaths as much as possible.
▶ 0:49:10So, I'm going to make that argument as we move through surface transportation uh to ensure that we're funding these safe streets for all grants, which you're moving forward on, which I appreciate. But those are planning grants and we need to implement those and fund these local projects so that people have safe places to walk, cars and trucks know that those people won't be on the roads using the road as a sidewalk, back to using a sidewalk as a sidewalk. I I would welcome further conversation. I think there's some places where you are right. we need separation.
▶ 0:49:39But in other places, I think we're actually co-mingling uh automobile traffic with bikes and and pedestrians. And I and I that it can also be a danger as well. And I think there's a balance to how we do this. Um just there's also a congestion issue that comes up as well when we convert uh traffic lanes to bike lanes, but I'm obviously open to that conversation and implementing the will of the Congress. Appreciate that. Thanks, Mr. Webster. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Appreciate it.
▶ 0:50:09Uh, Secretary Duffy, would the creation of a a federal infrastructure bank which would leverage private investment only uh supplement the existing funding tools that are necessary to do our infrastructure projects? Do you believe I I I I do think there's we there is a role for private capital to come into play. I I would agree with that. And by the way, a lot of the private capital that I do see coming in is foreign private capital.
▶ 0:50:37It'd be great if we saw American private capital because some of these returns are pretty good. I like to see more American private capital come into the projects where it's appropriate for that private capital to be deployed. most rail projects are um take place under existing rightways.
▶ 0:50:58Uh however, routine maintenance and replacement projects on existing rights of ways can still trigger a burdensome unnecessary environmental reviews under NEPA. Um should routine maintenance and projects automatically qualify for a NEPA categorical exclusion. Uh is that a possibility?
▶ 0:51:23That's a broad question, but um with balance, yes, I do think they should fall within a categorical exclusion. Yes. Again, and we're working to streamline the NEPA process. I know a lot of you want to see your projects move faster and more cost-effectively. And I think we we'll do our part in Congress, but I I need the help of the department. I need the help of the Congress also to think through how we navigate NEPA more effectively because it's costing too much and taking too long.
▶ 0:51:50So, so as Congress begins the work on uh new surface transportation author reauthorization legislation, how important is permitting process uh reform to reduce the time and cost of improving our railroad system? Well, uh when when you know 30 40% of the cost of a project can be uh with consultants and permitting uh we're losing valuable dollars which by the way we're all fighting for more money to do more projects.
▶ 0:52:19we're losing that money um that's not turning dirt. So, I think it's critically important that you all consider that in a way that we can still protect the environment, but we can move these projects way faster and be smarter. We've been doing this for what 40 years. We can learn from the work we've done in the past and how we can move more quickly in the future and what what impacts the environment and and what doesn't and let's be smarter about Thank you very much. Um looks like my time is running out.
▶ 0:52:43You'll backer Uh, Mr. Secretary, Union Station in the District of Columbia, which is owned by the federal government, is a vital local, regional, and national intermoal transportation hub. However, it has not undergone major innovation since the 1980s. It's a long time.
▶ 0:53:14The Union Station expansion project represents a historic transportation and economic development opportunity for the nation's capital and the National Capital Region, but billions of dollars are needed to carry it out. Does the support Union Station expansion project? And if so, how does the administration plan to carry it out? That's a great question, and I would agree with you.
▶ 0:53:44Um, it's a very important part um of transportation here in the DC metro area. Um, I I I would like to talk about the project more, get smarter on the project. You I would just note that we are looking at uh doing Penn Station also very important and again I think it shows a commitment from this administration and this president that uh we don't have silos. We want to look at all of our modes of transportation including passenger rail. Well, let me know if you when you know how to carry it out.
▶ 0:54:15A after the tragic mid hour midair collision near DCA earlier this year, I wrote a letter urging DOT to require all helicopters operating near DCA to use their transponders except in the case of national security emergency or the transport of the president and vice president.
▶ 0:54:40At a May hearing in this committee, an FAA official stated that helicopter flights related to law enforcement, national security, and the transport of government officials are not required to use transponders near DCA. These overly broad exceptions jeopardize the safety of the airspace near DCA.
▶ 0:55:08Will you commit to requiring helicopters operating near DCA to use their transponders except in case of national security emergency or the transport of the president and vice president? You raised an important issue that's something we are looking at and going to consider.
▶ 0:55:28You you do know that we have uh restricted the airspace around uh around DCA that route route 4 is not being run anymore unless it's for the president or life-saving or milit uh uh uh law enforcement missions as well as we put a cap on uh flights coming out of the Pentagon. Um the the paramount issue here is the safety of the traveling public.
▶ 0:55:49And if we're going to run military missions um or run VIPs out of the Pentagon or anywhere else, I I would uh at first blush agree um we should we should have uh we we should have the uh the appropriate equipment on those Mr. Perry. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. Good to see you, Mr. Secretary.
▶ 0:56:13Thanks for your response to my letter regarding the I83 bridge project uh spanning Cumberland and Dolphin County in the 10th district. Said it's under a DOT review. I know that the ranking member also kind of queried you on some of this stuff. I'm just wondering if you have a timeline.
▶ 0:56:31We appreciate uh your involvement and your interest in it, but you know, we'd like some certainty because there's a lot of work being done out there on the approaches and we want to make sure that there's going to be a bridge to connect to those approaches. So, you have a timeline or anything we can look forward again. So, we are we are working as quickly as possible. Um, and again, I know how important these projects are. I just you guys have heard me say this before.
▶ 0:56:57I'm pulling out a lot of the the green and social justice out of these out of out of the no foes that were required by the last administration but the Congress did not require. So that has taken us a little bit of time but again uh they gave us almost a thousand announcements between election day and inauguration day in the last administration. Uh in the last Trump administration to Biden it was a hundred and uh Obama to Trump was 50. They did a thousand for us.
▶ 0:57:24And so you all want your projects, but you have to recognize what's been dumped on our plate. And so I I get the importance of everyone's districts and everyone's states and everyone's projects. Um, and we are going to continue to work, Mr. Secretary. I got to ask, right? I got to know be a champion for our district. So let's turn to traffic control modernization. GAO found that threearters over threequarters of the FAA's air traffic control systems were unsustainable or potentially unsustainable or worse.
▶ 0:57:53And it looks like we're looking at the FAA's current pace for replacing the facilities is a staggering 300 years. Um a 300year timeline. It looks like uh your program which wishes to get to 80 years which I still find unacceptable.
▶ 0:58:10Can you talk about the procurement process and maybe specifically to narrow in on uh traffic control centers and the use of remote or digital towers to maximize productivity and any changes that you're looking at in the procurement process which is badly badly broken. So the Congress has given unique uh procurement authority to the FAA. They haven't used it. We are going to use it in this uh in this project. But um again, you're right.
▶ 0:58:38If we are on the current plan, we're over 300 years to replace all the towers, tradecons, and centers. Um, we are going to need more money from the Congress. This 12.5 billion dollars, you're going to get new telecom, new radio, new voice switches, new new radar uh in one center, which is these centers are expensive. The the most recent center built, I think, was in Alaska in 1967. This is really old stuff. We will need more to do it.
▶ 0:59:03Uh but no no offense to anybody, but but the way Congress spends money um we're talking 31 half billion dollars to do the full project. Um and my hope is that we'll have an additional conversation about how we can do that. And I think time is of the essence. We can't we we can't wait uh 300 years. We can't wait, you know, 13 years. We need to be doing this now. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield. Mr. Nadler. Thank you.
▶ 0:59:32Secretary Duffy, as recently as last week, you again attacked the MTA, claiming there's a surge in subway assaults and accusing the agency of withholding information, but many of your statements misrepresent the facts and ignore documentation already provided to your department. I want to address some of those claims directly. First, are you aware that major crime in the transit system, including assaults, is down 3% since last year and down 8% since 2019?
▶ 1:00:01Well, I would say that's a yes or no question. Well, no, that's wrong. The assaults that we've seen are up 60% with MTA in the system since 2019. Why do you continue to ignore this and lie about this in your public comments? My question, why do you continue to lie about people being lit on fire in subways or pushed in front of trains? You should be fighting to make sure your subways are safe. Our subways, you want people to rideway. Let's make subways safe. We're claiming my time. Our subways are safe. And I gave you these statistics. They're wrong.
▶ 1:00:30You cla second of all, you claimed earlier this year that there was no study of traffic impacts before the implementation of the congestion relief program. Are you aware that in 2023 your office received a nearly 4,000page environmental assessment that thoroughly analyzed traffic patterns, transit operations, and environmental impacts in detail? Are you aware that your governor did not want to move forward? I asked if your question. Are you aware that you got Are you aware the electorate to know that? Answer my question.
▶ 1:00:57Are you aware that you got that 4,000page environmental that went to the last? Yes or no? To the last administration, they got it. You got it. If so, why do you continue to deny its existence? I haven't denied any existence. Okay. Secretary Duffia, as you know, your attempt to you're mischaracterizing what my complaint has been that our roads are not for the elitist, the ones who have money or someone pays for their vehicle to drive into a cordoned area. I believe everyone has a right to use our roads.
▶ 1:01:25Secretary, you can't afford Secretary Duffy, as why should he be excluded from driving into the city? Reclaiming my time, Mr. Secretary, as you know, your attempt to revoke the MTA's congestion pricing approval came after the program had already undergone a full NEPA review and was formally cleared formally cleared by the Federal Highway Administration.
▶ 1:01:45Can you identify a single precedent under any Republican or Democratic administration for unilaterally rescending approval of a program like this after it completed the full environmental review process? Yeah. So the the example is that you have never had a Cordon pricing situation like this. Only the elites. What do you call the New Jersey There's a road right next to it. You can there's every road we have. You can do a lie about New York destination. You're lying. Don't call me a liar here.
▶ 1:02:15I'm calling you a liar because you lied. This is the one area where you have to pay $9 every single day to access uh Manhattan. That doesn't exist anywhere Every single program where you have toll highways is under the city. Why don't we fight for the people who can't afford to pay that pricing? Why shouldn't everyone have access to the city? And if you're going to force people into a subway, make sure it's Very simple. It's safe. I gave you the statistics. I gave you the stats. Well, your statistics are wrong.
▶ 1:02:46Time is expired. the quorum in the ch or in the committee room, please. Mr. Babin, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank you, Secretary Duffy, as well for being here today. We appreciate uh the good work you've been doing at uh at DOT. It's good to have you back in the people's house. Mr.
▶ 1:03:13Duffy, the first thing I I want to do is congratulate you on your new role as acting NASA administrator as well. As the representative of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and the chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I'm I know you're going to be doing a great job. Once you get settled in your new role though, we'll be asking you to testify on the budget request from Office of Management and Budget.
▶ 1:03:40And in the meantime, I would like to have your assurance if you can uh that you will not take any actions pursuant to fiscal year 26 budget requests until Congress acts on OM's proposal. And as an example, such as layoffs, program terminations, etc. Uh, listen, I I I'm going to follow the will of of Congress and just as as you know, I I am the I'm the interim administrator. I imagine the administration is going to nominate someone.
▶ 1:04:09I do think it's important that and and you would agree we have to start to move forward. They're very uh critical timelines that we have to meet. Um, and I'm happy to work with you and your committee and the Congress to make sure we're doing that. Good to hear. Thank you. And turning to Department of Transportation, the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, which goes by the acronym AST, uh, issues licenses for launch and re-entry activities for commercial space launch providers.
▶ 1:04:40Can you assure me that AS will prioritize launch and re-entry licensing rather than activities beyond its statutory uh Bailey wick and uh which was a a real problem over the last four years of the previous administration. I can commit to that. Absolutely. Thank you. Thirdly, I also proudly represent the 36th district of Texas which includes the port of Houston.
▶ 1:05:04Uh we boast the largest port in the state of Texas by gross tonnage and industry that supports 1.54 million jobs uh throughout our state. And as you might guess, port infrastructure issues are critical to my district and indeed to the entire coastline of Texas uh which host six deep water ports.
▶ 1:05:23Secretary uh Duffy, as Congress continues with important work reauthorizing infrastructure programs this year, can I count on you to work with us to ensure that our ports have the support and the resources that they Amen. Thank you. One time permitting, I still got a few seconds, Mr. Secretary. The lack of safe and accessible truck parking has been a top concern for many in the trucking industry for many years.
▶ 1:05:50The department recently highlighted truck parking infrastructure as a priority. Uh can you elaborate on what specific actions, funding mechanisms or guidance would include to uh uh address the nation's severe truck parking Yeah, I I would just note that I I don't think this was a a past priority. I think uh and I don't think I know this administration does care about truck parking and the safety of truckers and our traveling public. So, we've already deployed uh one large uh grant agreement uh with Florida.
▶ 1:06:20We have others in the works, and we're going to continue to work with all of you to make sure that our truckers are treated fairly and our and our public is safe. Amen. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary. Yield back. Thank you, Congressman. Mr. Gari, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Duffy, thank you for being here. We appreciate your uh testimony and we look forward to working with you even though we may find ourselves in disagreement with much of what you're doing. A couple of things uh I want to try to really understand.
▶ 1:06:50Uh there's some 3,200 competitive grants that were already awarded to states and cities, transit districts, tribes, airports, as well as ports. These are all in obeyance. Those have been stalled. Apparently, you're now working uh through each of those from your previous testimony. Uh and you've also said that you intend to give preference to all DOT grants, loans, contracts, etc.
▶ 1:07:15that assist and that do assist state contracts to communities with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average. An interesting prioritization. Uh I want to now focus on community programs. Uh these are the UTC's.
▶ 1:07:37Uh and in writing about this in early May or speaking about this in early May, you said the previous administration turned the Department of Transportation into the Department of Woke, whatever that might be. I focused the Department on what matters, safety, making travel great again, and building big, beautiful infrastructure projects.
▶ 1:07:57The American people have zero interest in millions of their tax dollars funding research at the intersection of gender non-conforming people, infrastructure I'll repeat that as though the American people have no interest in infrastructure inequality, or whether the road improvement projects are racist. It's time to inject a dose of reality back into our higher education system. And that starts with ending these wasteful and divisive grants.
▶ 1:08:28Turns out that seven grants have been terminated. All seven of those grants, all six of those seven grants are in blue states. one specifically the University of California Davis National Center for Sustainable Transportation A12 million grant accelerating equitable City College of New York University of Southern California Pacific Southwest Regional Transportation Center uh New York University
▶ 1:08:58San Jose State Maneta Consortium for Emerging Efficient and Safe Transportation a$6 million dollar research on inner motoal inequalities, particularly how improvements to auto travel can benefit higher income, often white drivers while depressing transit writership potential and depriving it. University of New Orleans, that would be, I believe, a red state, a John Hopkins University, Center for Smart Transportation.
▶ 1:09:26Apparently, in cancelling these grants, you're carrying out your policy. Uh I don't know what the birth rate might be in these various areas, but uh I would suggest it's probably going to meet your requirement of uh marriage and birth rates being higher than the national norm. It seems as though you've gone through a process of simply looking for words and cancelling those projects. I think that is a terrible way to conduct policy.
▶ 1:09:56You've got a couple of seconds to respond. I guess we have no time to respond. Um, I would just note that, um, I didn't hear the committee complain when there were 400 grants that were announced in 2012 and the prior secretary did not move them forward. But now that I have 3,200, you want to complain that I haven't got them done fast enough for you, you can name a few grants that I have canceled. And I look again, equitable de decarbonization, we lose 40,000 people a year on our roads. I think there are better uses of our research and our dollars to make sure we can keep people safe.
▶ 1:10:26you might like equitable um decarbonization or you might like improvements to auto travel can how it can benefit or how it does benefit higher income individuals over uh uh white drivers. I mean the racial stuff as opposed to keeping people safe. That's my drive. That's my mission. And again um I'm working and I'll I'll send a chart to you congressman if you want that'll show that we are doing more in the first quarter of this administration in the compared to the first quarter of every year of the last administration.
▶ 1:10:55So, I love the complaints, but that's not doubt your hard efforts, but what I doubt is the method in which you're carrying it out, Mr. Chairman. I I'm sure the secretary appreciates and if you want to have an additional conversation, I'm happy to have a phone call with you on why we're doing it and and we're going to allow people to rescope as well. And if there's other good research they can do, we're going to work with them. You'll get a phone call this afternoon. I can't. Well, thank you for the opportunity. Tomorrow, sir, tomorrow. Well, Mr.
▶ 1:11:23Secretary, welcome back to Mr. Roser. Thank you. Great to see you and you're doing a fabulous job. I thought I'd give you a a little time to lay out the priorities of the administration as it as it relates to surface reauthorization. Uh the big key points that you want to make sure uh the administration wants to make sure that we get right because this is this is important work.
▶ 1:11:46It it it really is important work and that's why tomorrow I've invited uh all the the DOT secretaries um or staff from your states to come in and have a conversation about their priorities for surface reauthorization. Um again I think it's important that we all work together um with the states with the Congress and Democrats and Republicans and the department. Um I we we want to focus on uh innovation. Uh how can we do things differently more cost-effectively?
▶ 1:12:15Um I think we want to uh focus on uh the efficiency at which we deliver these projects. Uh there's too many stories across across your districts about the time frame that it takes to to build a project because of all the requirements that are put around the money that's given uh for the specific project. And so I think those are those those two things I think are critical um as we look on uh better deliverables and as we have a a shortfall in the trust fund.
▶ 1:12:43Could we spend that money better and have it stretch further? Yeah, absolutely. I think you're I think you're right on target. Um, you know, the proliferation of new, more narrow grant programs under AJA uh has created a complex and inefficient landscape for states and local governments uh seeking federal funding.
▶ 1:13:01Uh given the success of established program frameworks such as the national highway performance program, the surface transportation block grant program, and the highway safety improvement program, would you agree consolidating some AIA programs into broader, more flexible formula programs could streamline uh the funding process and therefore reduce administrative burden and ultimately allow states more effective to uh more effectively address their unique transportation challenges? It could.
▶ 1:13:32I definitely think it could. Um, and one last thing here, the uh you're probably familiar with the port infrastructure uh development uh uh program um PIDP as it's referred to has historically faced issues due to the ownorous process of getting grant contracts in place.
▶ 1:13:50During the previous administration, the grant awardees reported the maritime administration continually moved the goalpost requesting excessive information previously not mentioned and at times seemed completely irrelevant. How many times have we heard that the ultimate uh this ultimately increases administrative costs for applicants and impacts the effectiveness of the program. So the administration's proposed budget includes 1 billion in PIDP funding for fiscal year 2026.
▶ 1:14:18Uh what is uh the department doing to improve the process for getting the money out the door so proposed uh projects can be built more quickly? Well, again we are we are working uh quickly to get as much money out the door as possible as whether uh some people don't like the president, others of us love him. Uh he he likes to build and that that was the first thing he told me. He wants to build big beautiful projects. He loves ports, he loves roads, he loves bridges, he loves the airspace.
▶ 1:14:45Um and so it's it's really helpful to have a president uh who is going to join us in this effort in radically improving our uh To to my last point though, there's there is work that we're doing right now to to to streamline uh some of the permitting process that can bring us a lot closer to moving projects faster. Very good. I I yield back. My time's Mr. Johnson, thank you, Mr. uh chairman and uh welcome back to Capitol Hill.
▶ 1:15:13Secretary Duffy, good to see you. You too. Air traffic controllers perform a very high stress job in a very high stress environment. Correct. Yes, they do. And um even before Donald Trump took office, there was a shortage of um air traffic controllers. They having to work um overtime. Uh that adds to the stress, does it not? That's correct.
▶ 1:15:40And um I'll recall a March uh cabinet meeting uh where we were aware of you standing up for the air traffic controllers from the um from the um chainsaw of Elon Musk. And I want to thank you for uh for standing up even though at that meeting you were having to account for how many people had been uh terminated under uh Doge.
▶ 1:16:11Uh and um Secretary Duffy, on May 15th, this committee held a hearing discussing the Federal Aviation Administration. And during that hearing, I asked the FAA's deputy uh chief operating officer a very simple question. How many air traffic controllers have left the FAA since January 20th of 2025? He didn't have an answer. So, I'll ask you now.
▶ 1:16:39Can you tell this committee how many air traffic controllers have left the FAA since January 20th of 2025? I I don't Please don't tell me you don't Oh, I I don't know. I don't I don't know that. But what I can tell you is that it's such an important job. It's such Well, Congressman, I would say that we have new controllers that come in um every month and controllers are eligible for retirement. So, they leave. Are you trying to tell us that you don't know how many air traffic controllers are in the building?
▶ 1:17:08How many have left the building? How many are getting ready to come into the building? They're not in the building building. They're in towers and I'm just in trade figuratively. Yeah. No. So, uh, what what I can tell you is what I've done to keep those controllers from retiring when when they're at the age of retirement and they they the 50 56 is the age of retirement, but a lot of them can retire at 50 51. We're asking them to stay on and we're driving more controllers into um into the academy and out to be trained.
▶ 1:17:35And so again, I can't force people to stay beyond their age of Let me move on. I appreciate it. Uh, I don't have to remind you of the immense responsibility that comes with leading the Department of Transportation. And now on top of that, you're also serving as an interim administrator of NASA. NASA, another role with serious demands and high stakes. And you're a family man. You got what? Seven, eight children. How many? I'm I'm nine, but close.
▶ 1:18:06You got nine children. you full-time daddy, full-time job at the FAA, full-time uh NASA. How can you Superman? How can you be doing all of this? Some people might ask how I can do nine kids and I and I do it. Um and again, I love our country and we need someone in the interrum to make decisions and and make sure we're leading forward with with NASA.
▶ 1:18:28Uh I'm honored uh that the president has given me this shortterm capability and uh but that's not that is not going to impact my ability to do the important work of the DOT. Well, I really would like to know how many air traffic controllers have left the FAA since January 20th of 2025. I'll follow you, Mr. Johnson. I think there's 14,000 total, so it' be kind of hard to know. Mr. Boss, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for being here.
▶ 1:18:57Um, apparently the chairman of the um of the uh intelligence committee uh has some kind of eyes that he we don't know about because he took my first two questions, but as a marine I'm going to adapt and adjust. Okay. One of the his second question was about and I'll explain this uh you know you and I both support Americanmade goods and strengthen the supply chain.
▶ 1:19:21uh in National Defense Authorization Act of 2020, Congress established and uh prohibition on the use of federal transit funds uh to to procure passenger rail uh cars um trains, buses and chi from Chinese and stateowned support uh groups like CRRC.
▶ 1:19:43Um any any expansion to prohibit requires contracts that were signed before 2020 and no significant modifications can occur according to that law. The Biden administration provided Chicago Transit Authority with 200 million last year for rail replacement and I have concerns that some of those funds could be up and being uh used to purchase from CRRC.
▶ 1:20:10So my question is given the requirement of the law, Chinese state-owned rail manufacturers like CRC, has DOT conducted reviews of the con Chicago Transit Authority to continue if that they might be using these funds illegally? I I am not aware of that. I will I will circle back with FRA and I'll get you an answer on that. But I would I'll tell you this. I I am committed to the biamerican provisions, okay?
▶ 1:20:37um in making sure that um we are not funding uh Chinese companies to to build product in the US. Thank you. Um also both of you and and I come from rural America uh God's country as we call it uh and I hear from my constituents all the time that repairing rural roads uh and you smaller cities, small towns to are forced to compete for a smaller pie all the time. Mr.
▶ 1:21:03Secretary, do you think it would be beneficial for rural America to have a dedicated funding stream for rural and agricultural road improvements work uh to invest in the first mile and the last Listen, I I do think it's important that we pay special attention to rural America.
▶ 1:21:18oftentimes it can be forgotten, but it's great in this body and with a secretary who comes from rural America uh to understand the hardship even applying for grants um and how do we help them access more more dollars to make sure their infrastructure meets the 21st century.
▶ 1:21:35Well, I want to close out my last few seconds here by simply saying I think you're doing a great job and I would want to let you know that uh in my committee the the VA committee um when Doug Collins uh Secretary Collins gave testimony, I think it's wonderful to watch former legislators deal with legislators uh and I think you're doing a great job. Thank you, sir. Mr. Carson, thank you, Chairman. And uh thank you, Mr. Secretary. Welcome back to the committee, sir.
▶ 1:22:03Um, I want to raise a safety issue you may not be aware of. Uh, delayed implementation of secondary barriers in cockpits. U, over a year ago, the FAA announced that they were starting the implementation of secondary cockpits on new aircraft. The requirement I authorized back in 2018 and reaffirmed in the 2024 reauthorization.
▶ 1:22:28These barriers, sir, were recommended by safety professionals after the horrific deaths of 911. We harden cockpit doors, but at some point during flights, the doors are open when pilots need coffee or they need to take a break or get a sandwich or take a restroom break. During these well-known periods of vulnerability, sir, flight attendants have often been very masterful in placing beverage carts before the flight deck.
▶ 1:22:57And and I appreciate that labor groups, especially pilots, have been some of the strongest advocates for these safety devices and to keep crew and and passengers safe, but we shouldn't have to rely on beverage carts. The very slow implementation to fix a well-known security risk, I think, is shameful. We can do better. Mr. Mr. Secretary, do you have any insights as to why implementation is taking so long? Sir, I I don't.
▶ 1:23:21I will take a look at the issue and I'd be happy to follow up and have a conversation with you on how we can uh again continue to drive safety on our aircraft. Any personal insight because I know you've been a member of this committee. I served with you. I I was having a hard time as to your personal feelings about these secondary barriers. It's you're I'm having a hard time hearing you. Secondary. Oh, secondary.
▶ 1:23:47Listen, I um I would want to look at um a number of different variables, but obviously we saw with 911 and I we all if you if you fly, you see this this moment where the pilot will come out and use the restroom and we do have our our flight attendants there with you know barricading with their with their carts. Uh again, I would like to look at all the issues around it, but I think you bring a bring up a good point and happy to look at it further and talk to you about it. Thank you. I'm willing to submit questions to your team and we can talk about it over. That' be perfect. Thank you.
▶ 1:24:16Thank you, Mr. Lafa. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thanks for joining us, Secretary. Great to have you out here. I appreciate your efforts to uh hit the ground running as secretary with so many key issues in our our country. Quick thank you on a project up in far northern California, the Tuli Lake Airport.
▶ 1:24:37Um the FAA had mandated at least 13 years ago a fence, a safety fence to be built around that airport and it's been really nothing but fooling around since um waiting for various reports. So that's finally moving along. It's much appreciated. Thank you for your people uh doing that. Now, California highspeed rail. This was uh passed in 2008, 17 years ago, a rail project from SF to LA that would be supposedly a highspeed and at a price at that time of $33 billion.
▶ 1:25:07We know now the price is going to be somewhere around 128 to $130 billion. Uh you you've conducted a review on that. uh in that 17 years, they've only been able to put together $17 billion at best via uh state bonds, uh two different grants at the federal level, and a little bit of carbon tax money. So 17 years, $17 billion. They're $110 billion short.
▶ 1:25:32And their first segment, which is going to be from Merrced to Bakersfield, they're calling it the, get this, the early operating segment of something that should have been done in 2020. They hope to have it done by 2033. early operating. These people are funny that uh uh plus oh, Mr.
▶ 1:25:50Fong's here is gonna make a Bakersfield joke, but um anyway, um they uh they're way behind on this and you've you've conducted a review on should federal money is it even upholding the promise? Is it even upholding the commitment? How has that review gone as you started that review earlier this year on further federal money going to that? I I appreciate the question and I'd ask you to stay tuned on that. I appreciate your attendance as we uh went uh to California. You're right.
▶ 1:26:18I mean, I I I'm not opposed to highspeed rail. I don't that you have it in Europe and Japan and China, but if we're going to spend billions of dollars, I think the American people and the taxpayer expect that you're going to build highspeed rail. And to your point, Congressman, I don't see it's hard to see a pathway forward where they're already what 16 years in and 50 15 billion dollars spent and not one track high-speed track has been laid.
▶ 1:26:44And it used to be from LA to San Francisco, now Merced to Bakersfield, not the two uh mass population centers of California. And so, uh, I want to look for good projects that are actually going to be built and let the American people see what highspeed rail feels like and how fast it moves people. By the way, and I I appreciate you taking a tomato for the team. Right on. We grow lots of them out Protesters threw a tomato at him.
▶ 1:27:09Um, the Biden administration had a basically an EV mandate that looks like a backdoor method to towards CAFE standards to have uh high mile per gallon vehicles being forced upon the American public. What's your view of what's happening on that department's efforts to repeal the Biden EV mandate? Well, so we're we're redoing the standard. Hopefully, uh next summer, uh we'll have that done, but again, uh 50 51 miles a gallon was not feasible or reasonable. They included EVs.
▶ 1:27:36I don't think the Congress anticipated that EVs be included in a fuel economy standard. And um so we're going to we're going to rework that rule uh the way the Congress intended and deploy more common sense. And the amount of money that is added to the cost of a car, we estimate $1,500 to $2,000 a car for the for the taxes or the carbon credits that have to be purchased for a fleet that can't meet the unattainable standard. Again, this we're punishing the American taxpayer. That doesn't mean we don't want efficiency.
▶ 1:28:05We don't want to have options, but this is uh this is something different than that is trying to drive a an outcome by the consumer. And I think the consumer should always have the right to choose. It steals options from people. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Titus, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Secretary, uh you began your speech by talking about how important it is to have safety in the Department of Transportation. I completely agree.
▶ 1:28:34I'm the ranking member of the subcommittee on railroads and and pipes and uh hazardous materials. I I want to talk to you about rail safety. As you know, uh Vice President Vance supported a rail safety bill. The president has supported uh rail safety, but it's been over two years since the Palestine uh incident and we don't have a rail safety bill. I wonder how what your position is, how you're going to push this forward, what you see should be in that rail safety bill.
▶ 1:29:06I have enough respect that's that's in the purview of the Congress, but I do think that should be grappled with, debated, and how do we drive safety East Palestine was was horrific for those who live there and nearby there. Um, and again, I would I would join your heartfelt effort to make uh our rail system safer. I appreciate that. And uh one of the aspects of rail safety is that the class one railroads have requested a a safety waiver from you.
▶ 1:29:32So this is where you this is your purview that would allow them to reduce visual track inspections from twice a week to twice a month. Uh, ranking member Larson and I wrote you about this suggesting this would not be a a good idea, but the trains claimed that this would allow them to use ATI, automated track inspection. Is there anything that's keeping them from using that now? And could you comment on where that waiver is?
▶ 1:30:01Yes, we're thinking we're we're thinking through that now. Um, and again, um, I I I look at automated track inspection and driving safety and what can be gleaned, uh, from this technology versus the human eye. I think there's potentially a real differential. I am concerned about the employment side um, within the rail industry as well. But I think there's a lot of technology, whether we're seeing cracks in tracks or we're seeing uh, overheated bearings or we're seeing issues on wheels.
▶ 1:30:30Uh I think uh these cameras and technology can can advance us light years in in driving the safety and in preventing early some of these derailments that are as we know are Well, I think technology is helpful too, but I we've heard testimony that 17 of 23 key track defects can't be seen by this technology. They require the the human eye.
▶ 1:30:55So, I'd hate to see us uh trade that expertise for something that's kind of and I think that would be a great conversation that we could have together. Let's look at what we're seeing in data. What are you seeing? And I think it's this it's just right. We want to get this right and that's what my focus is because in the end all of us care about safety and what are we doing to drive that. Well, thank you and thank you for your uh commitment to upholding the the twoman crew that you mentioned in your confirmation hearing.
▶ 1:31:24Yeah, you're Mr. Burchett. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Secretary. Thank you for being here. U as the 435th most powerful member of Congress, generally a lot of my great questions have already been asked. So, when I ask them, the first response you should say is that is an incredibly gifted question and I'll struggle to answer it so that people will know that I'm on top of this issue.
▶ 1:31:50The first thing is the Tennessee Department of Transportation representatives will be in attendance at your press event tomorrow. I'm pretty close to most of those folks. I worked 16 years in the state legislature and they are just hardworking public servants. Do you think they'll be allowed to provide an input input and their priorities for surface transportation reauthorization? That was a brilliant comment and a remarkable question. Uh the answer to that is yeah, we do want listen these are they're on the ground.
▶ 1:32:17We want to hear their feedback and that was the purpose of setting tomorrow up and bringing them all in and having listening sessions and roundts. And I know you're going to be announcing the priorities uh for the next highway bill tomorrow. Of course, can you give a preview of some of those priorities? Again, I I I don't want to frontr run. I do think it's important to get data, get feedback, get information before I come out and say what I think we should do. And um again, I think we're going to have a great collaborative effort.
▶ 1:32:44I think we all hear from our state DOS what they want to see us do. Um, but I'd like to have those conversations before we advance that conversation. Okay. Do you think you'll have any discussion over safety or work zone bridges, truck parking, celebrating project delivery, and I'm I'm very much afraid of autonomous vehicles. And I'll tell you why. Because I remembered I first meeting when I was the county mayor and they talked about how that was going to be the greatest thing ever.
▶ 1:33:14and that we would control it at the local level. And I thought that's going to be a disaster because if somebody doesn't like you, are they going to have the ability to turn your vehicle off? And at the national level, I'm all about freedom. I collect old motorcycles. Most of them just break down. Um they're mostly boat motors. Somebody's just going to throw them off the side of of of their boat, but they boat anchors, I guess I should say.
▶ 1:33:38But um and I worry about people's freedom and I hope you take that into consideration when when we move and I know it's h it's going to happen and but it just it scares the daylights out of I 100% agree with you and it's this it's one thing I think we all grapple with as this technology advances um some of those advancements can um can inhibit personal freedom and we have to grapple with those issues real quickly. Air traffic control modernization I hope that's going to be a priority.
▶ 1:34:08I know you mentioned it, New Jersey and other areas and I I hope that Could you briefly say something on that? 100% uh we want to do this across the across the country. You gave us $12.5 billion as charted in the House and I'm grateful for the money that the House gave us. Um you're going to see us move faster um and see this build. Um it does we we don't snap our fingers. It takes time to lay fiber, but you know, we're using we are using copper. We are using floppy discs.
▶ 1:34:35this technology is really it's really old and and uh I I think it hasn't been done in the past because it's really hard and I don't think this body has had faith in the FAA. Um NextGen has I think been a complete failure. So I we have a the American people, the Congress, the DOT, the president, the FAA, we're all on the same page of of making this a reality because failure is not an option right Right. Well, thank you. I've gone over my time, but I would tell you that some of the folks up here are still uh listening to eight track tapes.
▶ 1:35:05So, um floppy disc might be in the future for them. Thank you. Mr. Mr. Taylor says he's using eight track tape. Yes, he is. He's a lot older than I am. Mr. Huffman, thank you, Mr. Secretary. Welcome back. It's good to see you. I know you're wearing several hats these days. I'm going to ask you about your role in overseeing the uh US Merchant Marine Thank you.
▶ 1:35:27Uh, a couple months ago, uh, you did a fair amount of press about a, uh, portrait, a painting of of Jesus Christ that you had placed prominently, uh, in an in a meeting area of the academy and, uh, you had said that you were taking it out of the basement and putting it into a place of prominence. So, I want to ask you a little bit about that and and I believe you've you've put a copy of the same painting in your personal office.
▶ 1:35:52So, I want you to know uh I have no problem with you decorating your office the way you want. I understand your Catholic faith is very central to you. Your office is yours to decorate in any way you want.
▶ 1:36:05But I'm I'm troubled by this notion of this place of prominence in a room in this case um the Elliot MC room at the academy which is the place where they have mandatory meetings where they have honor code hearings disciplinary hearings for cadetses. Um, and I guess I want to just ask you, you know, overseeing an institution that is uh, that is secular, that is a public institution.
▶ 1:36:36Uh, what kind of message do you think that sends to the cadetses who may not be Christian, may not be religious, or might be, uh, part of a Christian sect that objects to the kind of of portrait that you've placed in that position of prominence. I would just note that we have the freedom uh of religion, not freedom from religion. And this painting was uh in this place of prominence for I believe 70 years and it was folded up and moved to the basement. So the basement was a chapel.
▶ 1:37:05It was put into the chapel by your predecessor, not not put away to to be hidden in a basement. Right. That's that's misleading, Mr. It's been it was folded up and put in the basement of the chapel. and then placed in a position in the chapel. But it was also the history, Mr. Secretary, you know this. I think it started out in a This is a painting that started out in a They actually folded the painting up and now it's being restored. It has to be unfolded to put back in his place of prominence. This is Christ on the water.
▶ 1:37:36These are sailors. Um, and it has a lot of history within the Merchant Marine Academy. And I love your attention to this Christ on the water photo, but I think this Congress and it's not in your body, but uh we this is the most So what's the message to Jews and Muslims and Hindus and non-religious We held it together. Listen, in their disciplinary procedure, we all accept Listen, we all accept everyone's religion. Um and this is a painting. We don't I I don't know if you have any anti-semites here. I don't think you do. I hope not.
▶ 1:38:04You don't think the establishment clause prohibits favoring a single religion over all other? Listen, we're not This is a historic painting. It historically was in a chapel. It's historic. It's a historic painting and um I have no objection to it being moved. I have actually called for it to be taken out of the basement and put back in its place upon secretary. But let me just can you also the issue you also have put birth academy under transportation funding.
▶ 1:38:31You have merchant is that policy or is that you have mid shipment off of paper using plastic forks? They didn't have hot water for four months. So if you want to talk about the Merchant Marine Academy, let's look at how these poor mid shipment have been served by the Congress in the last DOT. You promised them more funding in your speech to the cadets. How's that going? They deserve more money and I need that money from all of you. And I hope you give me the $1.5 billion that's necessary to make this a state-of-the-art academy. But not having hot water for 4 months, that should be what you're concerned about.
▶ 1:39:01You know, paper plates and maybe the First Amendment while you deliver hot water. You should be concerned about that. We have a first amendment for a reason. Mr. Mast. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for being here. Thank you for putting that painting in its place of prominence. I'll just give you Would you like to take a minute to continue to respond to this on my time?
▶ 1:39:20Well, if I could The Merch Marine Academy um has been forgotten, has been discarded, and I'm sorry, the the the men and women that come out of that academy, if you met them, you would be shocked at how amazing they are, how smart they are, how dedicated they are. um remarkable young men and women and our country has treated them poorly and my position is if you're not going to give the money to fix it, shut it down or send it to the uh send it to the Navy. But we deserve they deserve better.
▶ 1:39:51And again, you you you have mold and showers, you have falling down infrastructure. That is the issue that we should focus on. And by the way, I think we should get the money because as the president did his ship building EEO, if we're going to build ships in America, we need mariners to sail those ships. I would just tell you that the the the military recruits out of the Merchant Marine Academy um at historic levels.
▶ 1:40:13They're trying to sign our kids up in their sophomore year, uh we have more Merchant Marine Academy graduates that go on to be naval aviators, I think more so than the Naval Academy. These are great kids. Let's serve them better. And again, I thank you for your support on moving Jesus out of the basement. Absolutely. I want to ask you uh three just quick questions or bring your attention to three quick things. Just number one, I'd ask for uh because I was observing uh the committee uh hearings from another room.
▶ 1:40:41And I noticed that nobody asked you to come to their district yet. So I believe in first come first serve. Uh so I just want to say, you know, please take the time come down to my district. There's a few things that I want to show you. And since I was the first one to ask, uh that means I can priority. the senators were much more aggressive on coming to states. Second thing I'd ask you to just take time to review is the mega grant program under the previous administration.
▶ 1:41:03There was guidance that uh if there was a grant received on one front uh and if for example if you're doing a rail line obviously rail lines are long they span entire states and multi-states uh that you couldn't necessarily have another grant in a different area. I would ask that you would review that and and see if we're going to have the same guidance under the Trump administration than under the Biden administration.
▶ 1:41:23Uh and the third point that I would want to bring to you uh switching more to the the aviation side of things is uh parts manufacturers approval applications, aftermarket parts for aircraft engines, things like that. Um if we could just have uh a review of the timelines that the FAA uh is allowing to to go on just very long periods of time to get these parts approved. Uh it's not something that I think uh benefits safety in the skies.
▶ 1:41:50I don't think that it benefits uh the the the passengers and the affordability of air travel when you think about getting these updated parts into into aircraft systems. Uh so it's just something that I'd like you to pay attention to all three of those issues. That's my I'll take a look at uh on the aviation side. I'll take a look at that. I would just note that the FAA has a fantastic safety record, but they move fantastically slow. There you go. Duly noted. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Brownley. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Mr.
▶ 1:42:19secretary for being here uh this morning. Um Secretary Duffy, in March, members of this committee wrote the FAA with concerns about the conflicts of interest with SpaceX employees consulting at the FAA. In the FAA's response yesterday, FAA admitted that conflicts of interest existed and that the SpaceX insiders were strangely given uh given waiverss.
▶ 1:42:49However, the letter didn't address how the Department of Transportation would safeguard the integrity uh of the system. So, can you tell me why were these personnel given waiverss and how is SpaceX competitor information being protected? Uh and how is FAA ensuring that SpaceX will not have an unfair advantage in awarding government contracts? Listen, I thank you for that question.
▶ 1:43:16Um, I don't know the letter you have in front of you, but I I know how this was set up. Uh, I knew that everyone would be concerned about SpaceX coming to the FAA. And what we did was specifically guard rail them off from anything in space. And what I what they really did was they came and looked at our air traffic control system. They talked to controllers. They talked to our our tech people. They actually saw what equipment air traffic controllers were using. And if I'm just really honest with you, I didn't understand how bad it was.
▶ 1:43:45Maybe most of you did. And it was through those engineers that were walking through um what the problems are and what we have to do to fix it. It was a cascading set of it is it's telecom. It's then no it's real radar back date back to the 1970s. So to to to make you feel comfortable they had nothing to do with uh anything in space. It truly was air traffic controllers and the equipment that they use. Uh I am committed to being fair with everybody. I want more competition.
▶ 1:44:14I want a lot of companies to be Are you saying that SpaceX is not going to be in competition for anything around this project with regard with regard to um the air traffic control rebuild? Oh, so I I imagine at some point uh uh Starlink could bid on uh whether there's issues that we could use satellite Well, do you think there should be guard rails around that?
▶ 1:44:38Well, I I guess uh I would just note that the option of using Starlink was brought up in the last administration and there was no issue with it. This was not this was not about using Starlink or using uh cell phone towers. It was really about the infrastructure with copper to fiber. It was the systems that they were using to to analyze um airplanes on their scopes. That was the true the true focus.
▶ 1:45:04And so um again I was I don't want to give any fair dis advantage to one company over the next. Can you tell me how common it is for these waivers to be given for well uh a waiver to come in and a waiver where a company might have a conflict of interest and is waved waved I would argue there was not really a conflict looking at at at copper versus fiber.
▶ 1:45:30I think all of you would go that's a really important conversation to have that doesn't have anything about rockets or Starlink. The scopes they use Starlink doesn't do any of that. uh 90 some percent of this build is going to be on telecom is going from copper which by the way just gonna give you guys a side note we were going to spend $800 billion a year in abs obsolescence fees 800 million 800 million almost a billion dollars in obsolescence fees that
▶ 1:46:00we got the our telecom providers to give back to us but our whole rebuild budget was going in obsolescence fees we we got the partnership to stop that But um we have to go to fiber because no one has copper anymore. So that was the mission, not some some competitive advantage to Starlink. And by the way, these are like tech these are like tech guys. These are not business guys. They're like the tech ops guys. Thank you. Appreciate the question. Thanks for letting me clarify. Mr. Secretary, thank you and we appreciate the partnership we have with the department.
▶ 1:46:30I want to lay out three problems quickly and three potential legislative solutions and then just give you an opportunity to respond to any and all. First off, I I think it's an embarrassment that the same transportation project that Germany can permit in six months takes six years to permit in this country. I know you share that frustration. And as you no doubt know, uh an interactive cloud-based uh review uh platform can increase review times or reduce uh review times by 50%.
▶ 1:46:59Uh the administration and your department have taken some good moves to move toward more of a cloud-based platform. I've got a bill uh the e-ermit act uh that I think uh would probably be a great partnership with your department that would mandate uh the use of of that cloud-based review platform. That's number one.
▶ 1:47:15Number two, uh there are substantial national security risks risks posed by having lidar manufactured by our adversaries, the Chinese Communist Party and their partners, and then being installed close to sensitive pieces of American infrastructure. Uh I think it's insane to give our adversaries precise details over railways, roads, ports, other pieces of critical transportation infrastructure.
▶ 1:47:43Uh so I have a bill that would prohibit taxpayer dollars from DOT going toward um projects that would utilize those sort of LAR sensors manufactured by our adversaries. Then number three, it's absurd that we have sanctuary cities who ignore federal law, allow anti-ICE riders to destroy transportation infrastructure, and then those same local governments will turn around and ask the federal government to foot the bill for the repairs.
▶ 1:48:12I'm going to be introducing a bill that would make it clear no DOT funds can go to those sanctuary cities. Uh any reaction on any of those three pieces of legislation, So, I'll do the first one last. I couldn't agree with you more. or if you allow your city to be burned or even uh in LA when we're allowing riders to destroy our streets, uh the federal taxpayer should not come back and then rebuild that what they allowed to be destroyed. Um I would concur. Uh I would also agree. I'd like to look at your bill on on LAR and China.
▶ 1:48:38Um but uh you raised a really important point and the first bill you had was on what the e- permit uh cloud-based platform for review. I'd like to look at that as well. But at DOT proper we are trying to consol we we have we have like 12 different uh programs in regard to um grants and then tech and programming and computers like everything's different all under DOT we want to consolidate and so we can have a dashboard where all of you can see um where your grants are your constituents can see where's my
▶ 1:49:08grant how fast is it moving and then what I want for you to do is if you want to do oversight with us I can easily then you like you got the documents I know you have them just hit, you know, a couple buttons and print them off and send them over. And not just for me, but for the next administration as well to say, hey, we it's going to drive transparency. And I think you make we cannot realize the golden age of America if it takes us a decade to build anything. Thank you for your cooperation with that. Mr. Chairman, I would yield Thank you, Congressman. Gentleman yields back. Miss Wilson, you're recognized.
▶ 1:49:38Thank you, Chair Graves. Welcome back to my classmate, Secretary Duffy. Uh just this week, the Miami Herald released a report highlighting the need for stronger rail safety commitments in South Florida. In my community, we have high-speed trains going through quiet zones and heavily traveled areas that are crossing at grade. Each of these factors alone creates an unnecessary risk.
▶ 1:50:06But together, we've made South Florida home to both the most and six most dangerous railroads in the country. According to the Miami Herald, based on deaths per million miles traveled. This is a distinction that I want to end. We need an all of the above approach to address this crisis.
▶ 1:50:28That means investing in rail safety programs like consolidated rail infrastructure, safety improvements, and railroad crossing elimination programs. And we also need to increase investments in quad gate technology and fencing to help secure highway grade crossings.
▶ 1:50:46I'm proud to see the Northeast Corridor moving forward at the federal level, but the North Quarter has been in the works for over 40 years, and we need federal Uh uh Secretary Duffy, in October 2024, the department announced a 25 million infra grant award to Port Miami.
▶ 1:51:09This investment will continue to spur growth at Port Miami, an amazing economic engine that is responsible for 340,000 jobs and an economic impact of 61 billion. I want you to advise the department plans to obligate these funds for this critical infrastructure project in fiscal year 2026. So maybe starting on that one LA first. Yeah.
▶ 1:51:38No, I don't see any issue with us moving forward um uh obligating that announcement. I'd like to take a look at it as well, but I I would see nothing wrong with that. It seems like it would be in line with also the president's priorities as well. in regard to Bright Line, I think is what you're referring to. There are there are way too many deaths there. And I I know that there's it's it's a it's a it's a big story in regard to just people not following um traffic signs. There's some suicides and there's accidents as well.
▶ 1:52:07And um I commit to working with you to to drive down the number of deaths, making investments um along that line. So I I'd welcome that opportunity. I just can I just It's also hard if you're on a train where someone loses their life.
▶ 1:52:23It's not like the the person or their family that lost their life, but I know many uh Republicans were were on a train where that very thing happened and it's um it's horrible for everybody involved and we have to uh try to get that number to I have a whole bunch of questions to submit to you for answers. So, I'm going to call you because three or five minutes is not sufficient.
▶ 1:52:46So I'll be calling you about the World Cup support for the World Cup Broadway cause broad causeway and Bay Harbor Islands North Perry airport and Pimrook Pines rail crossing improvements labor unions black aerospace professionals traffic congestion public transit investment port Miami the north quarter and northeast quarter.
▶ 1:53:12We are going to have a long conversation I guess but FIFA is yes I want to support that we have a huge role in FIFA and making sure transit works and this is a showcase of America we'll need your help with the resources for that but yes we could talk about the others on a phone call thank you like an hour hour and a half of that call I think just a little uh housekeeping here uh three three minutes is the time uh to help keep things on course I'm going to tap the gavl with 20 seconds to and uh so just be Just be
▶ 1:53:42listening for the gavl tap. Uh this is to accommodate all members because we know the secretary has a hard stop. Mr. Nails. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I believe the future is very bright, right? The Senate confirmed Mr. Bedford the other day, the FAA administrator. I think he's going to do a great job. You're doing a fantastic job. One big beautiful bill, 12.5 billion down payment. Agree. Get the other 8 billion. I think we can do it. I think we'll have bipartisan support. We have to, right?
▶ 1:54:12We have 12.5 billion for modernizing the ATC. I think it's bigger than that. I think it's modernizing the NAS, the national airspace. It's got bringing in the new entrance. We got to bring it all together. It's just more than the ATC. It's just more than ATC. The Modern Skies Coalition all on board with your plan, with the president's plan. I think it's great. We're bringing in stakeholders. I'm having monthly meetings, monthly meetings with all these stakeholders, these smart people, right? the smart people, the industry leaders, gifted, talented people.
▶ 1:54:41We're meeting every month to talk about what does modernizing the ATC? What the hell's that really even mean? So, we're bringing all these people together. We're doing good. I know you're doing what you're doing. We will all come together. It's going to take all of us. We owe it to the American people and the people that travel. We owe them the gold standard. We want to claim the gold standard. And we certainly owe it to the 67 lives that were lost over the PTOIC. We must do better. And we can do better and it's going to require all of us to work together.
▶ 1:55:11Uh the the supersonic, you know, the president out there was talking about supersonic. We should do that. We should get that done. Uh how do you I I filed a bill on this thing uh to get supersonic. We haven't had it since 73. What are your thoughts on it? Don't you think we need to move in that 100% I agree. Uh we need to allow this. There's new innovation, computer technology, how sound waves bounce off the atmosphere. Yeah, we can do this. We should do this. We should. I mean, by 2030, United Airlines, they've ordered 15 from Boom. I mean, it's there.
▶ 1:55:41Boom won't hit the ground. So, those that are concerned about grandma's going to be in her kitchen and the window's going to break is all ridiculous. It's not going to happen. So, this is a great thing and I want to continue to work with you on our legislation to get this and move it forward as it fits right in line with President Trump's goals and objectives. And what other thing, the joint ventures with Allegiance. So we both agree with President Trump that our government must function in a timely manner to truly benefit the American people.
▶ 1:56:06To this end, Allegent and Viva Bus Aerobus joint venture is a great example of this and their application's been pending for three and a half years by DOT. The previous administration neglected it and we just want to make sure that the alliance application for Allegiant and Viva while allowing legacy carriers, Delta has it. Delta has a a deal done with Aero Mexico. We need to do this for allegant and allow people to travel to the islands low carrier people. We got to do this. I need a commitment from you that we'll look into this.
▶ 1:56:36It's your signature. I had a brief on this very issue. Yeah. Six weeks of two two months ago. Yeah. Uh I will look at it again and let's stay in close. I want to talk to you. Maybe I'll see you in Ashkosh next. I would I would welcome that. I'll be there. Mr. Donier, thank you. I appreciate following Mr. nails who I have the privilege of working on on implementation on FAA. So I think I'm going to be on the list like Miss Wilson where I'm going to come see you if you will have us have me come to Oshkosh.
▶ 1:57:06We could do it there too we can we can go with Troy. I just won't wear his footwear. Um and I want to congratulate you on on on Hannah being behind you and what a great hire that He's been fantastic. Uh some things. First of all, I'll do my own uh district issue. We have a mega grant that I've worked on since we both had dark hair. Uh it's $166 million. It's in the 680 corridor, a major business presence.
▶ 1:57:32Uh Chevron, uh Safeway, um AT&T. We work closely with the business community. So, I'd like to follow up with you and see where that is. And I have had a bipartisan frustration with multiple departments in region 9 over getting so project delivery. I'd love to work with you on that. um getting a project like that out that's been multiple RTPs to get it done that we have consensus on.
▶ 1:57:58I will I will take a look at that and get back to you on where we're at and I'm sure Hannah will help with that too. But we always go to the staff first. We know who's in charge. Um it's our secret. I'd like to talk to you about something that we disagree with on, but I'd like to do it more in a conversational question way.
▶ 1:58:17As someone who's been very involved in air quality in California, I've served under Republican uh governors and Democratic governors on the California Air Resources Board and the the ability to have choice. I was fortunate enough to get the clean corridor bill in in passed with billions of dollars for rech for charging stations. And I don't know if you saw the New York Times story recently about the Chinese and BYD.
▶ 1:58:43It's a heavily subsidized uh car company, but we've got to have choices. And regardless of what you're feeling is about climate change, there's a market for choices, but they've got to have the infrastructure. So, the Chinese now have three million, I think, Chinese uh charging stations. They're closing in on Toyota in terms of capacity. They're dominating the Asian market.
▶ 1:59:05uh how do we work in a way that gives consumers choices and even though I have a very heavy fossil fuel presence in my district five refineries Chevron you wouldn't be surprised in the Bay Area people are early adapters so how do we work on this in a way that's agnostic in terms of as as strongly as I believe in climate change from an economic competitiveness we're losing the competitiveness in this market to the well I I like the form of your question I I do believe in competitiven
▶ 1:59:36competitiveness too and I believe in personal choice. Um I don't I don't think this body or the DOT should try to force people to buy things they don't want. Um and so uh in northern Wisconsin EVs don't work so well. There's no chargers and it's really cold and batteries don't work well when it's cold. We saw this in Chicago a couple years ago. So I I again I think in certain regions in urban areas it's it's probably more popular in more rural areas.
▶ 2:00:03in northern areas it's not as much and that's why I think people should have the right to choose and and again I don't think we should put our thumb on the scale one way or the other and we could look at subsidies equally as the fossil fuel industry has been subsidized for decades this industry has to be subsidized set up so that'll be on my list when I come to see you and I I hope Hannah will be in that meeting we'll make sure of it three minutes goes fast Mr.
▶ 2:00:27Stalber Secretary Duffy, it's great to see you Um, you're doing a great job in baptism by fire the first days. Uh, you really um did a tremendous job and we all thank you. Earlier this year, the president made fiscal responsibility a priority and he asked our department heads to conduct audit of how audits of how their agencies were spending taxpayer dollars.
▶ 2:00:50uh my colleagues on the other other side of the aisle and the media decided to fearmmonger and spread misinformation about what this was meant for uh the projects across the country to review them and look at the spending. Could you take a moment to share what the goals of this audit were and what you were able to achieve?
▶ 2:01:10So at at DOT again, the last administration put in a lot of requirements around social justice and around green priorities, which by the way, the Congress didn't put those priorities in, the last administration did. So what I've done is tried to pull those out. And it's important because um that means that you can put more of that money toward building the project as opposed to all the requirements around the money that the Congress didn't contemplate. And so that has been a key part of it.
▶ 2:01:37Uh you've known that we've tried to do more with less in our department, streamline our staffing um all the while protecting the safety positions, but can we do more with less and save the taxpayer money? We've done a lot on contracts, saved a billion dollars in in some wasteful contracts where we don't get big deliverables and um we've looked at all those and we want to make sure that people provide great service for the money that we give and if you don't, we're getting rid of the So I want to be very clear.
▶ 2:02:01So a project like the Blotnik Bridge in Minnesota that connects Minnesota and Wisconsin was never in jeopardy. No. No. I have a cont Those are the type of projects we want. Correct. Of course. Great big projects. Thank you. I just reviewed Botnik I think yesterday or two days ago. It's that's a great project, a great bridge that connects our two states. There was some fear-mongering about that. So I wanted to make make it clear.
▶ 2:02:24Uh so in my district the duth international airport an airport I know you have flown out of has the third oldest air traffic control tower in the country. It is in rough condition and Mr. Secretary and that's the nicest way I can describe it. Yet uh despite the inac inadequacies duth international airport provides a critical role in generating local employment by supporting regional aviation activity joint civil military operations and all businesses located in duth roughly 4,000 jobs.
▶ 2:02:53It also contributes an estimated 1.4 billion to the economy. First, Mr. Secretary, I would like to extend an invitation for you to visit the air traffic control tower. I'd welcome that. Uh and then second, could you share how critical air traffic control tower infrastructure is to your vision for modernizing air traffic control? It's listen, it's critical.
▶ 2:03:12Again, a lot of these the towers and tracons and the centers are becoming dilapitated and it's our job to actually rebuild them and and make them worthy of the greatest country on earth and therefore the equipment we put in is also the best in the world. Our air safety is a gold standard. Gold standard. Yeah. I hope this Congress can provide the necessary financial investments to make modernization a reality.
▶ 2:03:36Additionally, we need to provide your agency with the flexibility it requires uh so that towers like Duth which is locally owned but FAA operated are not left behind in your mission to modernize and I would ask that you would take that into consideration and this body as well Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for your great Mr. Carbajal, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh thank you for coming here today.
▶ 2:04:02Secretary Duffy, I want to extend my uh gratitude to you and your team for uh being responsive on my staff's inquiries, my personal inquiries regarding some grant issues in the Galita and Senz uh areas of my district. While the grants haven't been released, I just want to say I find it very refreshing of the professionalism and the and responsiveness of your staff. So, I wanted to give you those kudos.
▶ 2:04:29Um, Secretary, while we all support infrastructure, we can do more to bring the cost of these projects down as we draft our next highway bill. I'm familiar with recycled asphalt pavement, wrap, and understand that wrap accounts for over 90 million tons of pavement material. This is the most recycled product in the country. Yet, many state DOTs lag well below the national average of 20% of their mixes using wrap.
▶ 2:04:57I find this odd given RAP brings cost down by using less virgin material, reduces truck traffic, minimizes air emissions, and keeps usable material out of the landfill while still delivering a superior quality construction material. Can you commit to working with me and our state DOT partners on how we can better educate and incentivize state DOTs to use wrap pavements where appropriate and in their local projects? 100% I'd welcome that partnership.
▶ 2:05:28Thank you. Uh Mr. Secretary, for decades the federal government has required commercial service airports to use Florentine firefighting foam containing POS, the FAA reauthorization act of 2024 included my bill, the POS Act, and established a new grant program to support airports in transitioning to florine-free alternatives.
▶ 2:05:51Assuming we get our act together in Congress through uh and appropriate the necessary funds, is there an implementation plan uh in place to facilitate this transition? And two, in the interim, what guidance and assistance is being provided to airports regarding the transition and use of BOS free foams? So, I would tell you that I do we have a implementation plan yet?
▶ 2:06:16We're actually working on a lot of the grants coming out the door and at ATC modernization, but as money comes, we will develop a plan. Would welcome consultation with you, the author. Um, but again, it's a this is an important issue uh to make sure we take toxins um out of our Thank you.
▶ 2:06:34As we discuss air traffic modernization, can you share how the department is working with the FAA to ensure these efforts are forward-looking and structured to incorporate continuous process improvements over time rather than looking uh into outdated systems and can we touch on the efforts to ensure the system is sufficiently So, can can I just if I can have a moment of personal privilege? Yes, telecom is telecom. Fiber is fiber. There's great radar that we're going to be able to that we have to build them. It's a big deployment.
▶ 2:07:06Those are known quantities and entities. The common automation platform, the the software that's going to run air traffic control. We're using one system from 1995 and another from 2000. We don't have an off-the-shelf um product. That's that's the software, the heart of the brand new system. That's going to take us time to get companies to come in and offer us what they think the product should be and try to sell us their product. So, and we don't have money in the big beautiful bill for this part of it.
▶ 2:07:34But this is the critical part of the infrastructure. I want to get that started because again, it's going to take us, you know, six, eight months um to to pick a um to to to to pick a company and then we're going to have to debug it. That could be another 6, eight, 10 months to debug it before it's deployed. So, this this is the most amount of time it's going to take to get the system right. But it's like you're on your computer, you're using Microsoft 95 versus what's available today.
▶ 2:08:01It's like it's there's so much better technology and this is the heart of making the system more efficient and safer. And I hope that the Congress will give us the resources to begin that Thank you, Secretary. And again, kudos to your team for being so responsive. Thank you. And it will be brand new and it will be state-of-the-art. I promise you that three minutes is not five minutes, Mr. That's my fault. Taylor, your remarks. You're recognized. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Mr. Secretary.
▶ 2:08:28Thank you for being here today and thank you for all that you're doing for transportation in Kansas and uh and around the country. It's a tremendous undertaking and you're doing a great job. I represent 60 primarily rural counties throughout central and western Kansas. And every day in the Big First District of Kansas, my constituents witness the importance of having reliable transportation infrastructure.
▶ 2:08:50It's imperative that our highways and roads are drivable, that commercial and cargo aviation are able to efficiently operate, that our railroads are able to deliver goods and uh grain out of the elevator and into markets. And I appreciate hearing from you today on ways that we can address real transportation infrastructure problems that everyday citizens in Kansas and around the country are facing. I know that the administration under your and President Trump's leadership will lead the way in fixing problems of the past and look forward to working with you on making the transportation system great again. Couple of quick questions.
▶ 2:09:21Um, we've seen how past modernization efforts like NextGen struggled with delays and cost overruns. I understand you're taking a different approach this time, particularly when it comes to procurement and delivery. Can you walk us through what's changed and what Congress should be considering when it comes to accountability and future funding to support that approach while also ensuring continued access for business aviation and smooth integration for new entrance? Yeah, I think that's critical. So, just a couple quick points.
▶ 2:09:49Number one, we're actually using our unique um uh authority for proc procurement that's not been used in the past. Um we are getting CEO engagement with us. This I think America cares about the bill. The president cares. I care. CEOs want to be part of this is this is the greatest infrastructure project in decades. Um and it has a lot of attention. So CEOs are partnering with us. Um I think on the accountability front, you you've given us a lot of um put a lot of faith in us. Maybe that faith isn't warranted.
▶ 2:10:18I think continual conversations whether it's testimony or private meetings letting you honestly know are we on time and on budget are we delayed why are we delayed are we beating um those that kind of cooperation between the DOT the FAA and this body is critically I agree and and cander is welcomed very much um um second last question you know Kansas is home to the air capital of the world where aviation aerospace manufacturing generates more than 20.5 billion dollars in total economic
▶ 2:10:48activity and rely on the FAA to have a strong presence abroad. Um Secretary Jeffrey, how are you protecting the US aviation export market? Well, I think um just free markets, free trade. Um America's great. This this is one industry. I think we uh we net export 780 billion dollars um to uh to the benefit of the US, right?
▶ 2:11:12And again with continued innovation um which we're going to have some announcements coming on not just in on the Boeing side but on the civil aviation side um some great strides are going to be made to make sure we continue to lead the world. Thank you Mr. Chairman. I yield back my two seconds. Very impressive. Mr. Stanton, you're right. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Secretary Duffy, for being here today. Uh earlier this summer, you announced a essential in initiative at DOT to modernize our air traffic system.
▶ 2:11:41Um, we support that effort. We want to work closely with you. We know it's going to have a very high price tag and will need bipartisan support. This committee is a bipartisan working committee. You know that. You saw it through our work on the bipartisan infrastructure law and the bipartisan FA reauthorization. Uh, we're going to need specifics on the plan. Do you have a better sense at this point how much your plan will cost? Uh, and how will you determine priorities since you will not be able to get everything you want? Hopefully, you'll get most of what is needed for the system.
▶ 2:12:11So, thank thank you for that question and I appreciate the bipartisanship on this effort. It's an American issue, not a partisan issue. Um, and so if we look, Telico is what we have, right? So, this is fiber. We have money for radios, voice switches, we have money for radar, um, uh, surface movement radar at our airports. Um, and, uh, what we're what I want to do is with an integrator. This is going to be one company that's going to manage the project.
▶ 2:12:39There's been some confusion around that, but the integrator, I think, is important because the FAA is not qualified, doesn't have the expertise to manage this kind of a project. So, we need um a project manager to come in and manage. And I think we should we should be able to do radar at the same same time as we're doing um uh telecom and we should be orbiting radios and voice switches at the same time. When you give us the money for the common automation platform, we want to start that process as well. I think we can keep all the streams going at the same time.
▶ 2:13:09Um the key is we're going to deploy these assets um when we still have airplanes in the sky and doing that safely is the number one priority. That's what we have to do. And so um there's we got to choreograph um and we have to implement But I to answer your question every I want to do everything. Um, we look forward to having you back here regularly to give us updates particularly on the issue of cost so we can plan accordingly. I represent Arizona.
▶ 2:13:37Extreme heat is a tremendous issue in my state. Last week we hit a high temperature of 118 degrees. That's right about the maximum operating temperature for passenger planes. Last year we had 113 consecutive days above 100. This has huge impacts on our airport and the aviation system. Extreme heat can soften and crack taxiways, making harder for planes to take off. It reduces air density, affecting lift and engine thrust, and it has an impact on people who work at the airport.
▶ 2:14:06We have seen overheating of both equipment and personnel. These are essential workers to make air travel possible. How are you investing in heat resiliency of critical FA facilities and equipment? And how do you plan to ensure that the ATC technology that we've talked about under your modernization plan can operate safely in adverse weather conditions like extreme heat in Arizona? I I will take a look at that um and we can maybe uh have an additional conversation.
▶ 2:14:30I have also talked to your governor about the needs for different um facilities within the the great state of Arizona. Thank you. Only 5 seconds over, Mr. Owens. Thank you. Um Mr. Secretary, Mr. Secret, Mr. Secretary, welcome. Uh first, I want to thank you for your recent visit to Utah riding the front runner computer rail. Your engagement on the ground sent a clear message to Utah that u uh that we're being recognized for our highest levels.
▶ 2:14:58I have one or two questions and I have a big ass at the very end. Um as you know with your visit Utah's front runner commuter rail system is the backbone of Utah's transit system. Utah Department of Education of uh of transportation is seeking to double track key segments of the front runner. increase predictability, rei reability, rehab, oh my goodness, reliability, sorry, and to uh double the current writership of the system.
▶ 2:15:25Uh can we continue to count on this administration support for funding through the capital investment grant program? Yeah. So, I I actually had to ride the rail um when I was there um and it's obviously very well used and uh I I would um let me do some additional looking. I've had a lot of conversations about it. let me see where we're at in the process and welcome the opportunity to continue to work with you. Okay, this might be another rail question. As you know, many states approve their uh own exclusions for highway projects.
▶ 2:15:54Is there anything preventing the transportation uh agencies from doing the same for rail and transit projects? Are you familiar with that? We've been we've been pushing that on highways uh delegation authority. Is that what we're talking about? Um I would maybe I haven't thought about that. maybe that maybe rail has, but happy to consider that. And again, I think states do things oftentimes better and faster than the DOT. They don't have all the restrictions that we we put around them and the money. As you continue, this is my big ask.
▶ 2:16:23Um I'm I'm going to do a little bragging on Utah because I think we could do some things in this in this arena. Uh we are rated both number one the state to live in, the number one state to live in, the best run state in the US in 2025. We collaborate between state, local and federal like northern state. We finish our projects on time. We do it under budget based on our constitution. We have an inland port and the news one of the newest airports which will make us the hub of the of the west. Um we love keeping our clear kids close.
▶ 2:16:52They're hard workers and they are very language diverse because of the mission u culture of our of our state. Uh my my big ask is as you look at innovation for infrastructure model, please look to Utah. uh what we can do here and the way we can get it done the rest of the country could benefit in a big big way. Uh test us and we'll we'll prove ourselves in a big way in that regard. I had a great meeting with your uh state DOT smart good you guys do infrastructure very very well in Utah.
▶ 2:17:18I mentioned uh Texas is the leader of on this delegation authority. I mentioned that to Utah and they wanted to explore the same opportunities as well. So um kudos to your state. Thank you so much. Now you're back. Miss Davids, you're recognized. Thank you, uh, Chairman, and thank you, Secretary Duffy, for taking some time to be here with us today. As you're aware, we've kept pace with the challenges of competing in a global aerospace market.
▶ 2:17:49And I'll associate myself with the comments of my colleague from Kansas, Tracy Man. Uh, this is an area where I am so excited to see the FAA meet the challenge of modernization. um uh or an area where I'm excited about FAA meeting the challenge of modernization is in the promotion and coordination of new and emerging technologies in aviation like advanced air mobility.
▶ 2:18:12Uh I was encouraged by your agreement last month with other aviation authorities from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK to develop a roadmap for advanced air mobility aircraft type certification. Uh I'm I was further encouraged by your desire to expand this agreement to other countries so that we can ensure that uh internationally we're all on the same page.
▶ 2:18:33The advanced air mobility coordination and leadership act was passed into law to support the integration of new AAM entrance by directing an inter agency working group at the DOT to plan and coordinate domestic government efforts.
▶ 2:18:46uh the law uh so everyone else knows the law required this working group to release a report detailing findings from the review and examination that was performed and providing the AAM national strategy including a plan and associated recommendations and my understanding is that much of this intergovernmental work has already been completed and could serve as that foundation for an inter agency collaboration and and that progress that we need uh to preserve US leadership and innovation And uh I'm curious
▶ 2:19:17if you could tell uh the committee here what the when when will the framework be released? Uh when can we anticipate that uh from the group and um you know just looking forward to working together to provide some of that certainty that's going to be necessary. I I appreciate your focus on this issue. The your excitement uh on the issue is shared by the FAA. We are really excited about this uh new technology. Uh by the way I think it's going to change the way people move. It's going to be fascinating.
▶ 2:19:45uh again making sure that it's American technology that's deployed around the world as opposed to some countries that are more challenging for us their technology. Um and so we are moving as quickly as we can. Um I kind of call call it Goldilocks, right? We can't go too fast. Can't have you know people get hurt. You can't move too slow or we lose. So we have to get it just right like the porridge or the bed with Goldilocks. And that's what we're trying to do.
▶ 2:20:09But we are moving as quickly as possible and we have great American innovators in this space and it's exciting what's going to come. Thank you. And the ATC is so important around this as well. So we're going to have more uh commercial aircraft. We have a lot of general aviation. We're going to have uh these evatals. We're going to have drones in the space. So we need a new system that can accommodate all the new traffic that we're going to have. Yeah. And you touched on the thing I would have brought up if um if we all had more time today.
▶ 2:20:37Uh, I appreciate that and I'll look forward to working with your team on this. I yield back. Thank you. Gentle lady yields back. Mr. Collins, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Secretary. I saw Burchett went over and the further south you go, the slower we talk, so I'm going to make it fast. Listen, uh, met a young man a while back. He had applied for ATC uh, three years ago. Never heard anything. Uh, happy to report that he is starting work. He's probably already started.
▶ 2:21:06It's good to know and I appreciate you hiring people based on their qualifications, not DEI initiatives that have been forced on us for the past administration. As a matter of fact, this guy is so overqualified, his dad is an ATC and uh he's retiring soon. Also, certification of new uh aircraft in the US is terrible. You can get it done quicker in Europe. I encourage you, please get the private sector involved in that to help speed up the certification process. But that's not what I want to ask you about.
▶ 2:21:37As I uh when I see the president, I always tell him I am your favorite trucker in Congress and I need to get in my wheelhouse. We in order to and we can increase productivity and efficiency in the trucking industry. Number one, I want to just tell you about truck parking. We didn't have that problem decade ago. The problem is all these nuclear verdicts, these out of control lawyers out there that are suing the crap out of everybody and shippers and consties will not allow you to stay on their their yards.
▶ 2:22:05If we could do that when we're loading or unloading, you could take your break right then and you'd have your full set of hours instead of the way we do it now. Uh the other thing is the uh the sleeper birth, the hours of service. Uh since ' 05, man, we've been bouncing around everywhere trying to do these hours of service. Comes to find out I think the best thing and this is what I want you to comment on is what we had prior to '05 where you could do in that sleeper.
▶ 2:22:34It is the most productive and efficient. We've got electronic logging now. You can't cheat on it. And I would love to see what if you've got any suggestions or your thoughts if you've been thinking about We're gonna we're going to move forward with the pilot program uh offering more flexibility. Uh and again we we got to make sure we're doing things safely. By the way, if you if you mess with truckers, they have a really great Twitter presence. They'll come after you like you can't believe. Um they haven't done that with me because again, we're we're trying to make things better and safer for them.
▶ 2:23:03Um we had to work on the the theft, the double brokering, there's the parking, there's a lot of issues that are very relevant to the industry. And again, they make this country work. There are um and and I would say that we want to be safe, too, because our our jobs are not inside some building. They're out there on the on the highways with your family and my family. Nobody wants to be unsafe. Uh I will leave on a quick good note though.
▶ 2:23:28I uh got my CDL's renewed two weeks ago, three weeks ago, and the new system where my medical card and everything is automatically uploaded on the computer. It worked fine for me. U so it seems like maybe the bugs are getting worked out with that, Mr. Chairman. Yes, sir. I had my CDL for 30 years and when I moved to New Jersey, I didn't have a medical card. They made me give it up and I'd already sat there for three hours so they said you can come back and I said no thank you I'll give it up. So I've had mine for a long time but appreciate what you're doing. Keep up the good work. With that I yield back. Mr. Chairman. Mr.
▶ 2:23:58Garcia. You're Uh thank you chair ranking member and secretary Duffy for being here today. Three minutes uh is hardly enough uh time to discuss some of the chaos that's occurred since you took the helm of the department. From funding pauses that create confusion to mass firings at DOT that weaken the ability to get funding out the door, your actions contradict your stated uh goal of promoting community safety across the country.
▶ 2:24:26For example, it's evident in your directive to the DOT to hold off on money to support local immigration cooperation. In what world does stopping the construction of a great construction so kids don't have to crawl under idling trains make communities safer? DOT funding has nothing to do with immigration enforcement.
▶ 2:24:55Yet you attempt to use it as leverage to advance this administration's cruel agenda. It's blatantly illegal, which is why a judge put a stop to it last month. And that brings me to another issue before the courts, the disadvantaged business enterprise program or DBE. Thanks again to the ranking member for allowing me to introduce into the record letters supporting the program uh from DBEEs across the country.
▶ 2:25:26And I was uh gathering input in my district for surface transportation priorities. The message from groups was clear. The DBE program has helped level the playing field in a historically exclusionary sector and its elimination would reimpose barriers for small businesses owned by minorities and women. And you want to make it even harder for them. Mr.
▶ 2:25:52Secretary, your proposed budget zeros out funding for the small business transportation resource centers. These centers provide technical assistance and individual businesses advising at no cost to all small businesses in the transportation industry in the Great Lakes region. The Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has provided over 700 small business owners from all backgrounds with help to bid on government contracts.
▶ 2:26:23Mr. Mr. Chair, I'd like to submit this letter from the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for the record describing the vital role of small business transportation resource centers. Mr. Secretary, this is what I do want to ask you. Why does your proposed 2026 budget uh aim to cancel programs that support small businesses? There's nothing to uh cancel small businesses, but um we got away with race preferences a long time ago.
▶ 2:26:51So I don't think we should I'm asking you about small businesses, Mr. Secretary. Small businesses. No, but if you want preferences for race and sex, I think I'm asking you about small businesses. And really quickly, I think you should follow the law. And if you have your states that care more question about small businesses, Secretary, would you answer the question as it relates to your 2026 or impede ICE? You're not going to answer the question. The gentleman's time has expired. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 2:27:22Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for being here today. I appreciate you very much. I uh you know, just recently, just as of yesterday, we passed the uh uh Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2025. You know, that's going to be a great win for the Coast Guard. It's going to be a great win for the American Ship Builder, the maritime industry, and it's just going to do so many good things for the country, and I'm very proud to be a part of that.
▶ 2:27:47Uh, as you well know, the Department of Transportation is so critical in sustaining a strong American maritime industry and a core component of that is supporting the Jones Act. You were very supportive of the Jones Act during your confirmation hearing, which I appreciate it. You know, it supports 650,000 jobs, 154 billion in in economic output.
▶ 2:28:10And uh you know would you agree you know that would your support uh how crucial this is in advancing the president's ship building and maritime It's critical. And and by the way, wouldn't it be great if we didn't need the Jones Act? We're building so many ships and we're so competitive and you have so many mariners. That'd be great. But this is important to preserving American shipping as we go through this process of revitalizing through the ships building EO.
▶ 2:28:34And I'll have some proposals for all of you on how we can fund it and get back in the game of uh controlling and owning our seas. Outstanding. Uh and Mr. Chairman, I want to u uh uh submit a government accountability report for the record. Uh commercial ship building maritime administration needs to improve financial assistance program. For the record, please. Without objection. The chairman was distracted. Okay.
▶ 2:29:04He's I want to submit this for the record, please. Maritime without objection. I get another 30 seconds, please. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Secretary, this report is very concerning. Specifically, uh the section uh regarding the federal ship financing program. Only two loans have been guaranteed within the past five years under the Biden administration.
▶ 2:29:27Not to mention nearly 75% of all ship builders that participate in the program uh said is not even a viable means of uh financing projects. Mr. Secretary, what is your team doing to examine the ineffective Biden financing programs such as the federal ship financing So it this has been a a focus of the department and again a focus of the president.
▶ 2:29:50Um and again through that coordination, through that planning of how we're going to need the help from Congress, we have uh put a significant effort. Um and again, we're not trying to slow walk ship building in America. Maybe like the last administration. We we think it has to be supercharged. Um and it's going to be our partnership that's going to make that happen. And so we are uh we are moving as quickly as possible to um to get as much money out the door that we have to our avail. Thank you.
▶ 2:30:18One more thing I'd just like to throw for my extra 15 seconds, Mr. Chairman, is that uh anybody in this room that cuts grass, has their own lawnmower, cuts their own grass, we have to buy these gas cans now that you absolutely can't fill up or pour gas out of. Do you have any control over the gas cans in this country that we could go back to a normal gas can to fill up a I think you're here. Yeah, we do washers and dryers and dishwashers, too, that don't work. Yeah. Lawnmower. Lawnmower. Mr.
▶ 2:30:47Pap my boat with it. They don't work. You're right. Mr. Papis, you're right. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Mr. Secretary. Welcome back to the committee room. It's great to have you here. I I want to call your attention to a letter that I wrote to you last month, which was signed by many of my colleagues here today on this committee regarding staffing at federal highway division offices. As you're aware, the FHA has seen a 26% reduction in force since May.
▶ 2:31:11my concerns with the division offices uh in in ensuring that they have enough staff to fulfill their critical mission to our state DOS providing frontline assistance in transportation project development and delivery. Reports have indicated that division offices in North Carolina and Texas have experienced a reduction in staff of 50 and 60% respectively. And so based on current data on the federal highway website, over half the division offices were understaffed prior to the staffing cuts taking effect.
▶ 2:31:39So the support these offices provide to their states is critical. Uh and in turn the department must ensure that these division offices have staffing resources and support to accomplish their job. I'm wondering if you can talk more about the reduction in force, how that's impacting division offices and whether the department has a plan to ensure that each office has necessary staffing to support state DOS.
▶ 2:32:00So, thank you for the question and um just to be clear, when we did our reduction in force, we preserved all of the critical uh safety positions, but um we are trying to do more, we're trying to do more with less. Um and if uh we're ineffective and we need more people on board to make sure we accomplish the mission, I'll bring them in. And um it's it's my desire and I know yours and the president's desire to make sure we're building, getting money out the door, and doing these great projects. That was his directive to me.
▶ 2:32:28And so if I see issues where we can't get our job done, I'll bring more people in. But I I think we can do more with less and uh if we can't, we'll we'll accommodate. Well, we're going to be watching it closely. And I think we need more than just hopes. We need uh concrete plans. But I want to move on to another issue. Uh in January of this year, New Hampshire was set to receive $17 million in NEvi funding uh for EV charging infrastructure. Was going to build out a statewide network in New Hampshire, which is really critical to our tourism economy.
▶ 2:32:56in particular, recent study came out saying that if we lose these dollars and don't build out the charging network, we could risk $1.4 billion in economic activity in our state around tourism um in total. So, I'm wondering if you can talk to us a little bit about uh the suspension of NEVI funds and new guidance that we are awaiting. It was supposed to be released uh weeks ago. And where does that stand? Where can we expect this to go? Our state's counting on these dollars. Thank you for that question, too.
▶ 2:33:26So again, if you're going to spend money on chargers, I might disagree with how you spent that money, which I do, but it's my job to spend per the will of the Congress, but the last administration had so many rules in place. Your states had a hard time deploying the capital to build the charging stations, which is why you only had like 78 chargers built in the country. And so I wanted to redo the guidance, which I have. I've sent it to OM. Uh waiting to get that back from them, and then I'll send it over to all of you. But if you're going to spend money on chargers, let's build chargers in America.
▶ 2:33:55let's not just spend money and not get the result of a charger, which is you don't want to spend the money, you want the Chargers in your state. So, I think the new guidance is going to give again far more flexibility to your states. Um, and I've done my part waiting to get it back from OM and um I think you'll be happier. I agree. We're ready to push shovels in the ground to New Hampshire. So, I yield Mr. Fong, you're recognized. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, thank you, Secretary, for your leadership. Uh congratulations on your new role. Also as an interim NASA uh NASA administrator.
▶ 2:34:25Certainly welcome you to come out to California to visit the Mojave Spaceport as well as NASA Armstrong. Uh if you have got your free time. Um certainly I represent the district uh that is most negatively impacted by California highspeed rails um nightmare. Uh it it starts at a field out north of Bakersfield and ends in a field south of Bridette. Uh and it's it's wasting uh billions of dollars. So, I want to thank you for your work to roll back the funding for this failed project so that we can focus on on more viable projects.
▶ 2:34:54Uh want to encourage you if you can to take the opportunity to redirect uh those federal funds to truly needed uh transportation projects in California such as expanding the state route 99 or Interstate 5 critical supply chain corridors in California. Um moving to to aviation safety clearly is is your highest priority and our highest priority. I want to thank you for your efforts to modernize and bring additional safety measures to our aviation industry.
▶ 2:35:19Um, a major component of that is uh our air of of our air system is the rigorous uh training and qualification standards for airline pilots. Uh, since implementation of the 1500 hour rule uh for pilot certification and qualifications in 2013, uh, fatal airline crashes have declined by 99.8%. These standards help uh, set our safety standards.
▶ 2:35:40I wanted to get your take and and and see if you could comment on on the pilot training and qualification standards um whether they should be maintained um as I think they should or should they change in any fashion. First want to support I want to thank you for your support on what we've done at California highspeed rail. Appreciate your partnership and uh someone from the state who can can delineate how it's been so wasteful and not delivered for the taxpayers in the country but also in California. Um, in regard to 1500 hour rules uh rule, I um I have no plan to change it.
▶ 2:36:10But what I would do is say if if there's data that would say if if there's some what level four simulators that can give pilots experiences that they can't get in their in their Cessna to have them truly ready for what might be thrown at them while they're in the air. Would I consider that and have a conversation with all of you? Of course I would. because all of us want to make sure we have well-trained pilots in the cockpit, especially on the planes that, uh, that you and your family fly on.
▶ 2:36:35So, um, no plans to change, but I would always be open to new data that might drive more innovation to have better pilots in the cockpit. Thank you. And my last question, I appreciate your commitment. I appreciate the president's commitment and to assure that our nation is on the cutting edge of technology adopting uh uh technology like autonomous driving technologies uh allowing them to mature. Um, I wanted to see if you could outline your vision of how uh these technologies can aid our transportation system through enhancing efficiency, safety, and prosperity.
▶ 2:37:04We talking about technology on our on our roadways or specifically uh to autonomous uh autonomous driving technology. Autonom AV AV technology. Yeah. So, listen, I think um it's important that we continue to allow we got to get data from the companies, right? And data will allow us to make better rules. This is the Goldilocks philosophy. We can't go too fast. We can't go too slow. But we want this innovation to happen in America. Um and we have great innovators. We we should have one one federal standard.
▶ 2:37:31I think this patchwork of state byst state is not going to work long term. So we're working with all of the um uh all of the manufacturers to to to develop a standard that's going to work and keep everybody safe. By the way, I think the 40,000 deaths we have a year, I think this is the real space that can drive down those deaths. The human eye along with this technology is going to save lives. Thank you. I I have legislation on that. I look forward to working with you. I yield back, Mr. Molton. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Secretary, welcome back. Good to see you. Um, you as well.
▶ 2:38:01Uh, quick quote. These bullet trains, they're unbelievably fast, unbelievably comfortable. We don't have anything like that, anything close. It doesn't make any sense that we don't. Who's that I missed first part of it. Is that me? President Trump. President Trump. Right. And so, I appreciate your line with him. That could have been mine or his. I don't know. Could have been you. I appreciate your point that we need to make my highspeed rail work, but you're not just opposed to to highspeed rail.
▶ 2:38:23Can you name a couple other first world countries that don't have or aren't building highspeed Uh, it would be hard for me to to name Literally, I I I thought of New Zealand. Morocco has it. Egypt is building it. I mean, it's it's crazy, right? So, we got to make it work. Um, now you believe in the free market, right? So, shouldn't there be a level playing field between different modes? So like highspe speed rail competes with airlines compete with competes with highways. Doesn't that make sense? Yeah. I have no objection to that because right now we just subsidize airports and highways.
▶ 2:38:52I mean we're we're drastically raising billions and billions of dollars of additional subsidies for We do subsidize rail as well. We do, but not nearly to the tune of of airports and highways. And so um my guess is that there's not some vast high-speed rail conspiracy that's infected every other country in the world and just hasn't come to America yet. So we got to figure out how to make this work.
▶ 2:39:13I I would agree and I think what we have to I mean a lot of it could be RFK Junior's vaccine strategy that's kept us highspeed rail I think I mean I think that's a I would welcome that conversation because I think there's a lot of rules and permits that are required that that drive in America versus elsewhere. But I've I'm I'm open to we've we you give good money for us to invest in highspeed rail. I want to see a project that we can do it. Uh I've been tentatively supportive of uh Brightland West uh LA to uh Las Vegas. um want to see how they do.
▶ 2:39:43Uh there was conversations about uh Dallas to Houston. Uh we took out Amtrak, but maybe other providers will come in there. Um it'd be great if we' have it on the Northeast Corridor, but it's too windy. And if we could figure out a way to do that, that would be great. Um but let's let's figure out Well, let's let's work on it together. I But let's not spend money to not have a deliverable. Let's deliverable. No, I I agree with you. Another quick quote. One entered the city like a god, one scuttles in now like a rat. Know where that comes from? I I don't talking about Penn Station.
▶ 2:40:12I understand that you are on board with Americans having a station in New York that they can actually be proud of like London St. Pancress or something Um, another possibility is to do through running so trains don't come in from a Long Island and turn around and back. All right, let's work on that because it will dramatically boost efficiency. Otherwise, why why are we doing it, right? We might have a facade and a Well, you got to get New Jersey people and New Long Island people to talk to each other. You might be better at that than I am.
▶ 2:40:39I don't know why you There's an opportunity for that. Where's Great. Thank you. And there's an opportunity for that in Boston as well because you have North Station and South Station. They're a mile apart. They were supposed to be connected. The project was delayed originally by World War I. So, we'd like to see Boston Cross Rail going. Uh it would connect the Northeast Quarter from Virginia to Maine. I haven't I haven't looked at that, but I will. Great. Thank you, Mr. Mr. Secretary. I appreciate it. I look forward to working with you. Let's work together on these issues. We will. Great. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. I yield back, Mr. Weed.
▶ 2:41:09Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Secretary Duffy from the great state of Some would say the greatest state. Exactly. Hey, for, you know, for taking the time to appear here before this committee, I want to commend you on the department's work over the last several months to return the DOT to its core mission while prioritizing safety at the same time. I would also like to commend you and your staff's commitment to working through the existing backlog of discretionary grant programs.
▶ 2:41:34Since taking office, several groups from my constituency have approached my office looking for assistance relating to the grants that they were awarded. And I'm thankful that your department has been responsive and you provide regular updates on the review process. So, I really appreciate that. Thank you, Secretary Duffy. As a former lumberjack and representative of Wisconsin's Northwoods like like me, you have firsthand knowledge of the unique transportation challenges facing our timber industry.
▶ 2:42:01As you know, loaded logging trucks at the state legal weights are currently prohibited from traveling on interstate highways, forcing them to travel through small towns on two-way roads, passing schools, driveways, stoplights. The safe routes bill uh which which I uh am sponsoring would fix this, allowing these overweight logging trucks to access the interstate system for short hall trips from their source to processing facilities.
▶ 2:42:28giving your own background and experience with this topic, could you elaborate on the need for this legislation and is there any way DOT could help us implement a fix for this? So, I I'm going to uh shamefully say that I was focused on that like you were when I was in Congress and I should bring that attention back to the issue now at DOT and would welcome the chance to look at your bill and and work together. But again, it's a huge issue for our loggers. Great. Thank you. And by the safety of our communities as well. You're right.
▶ 2:42:56These big logging trucks are going through these small town stop lightss, sidewalks right there. And I think it's it's a it's a problem that has to be addressed. Great. And I think if Wisconsin thinks it's okay, I think we should be okay with at the federal government level, too. So, you're probably right. All right. Uh, last question. The Biden administration, of course, advanced uh an energy agenda that picked winners and losers and promoted technology that's not ready for prime time, and it disregarded consumer choice and really was a cost to to taxpayers.
▶ 2:43:23Under the Biden administration, DOT prioritized investments in constructing these electric vehicle charging stations. Though we know that, you know, those efforts were largely unsuccessful and produced a limited number of stations. The president's bud budget request called for the cancellation and recision of these funds, something that my bill HR1513 also aims to achieve. Mr. Secretary, can you explain why this funding was largely unsuccessful and why there does not need to be a standalone program for electric vehicle infrastructure?
▶ 2:43:52There were so many rules around how the money could be spent and it was polluted with ideas of the DEI and all the green work which made it really challenging for states to build which is why you only have 78 chargers um in place. And so my commitment is I'm going to do what you say. I respect the body. I serve in the body. Um I'm trying to redo the guidelines. Um so if you build, if you want to build, you can. But I am also supportive of uh being a good steward of the tax money and I support the president's proposal to pull the cash. Great.
▶ 2:44:22Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Until then, I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna execute per your will. Excellent. Thank you. I yield back. Mr. St. Thank you, Chairman. Secretary Duffy, it's good to have you here today and I look forward to working with you. So, a few things. I was glad to hear that you are in support of highspeed rail and I think many of us share the idea that we have to invest wisely and make sure that we have a product that's going to deliver.
▶ 2:44:50So the Cascadia corridor in Washington state that hits Portland, Oregon and Vancouver BC, I look forward to working with you and your administration to get funding for that project. But I want to um just really put a fine point on what my colleague asked about. So, we know that after the tragic crash of Kan Airflight 3407 that there was a FAA rule for pilot training time for 1500 hours.
▶ 2:45:15So, to put a fine point on my question, will you commit to holding the FAA administrator accountable for enforcing this specific rule of 1500 hours of training? Uh, well, per my other answer, the answer is yes. And I think he was clear and consistent with my answer. If if technology changes and there's ways that we can give some credit for simulator time, would I be open to that? Yes. Do I have a plan to do that? No.
▶ 2:45:45Um but you and I share the mission of we want pilots to be really well trained. Um and how do we do that? And 1500 1500 hour rule has been very effective. If technology comes into play that we could get data that shows they could be even better trained with some simulator time, I'm open to that. Okay. I think you would be too, but we care about the same thing. But we do have 15 hour 1500 hours of training as the baseline 100%. But what do you get credit for? Could could you get some more simulator training credit? Possibly.
▶ 2:46:14No plan, but um I think that's a reasonable conversation as the technology and the simulators develop. All right. Now, I'm going to switch over to NASA, which you now oversee as acting administrator. So more than 80% of NASA's facilities are past their life, many dating back to the 1960s, if you can believe it. Aging infrastructure makes it harder to monitor the atmosphere from tracking storms to managing air traffic.
▶ 2:46:41So, can you speak specifically about your plan to address this aging infrastructure with projects by NASA, Noah, and even the FAA, and how you think updating these systems can actually help the FAA maximize air travel efficiencies and safety? I I think that would be premature for me. Um, in in practice, today will be my first full day um at NASA.
▶ 2:47:06And um I I want to spend time with the staff and the team, but I'm once I do that, I'm happy to have an additional conversation with you about that. And um I I didn't want to talk about that role. I wanted to talk about the DOT role, but in my other capacity, I'm happy to have a a conversation and pick your brain on what you think we should do. All right. Thank you. I yield back. Thank you, Mr. Sharie. You're recognized. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Duffy, thank you for being with us.
▶ 2:47:33I represent uh uh central and eastern Indiana. Uh and uh I was uh very happy to see uh Brian um Bedford confirmed as our next FAA administrator. He did a standout job at Republic Airways, which is uh based in my hometown of Indianapolis. And uh he'll he'll bring a a lot of talent to an organization uh that will much benefit from that. So appreciate that.
▶ 2:48:03I spent some time in April at Indie Center. Uh opportunity to see the the back end of our air traffic control system as we move a lot of a lot of uh freight and passengers through the skies and was made keenly aware of the the human capital constraints that we've got. Your focus is on uh rebuilding that hard infrastructure.
▶ 2:48:27uh uh but I know you're giving a whole lot of thought to that human infrastructure uh as we uh as as we uh build out this economy. Uh in the um one big beautiful uh bill, there were provisions uh to enable 529 money uh to be used to uh uh for uh skilled trades education for people uh that would go into uh flight training programs or into uh uh
▶ 2:48:57over the road trucking programs, uh diesel mechanics, uh not just traditional four-year education. And I didn't know I wanted to know if uh your department is working to leverage that that toolbox now as you focus on the human infrastructure component of uh your work over the next few years. We are going to work through that toolbox. Um but you you bring up a really important point. I this is a broader American conversation.
▶ 2:49:26It's almost the micro philosophy of there's a lot of great jobs out there uh that uh we haven't talked to kids about. We tell them the only way you can move forward is with, you know, with a college degree. These air traffic controllers, you know, four months of the academy, uh, three, four years in, they're making 160 grand a year. Uh, these are these are really good paying jobs, um, and mechanics as well. So, again, we have to use the resources that you give to make sure we have the appropriate staffing uh, to take care of our our aircraft and our skies.
▶ 2:49:57A great program. And yet, while air traffic controllers can be brought in, it takes them several years to to be would you share with us how long it takes from that that point when we recruit someone into the profession before they're able to do their job on their own? Well, it was take someone else made the qu point. It's it was taken three years once you take the entrance exam before you get a spot in the academy, which is most kids are going to go get a different job.
▶ 2:50:24So, what we've done now is we're taking the best qualified, those who score 90% on the test, um, and we are getting them into the academy far more quickly. By the way, this is way more complicated than you would have thought to na to try to navigate that. Um, but, uh, if we get you in within, you know, 60 days once you graduate, it depends what what airspace you go to. Um, you could be certified in a uh uh an easier airspace in a year.
▶ 2:50:52If you're going to N90 in New York, you're going to be three years before you're certified. Um, so it depends on what space you're going to. But again, we have to start this process. We got to get more kids, young people into the academy and uh starting the certification process. Otherwise, we're never going to resolve this problem. Thanks for the response. Gentlemen's time is expired. U just so everybody knows votes have been called but we're going to try to get in two more. Mr. Ryan, go ahead. Uh thank you, Mr. Chair, for sneaking me in. Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for being here.
▶ 2:51:22I have three items, three minutes. I'm going to jump right in. Uh first, as some of my colleagues have asked, and I appreciate your constructive response. I've got two high priority bipartisan infrastructure projects and grants in my district, actually my hometown of Kingston, New York. the single biggest grant our my city has ever secured, $21.7 million in a raise grant to address flooding in our downtown area. Would you commit to working with me on seeing what we can do to move that 100%.
▶ 2:51:50And I'll if you we haven't told you where it's at in the process, we'll do that. Thank Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I I appreciate it. Um secondly, uh I'm a proud combat veteran. I know we got a lot of veterans on the committee. I wanted to ask about something related to that.
▶ 2:52:03Um, in late 2024, uh, just as the administrations were switching, the FAA put in place a long needed rule to protect and support disabled Americans, Americans in wheelchairs and other assisted devices and specifically uh, veterans who for for decades have had a nightmare experience, disabled Americans in wheelchairs flying in our our uh, aviation system in the country. And I want to credit the Abbid administration and and Secretary Buddhajed.
▶ 2:52:31They worked really really hard with a lot of groups in a bipartisan way uh to get this through. Uh and I do believe it we got to say they I think they were the most pro passenger administration at least in in my lifetime. Um almost immediately though your your DOT has not once but twice stopped enforcement of that rule. Um and it's really concerning.
▶ 2:52:54I the paralyzed veterans of America who worked really really hard to advance this have had now uh and celebrated have had to get involved again. uh they've now intervened in a lawsuit which is you know all our big airlines trying to roll back the rule and um paralyzed veterans have been engaged and even the National Council on Disability which is an independent bipartisan federal agency that advises Congress and the president has sent you a letter just last month uh urging you at least while this plays out to enforce
▶ 2:53:25the rule. So why are we not enforcing this on behalf of our disabled veterans? Can I can give you a a a fuller answer later, but again there this is just in the interest of time. Would you would you please look at it, Mr. I will. By the way, I have I have a daughter with Down syndrome who is disabled. I understand. And um uh fully support our disabled community and I support our veterans. But I'll I'll take a look at it and we can talk later on this issue. I appreciate it. Um I only have a few seconds.
▶ 2:53:51Uh, a little bit off topic, but clearly given your new uh, promotion, additional portfolio at NASA, you're a trusted member of the president's cabinet, you have his trust. Will you commit at, and this has been asked me by a lot of my constituents, will you commit at the next cabinet meeting to a wholesome conversation in front of the American people on the release of the Epstein files? Uh, listen, I um Yes or no, please, Mr. Well, I I guess I I don't know. I don't know all the data on it.
▶ 2:54:20I would just not trying to dodge you. I if I was at FBI or DOJ and I I knew more. I know there's I know some of the background on why some has not been released, but I got to leave that to Pam Bondi and Cash Patel. Um you wouldn't just open up to a conversation, Mr. Secretary. Well, I I guess say that the American people who've been promised this deserve transparency. I don't have I listen, I agree with transparency, but I I I think it's also important to know if I if if there's child videos in there, do I want that released full transparency? No, I don't. I want to protect those kids.
▶ 2:54:49Or if there is um if if you flew with Epstein to Epstein Island and then I certainly did not and then you flew on to get on a a a boat to sail in in the Bahamas. Um should I make by accusation the fact that you were just on the plane? I think we have to be smart about how we do it. What's what's going to be released? But I do believe in transparency. I just have to tell you the number of calls I've gotten and my colleagues in a bipartisan way calling for transparency from an administration that promised this. Just urge you to consider it. Mr.
▶ 2:55:18I I agree with transparency and I do and I believe in Pam Bondi, Caspel and Dan Bonino. Uh again, uh I think the right is probably been more vocal than the left on this issue. Maybe equally. It's my constituents. It's not any left or right. I know I hear you. I know. Gentleman's time is expired. Mr. Taylor, you're recognized. It's out of my space. Thank you, Chairman, and thank you, Secretary. Sorry, for for being here today and for sharing uh with us. And uh thank you for your volume and quality of work you've done to this point. And I know you've been uh handed a lot.
▶ 2:55:48You've done a wonderful job. I'm thrilled to see under the Trump administration and also under your leadership a return to big, beautiful infrastructure projects that support economic growth and rural Um the Ohio Department of Transportation has uh recently begun planning for a future interstate designation called I73 in southern Ohio that would go directly through the Appalachin District that I represent.
▶ 2:56:12An interstate through southern Ohio would not just help connect rural communities to the modern economy what but would enhance our national security because of multiple key facilities and defense related companies along the route. While this process is in the early stages of development, I want to ensure that the Ohio Department of Transportation has all the tools and resources it needs.
▶ 2:56:31Um, how can the Department of Transportation assist states such as Ohio in planning and constructing major infrastructure projects like this future interstate to spur the continued growth of our nation, especially in historically underserved areas like Yeah, that's a really good point and I think it's um our request for information and data and your uh state's willingness to give that data to make sure we can see the priority um of serving your community. And I would agree with you.
▶ 2:56:57You have we have too many communities that that don't have adequate infrastructure and most of them are oftentimes rural. So, um I would be happy to have an additional conversation on that project with you and um we can talk more. I appreciate that and I appreciated your testimony earlier to Congressman Boss that uh special attention ought to be paid to rural America. Um, I sort of consider it the reasonable attention that should have always been paid, but I'm glad to hear that that's becoming more of a a priority.
▶ 2:57:26Um, in April, President Trump signed an executive order entitled Enforcing Common Sense Rules of the Road for America's truck drivers, requiring all CDL holders to be proficient in English. Should be common sense. But, uh, President Trump is correct. I was proud to introduce Conor's Law shortly after to codify that executive order into law. And just recently, the Department of Transportation announced guidelines to uh ensure that all CDL holders comply with the president with President Trump's executive order.
▶ 2:57:53What steps did your department take to comply with this executive order to this point? Well, we put out a rule uh requiring English proficiency. Uh and the consequence is your vehicle will be put out of service. Um and that has uh been um a great impetus uh for uh drivers to learn the language or uh don't get behind the wheel. And now again, we have to rely on our state partners to help us enforce that rule. Um, many of them have.
▶ 2:58:20And again, I think the drive safety, I mean, if you if you can't read road signs or if you're in a if you're stopped by law enforcement or if you're in a crash, you have to be able to communicate what you have on your rig um or what happened. Uh, so this this is this is this is not an anti- um other language than English. This is about safety on the road. Thank you. I appreciate your swift action. Chairman, I uh yield back. Thank Miss Sykes. And this will be our last one before we recess for vote. Thank you uh very much.
▶ 2:58:49And we couldn't have a double backtoback Ohio. It just wouldn't be right if we didn't do it that way. So, thank you so much for saying. Uh I'll get right to it and talk about rail safety. Uh Mr. Secretary, you visited East Palestine earlier this year during the second anniversary and you put out a statement and you said, quote, "In partnership with the Trump Vance administration and Congress, US DOT will work to advance rail safety." As President Trump has pledged, we will ensure the people of East Palestine are not forgotten and we will use every resource to prevent other communities
▶ 2:59:19from enduring what they experience. I just heard my colleague from Southeast Ohio say you were planning to pay more attention to rural communities. I do not represent East Palestine, but they do feel forgotten because there has not been any rail safety. I recognize that you appreciate the separation of powers. Thank you for that, as you shared with my colleague from Nevada, but resources aren't just money. Sometimes it's influence.
▶ 2:59:41And so I'm asking based on the statement that you made in February, what resources including your influence have you invoked to Congress with Congress in order to ensure that people are not forgotten because the people in East Palestine are asking for rail safety legislation. Yeah. And I've worked uh well with the vice president, former senator from Ohio um who has thought about this uh extensively. Obviously, it was one of his communities.
▶ 3:00:07And um again, I think we h what we're trying to think through is the equities of labor and the equities of safety around new technology and how do we cut that balance. But I do think there are new technologies that could have identified uh what was going uh wrong on the East Palestine train. I'm so sorry to interrupt you because I only have a minute and 20 seconds. We have an NTSB report that shows exactly what happened and some suggestions from a uh director who is still on with the Trump administration and it is fantastic.
▶ 3:00:37So I think we can listen to what she has said and we don't have to reinvent the wheel here. But have you spoken with Chairman Graves about any legislation using your resource of influence to make sure that people of East Palestine are not forgotten? No. Well, not forgotten again. Uh not from us. By the way, I did a a show on Fox Business. I was the first TV show to start to cover East Palestine. No one was covering it. Um, and I was one of the first ones to try to bring this to the national light. So, Secretary, because I do care about it and again, my point to you is we do have equities, Mr. Secretary. Yes or no?
▶ 3:01:06Have you spoken with Chairman Graves about about about East Palestine? I have not. Okay. Thank you so much. That is very um indicative and understands why we haven't seen anything in East Palestine. I'm going to move to air traffic. Uh, I represent Northeast Ohio, Ohio's 13th congressional district, the best district in the country. And since we're doing invitations, I'm inviting you to come out and see our airport, uh, which has one of the oldest air traffic control towers in operation.
▶ 3:01:30Uh, two months ago when your under secretary was here, I asked him for a list of those towers and why Akran Canton wasn't on it, and we have yet to get a response. We have also reached out to you directly to meet with you. So, I'm hoping that maybe you can come to the district, we can talk about this air traffic control tower, you can see this fabulous airport that exists, uh, and we can make sure that people are safe in Northeast Ohio. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yield back for both of them. Yes. And then I would just say that if you ask people in East Palestine is does Secretary Duffy support them or did Secretary Buddha Judge support them?
▶ 3:01:56I think that answer will be clear never went or went uh weeks late. So um just to duly note gentle ladies time has expired. Um chair has been notified of votes on the house floor.
▶ 3:02:09Therefore the committee shall stand in recess subject to call of the I I can't Heat.
▶ 3:02:58Heat.
▶ 3:56:11Thank you.
▶ 3:57:00The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will reconvene the previously recessed hearing. I now recognize myself for three minutes. So, first of all, thank you, Mr. Secretary, uh, for being here and for all the hard work that you've put into the budget. To me, it reflects a budget that recognizes critical investment in infrastructure. And so, I applaud all your efforts. I know how hard uh you've been working on that.
▶ 3:57:25Um, you know, I also, as a previous member of the ports authority back in the cinema who has oversight over three airports and three seapports, I know how difficult it is to have people screaming in your ear telling you what tools you need, right? Telling you that you need a hatchet when you actually need a screwdriver. And so today, um, I want to talk to you about the cinemiz critical need.
▶ 3:57:52and I'm looking for the right tools and I've, you know, submitted I've been submitting letters to the Department of Transportation since my role and my time at the ports authority and now as a member of Congress and in that and I ask really I don't really have a lot of questions for you, but I just ask that you take a look at that letter closely and give us give the CNI the right tools to be able to be economically self- sustainable.
▶ 3:58:19The port is an indicator of the economic realities on the ground and we are at the brink of insolvency and given the fact that we have department of defense training activities, we need our ports to be economically viable. So I would love to work with you and your administration and your team to be able to address some of those concerns. So Congresswoman, first uh I would just note what a fighter you are for your community. I I appreciate that.
▶ 3:58:47Uh, I think the department has to do a better job uh having an honest conversation. If there's issues, we have to tell you what they are. Let's work through them together. Um, and I think we may have fallen short on that and I commit to you that uh I will get you answers. Uh, I'll work on that and look forward to the partnership and seeing how we can move forward together. All right. Thank you. I appreciate that. I also wanted to follow up on a question asked earlier by my colleague, Mr. Johnson.
▶ 3:59:14And I know you've corrected the record to confirm that no air traffic controllers have been fired by this administration. I also know that you've launched a supercharge effort to bring in more controllers and keep older controllers from retiring. Can you just elaborate on that a little bit? I appreciate the opportunity. I think the implication was that we have fired controllers. We have not fired any air traffic controllers. They're critical safety positions. Uh but to answer his question, I got that information from the FAA.
▶ 3:59:40Uh we have hired uh 1,840 new controllers since the first of the year. Uh we have separated from not fired. People have retired or uh they've chosen another another career path. We've lost 305 of those. Uh so we have a a net positive of a little more than 1500. Now those all all aren't certified and those all aren't in the airspace. Some of them might have been promoted to a management position. They might have taken another job within the FAA.
▶ 4:00:08But um we are making great strides. Uh this year we are on track to hit 2,000 uh controllers coming out of the academy. Uh because of the supercharge effort, we have expanded academy training by 30% uh which are substantial numbers which is what I think this committee would expect from us to make up that 3,000 shortage. And July was the busiest month in the academyy's history. And so we're getting uh truly the best and the brightest are applying for the academy. we're able to get them through faster.
▶ 4:00:38Um, and I think that's what's important. That's what we would all expect. Again, the best people controlling the skies that keep all of you and your families and our community Thank you very much for that. I now recognize Miss Golden. Thank you. Um, thanks so much to the chair and the ranking member and to you, Mr. Secretary, for uh enduring these hours uh of questioning and for stepping up uh to serve our our nation at this critical time.
▶ 4:01:04Uh, Congress and both the current and previous administrations have been crystal clear with the FAA. We need to invest in a national aviation system and modernize our infrastructure. I am pleased to see that section 624 of the most recent FAA reauthorization has now been implemented after I pressed FAA officials during a May hearing. However, the Gerald R.
▶ 4:01:27Ford International Airport in my district still does not have a timeline for when its FAA owned and operated air traffic control tower will be replaced. This 62-year-old tower is out of compliance with federal safety and security requirements. The design work for this project is done and enabling construction will begin this summer with support from the state of Michigan.
▶ 4:01:52But our community needs federal dollars and federal approval because it is an FAAowned tower. The previous FAA administrator has assured me that GRR's modernization project was the number two priority on the FAA's list. Secretary Duffy, can you please provide me with an understanding of the FAA's prioritization of the tower and estimated timeline and uh we would love to invite you to the district to to see it directly.
▶ 4:02:19Sir, as I told you before the hearing, I Grand Rapids is one of my favorite small communities in America. It's a great uh community. I I don't have that information for you right now in the priority list, but I uh will definitely follow up with you. Again, we talk about the infrastructure of air traffic control, but you make a really good point.
▶ 4:02:38We have really old uh structures across the country and you would probably join a lot of members on this committee talking about your towers or your traycons and how old they are and uh that's going to that's going to take money and more money to help everybody out. But we should have um a a an infrastructure plan and resources to build that's consistent with how great our country is. So I'll work with you on that. We we appreciate it so much.
▶ 4:03:03I will note that it is the oldest of the top 75 busiest airports uh in the country. So certainly a lot of old infrastructure, but um GRR is is uh top of the list. So we we really appreciate your attention. Look forward to your followup um on that. Uh I want to say one thing that the president and I have in common is a shared goal to bring back our supply chains and bolster domestic manufacturing.
▶ 4:03:27My district is home to a plant for the only domestic supplier of specific yellow pigments used for road markings. Um, unfortunately, an estimated 96% of these pigments used on American roads are sourced from foreign manufacturers, including China, enabling our taxpayer dollars to leave the US. That's why I introduced the bipartisan paving our way for American industry act which will ensure that these critical pigments uh would qualify as a constructed material under the build America provision.
▶ 4:03:57Um Secretary Duffy, can you speak to how the committee can work with the department to uplift domestic manufacturers? And I recognize I am a bit over my time uh sir. So you know you if you want to address briefly. Yeah, I I I would agree with you. I will look at that. I was not aware, but um I want to do all unless unless we can't do it in America and we would all agree we can't do that's one thing but when we can do it in America with American businesses and support American communities, I'm 100% on board. So I'll I'll follow up on that as well.
▶ 4:04:27I appreciate it. really look forward to working with you. I I will submit uh the remainder of my questions uh for the record um including looking at uh the FA's aircraft maintenance technician school programs um and some of those grants which I know a number of people have brought up but uh we'd love to follow up with you offline. I'll submit that question for the record. Thank you. Appreciate the time. We'll yield back. I now recognize Representative McDall. Thank you, Madam Chair. Mr.
▶ 4:04:55Secretary, I only have three minutes, which is not nearly enough to highlight the uh the historic progress that this administration has made uh since since President Trump took office. So, I'll keep it brief. But since January, this administration has tackled challenges and inefficiencies in our nation's transportation system headon.
▶ 4:05:16And that's from improving safety in our national airspace system to course correcting uh President Biden's uh his administration's wasteful green energy spending initiatives. And you have shown time and time again, this administration has shown time and time again uh that it's focused on American safety and security above all else.
▶ 4:05:38And that's why it's so disappointing to hear my Democrat colleagues in this hearing today have been focused on paintings hung in your building and racist roads. Mr. Secretary, you commented earlier on this uh during Mr. Garandi's time and I'd like to give you the chance to expand on your thoughts, but do you think that spending money to extend the previous administration's racial equity pet programs is a distraction from the department's core mission?
▶ 4:06:09I I think the core mission is safety. And can just as a to go a history lesson in 2009 or 10 the Congress uh under Barack Obama's leadership spent $800 billion on infrastructure a stimulus bill and then we spent another what$ 1.3 uh billion dollar or $1.3 trillion in in the last Congress that's over $2 trillion. And I think we look around our communities and say, "Where's all the infrastructure? Where's the build?" And I think it's because money hasn't been used wisely.
▶ 4:06:36To your point, and I'm committed to making sure we spend money well so taxpayers can see the benefit of the money that's going into their Yes, sir. I agree. And I appreciate your commitment to that. Um, but I think the the reason to me that it's so disappointing to hear my colleagues kind of drift away from transportation and is because and you know this well, you went to North Carolina to western North Carolina uh in early February and you saw the destruction there and there there are real issues that are facing
▶ 4:07:06people in our communities and on this committee I'm the furthest west. So, I just I want to speak to those people um because President Biden and our former Governor Roy Cooper absolutely abandoned Western North Carolina and I'm so grateful for this administration for what they've done. On day one, they were in Western North Carolina. You and the very as soon as you were confirmed in the Senate, you were in Western North Carolina and there are roads and there are bridges that need to be rebuilt.
▶ 4:07:30And I just want to know what the department's uh you know how committed are you all to making sure that western North Carolina and places like Texas that have just experienced flooding are are rebuilt uh in a smart way. So so North Carolina uh I think I40 critical artery um we worked throughout government to make sure we can get rock that was closer uh to the roadway cutting off uh months of the rebuild bringing down the cost.
▶ 4:07:58But again, uh I think sometimes when we come from rural communities, um people are forgotten. And I think uh to that point, North Western North Carolina was uh I think arguably forgotten. Uh President Trump, I'm not going to forget Western North Carolina. We are not going to forget Texas. We are already providing technical assistance to Texas. And with all of your help, we're going to provide resources to Texas uh in regard to their infrastructure that was destroyed by the flooding. Well, thank you, Mr. Secretary.
▶ 4:08:28I'd yield back. Thank you. I now recognize Representative Fushi. Thank you, and thank you, Secretary Duffy, for being here with us today. And thank you for what you just said about North Carolina. And I promise you I will not drift away from infrastructure. Um, I want to start by saying I appreciate you and your team's commitment to reviewing the backlog of DOT grants and your success in releasing so many to the obligation phase.
▶ 4:08:57The North Carolina Department of Transportation has two major grants not yet obligated for the S-line corridor that runs north from Raleigh to Virginia to the Virginia state line. I'm pleased to share that the department has signed a purchase agreement with the host railroad and others to secure the corridor and is now in the due diligence phase with a plan closing in late fall.
▶ 4:09:22to remain on this closing timeline and to stay true to the timeline of opening the first segment of the S-line to passenger service between Raleigh and Wake Forest, we need to proceed to obligation with the Chrissy grant awarded to DOT in 2021 and the federal state partnership grant awarded in 2023. Can you shed any light on when those two critical grants for North Carolina will be obligated?
▶ 4:09:51I I know that we are um we're working on that. I've had a brief on that, how important it is to to North Carolina. Um and so specifics on timelines on priorities of grants. I can get back to you on where we're at on the But you're not the only one who's reached out. I know it's important, but to a lot of people. Thank you for that.
▶ 4:10:10Um, and as the committee begins to craft its surface transportation reauthorization bill, we've heard from a large number of stakeholders about the importance of multi-year funding certainty to successfully plan and execute transportation projects. In North Carolina, for instance, the certainty provided in the IGA has delivered billions in infrastructure projects, including the S-line project previously mentioned.
▶ 4:10:38Do you support Congress passing a multi-year surface transportation bill to build more highway, bridge, transit, and rail infrastructure project? I I do, and I think certainty matters in a multi-year uh bill. It helps accomplish that. Thank you for that. And finally, over the past few months, my staff and I have led numerous meetings with air traffic controllers from my home state.
▶ 4:11:04Um, these conversations have only served to confirm what we all know to be true, that the FAA is facing a dire shortage of air traffic controllers. I'm glad to hear that there are more on the way. This was further substantiated back in January.
▶ 4:11:19So, can you talk about how many air traffic controllers does the FAA expect to hire throughout the remainder of this year and next year to help bridge this critical staffing shortage and provide some relief to um those who are overworked um in our towers across the country and ensure as best that we can that the maximum level of air traffic safety for the public? Yeah, that's a really good question.
▶ 4:11:46We're hoping to get to 2,000 this year up to 2500 next year. our uh supercharge effort has been successful and just I know you're over but the complication of trying to make this work is it's really easy to say it but it's been really hard to do and we put a lot of time and effort and I think we're seeing the fruits of that but we have to recognize that once they get out of the academy they still have to be certified and that can take a year to three years and so we don't see results right away but
▶ 4:12:16it's our effort today that's going to show um real benefits in the in the years to Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I yield. Thank you, Mr. Herd. You're recognized for three minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Duffy, welcome. Thanks for the great work that you and the Department of Transportation are doing when it comes to hard infrastructure, when it comes to removing the red tape that prevents us from building quickly and effectively.
▶ 4:12:38My district is uh most of western and southern Colorado and that hard infrastructure is something that's critical for us particularly on Interstate 70 which is a vital economic artery in our state uh through the Glenwood Canyon section. That's something that I know folks back home uh care about and it's important for our country as well. People traversing across um our wonderful state rely on that safe and reliable infrastructure. Um and thank you for being here today to talk about the department's uh important needs and priorities in in the Trump administration.
▶ 4:13:06I want to follow up on one area of concern that was raised by uh previous members of uh the Colorado delegation for the uh during the Biden administration about um uh Department of Transportation in the state of Colorado treatment of work zone safety. Unfortunately, there was a 53% increase in work zone crashes in Colorado in 2024, including a tragic incident uh last September in my home county, Mesa County, where we lost the lives of three people.
▶ 4:13:31Um this increase in work zone fatalities happened on the heels of the Colorado Department of Transportation releasing their own safety plan in 2020 trying to uh deal with this um issue and there have been accusations that SOT improperly used safety equipment and withheld traffic flow plans from contractors. Um, Secretary Duffy, I really appreciate the work you've been doing to highlight the importance of roadway and work zone safety, particularly through the National Work Zone Awareness Week campaign and the department's safe roads initiative.
▶ 4:14:01Are you aware of any oversight work that's been done in the past few years to ensure state departments of transportation are adequately following work zone safety regulations? And how could we in Congress potentially help with enforcement through surface author surface transportation reauthorization legislation? So oversight's a key function uh as as well as safety at DOT.
▶ 4:14:22Um I'm not I'm not aware of work on uh oversight in regard to this Colorado incident, but again it's important that there's listen there's best practices to to keep our road workers safe and we have to make sure we are implementing those. And I think enforcement is a a big part of it as well. By the way, I spent a lot of time on I78. I was a bus driver in Breenriidge, Colorado between undergrad and law school. um a lot of time important artery as well through your great state. Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
▶ 4:14:49I uh my u mother-in-law is actually from Europe visiting uh visited Glenwood Canyon for the first time 20 years ago and her eyes were looking up at the amazing uh beauty of that canyon. Uh when she came back 20 years later, she was looking down at the road wondering what had happened to the infrastructure there in that in that part of our state. So that's a perfect example of the importance of prioritizing those uh wonderful uh arterial critical pathways that we have in our in our country. Uh thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.
▶ 4:15:18With that, I will yield the remainder of my time back. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. Thank you. Uh Mr. Duzio, you're recognized for three minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary, hello. I I I heard you mention just a minute ago or a few minutes ago, not forgetting the people of North Carolina who are recovering. Uh I will tell you I think a lot in this body, many in this body have forgotten the people of East Palestine in Beaver County who are still waiting for Congress to act on rail safety.
▶ 4:15:46Uh President Trump then as a candidate came to East Palestine and told folks there, "You're not forgotten in 2023." Vice President Vance just this February again said, quote, "This community will not be forgotten, will not be left behind, and we are in it for the long haul." JD Vance in the Senate was my co-lead on the Railway Safety Act. President Trump supports the bill. I Let's start with Secretary. I assume you also want this Congress to pass Railway Safety Act and give it to the president to sign. Of course. Very good. We should do that.
▶ 4:16:15I would urge you to use every tool you have in the treasure in the transportation department to encourage my colleagues here to pass the bill and get it to the president's desk. It's got support on both sides of the aisle. We should pass it. So, I hope you'll work with us to do It's nice to see a bipartisan bicameal effort. So, well done. We don't have many of those. Uh, shifting gears with the little time I have to aviation and a maintenance issue. I represent Pittsburgh International Airport. Uh, it's American Airlines second largest maintenance base. Lots of good jobs there.
▶ 4:16:45Those are people working hard taking care of our aircraft. There's an outsourcing problem though. Uh, there are facilities in places like El Salvador, Mexico, and China where they are undercutting American jobs. The airlines are shifting the maintenance work and they are not required to have their workers meet the same standard as American workers. Your department, I think, can fix this. There's a rule the FAA could issue to require the same kinds of certifications and testing. What's the holdup? Will you commit to getting this thing done so we can stop this outsourcing?
▶ 4:17:14Well, I'm just no hold up. I'll I'll take it's an issue that uh we have discussed uh at DOT and with the FAA. We have had a lot on our plate. Uh, but we can walk into chew gum at the same time. Uh, I'll take a second look at where we're at and uh, we can have a conversation about it. Thank you. I think this is a no-brainer for good, solid jobs. And again, I don't think anybody in here wants to see powerful corporations outsourcing maintenance jobs that we can be doing in the United States, my district or otherwise. So, thank you for your efforts on that.
▶ 4:17:44Um, Mr. Chairman, I'll yield back. Thank you. Thank you. I'm going to recognize myself for three minutes. Secretary, thank you for joining us. I know it's been a marathon you sitting in that desk. Uh appreciate your sacrifice. I'm going to lead you a little bit if you don't mind. Um it's going to be specific to air traffic controllers. We're we're talking about um a profession that is working with a technology that is decades old and only just because I had a little bit of my own taste of this.
▶ 4:18:13when trying to transition a workforce into a newer technology, sometimes employees don't like letting go of Windows 95. And so I know there's going to be some some challenges, some emotions, some some In a perfect world, how do you see the dollars, the seed money that we're providing being implemented under your leadership with air traffic control? And then if there's going to be a second phase and Thursday phase, what would you hope that Congress be would be willing to do?
▶ 4:18:42So, thank you for that question. NACA has been supportive of our our effort. We're going to have to train uh the controllers up on the new system. When we when we have it, it's ready to deploy. But we're dealing with in the 12.5 billion hard infrastructure again. The telecom, which we saw was failing in Newark. And we see blips throughout the system around the country, not as big as Newark, but we're using copper. So, that's that's going to transition. Radios, voice switches, new radar. That's a hard infrastructure.
▶ 4:19:13But when you think of a brand new air traffic control system, it really is this common automation platform. We're not going to be able to take something off the shelf. We have a very unique airspace. So, it's going to take time to develop that. Uh we need the resources to start that process. That is probably the longest process for us, but but for you know building towers and new new tracons and centers.
▶ 4:19:36Um but once we have that I we need to have these air traffic controllers in place because as some are controlling the airspace others have to be trained up on the new system and so there is some complication as we do that and then the switch over and how we do that's going to be incredibly important. Um but we have to get that new system ready to deploy and that we'll there's there's companies around the world there's great companies in America.
▶ 4:20:03We have to find the best that's going to fit our airspace and then test it and then have it ready for deployment. That's going to be about $6 billion for that portion of it. A lot of the other money is going to come in the form of infrastructure around the again the towers, the centers, and the traycons. We also want a flow management system so um we can better manage when when you leave the gate, you're going to take off and you're going to fly and you're going to land like a flow management system is going to be way better for um efficiency in the airspace.
▶ 4:20:31And if you care about the the the the green part of America, we use less fuel by this flow management system. A lot of tools that we still have to get from from all of you. Thank Thank you for your leadership on Um next we have Miss Pelt. You're recognized for three minutes. Thank you, Secretary. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 4:20:53Um, as one of the two me uh committee members from the great state of New Jersey, uh, fixing the chaos at uh, Newark Airport has been one of my top priorities. I agree with you, Mr. Secretary, that major investments are needed to bring to bring our air control uh, uh, traffic air traffic control system up to date. And I've called for at least a two billion dollars in emergency FAA uh funding to upgrade the technology and equipment.
▶ 4:21:23We must resolve the delays and the cancellations at Newark Airport. At the same time, we need to prevent the huge technology failures there um from happening right uh right at this very moment as they are happening every everywhere um elsewhere. Mr.
▶ 4:21:43Secretary, back in May, I I sent a letter along with our ranking member Larson uh and my New Jersey colleagues asking the acting FAA administrator to explain the cause of the flight uh disruptions at NORC. Unfortunately, I have yet to receive any response. So, I'm hoping that today you might be able to provide us with some clarity.
▶ 4:22:07Uh, Secretary Duffy, uh, you recently announced that you've replaced the outdated copper uh, connections at Norc Airport. How will you ensure that this prevents uh, the new wire related issues similar to what happened in Norc uh, earlier this year? I can answer the question for you here. Thank you. Um, so the last administration moved um, the the Traycon from N90 that was controlling Newark, they moved it to Philadelphia. Yes. They didn't test the lines, right?
▶ 4:22:37The the new line should have been put in before that move was made. They didn't do it. They were seeing problems uh with that line in the last administration. We saw it, you saw it all too well with the cancellations and delays in in in Newark in late April and May. Uh we worked with our our corporate partners. That line was laid by Verizon in one month. Yeah. And that went from from Philly, by the way, Philly Treycon controls Newark to N90 in New York, right? That was the problematic line.
▶ 4:23:06That's been laid, it's been tested, it's been activated. We are in the process of running a line now from N90 to uh to Newark. Uh that has not been a problem line, but it is going to be upgraded with with new fiber. Thank you. Thank you for that. Let me just say, I know that I only have 30 seconds left, so I know that we're very short in time. I've um I've been concerned by this administration's repeatedly uh withholding funding for vital programs and projects.
▶ 4:23:32I was dismayed when the administration slashed over one-third of the funding for the uh dock bridge that has more than 700 trains a day. How many other projects will the department be looking to gut? uh is about how is it possible to cut more than onethird of the project cost and claim that the same outcome is still possible? Um Mr.
▶ 4:23:58Chairman, I I'd be happy if if time is permitted to give the secretary an opportunity to answer. If not, I will yield back. Thank you. I'll just real quick, I'll take a look at that. I don't we haven't slashed funding. And again, that's a common theme I keep hearing, but again, you you you can't blame me when I've been given so much work. And again, I'll show you the charts. We're we are getting more grants out the door than the prior administration was in their first quarters of every single year. And so there have been some like UTC's that we've canled.
▶ 4:24:28There's been some bad money, but roads and bridges we have not canceled. It's taken some time to get money out the door, but you got announcements, but the real work is putting the grant agreements together and uh that takes the time. So it's fun for the last administration to have balloons and kazoos and announce things, but not doing the work. We're actually doing the work to get your money out the door and you're all complaining, but the complaint shouldn't be with me. It should have been with the last administration. You have 400 projects from 2022.
▶ 4:24:56So, I wasn't here last at the last session. Let me just say I appreciate what you're saying, but here's what I'm trying to secretary that onethird of the funding for the 90year-old has uh been impacted. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. Please understand you can submit questions in writing to the secretary. Mr. Barrett, you're recognized for your three minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And uh Secretary, thank you again for being here.
▶ 4:25:22I uh mentioned to you on our weigh- in that my mom and dad had a little opportunity to spend some time with your wife in Michigan, and they were really uh uh appreciative of that. So, please extend our thanks to your wife on on behalf of our family, too. So, thank you for that. Uh wanted to ask you about um I think as you acknowledged in your opening remarks your first day in office that we had this tragic collision here over the airspace in Washington DC and that military aircraft that collided with the American Airlines flight.
▶ 4:25:48I've actually introduced a bill that would begin the process of adding the collision avoidance system that our civilian aircraft have and apply that to our military rotary wing aircraft that generally speaking do not carry that on board. I flew the same Blackhawk helicopters that had that tragic collision uh over the airspace just a few miles from here.
▶ 4:26:09Uh I'm curious if you have any um thoughts on, you know, some of the interoperability of these systems like TCAST, like ADSB that may have prevented this accident from happening. Obviously, there was this whole chain of circumstances that led to that that collision and failures at different levels, but I'm curious on your thoughts about some of these uh pilot assisted systems like TCAST or ADSB and what they might have done to So, I I'm grateful that you're all focusing on this.
▶ 4:26:38Uh again, I think the rules were too loose and again, if if if uh there's military missions, 100% we want to make sure that you can fly with uh without notice, right? We don't want TCAST. We don't want um other systems at play. But if you're flying a mission, if you're moving VIPs from the Pentagon, we should all see the space. And um I I would welcome the opportunity to to work with you.
▶ 4:27:08And by the way, if we're going to fly I get we have to fly missions in DC. It's a this is a critical place in America, but you also don't have to fly those missions at 6:00 at night. You could fly them at 2 o'clock in the morning. Let's train at different times when there's far less traffic in our airspace. Really smarter. Yeah, I I agree with you and I appreciate your effort to really restrict the airspace for those types of flights when we have civilian air traffic as congested as it is that would potentially lead to that interference.
▶ 4:27:38I know that as soon as that military unit restored operations, there was a a near miss of only a couple hundred feet and that I know animated your reaction. Can you tell us what uh I guess where you've been at with the Secretary of Defense or with the other agencies responsible for that and and you know that we can be assured that there is that deconliction going on. The Secretary of Defense has been incredibly cooperative. He's a old friend of mine um and my family's uh he's he he is working with us. He understands what we're trying to accomplish.
▶ 4:28:08Uh at some point if we can figure this out uh he has he has interests in equities that I want to be considerate of. But I have to be focused on my priority which is safety. Um and he understands that and we've had a lot of different conversations uh me with him but also our teams. Great. Thank you. Really appreciate it. Thank you sir. Miss Gillan you're recognized for three Thank you Mr. Chairman and thank you secretary for spending time with us today. So I don't have a lot of time.
▶ 4:28:36I have three items three minutes that I have to talk about. Three items that I'd love to work with your office uh to get done for my district and the American people. The first thing is road safety. Uh my district on Long Island in New York has a serious car accident every seven minutes. It's unacceptable and this is part of a nationwide trends with dangerous roads. I wrote to your office in March um and asked you to help focus on solving this problem.
▶ 4:29:02I appreciated your prompt response and your uh pointing to the road uh safer roads for all um program that you have. And now folks in my district, the largest village in New York State, the village of Hemstead, are trying to become part of that program um to make sure that they can have safer roads in Hemstead where they have the d most dangerous intersection on Long Island, which is right by a church and right by a school.
▶ 4:29:26So my quick question is, will you commit to continue working with my office to make sure that we can have what could be a pilot program not only for Long Island, but for the rest of our country? Thank you. All right. Number two. Number two is a key step that we can do to make our roads safer is getting impaired and drunk drivers off the road.
▶ 4:29:44Um, in 2021, Congress passed the halt drunk driving law, which was a bipartisan leg piece of legislation requiring all new vehicles to be equipped with advanced anti-drunk driving technology that could save almost 10,000 lives a year. However, the prior administration failed to implement the law and the National Highway Traffic Safety Association still has not issued the critical rule uh in more than four years since the bill has passed.
▶ 4:30:07I believe together we can all save lives that should not be wasted and not be lost for senseless drunk driving accidents. Will your office work with this body and my office to make sure that we start to implement that law? Yeah, and I had a lot of conversations with Senator Ben Ray Luhan who's been a leader in this as well. Um, again, want we want to make sure the technology is right.
▶ 4:30:28I look forward to working with you and just it is drunk driving 100%, but it's these these have been distracting everybody and it's almost like drunk driving because people aren't paying attention and uh it's becoming a huge issue. It it distracted driving is of course a huge issue, but one of the worst drunk driving accidents that ever happened on in New York happened on Long Island where a 5-year-old flower girl in a limousine was killed in a gruesome manner by a man who could barely even stand and walk out of the bar.
▶ 4:30:58So, we need to She shouldn't be dead. We can fix this. Thank you. And the last thing I only have 28 seconds. We talked about a little bit before the hearing. I actually beat Congressman Mast to requesting that you come to my dis district to um visit Treycon N90, which is the air traffic control space that controls some of the busiest skies in the country. Um and I believe you agreed to come. I look forward to working with you and welcoming you to the New York's fourth congressional district and I appreciate your commit commitment to making our skies safe. The busiest.
▶ 4:31:28Yes. Look forward to it. Thank you, Mr. Beggage. You're recognized for three Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, Secretary Duffy, in 2021, the FAA issued the FAA Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative or FOZY final report to ensure the FAA is engaging with Alaskan stakeholders and ultimately addressing the the state's safety needs, including those around outdated and altogether absent critical infrastructure.
▶ 4:31:56In last year's FAA reauthorization bill, Congress bolstered Fozzy and renamed it after the late Don Young, whose portrait hangs on these walls. Point remains that the FAA needs to maintain and enhance their efforts to increase aviation safety in my state. I was very pleased when earlier this year uh you and the FAA announced a $25 million investment uh in this initiative.
▶ 4:32:20On top of the 25 million, this majority allocated even more funding for essential safety equipment through the one big beautiful bill, including another 40 million for the Don Young Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative and 80 million for the weather system improvements.
▶ 4:32:34Can you talk about your thoughts uh regarding the importance of aviation safety in the state of Alaska and will you commit to ensuring the FAA will use this funding in a timely manner to improve the availability and reliability of aviation safety in I don't mean to be offensive, but sometimes people forget Alaska uh and the aviation accidents that happen there. Way too many. Um and that is you're not going to be forgotten in this administration.
▶ 4:33:00As you can tell, we have paid attention to Alaska and the safety needs and concerns that you have, and I'm going to continue to work with you and your Senate delegation to make sure we're doing right by your state. By the way, I'm going to come up in early August. I was I I was uh uh strictly committed to making sure I make that trip in the first year. So, uh I might actually fish for a day, too. Excellent. We're looking forward to hosting you in Alaska. It's a big place as you know and uh we have a lot of unique challenges.
▶ 4:33:29I know there's a lot of other unique parts of uh the United States but Alaska truly is unique and special in that respect. Um I think your point is well made. We don't have if you want to build roads for us that's great but if you're not we want to have we need air travel that's going to work 100%. 82% of Alaska's communities are not connected to a road system. Um and that leads me to my next point. Uh as we just wrap up with the time available I know you're familiar with the essential air service program. This is an important program uh for the state of Alaska.
▶ 4:33:58Uh can you reconfirm that the AA EAS program will continue to be supported by this DOT? 100%. I'm a supporter of essential air service. I it was in my communities in northern Wisconsin as well. Uh it's uh it's critical for the communities that have access to it. Thank you for your commitment. Looking forward to seeing you back in my home state of Alaska and appreciate all your You have the most of anybody like you have like 80. You have How many airports are EAS? Do you know? Oh, it's it's more than 80. That's right. Yeah. I think there's everybody else and then there's Alaska. They they're equal.
▶ 4:34:28Exactly. Thank you for your leadership, Mr. Secretary. I yield back. Mr. Figures. You're recognized for three Thank you, Mr. Chair. Secretary Duffy. Thank you. Uh thank you for being here with us and bearing with us through this uh through this changing schedule.
▶ 4:34:45Um, I represent Alabama's second congressional district, uh, which is a region that, uh, sits at the heart of the southeast transportation network from critical highways and rail lines to key aviation assets and one of the fastest growing ports in the country. In fact, right now, they are deepening the port of Mobile. And when that uh, deepening is complete here in the next several weeks hopefully, but certainly in the next several months, it will be the deepest port uh, between our Mexican border and Charleston, South Carolina.
▶ 4:35:13So the entire Gulf region and up uh roughly halfway up the eastern seabboard. Um our district is also uh home to Montgomery Regional Airport, the Port of Mobile and the future Mobile International uh airport. So I certainly invite you down to come look at us.
▶ 4:35:26I think we're the poster child right now of congressional districts in terms of ongoing infrastructure projects with the port being deepened, the airport relocating, becoming an international airport, and also um the largest shovel ready infrastructure project in the country right now with I 10 uh Bayway Bridge uh which is very vital to the region. Um that's why the work of this committee and the leadership of your department is so important to to what I do and and to my constituents. And so that being said, I'd like to ask about a few of those uh questions.
▶ 4:35:56So I mentioned Mobile's airport, but also Montgomery uh regional airport. These are smaller airports um in scale and scope. And so what can you tell me about how you guys are prioritizing making sure that midsize airports are not left out of funding distribution uh in this administration? Yeah. So uh first off, you have a lot of uh transportation equities. Yeah, we do. You do. good committee to serve on. Uh we have to do is this has to be needs-based, right?
▶ 4:36:25Because again um there's some needs in some places more than others and we have to take those the the the older um falling apart infrastructure. We have to put that at the top of the list. But um and again you might say well N90 has to be at the top of the list and other facilities have to trump um more midsize or or smaller facilities. I think no pun intended, right? That's right. I don't know if I or maybe it was intended. I don't know.
▶ 4:36:52But no, but I think we have to have a a holistic and fair view for everybody uh who needs resources for their facilities and their communities. And I just again I uh I I'm a I'm a I'm a fiscal hawk, but I we need money for this. And if there's there's no better money spent, I think no more important infrastructure than making sure um our facilities, our air travel is safe. And um and not to cut you off, but I want to get one more in. Um, I mentioned the the Bay Bridge project.
▶ 4:37:20That bridge uh was a recipient of the bridge investment program uh grant in the last administration. Um, and I was proud to just recently yesterday lead a bipartisan effort with Congressman Eel uh on this committee as well to to reauthorize that program uh and make some changes to it. And so we definitely want to make sure that we are uh doing everything that we can to further that funding, streamline that funding, and get that funding out the door to reputable projects. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Kn. You're recognized for three Afternoon, Mr. Secretary.
▶ 4:37:50I'll cut right to the chase and and pick up where you left off. There's no better dollar spent than making sure that our infrastructure is deployed efficiently and effectively uh especially as it relates to air travel. And in my uh home state, uh Raleigh Durham Airport, it is the paradigm example of regulatory inefficiencies, specifically with an already permitted project. Delays from other federal agencies have come in, stopped the project. There's been years long years with a with an s long delays.
▶ 4:38:20It's more than doubled the cost. That increases um obviously burdens on the economy. It increases burdens on taxpayers. It increases burdens on all of us who use that airport. Candidly, I think it's unconstitutional just to have an arbitrary delay on an already permanent project. Is this is this a problem that's that's affecting projects all over the country? And if so, what can we do about it? First off, you make a good point. Time is money, right? Yes, the delays uh sometimes doubling the cost of projects.
▶ 4:38:48So, moving the dollars more quickly is is important. Uh but again, we see that we we see regulations um and permitting requirements. Again, I'm not opposed to permitting. I'm not opposed to having some regulation. But the issue with this one was there was a permit already received and so then they come in from a separate agency. The EPA comes in and all projects stop. Not to cut you off. Sorry. Go ahead. Let's let's work together on that again.
▶ 4:39:14And there's been a better effort in this administration to have departments work together to streamline the process to to move infrastructure forward. Like you, the president wants these these uh these projects built. Yes. And building a road, building a runway, it's not rocket science. And having it stopped for two, three, four, five years is just outrageous. It's insanity. Yes. Um happy to follow up with you on that. Would love to work together.
▶ 4:39:39Um, and then secondly, in regards to your department's priorities, what are they as they relate to the the the vital infrastructure needs of the country? I'm going to tell you, so I would say I want to I I want air traffic control. The infrastructure around air traffic. I want big beautiful roads and bridges. I want to build them more efficiently. um I want to fix the uh the Merchant Marine Academy. I think we have to be innovators in regard to drones, Evats, these Ubers in the air um and autonomous vehicles. Fantastic.
▶ 4:40:09Um, we outside of AI, I think we're the most innovative space. You always see us in in colored vests and hard hats. It's actually really innovative. We have to get this right if we're going to win the future. I think it's going to change the way people move and products move in the And uh that has been a a focus as well. And also the um the ships act from the president. It's going to be a critical component of what we do at DOT. We're going to need your help on the money side of this, but this is important for national security, building ships and sailing ships out of this country.
▶ 4:40:37So what you're saying is even after the big beautiful bill, we're not finished with ATC. For sure you are not done. More work to do. All right. Well, Mr. Secretary, thank you for your time. Look forward to talking to you soon. Thank you, Mr. Washington. Ask for a point of privilege. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, Secretary, I just came back to say thank you for uh being here for um, you know, obviously being patient through the votes uh, as well and committing your time uh, to us to help us understand uh, a little bit about what where we want to take DOT and to answer our questions.
▶ 4:41:05So just came back came back to say thank I appreciate and if I can just make one point I you and I work really well together Mr. Ranking member and to the whole committee. This is I think this is a unique space where there's a lot of fights that happen politically. This is a space that is probably one of the most bipartisan spaces that we have in Congress because the infrastructure is not partisan. We all we we drive on blue roads and red roads across all of our states and districts. And um I'm committed to working across the aisle and with everybody to make that happen together.
▶ 4:41:34Thank you, Miss Friedman. You're recognized for three minutes. Thank you, Secretary Jeffrey. Thank you, Secretary Jeffrey, for being here. I also want to thank you for a very productive conversation, and I hope it's one of many, and that we keep the conversations going. Um, in your April appearance before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, you remarked that the 2028 Olympics is not just representative of Los Angeles, but as of America as a whole. I really appreciated that quote.
▶ 4:42:01Um, I share in the administration's stated enthusiasm for America's games and the president's expressed desire to quote, "be supportive in every way possible and make them the greatest games." In anticipation of the arrival of the estimated 15 million ticket holders at the Olympics, I joined my colleagues in requesting $500 million in the president's fiscal 2026 budget in a dedicated account for providing and operating public transportation uh services.
▶ 4:42:27And I was disappointed to see no dedicated investments for transportation services in the 28 Olympics in the president's budget or the um FY26 budget justification from DOT. Certainly, as America looks to compete on the global stage, we have to safely and efficiently move people around Los Angeles and we already have too much congestion as it is in our roads. We want to put our best foot forward.
▶ 4:42:51Um, we saw Paris and Paris got worldwide praise for their ability to really have first world transit uh in that city for the people that were coming there. But they invested over 500 million euros in improvements to prepare for the games, a benefit that their their residents will be able to now have for many years to come. We need a similar investment in LA Metro to make these games successful.
▶ 4:43:17Otherwise, they will not be as good as I think all of us would like them to see. So, I'm just hoping that you can today commit to continue working with Congress, with the LA delegation to ensure appropriate investments for transportation upgrades for the 2820 Olympics and Parah Olympic So, I would just note the president loves sports. Uh he he loves what's going to come next year with the World Cup with FIFA. I think he's excited about the Olympics as well. We have to showcase how great this country is.
▶ 4:43:47Uh I would I don't like to say this, but the the greatest equity is security at the Olympics. But the second issue is transportation. A lot of people have to move through a very small area. Uh so I'm committed to working with LA. I've already met with the Olympics team. Uh again, you guys control the money. It's that's you have the power of the purse, but I stand willing, ready uh to partner with you and make sure that this goes off incredibly well and we showcase this great country. Thank you.
▶ 4:44:16And in terms of just the airports, we also need to make sure that we have enough people to deal with visas, to get tourists into the country that they feel confident that when they come in, they're going to have a smooth experience getting into the country, getting to their destination. So, I would also just throw out that we need to also make sure that we do everything we can to have enough personnel on the ground. We don't want people going home and saying, "I stood in line for five hours at LAX or I mean I represent Hollywood Burbank Airport, but they're probably not flying in there." Um, but uh we want to make sure they have a great experience.
▶ 4:44:46So, I look forward to working with you on all of that. One of the non-public portions of our cabinet meetings, this issue was brought up. The president mentioned that to the to the Secretary of State. Again, the president wants to make sure this is seamless and beautiful. Uh, and so again, it's all of us working together to make that happen. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Mr. Kennedy, you're recognized for three Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm from Utah. the fastest growing state in the country. And Secretary Duffy, you look remarkably fresh as a guy who sat in that chair potentially for four and a half hours. So anyways, I'm impressed.
▶ 4:45:13I'm a family doctor, so I I analyze people and you uh unless you have a drone or you're a robot, you you look like you just showed up. So I'm I'm glad that you're here. Well, um as the fastest growing state in the country and actually we're we on the Olympic theme, we also will be hosting the Olympics, the Winter Olympics in 2034.
▶ 4:45:31um we're not in an as mergent circumstance as maybe Los Angeles is, but but you and I and working with our state legislative leaders, I I'll just say the governor, the the uh Senate President as well as the speaker of the house and the state of Utah want to be a pilot project for things you talked about in your opening testimony as to air taxis and drones and the fact that we can looking to the future nine years from now.
▶ 4:45:55We can do all sorts of legacy things today that are going to help us set up so that tomorrow actually looks better than it currently would as far as we can expect. So, so I'm I'm just offering to you first the state of Utah has a pioneering spirit.
▶ 4:46:07We want to be innovative and if you look at pilot projects that could be useful for the state of Utah, our governor, our senate president as well as speaker of the house, myself and our congressional delegation stand ready to do those pilot projects so we can demonstrate the greatness of the United States of America for Los Angeles as well as Salt Lake Olympics that are coming up. I don't know if that's Utah talking points, but I think everyone has said the same thing.
▶ 4:46:28You guys want to innovate and you want our partnership and we have ideas that when I was in Utah that I that I pitched and but if you have ideas as well as how we can be innovative and that goes to everybody we're looking for innovative ideas. I'm going to tell that to your state DOS that are going to be at the at our headquarters tomorrow. This we we have to think outside the box and how we're going to be more efficient. I believe you will. I'm excited to do that.
▶ 4:46:52I was wondering how do you uh as the fastest growing state in the country, how do you factor in that with the allocation of grants when it comes to of course we have three million people not 38 million people in the state but but how do you allocate grants and consider the growth rate associated? We do it we do it on need but we also look at future growth. Someone was giving me a hard time about uh about marriage and birth rates. That's a sign of future growth. Uh also how people move around the country and where they want to live in in great clean states like yours.
▶ 4:47:19Um, and we have to we we can't just think about today, we have to think about tomorrow as well and what kind of growth and expansion we're going to see in certain areas and make the investments beforehand. Uh, so we think about all of that. Um, it's not a one-sizefits-all, but that's a thoughtful process of all these factors come into consideration. Good. Well, we hope you'd keep that in mind as uh as we look at grants that could come to Utah.
▶ 4:47:41Finally, I'll I'll just finish by saying our UD do executive director Carlos Burceris has been appointed as the federal system funding alternative advisory board chair and at this point the the department of educa of transportation has not convened that meeting yet. I was I was curious if you know when that meeting would be convened or at what point for road usage charge considerations will we convene that meeting? Timeline on that I'm I'm not sure. I'll tell you that again everyone I have DOT's uh coming in tomorrow.
▶ 4:48:09I'm I have a advisory board that I'm going to kick off. That's why I'm going to the White House for that at 2:30. Um so again, I want I what we want is the government doesn't have the best answers and DOT doesn't have the best answers. We have to look to those who are on the ground and even business leaders and state leaders to partner with us to get those great ideas so we can serve the American people better. Carlos Brceris stands ready to work with you on that. In fact, if all you did was just tell him to go ahead and do that and give him a point person, he'll do it. With that, Mr. Chair, thank you. I yield back.
▶ 4:48:39Secretary, thank you very much for being with us today. Miss Hoy, you're recognized for three Uh, thank you and thank you, Mr. Secretary, for being here. as they've said, it's it's been a long day, but um you know, as you alluded to, the transportation infrastructure committee, it is the most functional committee in the House.
▶ 4:48:58And because we work through our disagreements, we um get things done so to bring taxpayer dollars back to our constituents by investing in transportation infrastructure that benefits generations of Americans. That shouldn't be partisan. Um to that end, there's a number of grants that have been awarded. I think you said something like 3,600. But um uncertainty about when or if the federal support will come through. I'll give you two examples.
▶ 4:49:26The first is um in Eugene, our airport traffic is up 40% since 2019. We won an FAA grant um to expand the terminal to meet the demand but now the federal funding is in limbo because of non our understanding is non-transportation related conditions and then as you know we have a great opportunity in the port of Kuz Bay to invest in our supply chain infrastructure.
▶ 4:49:53Canada's invested uh you know three billion dollars in their ports. Mex uh Mexico has invested in their ports and we can bring 8,000 jobs to a community that has been devastated. We we used to export lumber. We were the third busiest port in the world in the 70s. Now we export our children. My children have left our community because they couldn't find jobs. They moved up to the Portland metro area.
▶ 4:50:19So to that end, and you just talked about this, I feel like there's a disconnect that that we're getting punished because we don't have higher marriage and birth rates because our children leave because they don't have jobs.
▶ 4:50:33So with that in mind, how does the department plan to ensure funding decisions remain rooted in transportation need and that communities like the ones I represent don't suffer because it's that chicken and egg situation and and again we need to bring jobs and we need to deliver for these people. So uh how how can we confirm that fully executed grant agreements will be honored um as binding commitments?
▶ 4:51:01sweep contractors, workers, and work plans that are on hold. So, thank you. Just quickly, there there's there's a lot of requirements that were put in the NOFOS with the grants were when the grants were announced. We're going to pull that out and uh publicly your state may not like it, but privately they're going to be able to spend the dollars far more efficiently because there's less requirements that don't need to be there in the grant agreement. That's what we're doing.
▶ 4:51:27I don't ant most of these virtually all these are going to go through there's a few small ones that we pull back. So, um, I think that's I'm not going to say a talking point, but that's that's a narrative that I think is unfair. Cous Bay, as I think you know, this is this is an issue that we focused on at DOT. We think it's a great opportunity.
▶ 4:51:47Um, you have made this point very well, and again, it's I can't snap my fingers and make it happen, but I can commit to you that that is an issue that is a port that we are aggressively working on. uh and I we should have another uh deep water port on the on the west coast. And so this is um this makes a lot of sense, but it's again I can commit to you that we are working on it and is on top of mind. All right. Thank you so much. Really appreciate working with you in in a in that bipartisan way 100%. Thank you. Gentle lady yields back.
▶ 4:52:17Mr. Bandrew, you recognized for three minutes. Good to see you, Secretary. You know, they have the words baptism by fire and that's kind of what you've gone through and today's a marathon. It's an endurance race. I want to say thank you because quite frankly you were left a mess. There was a lot to do. Thank you for the work because you had a mess with the airports, with air traffic control, with the runways, with the towers, with computer technology, with the lack of fiber, and you've really risen up to make sure that we're filling in all those blanks.
▶ 4:52:46So, thank you for the work you've done. Um, secondly, uh, I want to thank you for coming to the tech center in New Jersey. And I know you're very proud of Wisconsin, but we need a little bit of pride for New Jersey. We got a lot going on this time of year at the shore. It's beautiful. Hope you get a little time there as well besides Wisconsin. Folks really appreciate it. Thirdly, real quickly. I wanted to talk to you about drones. Uh you and I have spoken a little bit about this. I still have some real concerns. I want to understand this better.
▶ 4:53:14And I know you may not be able to give me a conclusive answer today, but here's the bottom line. Last year, you all us in New Jersey, we've had these drone sightings. It wasn't just by people that were gadflies or weirdos or whatever you want to say. These were real people in law enforcement, real people at the nuclear power plants, real people that were in the Coast Guard and many, many others who were reputable, good people. Asked at that time before your time, FAA said they didn't know what they were about.
▶ 4:53:43We had Department of Defense in the past administration, other folks said they didn't know what they were about, but not to worry. You remember all those press conferences? nothing dangerous, nothing that could harm anybody, don't know what they're carrying, don't know what they're doing, don't know where they came from, don't know where they're going. And we saw a lot of them, and some of them really were drones.
▶ 4:54:02The problematic part is now we're hearing they were from the FAA, but the bottom line is the FAA in the last year, we had the Department of Defense spend money and the FBI spend money to come in and to investigate. So, and I don't know if you can answer this, the right hand not know what the left hand is doing. What do you think? I mean, what's really going on there? There is something there. Mr.
▶ 4:54:24Secretary, I don't want to get crossways with anyone else in the administration, but I was there in New Jersey, not far away from the president's bed minister property, and there were big drones flying over um over my house in my community.
▶ 4:54:43And uh I think the problem was that when you had about 3 days of that neighbor was talking to neighbor, it wasn't until later that equities came up to look at it. And at that point, I think the drones that your constituents that I saw were gone. And then people did see the kids drone next door. They did see an airplane in the sky.
▶ 4:55:06But before that, before the FBI was looking or the FAA was looking, by the way, I was I wasn't in the department then, they they were they were there before the eyes opened up to start to look. And I think that's the dis the discrepancy between when the public comment is we didn't see anything there. Well, that's because it happened before everyone got there. And I think that that that's what And it's weird. I thank you for your candid answer and I yield back.
▶ 4:55:36This is an issue that we all have to deal with as well. Uh it's important for national defense, national security, but it's also there's a commercial component that's critically important as well and I think we have to figure that out. It just takes some work. Gentleman yields back. Mr. Kylie, you recognize for three minutes. Good afternoon, Mr. Secretary. Uh thank you first and foremost for the build grant for Plaster County in my district. I can't tell you how significant this is going to be. Uh our area is a growing area unlike places like LA and San Francisco and California where people are are leaving.
▶ 4:56:07Uh we have communities that people want to live in. Uh but this has made traffic a huge issue and created bottlenecks like this one near 65 and 80 which has uh brought no small amount of of misery for our commuters has also had led to many accidents and sadly even some recent uh fatalities. Uh and this grant which will add a third lane and then an auxiliary lane uh is going to reduce the traffic by 50%. uh just the reduction in delays for trucks alone is going to pay for it in terms of the economic value. So, thank you. Your team was great to work with.
▶ 4:56:36Thank you for your support and Yeah, absolutely. I also want to say how refreshing it is to have a transportation secretary who embraces the future of transportation. Uh you've mentioned just how transformative technologies like AVs uh and air taxis are going to be and would love to work with you however I can to help uh usher in that future as safely and beneficially as possible. I appreciate that and I think this is one of the most exciting spaces.
▶ 4:56:59Again, it's kind of I don't it was when we had flip phones, we didn't know what the iPhone how to transform our lives that we'd be on social media and we'd bank and we'd have directions. I think we can't comprehend right now how this is going to change how again we move and our products move and it's a really cool time to be here and and frankly we we have to get it right and it's what we do but in partnership with all of you. Absolutely. Yeah, I think it's tremendously exciting. And then finally, uh, thank you for finally bringing some accountability to California highspeed rail.
▶ 4:57:27I appreciated the chance to be with you there in LA when we announced the compliance review. Uh, your report was extremely thorough and detailed, but the takeaway was pretty simple. California was given billions of dollars to build a high-speed uh, rail system and didn't build anything. Uh, and you know, I'm like you. I think it'd be great to have highspeed rail. Uh, what I'm against is spending unlimited amounts of money and getting absolutely nothing uh, in return. And California's political leadership has proven they're just not up to the task. There's actually an early operator uh who got up and left said we can't build this here.
▶ 4:57:57We need to go someplace where it's less politically dysfunctional. They went to North Africa and they brought a high-speed train online in Morocco in 2018 which works pretty well. And we've talked today about this initial segment Merced to Bakersfield which is now going to miss its 2033 deadline it looks like. But I don't know if you've heard about the big new bold ambitious plan uh from the CEO of the rail authority which is by the year 2045 20 years from now if everything goes perfectly then we'll have a line from Palmdale to Gilroy.
▶ 4:58:25So in order to actually make the trip from LA to San Francisco you have to take one transit system 2 hours from LA to Palmdale then hop on the highspeed train and then take a third transit system two hours from Gilroy to San Francisco. So, best case scenario, 20 years from now, you'll be able to ride three different transit systems on a six-hour trip that today you can make in an hour on any number of airlines. So, don't you agree that it's time we send a clear message that there will be no more federal funding for this disastrous project? I I think so.
▶ 4:58:53And there's a there's I believe the stat is every resident of San Francisco or LA could take 20 roundtrip tickets for the cost of this um of this project. And again, I appreciate your support. When we went uh out and talked about California highspeed rail, uh we had protesters there. They're angry at us. There's protesters in California. California itself should not be angry at DOT. They should be angry at the governor, the legislature, those who have been unable to deliver this project.
▶ 4:59:22If they could, we're ready, willing, and able to stand with them and all of us bipartisan would do it. But when they can't, it's only appropriate that we pull money and try to put it into projects that are actually going to be built. That's right. Couldn't agree more. Thank you very much. I yield back. Gentleman yields back. Mr. Burlson, you're recognized for three minutes. Thank you, Secretary Duffy. You're doing a fantastic job. I'm over here. Um, you're doing a fantastic job and and uh we're we're all proud of the work you're doing.
▶ 4:59:50Um I would I want to ask you about the twoperson rule on railroads and I want to ask you about the doge efforts within within your your department or agency. But first I want to ask a very simple question.
▶ 5:00:04So Mike Gold who is a former NASA um administrator he has he's come to Congress he's spoken to us he on the topic of UAPs and he said that NASA can have NASA has untolds numbers of videos and photos and things that that could be turned over to the public or like a private agency or or a nonprofit to comb through for using artificial intellge ence to
▶ 5:00:34identify um things. Would you be willing to work with me to to make that happen? So, I I'm happy to work with you. Uh again, today is my first official day, but I've spent it with all of you. I'm having a classified briefing on Friday uh over at NASA. Um again, this is I think that not just you, but I think America wants to know. Um I'd like to get more information, but obviously I'll coordinate and uh and communicate with you as as I get into the role. Thank you.
▶ 5:01:03Okay, regarding the twoman rule on the federal railroads, um, you know, this was put in under the Biden administration despite the fact that the did research and said that there's no differences for safety. The FRA also said there's no the data does not support this rule. Um, in your opinion, was the Biden rule misguided? Listen, I think um I I've the issue has been studied by uh the vice president JD Vance. he was supportive.
▶ 5:01:33Um, again, I think as technology evolves, if if we can have autonomous vehicles, maybe at one point that's on roads and you're this on a track. I agreed you might be able to get to that point. Uh, but as of now, I'm supporting uh the the the the twoman crew, but I do think there's opportunities for technological advancement. We never mind. We can't live in the horse age. We have to move forward with technology that and this is this improves cost and safety. That's right. Um my final question is tell me about Doge.
▶ 5:02:04Um your office you worked with the Doge um committee. Um how how was how is can you highlight some successes um of that effort? We we so we're looking for efficiency in government which is what every t this is not like a jobs agency. This is about deliverables and so if we can do more with less that leaves us more money for the projects that people care about. And what's happened with Doge, it's some really brilliant minds who would never give their time to government. Never. They were willing to come in and go, I'll help out.
▶ 5:02:34I'll help make my government work better. Yeah. And why wouldn't we take the best minds, some of the brightest minds to help us figure out that's a wasteful contract. You could do this way differently and save this much money. For a simple example, I don't know if in your offices you all have phones. Do how often do you use your telephone in your office on your My my staff do, but I don't. I don't. So, we we pulled the most of the phones out of DOT. It was like a is it $10 million that we saved on telephones that we don't use. Everyone uses a cell phone.
▶ 5:03:03Now, if you got to call us on a landline, we have you can call FRA, you can call FAA, but there's so many places that we waste money. And it's not how much money we spend, it's how much do we deliver for the American people. And I think sometimes that gets lost in the conversation. We're not about spending money, we're about delivering. And that's what we focused on. and I'm grateful for that team and and the insight they provided to us to make us more efficient and more responsive to the American people. Thank you. Appreciate you. I yield back.
▶ 5:03:33Gentlemen yields back. Are there any further members of the committee who have questions that have not been Seeing none, this concludes our hearing today. I'd like to thank our witness for his testimony. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. And this committee stands adjourned. Thank you.