▶ 0:15:47>> good morning, welcome, the senate committee on transportation will come to order. It is terrific to be here with everyone. I want to take eight few minutes to reflect on the last two years . I want to thank senator cantwell for her service as chair.
▶ 0:16:13We enjoyed a good working relationship as chairman and ranking member on this committee . I'm looking forward to the next two years serving as chairman. Two members on both sides of the committee, we will continue to move together in a bipartisan matter. This will be an active committee, we will have hearings, markups.
▶ 0:16:40We will have disagreements and at times even vigorous disagreements. At the same time, the commerce committee has a great tradition of working and be ineffective and productive. I also want to take a moment to welcome the newest members of this committee. There are quite a few. Welcome. You will enjoy this committee.
▶ 0:17:11It has a wonderful jurisdiction. It touches on everhing on the planet. It is a good group. I joked a minute ago. I joked about how judiciary and commerce are very different places. Judiciary is the roman coliseum and you strap on your armor and beat the living daylights out of everyone else.
▶ 0:17:39You come over to commerce and you put daisies in your hair. Half the time it is the same people that an hour earlier you were in one context and then the next. We will have fun and be busy.
▶ 0:17:57We are starting with the very first hearing with the confirmation of president trump's nomination of former wisconsin congressman sean duffy to be director of transportation. To ensure the fast, safe, efficient means of transportation. What has happened since?
▶ 0:18:26In 1966 man had yet to set foot on the moon. Now we are using drones in everyday life. Writing in driverless cars and sending private missions to space. Now elon musk has launched his car into space. A new era in transportation infrastructure is here. Congressman duffy is a dedicated servant well-qualified to lead this important department.
▶ 0:18:56In addition to a decade of service as a representative to congress, he's a former prosecutor, family man, and someone who cares deeply about the future of this country. As the father of nine, I have to say he was well suited to serve in congress. Used to a lot of screaming and otherwise unruly behavior.
▶ 0:19:22Congressman duffy knows firsthand the truth of president trump's comment on how important it is for families to be able to travel safely and with peace of mind. Congressman duffy partnered with members across the aisle to improve transportation. That includes members of this committee that he worked to fund the crossing. Replacing a decades-old bridge.
▶ 0:19:52He also advanced poor infrastructure improvements as cochair of the great lakes task force. Congressman duffy will promote a leaner, more important -- more efficient department of transportation. While investing in the nation's infrastructure and safety. I support his nomination and look forward to this hearing to hear more about his qualification for his vision. I will turn to ranking member cantwell.
▶ 0:20:24Sen. Cantwell: I understand it is the first time a texas senator has chaired this particular committee, the commerce committee, which is a very important committee in the united states but critically important for the state of washington. We had a long history of washingtonians being involved. The fact that the gavel is passing to you is a congratulations. I want to welcome our new members.
▶ 0:20:58Sen. Cantwell: We look forward to working with all of you and the returning members. I do believe we accomplished a lot working together with our colleagues. The format and infrastructure bill and faa reform. Expanding on those accomplishments later.
▶ 0:21:20Sen. Cantwell: I don't care whether we are in this chair or this chair, it is about getting things done for the american people. While those bills led to economic opportunity and manufacturer resurgence, the infrastructure investment we will talk about is critical to that.
▶ 0:21:40Sen. Cantwell: I believe there is more to do particularly as it relates to supply chains, making sure the transportation infrastructure, getting those people to work on public transportation system. I look forward to talking to the nominee about that. As we work out the rules of the committee, we have not done that yet. Getting paperwork in before the committee, we got yours and at 6:30 monday night.
▶ 0:22:12Sen. Cantwell: The new york times coverage of all of that. Literally it is about processing people so everybody feels confident we have done our casework. On the rules of committee I hope we could work out some. I believe the american people don't have enough confidence. I tried to operate working together because I want to show people that we can accomplish things that way. I'm very prideful to think after our markup.
▶ 0:22:45Sen. Cantwell: You came over to me and said that was good. I remember that because being processed over 100 amendments. A lot of people would've done things differently. Let's continue to grow the muscle of the commerce committee over your leadership and I look forward to working with you on that. To the nominee, congratulations to you and your family on that. We definitely like lumberjacks.
▶ 0:23:18Sen. Cantwell: You will go down as a story -- storied dot secretary. We definitely appreciate that. You know how important transportation is across many set, obviously the aviation sector being one of those.
▶ 0:23:42Sen. Cantwell: Making sure that as we focus on aviation safety following the faa bill, we need to make sure we hold the faa accountable and build the strong oversight culture so the investments we make, I appreciate you saying we would meet with the families. I also want to talk about the bipartisan infrastructure bill and those projects so important to us growing our economy.
▶ 0:24:14Sen. Cantwell: Everybody here represents a coastal state it doesn't matter, if you represent a midwestern state it is about getting the product to where it is exported. This investment is critically important and we look for to asking you questions about that. I also want to make sure we are continuing to make investment, that congress has already appropriated and the sign.
▶ 0:24:43Sen. Cantwell: Building resilient systems helps us drive an even bigger economy in the united states of america that is why programs are some that you and I had a chance to discuss in my office and I look forward to asking questions about that.
▶ 0:25:03Sen. Cantwell: I also just want to mention that as people continue to discuss other appointees to the department of transportation, Mr. bradberry has been nominated as the chief architect of the 2025 project. We want to know what you believe we should move forward on in investments in transportation.
▶ 0:25:28Sen. Cantwell: I know that you have a background here and understand this even looking at some of those issues as we relate to bolstering competition in the international airspace, which I very much appreciate. We have to make investments and move forward. I want to hear your thoughts on the service transportation at. Making sure we make these investments will be critical to the opportunities.
▶ 0:26:01Sen. Cantwell: Congratulations to you and welcome to your family.
▶ 0:26:04Chair Cruz: A bit of housekeeping. Yesterday we had several protesters. As a reminder, disrupting committee proceedings is against the law. Any approval or disapproval such as speaking or shouting is prohibited. Any lobbyists that get disruptive, our friends from the capitol police will remove you.
▶ 0:26:32Chair Cruz: With that, I'm pleased to welcome my friend, the senior senator from wisconsin, senator johnson for his remarks.
▶ 0:26:41Sen. Johnson: Members of the committee, it is my honor and privilege to be here to introduce wisconsin zone, sean duffy. The nominee for the department of transportation. I believe you have all met sean and had a chance to speak with him about his vision. I first met sean and his wonderful and slightly smaller at the time family when we were both running for congress.
▶ 0:27:12Sen. Johnson: As his family grew, so did his experience, knowledge, accomplishments. Sean is above all else, a family man. His wife rachel and his nine beautiful children. Eight of whom are with us here today. He began serving the public as district attorney where he worked to keep wisconsin's community safe. Nine years later he was elected to five terms as a leader of congress.
▶ 0:27:40Sen. Johnson: It was largely rural and comes with more than one third of our state. Sean and rachel found out their youngest child would be born with down syndrome and require open-heart surgery.
▶ 0:27:57Sen. Johnson: Sean made the difficult and correct decision to resign from congress valentina, now five years old and beautiful could be seen right here today on the floor. President trump has asked him to serve the country again and sean accepted without hesitation.
▶ 0:28:24Sen. Johnson: Lakes and waterways, they provided sean great opportunities to work across party and state line affecting his constituents frequently involved in the area of transportation. In congress, sean cochaired the great lakes task force. Many of you are familiar with the icebreaker position he worked on for several years.
▶ 0:28:53Sen. Johnson: He worked on a bipartisan basis with me, senators cole, cole butchart -- senator klobuchar, and senator franklin through exemption. He also worked in support of the essential air services communities. He passed a bill into law to pass weight limit to accommodate logging trucks.
▶ 0:29:19Sen. Johnson: He worked to address the shortage of commercial truckers to prevent trains from blocking crossings. He's passionate about safety and highway systems. He cannot wait to help harvest -- artist american for the better. Prioritizing safety, insuring infrastructure projects that connect our communities. We are fortunate he is willing to use serve the public again.
▶ 0:29:52Sen. Johnson: I recommend him to you without reservation and proud to introduce my friend to members of this committee. Thank you.
▶ 0:29:59Chair Cruz: Thank you and welcome. A strong display of bipartisan support. We also have the other senator from wisconsin, a republican and I'm at both supporting you -- republican and democrat both supporting you. >> it is my pleasure to introduce sean duffy as we introduce his nomination to serve as secretary of transportation.
▶ 0:30:28Chair Cruz: Sean and I have known each other for many years and have worked together in the wisconsin delegation during our time. As a wisconsin native, Mr. duffy is a former congressman representing the seventh congressional district from 2011 through 2019. In that time we partnered on shared priorities for our constituent including one that you have already heard about.
▶ 0:30:58Chair Cruz: It usually does not take an act of congress to build a bridge. It was needed in this particular instance for a new bridge over the river connecting wisconsin with minnesota.
▶ 0:31:14Chair Cruz: With the help from senator klobuchar, senator cole, senator johnson, sean duffy and I whipped our prospective caucuses and brought together a house majority necessary to pass legislation to replace an 80-year-old stillwater bridge. As sean could attest, this was a decade-long battle that resulted in a significant eye partisan win for our state.
▶ 0:31:42Chair Cruz: It was not a matter of right or left, just what was good for our situate, economy, and state. Today, the crossing that opened in 2017 has a shortened travel times, most importantly improved safety. This type of bipartisan work for the american people is what I expect to see from sean should he be confirmed. Our efforts show that when we work together we get important things done.
▶ 0:32:14Chair Cruz: I'm sure that will continue to be true. As my colleagues on the committee no, I will be the first to call out any efforts to roll back our rules or we can safety, increase costs, cutting funding for critical projects. At the end of the day, I'm confident sean is the right person for this job in this upcoming administration.
▶ 0:32:44Chair Cruz: I believe he will deliver for wisconsin families, businesses, and workers and he will work this committee through both sides of the aisle to improve our infrastructure and address the challenges that arise in the years ahead. I'm proud to join you today to introduce sean duffy to this committee.
▶ 0:33:08Chair Cruz: Thank you senator johnson and senator baldwin. You have other committees to attend to. Senator baldwin you are welcome to join us up here. I welcome congressman duffy for your opening remarks and I'm sure it will include introducing your beautiful family.
▶ 0:33:27Mr. Duffy: I hope I do that otherwise I'm in trouble. Members of the committee, it is a privilege to be before all of you today. I'm grateful for senator johnson and senator baldwin for the kind introduction. They come from the great state, the greatest state in the country. I appreciate that and your friendship and bipartisanship as well. It is an honor to be before this committee today.
▶ 0:33:59Mr. Duffy: I'm humbled by the fact that president trump nominated me to this very important position. It would be the privilege of a lifetime to serve the american people as the secretary of transportation. I look forward to closely working with this committee as we provide oversight and guidance to the department of transportation. I would like to introduce my family, my wife rachel and our nine children.
▶ 0:34:28Mr. Duffy: Rachel and I met on a reality tv show, kind of unique. We have been married 25 years. Rachel is the love of my life, she is my best friend and she is a wonderful and incredible mother to our children. Eight of them are here today with us. My oldest is right here. Her husband michael. My daughter lucia.
▶ 0:34:56Mr. Duffy: John paul, paloma, maria victoria. Margarita, patrick, valentina. Valentina was born with down syndrome and she no doubt is our families favorite. She was hugging senator baldwin on the way in showing great bipartisan love. Hopefully she will be behaved for the hearing today.
▶ 0:35:27Mr. Duffy: My oldest son, jack, and his wife couldn't be here today. They just had a baby. They have had to evacuate their home in southern california. I know the committee and america's hearts go out to all of the families impacted by the fires. We are dealing with that in our own family. I would like to acknowledge my mother and father-in-law. They are here to show their support.
▶ 0:35:56Mr. Duffy: I'm grateful they took a leap of faith allowing me to marry their daughter 25 years ago. It was a leap of faith, no doubt. I think about transportation. About transportation safety, a lot. My son, who I introduced assimilates to school every day. It is precious cargo.
▶ 0:36:23Mr. Duffy: Whether you are driving, flying, traveling by train, no federal agency impacts daily lives and loved ones more than the department of transportation. I'm honored to have the trust of president trump in this body to lead an important segment of our economy. Transportation influences how long it takes to get to our loved ones and improving efficiency enhancing every american's life.
▶ 0:36:53Mr. Duffy: President trump, he is a builder . He wants to invest in rebuilding our nation's crumbling infrastructure. I told all of you this, on the big, durable projects that connect our country and people. I will work to reduce the red tape that slows project, ensuring funds are spent efficiently. Using the tax dollar well.
▶ 0:37:23Mr. Duffy: Safety is always paramount. Every year 40,000 american lose their lives in accidents. My wife survived a deadly head-on car crash that has per mound -- profoundly shaped our lives. I will prioritize safety, insuring lives and families are forever changed by preventable accidents. Aviation, safety will remain a top priority.
▶ 0:37:55Mr. Duffy: America needs more air traffic controllers. We want the best and the brightest air traffic controllers. We must modernize our systems with cutting-edge technologies with congress and the faa to restore global confidence. Transportation is an extraordinary new era.
▶ 0:38:24Mr. Duffy: Drones, autonomous vehicles, space travel. If confirmed, we will craft clear regulations which balance safety, innovation, cutting edge technology. I was focused on safety.
▶ 0:38:44Mr. Duffy: Transportation impacts every aspect of life from efficiently and securely moving product to our ports to the ease of commuting from work, school, church on sunday. Together with president trump and his committee I would hope to usher in the golden age of transportation and travel. This is america.
▶ 0:39:11Mr. Duffy: When confirmed, I will work tirelessly to make travel in america more efficient, comfortable, safer. Americans deserve to have travel experiences that make all of us proud. I want to thank you all for welcoming my family and me to the committee room today. I look forward to I think taking your questions.
▶ 0:39:41Chair Cruz: Thank you congressman duffy, welcome to your wife and beautiful children. Thank you for being here and joining us today. Congratulations on the appointment to a major position serving the people of the united states. We will move to questions.
▶ 0:40:03Chair Cruz: If confirmed as secretary of transportation, what would you want you and your administration's legacy to be when it comes to transportation and infrastructure?
▶ 0:40:21Mr. Duffy: I had a legacy of improving safety, working with this committee, specifically senator cantwell to make sure we get boeing back on track producing safe airplanes. Also as president trump is charged, building big infrastructure projects. Without forgetting rural america that uses the incredibly important infrastructure.
▶ 0:40:50Mr. Duffy: Those two things I would like to be a legacy.
▶ 0:40:54Chair Cruz: Terrific. Last year, one of the things this committee did was passing the faa reauthorization bill. 200 amendments from both sides of the aisle. Every member of this committee in that bill. They had amendments from both sides of the aisle we saw such overwhelming bipartisan support for this legislation.
▶ 0:41:28Chair Cruz: One of these was a provision I offered for advanced aviation technologies. It is designed to accelerate integration, advanced air mobility, and other technologies such as taxis into the national airspace system.
▶ 0:41:47Chair Cruz: I drafted that provision in dallas, texas because of the hub of aviation experience from the private sector particularly on powerless vehicles. It is now incumbent on the department of transportation to stand up the center for advanced air mobility. When you commit to work with me to make sure the apartment -- department establishes this.
▶ 0:42:12Mr. Duffy: I will work with you. My daughter lives in dallas and loves the city.
▶ 0:42:21Chair Cruz: Fantastic. I want to say you have the prayers of all of us in los angeles. What is happening there is truly horrifying. We pray that they are safe. The surface transportation project allows the federal highway administration to assign responsibilities for complying with environmental policy act.
▶ 0:42:52Chair Cruz: The texas department of transportation has exercise this authority since 2014. It is up for renewal. The federal environmental protection still apply. On average texas completes an environmental assessment in less than 17 months, less than half the time it takes the highway administration.
▶ 0:43:12Chair Cruz: If confirmed, will you prioritize the renewal assignment authority from federal highway administration on reasonable terms before its expiration in march, 2025?
▶ 0:43:26Mr. Duffy: I look forward to taking a look at the designation of texas. The state has done pretty well. I commit to you that I will look at that and hope to reauthorize that designation.
▶ 0:43:40Chair Cruz: Excellent. There are currently five applications for licenses to allow deepwater ports to operate with ships and sea pending the united states maritime operation. They have been pending for the entirety of the biden administration. Nearly quadruple the maximum time limit for review under the statutes.
▶ 0:44:08Chair Cruz: The biden administration thoughtlessly and needlessly forced one company to start its application from stretch -- scratch after slow walking it for five years. President-elect trump has promised to jumpstart american energy independence when he takes office.
▶ 0:44:31Chair Cruz: Will you commit to this committee that if confirmed one of the first things you will do is direct them consistent with the statute?
▶ 0:44:40Mr. Duffy: I commit to following the law. I understand how important american energy independence is, how important the permits are.
▶ 0:44:52Chair Cruz: I would also ask you to expedite review of applications in texas the way they have been treated.
▶ 0:45:01Chair Cruz: Under the biden administration, financial obstacles have grown from the high-speed rail project. Roughly one hundred million dollars. The biden administration doubled down by awarding more than $4 billion in taxpayer dollars to the project.
▶ 0:45:20Chair Cruz: Dot career staff the biden administration refused to share those with the committee because they do not support the biden administration's decision to continue funding projects. If confirmed do you commit to sharing with this committee the dot staff ratings for all applications of discretionary funding over the last four years in which the high-speed rail project received the award?
▶ 0:45:49Mr. Duffy: I would commit to sharing those ratings with the committee.
▶ 0:45:53Chair Cruz: I recognize the ranking member.
▶ 0:45:57Sen. Cantwell: I could go at least 20 minutes with this first round. I will see if we could get short answers to things that make sense. Are you a supporter of the jones act?
▶ 0:46:13Mr. Duffy: Yes.
▶ 0:46:16Sen. Cantwell: Are you a supporter of the crossing programs that we established under the recent service transportation?
▶ 0:46:25Mr. Duffy: Yes, I think this fits into the vision that president trump has. I think you mentioned, they often times don't get done because they are really expensive.
▶ 0:46:40Sen. Cantwell: States that may not have an economy but there is still a project within that region. It does not matter the size or population, you still have the megaproject. What about continued support?
▶ 0:46:58Mr. Duffy: Are we talking about the ones so we could have this salmon spw salmon spawn? We talked a lot about that. We want to make sure we are cognizant of the construction project and what impact they have. Yes.
▶ 0:47:20Sen. Cantwell: Aviation safety, you will meet with the families?
▶ 0:47:26Mr. Duffy: Absolutely.
▶ 0:47:27Sen. Cantwell: Do you believe the faa should have robust oversight of manufacturing including listening to whistleblowers on the ground?
▶ 0:47:36Mr. Duffy: 100%.
▶ 0:47:39Sen. Cantwell: I think that's part of my concern is what our committee has been able to understand and confirm through our efforts and starting with senator wicker's efforts according to a most recent article, supported by airline manufacturing employees and the whistleblower program.
▶ 0:48:08Sen. Cantwell: This underscores the concerns about how do we get a strong faa oversight on the ground? Do you think that there should be a mandatory safety management system at our manufacturers?
▶ 0:48:29Mr. Duffy: One more time?
▶ 0:48:31Sen. Cantwell: Safety management systems are redundant circle of continued safety improvements that they have suggested that we do the expert aviation analyst suggested that is what is missing. Prior administrations people didn't really push for safety management culture.
▶ 0:48:57Sen. Cantwell: That is what we are pushing to make sure that is exactly the faa is saying that is what boeing should do.
▶ 0:49:04Mr. Duffy: There has been a missing link. Obviously there is more work to do. To make sure we have a better safety record.
▶ 0:49:18Sen. Cantwell: The issue about projects that -- I mentioned the I-5 bridge, the infrastructure investment that the money has been out the door. It is on the way to doing what we commit to completing these project.
▶ 0:49:44Mr. Duffy: That are underway, yes. Often times the money is not moving fast. I would love to work with you and make sure the money gets out the door.
▶ 0:49:59Sen. Cantwell: Great. We have a strong economy in the northwest. My colleagues, we have a lot of people who travel a long way to get to work. Public transit becomes a key cornerstone for the investments. For us, that is the sound transit system.
▶ 0:50:24Sen. Cantwell: All in all according to aaa, a constant average of 1000 dollars per month. Meanwhile, the sound transit passed on $100. Making sure we keep our investment, public transportation, are you committed to working this committee on public transit investment?
▶ 0:50:48Mr. Duffy: I do.
▶ 0:50:49Sen. Cantwell: Thank you. I want to give my condolences as it relates to the fires in california. We know these issues well and how devastating they could be and to your son and his family. I hope the best for them. In the very near future, the world cup and the olympics will be coming to places like seattle and kansas.
▶ 0:51:19Sen. Cantwell: Will you work with this committee to make sure we have infrastructure investment for these kinds of facilities?
▶ 0:51:26Mr. Duffy: I commit to working with you and the committee.
▶ 0:51:31Sen. Cantwell: That is all I'm going to do this around. Thank you for your brevity on these issues.
▶ 0:51:43Sen. Fischer: . Thank you and welcome to your family. Regardless of anybody's opinions that we may have, the fact remains that we have more electric vehicles on the roads of this country. They are 30% heavier than gas powered cars. Because of that they crash with up to 50% more impact.
▶ 0:52:18Sen. Fischer: , despite this wear and tear that we are seeing on the infrastructure, ev's do not pay into the highway fund. It is already woefully inadequate facing a shortfall. I introduced a bill to remedy this do you think that ev's should be paying into the
▶ 0:52:49Sen. Fischer: Highway trust fund? Would you make this feasible?
▶ 0:52:54Mr. Duffy: I think you brought that up in our conversation. They should be, how to do that I think is a little bit more challenging. I will work with you and the committee to make that happen.
▶ 0:53:11Sen. Fischer: How would you as the secretary of transportation be able to ensure the revenues are going to be there so that we can continue to manage a highway trust fund that has been so vital with the growth of commerce across this country so that we could continue to have the road system that works?
▶ 0:53:41Mr. Duffy: There have been three scenarios talked about. You could increase the gas tax, I will not join you in that effort. We could increase tolling or there is a driven formula that is the privacy around american citizens.
▶ 0:54:08Mr. Duffy: I think that is a conversation that will fall with this committee and I will work with you. I do think senator cantwell brought this up. We could be far more efficient, streamlined the approach and get dollars quicker. I think we would go a long way to shorting this up. A long way of making sure there is available dollars.
▶ 0:54:41Sen. Fischer: I would agree with you on that. The planning to be ready, it takes years in some cases. Every year the cost increases for the projects. If we could shorten that time period I would be thrilled to work with you on that.
▶ 0:55:02Sen. Fischer: As we look at the fhwa, we have struggled to provide consistent guidance across their offices. For example I have heard from state department of transportation that there is a lack of consistent guidance regarding the requirements needed for states to justify building back better, if confirmed, how do you think you would be able to work across the
▶ 0:55:34Sen. Fischer: Federal highway administration to ensure that division offices and regions across this country are consistent and clear in their guidance to our state?
▶ 0:55:45Mr. Duffy: That's a great question. I would work with the divisional heads in each state. Give them feedback. Take the best advice about how we could actually be clear and streamline the process. One of the many complaints is the rules and regulations that come from the department.
▶ 0:56:17Mr. Duffy: We could approve efficiency. I would like to work with you on that.
▶ 0:56:23Sen. Fischer: Bipartisan legislation that would require them to update the testing devices for female and male crash test dummies. This legislation with the agency taking over 10 years to move the rulemaking forward.
▶ 0:56:43Sen. Fischer: If confirmed, how would you ensure mensa will see some progress on rulemaking and safety priorities that we as congress have directed them to implement in a timely manner?
▶ 0:56:56Mr. Duffy: I didn't know this was an issue until you brought it up. I think there is a male crash test dummy. Men and women are different. I would like to work with you. I will have a conversation with mensa and loop you into that conversation and see what we could do to move that forward.
▶ 0:57:23Sen. Fischer: Move just the rulemaking forward.
▶ 0:57:26Chair Cruz: Thank you, senator shots.
▶ 0:57:30Sen. Schautz: I want to zoom out before we get into details, the position of secretary of transportation is kind of unique. President bush nominated a democrat. A number of secretaries have had their clear partisan affiliations.
▶ 0:58:04Sen. Schautz: Once they got into the position, they treated transportation like transportation. I would like for you to offer clarity to the whole committee and to your staff, future staff that you will continue in that tradition of bipartisanship and really nonpartisanship as it relates to transportation.
▶ 0:58:24Mr. Duffy: I don't think safety is a partisan issue. The projects we talk about, those aren't partisan projects. I'm committed to working in a bipartisan fashion to make sure we are looking at the best projects. I think you mandated I go to hawaii to see you.
▶ 0:58:53Mr. Duffy: We could do that together in hawaii. The only state I haven't been to.
▶ 0:58:56Chair Cruz: The entire committee would like to join you on that trip. [laughter]
▶ 0:59:00Sen. Schatz: I will issue my demand letter shortly. On iija, it is a bipartisan law, I want your assurance that in terms of releasing funds that this will all be done on a level with political concerns?
▶ 0:59:26Mr. Duffy: Absolutely you have my commitment.
▶ 0:59:29Sen. Schatz: I want to talk to you about tribal transportation. That is one way to look at it. The other way would basically abandon this area of responsibility for federal government, there are 100 57,000 miles involved in the inventory. 60% of these roads are unpaved. 60% of these american roads are unpaved.
▶ 1:00:07Sen. Schatz: What steps do you think the department could take with infrastructure investments technical assistance and decision-making process that are on par with state and local governments? The problem is we establish this new policy to make and roads here. The requirements are as if you are interacting with the state department of transportation. Some of these tribes are small.
▶ 1:00:33Sen. Schatz: They don't have a shot to do transportation and a compliance piece. They need to be not treated as if they are some sort of interlopers in the transportation space.
▶ 1:00:46Mr. Duffy: I have a lot of tribes in the state of wisconsin. More than 60% of our roads are unpaved in our communities. I was speaking to senator lujan and he voiced the same concerns. I think you are right.
▶ 1:01:08Mr. Duffy: Providing assistance, simplifying the process to make sure our tribes could access this available to them to make sure they could build tribal infrastructure. It's an important part of the way I think about transportation and we welcome the chance to work with you on that.
▶ 1:01:25Sen. Schatz: Some of the covid relief. Even the bills that were passed on partisan basis, we changed our policy to put tribes at the table including native hawaiians. The problem is at the department the program manager grants the committee interacting with the tribes. Their criteria and up being the barrier to injury.
▶ 1:01:55Sen. Schatz: You have to get into that thicket and clear some of the underbrush. It is one thing for us to pass a bill, another with 60% of 150,000 miles of road, gravel, it is unacceptable.
▶ 1:02:11Mr. Duffy: I have already thought about that. It is a priority.
▶ 1:02:15Sen. Schatz: One final question. This is something I have been working on for a long time. The secretary of department of transportation. There is this ridiculous fight on this committee about pedestrians versus cyclists versus public transportation. Everybody is everything depending on the situation.
▶ 1:02:46Sen. Schatz: Those people are also using sidewalks. We fight as if these things are zero-sum. We just had a skyrocketing rate of pedestrian fatalities. We have gotten to a place -- there she is. We have gotten to a place where just fighting for the safety of pedestrians is somehow interpreted as I don't like cars.
▶ 1:03:14Sen. Schatz: I would like for us to create a context in which we could all agree. We should all work on that problem. It has nothing to do with your view about ev or public transportation, smart growth or climate. I don't want people to get knocked over when they are trying to walk to the supermarket.
▶ 1:03:35Mr. Duffy: I agree with you. I would love to work with you figuring out ways that we could make sure our roads are built safer. Our pedestrians, bikers, scooterers.
▶ 1:03:48Sen. Schatz: Thanks for the extra time.
▶ 1:03:50Chair Cruz: I think we are all agreed now that death is bad. With that, senator moran. Sen. gr
▶ 1:04:03Sen. Gmoran: Thank you for joining us today and your willingness to serve. Soda cantwell mentioned boeing. I want to highlight the importance of boeing's recovery to all of the country. Boeing is important to us, certainly commercial travel. A hugely important part of our national security defense. Doing things and doing them well.
▶ 1:04:32Sen. Gmoran: I would also highlight that spirit air systems, kansas largest employer is a supplier to boeing. The success is important to the jobs and incomes that many kansans earn. The air capital of the world for boeing and others. I would love to hear you with your suggestions or thoughts about what the next step is in getting boeing back in business.
▶ 1:05:04Mr. Duffy: I agree with you, boeing is a national security issue. The largest exporter of american product. Incredibly important. Someone said they need top love -- tough love. We want to make sure they are implementing a safety plan.
▶ 1:05:27Mr. Duffy: I like to talk to the safety experts at the faa to see where we are at and make sure we continue to advance safe airplanes being built at boeing.
▶ 1:05:44Sen. Moran: Let me point out, it is many places across the country where supply chains because boeing is incapable of purchasing. I have said this every time I have talked about boeing. Safety comes first. I would highlight what you said. There is no future for aviation unless people are safe to fly. Unless they know and feel they are safe to fly.
▶ 1:06:15Sen. Moran: There are no shortcuts to be had. It's not something that could go here forever. We would not avoid the circumstances our country faces in the absence of that capability. I encourage you to work with speed, accuracy, efficiency at the forefront of your mind knowing this is an important task that the faa has.
▶ 1:06:43Sen. Moran: I will highlight for you the federal contract tower program. This is a component of air traffic control. It is a public-private partnership that communities that are rural and small could have access to air services. We have access to the ability to guide those planes in airport safely and securely. I would encourage you to prioritize this program. Wanted to make sure you knew of this existence.
▶ 1:07:13Mr. Duffy: And how important it is to this committee. I understand the importance of the country.
▶ 1:07:22Sen. Moran: I don't know about all of our new members, this is a highly rural committee. It is these and other topics. Long distance perhaps along the same path. Kansas is the home for the southwest chief.
▶ 1:07:45Sen. Moran: My experience with administrations, past administrations, certainly from time to time with the board of directors, it is very little interest with care and concern for anything other than the northeast corridor.
▶ 1:08:02Mr. Duffy: You mentioned this in the office how important chief is. A few of the members mentioned it as well. That point has been made and understand it. We can't forget rural communities.
▶ 1:08:18Sen. Moran: Public-private efforts for an extension of flyer, which would go from kansas to oklahoma city and connects with dallas. It is one of those circumstances that the states are putting in dollars to partner to get additional oil services. Finally, short line rail service. The short line rail industry is hugely important to kansas and other places across the country.
▶ 1:08:50Sen. Moran: In many instances years ago there was lots of abandoned tracks. They were sold off for their steel. Rather than the immediate problem, he created railroads that provide services to rural communities across our state.
▶ 1:09:13Sen. Moran: A hugely important offer of tax code provision 45 to help upgrade the short line industry from tracks to compete and connect as a better word. My purpose in raising this topic is to make sure it is something you are aware of. To make sure services are available in this case in a freight way across the nation.
▶ 1:09:43Mr. Duffy: In my community this was an issue. It creates huge problems for small businesses. I would love to work with you.
▶ 1:09:55Sen. Moran: Thank you.
▶ 1:09:58Sen. Baldwin: Thank you. When we had the chance to meet earlier, I consider myself a huge champion of america rules, when you are using taxpayer dollars to build infrastructure, we should be employing american products and american workers and supporting american businesses.
▶ 1:10:24Sen. Baldwin: Four years ago when we had initiative sitting before this panel particularly this commitment to work to discontinue the waiver that had been in place for 40 years. Highway projects to sidestep american rules. Earlier this week the department of transportation finalized a rule to discontinue that long-term waiver.
▶ 1:10:56Sen. Baldwin: It has been a long time coming. To ensure stronger standards for highway construction. I ask you today, this will be rolled out in two phases, are you committed to seeing this final rule through as written? Speak generally about your commitment to american rules?
▶ 1:11:19Mr. Duffy: It is an issue that I share with you and I commend you for that. In broad sense, I agree with you. You have made wonderful points about how many waivers are issued to get around the rules.
▶ 1:11:45Mr. Duffy: I will work on that and look at it in regard specifically to this. I think it just came out. To commit to a rule I haven't seen or read would be difficult for me. The concepts that we have discussed I am committed to. Circling back with you if you would accept.
▶ 1:12:14Mr. Duffy: >> when we pass the bipartisan infrastructure law, it included build america by america provision to strengthen by america preferences with iron and steel products, construction materials and manufactured product on all federal aid awards with the infrastructure construction.
▶ 1:12:40Mr. Duffy: The law includes requirements to impose strong standards meaning they are not covered at all or the existing coverage is outdated or undermined. Do you commit to enforcing our by america laws particularly for dot programs?
▶ 1:13:00Mr. Duffy: I commit to following the law with regard to these issues. >> last congress the federal authorization act was signed into law. Included provision from my air carrier access amendments act to ensure airplanes are designed to accommodate people with disabilities. Airlines meet express ability -- accessibility standards.
▶ 1:13:32Mr. Duffy: How will the department work to improve access to air travel for those with disabilities including our nation's veterans?
▶ 1:13:39Mr. Duffy: I appreciate you bringing that up. I would note the disabilities come in all forms, shapes, sizes. My daughter has down syndrome. We deal with our own set of challenges with her. Making sure that people with disabilities have access to all modes of transportation is critically important.
▶ 1:14:07Mr. Duffy: I will work with you and senator duckworth and the department of transportation to see what additional steps we could be taking to make sure everyone has access. >> the committee is working to reauthorize the surface transportation bill.
▶ 1:14:30Mr. Duffy: In 2022 we lost sarah leggin camp who was writing her bike on a road in bethesda, maryland. She was raised in wisconsin. She was a U.S. diplomat and mother of two boys who had been evacuated from ukraine in the summer 2022, only to be killed two weeks later.
▶ 1:14:53Mr. Duffy: Last congress working with sarah's family, I introduced legislation to make it easier for states and local governments to use highway safety improvement program funding as a local match to build safe infrastructure. Senator schatz brought this issue up also. What will the department's plan b a limited traffic fatalities -- be to limit traffic fatalities?
▶ 1:15:24Mr. Duffy: I'm well aware of these tragedies. How they absolutely destroy families. I will take a look at the bill you authored. I would commit to working with you to figure out what steps we can take to make sure our roadways are safer for everybody.
▶ 1:15:50Chair Cruz: Thank you. Senator sullivan.
▶ 1:15:54Sen. Sullivan: Mr. duffy, congratulations to you and your beautiful family. I want to congratulate her chairman. My good friend never sang kumbaya to anybody. Learning a lot here. There you go. Mr. duffy, you are highly qualified to be the secretary.
▶ 1:16:25Sen. Sullivan: I plan on supporting you. You are as qualified as the certain technique -- current secretary who I supported four years ago so I'm hoping all my colleagues on the committee, everybody will support Mr. duffy. I think your vision of a golden age for transportation is a great vision. I appreciate her meeting -- our meeting. My state has a lot of unique challenges on infrastructure.
▶ 1:16:53Sen. Sullivan: We are resource rich, infrastructure poor. Alaska is 120 times bigger than connecticut and we have less road miles. No offense to wisconsin. We are over 10 times bigger than you guys and we have less than 1/7 the amount of roads that wisconsin has. Much of the discussion on infrastructure and transportation in D.C.
▶ 1:17:19Sen. Sullivan: Talks about rebuilding infrastructure or paving roads, but it doesn't often focus on the fact that in some places we don't even have infrastructure. Alaska was not a state when the eisenhower administration launched federal highway building programs. I will ask you the easiest question of the day.
▶ 1:17:48Sen. Sullivan: Will you commit to coming to alaska in the summer? You can bring your family. You can do salmon fishing with me after we hit some infrastructure --
▶ 1:17:58Chair Cruz: This is an easy one.
▶ 1:18:00Sen. Sullivan: Maybe after your trip to hawaii. Will you come to my state and see these challenges? They are real challenges. You can hear about them. Unless you are on the ground, it is tough.
▶ 1:18:12Mr. Duffy: I would love to come to alaska and I will not seeing any free -- sing anything for you.
▶ 1:18:21Sen. Sullivan: Thank you. Let me talk about another one you and I talked about. I want your commitment on. We have 251 communities that are not connected by roads. Most people in america think every community is connected by roads. Well, not in our state. Air services essential -- service is essential.
▶ 1:18:47Sen. Sullivan: Dozens of communities are covered by the essential air service program and would have no other way or means to get food or get people out of their communities. Will you commit to supporting ample funding for the essential air service program in the d.o.t. Budget?
▶ 1:19:05Mr. Duffy: You indicated you have more than 60 essential air service airports in alaska. That's a big number. I have several in my old congressional district. I know how important it is to my communities, which have closer access to airports in your communities so. I will continue -- so yes, I will continue support essential air service.
▶ 1:19:31Sen. Sullivan: I'm glad you highlighted aviation safety given our lack of roads and are isolated communities. We have more pilots per capita than any state in the country. Unfortunately we have the highest rates of accidents, including fatalities on aviation. The ntsb in february of 2020 put out a report dealing with alaska. Aviation. If this to these numbers which are troubling.
▶ 1:20:03Sen. Sullivan: Can you continue to work with me on the alaska safety initiative? It was in the faa bill this year. It is focused on a better available weather data reporting, infrastructure for some of the small rural airports.
▶ 1:20:20Sen. Sullivan: This year's the faa bill authorizes up to $25 million annually for this safety initiative for alaska, which is desperately needed given our very high rates of crashes and fatalities.
▶ 1:20:36Mr. Duffy: I was not aware until you pointed at how many fatalities you have. I would welcome the opportunity to work with you on the issue.
▶ 1:20:45Sen. Sullivan: I'm a fan of the air traffic controllers as well. They do incredible work in my state. I am glad you did a shout out to them at the beginning. One final question. The long big topic but it is so important we talk about it. Permitting reform. We need it. A lot of people say we need it and what we try to get anything done we can't get anything done.
▶ 1:21:12Sen. Sullivan: A lot of radical environment of groups use nipa to block projects. Secretary chao helped break a logjam of the cooper landing bypass on the sterling highway in alaska. It took almost 40 years to get that eis. This is madness.
▶ 1:21:41Sen. Sullivan: It took 20 years to permit a gold mine in alaska. Senator cantwell had this issue of the new runway at seatac airport. It took 15 years to get the permits just to build a new runway. What are your ideas on nipa reform? You commit to making that a top priority? I have talked to president trump about it. It's a big focus of his.
▶ 1:22:12Sen. Sullivan: We have a great opportunity but we need it. We have got to do something.
▶ 1:22:15Mr. Duffy: The length of time it takes to do projects, way too long. The process is complicated and time-consuming. We don't have to trade in protecting the environment to do projects. I would like to work with this committee, which has a very large role in plummeting reform. I commit to do what I can at the department to speed up the process.
▶ 1:22:41Sen. Sullivan: Thank you very much.
▶ 1:22:42Chair Cruz: Senator klobuchar.
▶ 1:22:45Sen. Klobuchar: Thank you to our nominee in his many duffy's behind him. We have talked about the stillwater bridge. I have a painting of our bridge on my office wall. We had to, along with others here, take a lot of grief from people in both our parties. The way I look at it, it's a most beautiful bridge in our state. I tell people it is not a bridge to nowhere.
▶ 1:23:15Sen. Klobuchar: It is a bridge to wisconsin. I appreciated your work on that. You have already been committed to and said you will continue bipartisan work in supporting the work that needs to be done on the bipartisan infrastructure law. Do you want to add to that?
▶ 1:23:34Mr. Duffy: I appreciate the partnership and friendship we all built together with senator baldwin and yourself. It was a bipartisan group. We needed an act of congress to build this bridge. We -- when we walked to the old stillwater bridge, which was 80 years old, there are bolts falling off the bridge. That was a great project.
▶ 1:24:00Mr. Duffy: When I fly to minneapolis and drive up to hayward where I was born and raised I go across that bridge and proud every single time for the bipartisan work we did together. I would like to continue that work should I be confirmed.
▶ 1:24:12Sen. Klobuchar: One example. Aviation towers. Dilute, not too far -- deluth, not too far from wisconsin as the third oldest. Representative staubber and senator smith and I have been working on this. Please support funding to upgrade airports' air traffic control towers?
▶ 1:24:37Mr. Duffy: I welcome the opportunity to see the tower in deluth. Is that the one that is flooded?
▶ 1:24:47Sen. Klobuchar: We have a tower important for the airport but also jets with superior and we also have a reserve guard reserve unit up there. It's pretty important. Distracted driving. It takes five seconds to drive across a football field at 55 miles per hour. We have a 19-year-old from our state who died tragically in an accident involving a distracted driver. Nine people in the U.S.
▶ 1:25:17Sen. Klobuchar: Are killed every day in accidents that are reported to people looking at their phones and distracted. Do you commit to continue the work started under ray lahood when he was the transportation secretary to combat distracted driving?
▶ 1:25:35Mr. Duffy: I commit to that. For someone who has young drivers himself -- it is not just young drivers who are distracted but it seems like they're the ones that are more prone. I would love to work with you and the committee to make sure we figure out a pathway forward to make sure these youngsters and every american is paying attention to the roadway and not their phones or something else in their vehicle.
▶ 1:26:01Sen. Klobuchar: We are part of the borealis line, amtrak. More riders than predicted, reaching 100,000 in the first five months involving wisconsin and minnesota. What you commit to working to improve and maintain passenger rail?
▶ 1:26:20Mr. Duffy: Yes.
▶ 1:26:21Sen. Klobuchar: Recreation entrails. Did anyone ask about snowmobiles or atv's? You have been waiting for that given our two states. The recreational trails program provides funding to states to develop and maintain outdoor recreational trails through taxes paid on gasoline used to fuel snowmobiles, atv's and other recreational vehicles that do not use highways. This has been popular.
▶ 1:26:50Sen. Klobuchar: We have been able to forge a coalition with bicycles, like writers and -- bike riders and atps-snowmobiles. I am grad the legislation -- do you agree programs like this one are important for tourism and for quality-of-life of the citizens of our country?
▶ 1:27:10Mr. Duffy: I know the benefit in northern wisconsin to the trails. What it does to bring people from minnesota who love to ride on the wonderful trails. I would commit to working with the committee. I understand the importance of these trails for the quality of life.
▶ 1:27:28Sen. Klobuchar: Blocked rail crossings not only inconvenienced drivers but also delay emergency vehicles and threaten public safety. We've had a number of accidents. Some tragic. We recently got some grants throughout minnesota to continue working on these blocked rail trails -- intersections. Are you committed to addressing blocked rail crossings?
▶ 1:27:54Mr. Duffy: 100%. This came up when I was in congress. Incredibly frustrating to deal with the railroads that are blocking these crossings in small communities. It is challenging. If someone is having an emergency to make sure they get dysentery care. If they have to drive 40 or 50 miles in a roundabout way. Yes, I would love to work with you on that.
▶ 1:28:21Sen. Klobuchar: Thank you, chairman.
▶ 1:28:23Chair Cruz: Senator blackburn.
▶ 1:28:25Sen. Blackburn: Mr. duffy, welcome. We are delighted to see you here. A few quick things I have for you. Tennessee is an auto manufacturing state. With the ev's, research that's been done and what we're finding out is that the chinese automakers are trying to partner up with mexico and bring their automobiles into our marketplace.
▶ 1:28:54Sen. Blackburn: Of course, that allows them to collect sensitive U.S. data. It allows them to threaten our critical infrastructure. As we are looking at this technology we want to make sure the U.S. remains competitive and a leader. Talk with me for 30 seconds about your thoughts on av's, the innovation, the safety and keeping china out of the marketplace.
▶ 1:29:24Mr. Duffy: We need clear rules that are going to allow our innovators to stay in america and develop products that are going to advance autonomous vehicles that the envisioned. Without clear rules or a patchwork of rules state by state. I think we put ourselves behind this countries that allow for innovators to expand and grow.
▶ 1:29:51Mr. Duffy: I would commit to the committee and congress if I'm confirmed I want to work on rules that make sure there is clarity for those innovators. If we don't do this, this is going to be technology --
▶ 1:30:05Sen. Blackburn: Let me ask you about raising the pilot age. This is something the chairman and I have worked on. Senator graham has joined us in this effort. We have a pilot shortage. By raising the pilot retirement age we could put some experience back in the cockpit and solve this. The U.S.
▶ 1:30:29Sen. Blackburn: Ambassador to icao has refused to participate in the process globally of looking at this. Will you work with me and the chairman as we work to raise the pilot retirement age.
▶ 1:30:43Mr. Duffy: I welcome the opportunity to work with you.
▶ 1:30:46Sen. Blackburn: Let's talk memphis. Not only are we good for blues and jazz and a lot of good barbecue, we are the logistics hub of america. It is home to all class one railroads. Fedex, the world's largest express carrier is headquartered there. Of course we have the port on the mississippi river.
▶ 1:31:14Sen. Blackburn: We know a couple of things about keeping america moving. There's been a lot of talk an articles written about how people are leaving some of these blue states and coming to places like tennessee. This means we need to look at where those federal highway dollars are spent.
▶ 1:31:39Sen. Blackburn: Placing them in areas with growing needs rather than areas that are losing population. It also means we need to cut that redtape. You were talking about with senator sullivan. How can you cut that read take -- redtape at the and work with us for areas where we have growing transportation needs?
▶ 1:32:04Mr. Duffy: I appreciate the question. Tennessee is expanding. Florida is expanding. States that have infrastructure that was never set up to have this many people coming in. I would look forward to working where we can cut redtape. This is a space I have to actually get into the department, should I be confirmed.
▶ 1:32:30Mr. Duffy: Depending on the program, depending on whether it is rail or roads, the answer is different. I would like to partner with you to make sure we bring efficiency to the department of transportation so we can have a great build out in places like tennessee.
▶ 1:32:46Mr. Duffy: That would be very helpful --
▶ 1:32:49Sen. Blackburn: That would be helpful. Getting the permission slows us down. If you spend two minutes with senator hagerty or me or senator tillis or senator budd, you will hear us talk about hurricane helene. I-40. The way the road has been demolished right there on the north carolina-tennessee border. We are continuing to try to work through this process to get that rebuilt.
▶ 1:33:19Sen. Blackburn: We need to know this is going to be front and center with you so we can get that interstate rebuilt and reopened.
▶ 1:33:29Mr. Duffy: Both you and senator budd brought this up to me. I talked with virginia foxx as well. If I'm confirmed, the first trip I would like to make with both of you to see the devastation and destruction and the needs to rebuild your states.
▶ 1:33:44Sen. Blackburn: Thank you so much. I know you from your time in the house. You are a strong consensus builder. The department of trance rotation needs that. We look forward to -- department of transportation needs that. We look forward to working with you and great things.
▶ 1:34:02Chair Cruz: Senator kim, welcome to the committee.
▶ 1:34:05Sen. Kim: I'm excited about these hawaii and alaska trips we will be doing. I fight -- invite people to come to new jersey. Esther duffy, -- Mr. duffy, thank you for coming before us. It was hard to hear that the president elect is talking to you about the need for big durable projects that connect our nation. One such project is the gateway tunnel project.
▶ 1:34:36Sen. Kim: Incredibly important, not just for my state, neighboring state of new york but our entire nation and our economy. Something that would be a major disaster for our nation economically if something were to happen. In response to the ranking member's question, you support keeping funny going for projects that are already underway. I want to see if we can commit from you that the it would apply to the gateway.
▶ 1:35:03Mr. Duffy: I appreciated our conversation. You brought up the gateway, among other things. Again, I want to look at what funding has gone out. I imagine those projects that are underway we would continue.
▶ 1:35:21Sen. Kim: I appreciate that. I will continue to work with you to have the knowledge about this. It is so incredibly vital for our nation and something I hope we can all have bipartisan agreement on those types of projects. A couple of things. We talked about this. We've had problems in the last year new jersey when it comes to public transit, delays on transit. I got stuck at penn station, uncertain when I could get back to my family.
▶ 1:35:51Sen. Kim: I guarantee you we cannot have another summer like that again. We have to figure this out. What I want from you is a commitment that we can work together with urgency. It is not just about nj transit. This is something we need to make sure we have a federal partner willing to work. I want to see if you will be that federal partner for us.
▶ 1:36:14Mr. Duffy: I would welcome the opportunity to continue to work with you and learn about the issues you have with new jersey transit.
▶ 1:36:21Sen. Kim: It is not just nt transit -- nj transit. We take the amtrak to and from D.C. I will be very honest. I have watched and seen some of the debates we had when it comes to amtrak funding in congress. You had to take notes on this. We have seen how the majorities in the house and the republican majority in the senate moves on this.
▶ 1:36:50Sen. Kim: I'm concerned by efforts to try to slash amtrak funding in the past. I'm wondering if you understood the importance of keeping amtrak funding going.
▶ 1:36:59Mr. Duffy: Some have brought up my votes where I did not vote for amtrak funding. I did represent within wisconsin where we did not have amtrak. My old constituents would bring that up in my town halls. This committee has spoken loudly about amtrak and rail in their own communities.
▶ 1:37:24Mr. Duffy: I will continue to work with the committee and abide by the law and enforce the law and if limit the laws passed by this body.
▶ 1:37:30Sen. Kim: As you look to rep's and everyone in this country when it comes to this work -- represent everyone in this country when it comes to this work.
▶ 1:37:39Mr. Duffy: It is more than just within wisconsin if I'm confirmed. -- northern wisconsin if I'm confirmed.
▶ 1:37:47Sen. Kim: We've had some issues in new jersey when it comes to drones. Whether or not these are causing significant issues overflight space and a lot of problems. Is it a drone, is it an aircraft? The faa can play a critical role. They are the entity that allowed for night flying of drones.
▶ 1:38:12Sen. Kim: There's a lot more we can do to help distinguish this to make sure we have a sense of what is legitimate use as well as what might be a problem. There's a greater ability. Is that something we can do together?
▶ 1:38:24Mr. Duffy: I 100% agree with you. My kids' faces lit up when they realized you were the senator from new jersey because I did see the drones over the house long before it was a story. I was getting videos. Someone said they were airplanes or something else or a j or something else or a dji drone. I think we need smart rules.
▶ 1:38:52Sen. Kim: Some of what I saw we were able to delineate as aircraft. There is drone usage. Over a million registered in this country. When it comes the night flying, flying over people's personal homes, when it comes to sensitive radical info structure -- critical infrastructure, there needs to be a tightening up. That is something we can do in a bipartisan way.
▶ 1:39:16Mr. Duffy: And we need transparency. Who was flying? There's a lot of work to do and I would welcome partnering with you to do that.
▶ 1:39:26Sen. Kim: Inky. I yelled back. -- thank you. I yelled back.
▶ 1:39:33Sen. Budd: I enjoyed our time in the office a couple of these ago. Rachel, great to see you and your family here. Congratulations on your nomination. I have fond memories of our time together on financial services. Talking about western north carolina. The roads were devastated by helene.
▶ 1:39:59Sen. Budd: Returning roads and bridges and highways to full access to mount communities will take billions of dollars and month of hard work. The problem seems to be delays. What can we do? Thank you for your commitment and moment ago to work on that. What are some things we can do to overcome the delays we are seeing on the roadbuilding?
▶ 1:40:20Mr. Duffy: I appreciate you bringing that up. When people from rural america feel like they are forgotten because they are from rural america, I think it is shameful. I want to make sure they are not forgotten. I have committed in your office and senator blackburn as well to make sure I go there first and foremost. I think he will take some work to streamline the process.
▶ 1:40:50Mr. Duffy: This is an emergency. We have communities they don't have connection because the roads have been washed away. I will commit I will do everything in the power of the department of transportation to move the process forward as quickly as possible. These communities can get access and rows that are functional again.
▶ 1:41:11Sen. Budd: Appreciate you bringing that up. As I talk with these 25 wester counties -- western counties, their biggest fear is being forgotten. Thank you for letting me know they are not forgotten. We are at the forefront of developing and reintroducing commercial supersonic flight. Like so many others, china has invested heavily in supersonic flight, threatening not only american jobs with the national security as well.
▶ 1:41:41Sen. Budd: Given the importance of maintaining U.S. leadership, how will you help us ensure dot and faa will work to streamline regulations so american comedies can take the lead and not china?
▶ 1:41:52Mr. Duffy: I will work with you. You know the airspace and aviation space well. Making sure we have those core doors were supersonic flights can fly -- core can fly -- corridors where supersonic flights can fly. We cannot let the weight of government pulled on innovation at a time when china is leaping forward.
▶ 1:42:19Mr. Duffy: We have to make sure those innovators in supersonic flight and many of the spaces continue to have a home in america where they can experiment with the backdrop of safety and make sure innovation and creativity is happening here.
▶ 1:42:34Sen. Budd: Thank you. The faa -- bringing up drones -- it was directed by congress to provide a draft rule for beyond visual line of sight. That was supposed to be a september of last year. They failed to meet the deadline. Without clear guidance from the faa, commercial drone companies are forced to operate on a patchwork of waivers and exemptions. It stifles innovation, puts the U.S. behind china.
▶ 1:43:01Sen. Budd: What can we do to help on that specific issue to streamline and make sure the faa meets these deadlines?
▶ 1:43:10Mr. Duffy: Even worse the point you bring up, they will pack up and go to a different country where they have clarity of rules. Where they can test their products and continue to innovate as opposed to the patchwork you referenced. I want to look at where we are at in the rulemaking. We can't have a patchwork approach.
▶ 1:43:31Mr. Duffy: We have to have clear rules to be on visual line of sight and make sure this -- visual beyond line of sight and make sure there is clarity to the space. It has potential of revolutionizing 70 different things in the weight -- so many different things in the way the economy works.
▶ 1:43:50Sen. Budd: I'm hearing a lot about the pilot shortage that we talked about a few modes ago. Starting with student pilots who will help us solve this, a lot are waiting months to either get a flight test or those seeking additional ratings are waiting more than three must have schedule practical tests. What can we do to shorten that or will you commit to work with me to shorten that?
▶ 1:44:17Sen. Budd: We need a lot more oversight of the designated pilot examiner program. Any thoughts on that?
▶ 1:44:23Mr. Duffy: I welcome the opportunity to work with you and consult with you on what we can do to shorten that timeframe for the young pilots.
▶ 1:44:32Sen. Budd: Thank you and good luck. >> senator peters.
▶ 1:44:37Sen. Peters: Mr. duffy, good to see you. Congratulations on your impending nomination by congratulations. I appreciate the opportunity to spend the time we did in my office and he will go in-depth on a number of topics. It was good to hear that you share those concerns as well.
▶ 1:45:02Sen. Peters: At the top of the list is the senator from michigan that making the future of the american auto industry in america is a matter of economic and national security, especially when it comes to competing the chinese government -backed automobile companies. It means supporting union workers in american companies that are making the vehicles of the future.
▶ 1:45:30Sen. Peters: Including both gas powered cars and electric vehicles that are both made in my home state. We want to make sure consumers have a choice between vehicles as they make those decisions. My -- the only question I have for you on this topic is if confirmed, will you work with me to support policies that ensure the future of the auto industry in the united states? I will focus on michigan but it's all about the country.
▶ 1:45:57Mr. Duffy: I would inspect that to be the first question. Yes, I without to work with you. It's important to detroit, to michigan. It's incredibly important to america as a whole. China is innovating to try to undercut us on prices and make sure we continue to build great vehicles in america at the heart of detroit and elsewhere, I will partner with you.
▶ 1:46:22Sen. Markey: I want to revisit a topic we talked about in our meeting when you were in my office. Line five. The oil pipeline, the gas pipeline that is 70 years old. It runs out of the great lakes, none of mackinac -- the straits of mackinac.
▶ 1:46:44Sen. Markey: Given your previous role as cochair of the house great lakes task force, you understand and are passionate about the great lakes as a source of drinking water for more than 40 million people. It's an economic driver and a lifeline in the region. It should go without saying in oil spill would be absolutely devastating. Given dot's purview over the pipeline and the hazardous materials in ministry should, will you work with me to make sure there never is in oil spill in the great lakes?
▶ 1:47:15Mr. Duffy: Largest body of freshwater. Huge part of our economy through shipping. I was not aware this line was not buried. It comes to my old congressional district in wisconsin as well. I would welcome a chance to work with you. We do not want to have us fill in the great lakes.
▶ 1:47:32Sen. Markey: Sticking with the topics of the great lakes, the importance of investing in the ports which ensures our manufacturers can stay competitive and goods are delivered to consumers across the midwest and the entire nation. Dot's port infrastructure develop a program supports much-needed developments and improvements in safety, efficiency and reliability.
▶ 1:47:55Sen. Markey: The program has gone to the great exports and provided a boost -- great lakes ports and provided a boost. They are receiving as little as 2% of the funds in the past years. There are a lot of ports but a great deal of commerce goes through our ports, whether it is wisconsin and the great lakes states. That is an except of.
▶ 1:48:20Sen. Markey: If confirmed to lead ddot, we support robust funding for ports and ensure funding is actually distributive fairly so great lakes ports are not left at a competitive disadvantage as we have been for far too many years?
▶ 1:48:37Mr. Duffy: That's all most as easy as a question is if I will go to hawaii with senator schatz. Of course. Senator baldwin was shaking her head. I understand the importance of the great lakes. I will work with you and the committee to make sure we have adequate funding and fair funding for the greatly ports. -- great lakes ports.
▶ 1:48:59Sen. Markey: Senator sullivan brought up an issue, essential air service. He certainly boasted that he has the most in the country. We are number two. Michigan is number two in terms of the number of es airports. These airports are critical for economic development. If you don't have access to an airport to connect you to the broader world, it is difficult to have development in rural places across our country.
▶ 1:49:30Sen. Markey: You were used to one your constituents use regularly, iron mountain in michigan. Not everybody has asked the question. If confirmed, but you commit to not cutting essential air service programs and supporting that critical service and lifeline to many committees?
▶ 1:49:52Mr. Duffy: I hope everyone asks me that question. Yes. In my old congressional district there was an essential air service airport. I am well aware of individuals who lived in areas that are close to these larger airports. I fully understand that and I will work with this committee.
▶ 1:50:17Sen. Markey: Thank you. Great to see your wonderful family behind you supporting. I wish you the best of luck. Thank you, manager.
▶ 1:50:28Sen. Crurtis: We did not serve him or -- serve on the same committees but I know your reputation and your work entrance rotation like you did in the house. I must tell you, as a father of six I'm more impressed by what is on display today.
▶ 1:50:57Sen. Crurtis: I do think I could take my six kids anywhere and have them sit anywhere for over an hour as well as these kids have. I am willing to give the bulk of the credit to your wife, but no doubt you had something to do with these kids. Very impressive. I will tell you I did note in your remarks you read their names as you were introducing them. I get it.
▶ 1:51:27Sen. Crurtis: If I were to introduce my six kids in a sitting like this I would read their names. When you and I traveled through utah, I will grill you can see if you can give me their birthdays. I have already question and that is her teachers' names -- your teacher -- their teachers' names.
▶ 1:51:50Mr. Duffy: I knew I was going to read them and, have somebody point that out.
▶ 1:51:55Sen. Curtis: So impressive. You can judge a person by a lot of things but I've always felt like you can just them by their family and their kids. Congratulations. Very impressive. I appreciate our meeting that we had in your vision for the department of transportation. Enjoyed sharing utah's priorities with you. If you have any takeaways from my few minutes with you today, it is the growth rate in utah.
▶ 1:52:23Sen. Curtis: We are a we are way up there in the size of growth. We are expecting half a million new people in the next few years. In some states that is not a big deal. For utah with 3 million people that's a big deal. Infrastructure is a very important part of what we are doing. Managing that growth, there is with a state role and federal role.
▶ 1:52:51Sen. Curtis: I think we do things very well realizing status possibilities. I look forward to partnering with you on the federal responsibility to deal with that growth. In the past, we talked in our office about some of the things utah has observed with the department transportation. Sometimes they are more responsive to the states that did not plan well and have a crisis than the states that plan well and what help with long-term preparation.
▶ 1:53:20Sen. Curtis: It feels like sometimes the dollars go to those folks and not to the people with a long-term preparation. I would like to invite you and your administration to join me in utah in rewarding good behavior by planning and helping projects get funded as well that are not as high a priority as those that are seen crisis. -- seeing crisis.
▶ 1:53:43Mr. Duffy: The passenger rail between selleck city and provo and what of -- salt lake city and provo and ogden, how important that has been. What kind of passengers actually ride that real and how effective that has been at reducing congestion and moving people efficiently and rapidly between cities. I think those are the projects that I would look at as the success stories.
▶ 1:54:10Mr. Duffy: Probably because your communities have plans that are being and prevented incredibly effectively in population centers that truly need it.
▶ 1:54:18Sen. Curtis: Thank you for bringing that up. As we mentioned, the vast majority runs on a single track. When two trains come together, one has to wait someplace and you can see the inefficiencies in that. Utah spent a lot of money but will need federal help getting the dual track going. 80% of our population lives within those three cities, which is less than 100 miles. We would love to have your help working on that.
▶ 1:54:48Sen. Curtis: I with --
▶ 1:54:50Mr. Duffy: I would love to work with you and that. You said something about skiing.
▶ 1:54:56Sen. Curtis: That is part of the package deal. Utah, everybody just wants to go.
▶ 1:55:02Mr. Duffy: Hawaii is pretty good.
▶ 1:55:05Sen. Curtis: We will bring up the elliptic's. -- olympics. We hosted the olympics previously. We were a model for how to host it. A real federal and state role. We would like to invite you as you go into this new role so we can brainstorm on how to make utah a showcase to the world on transportation.
▶ 1:55:30Mr. Duffy: I would welcome that opportunity. Thank you.
▶ 1:55:33Sen. Curtis: One thing I mentioned, we did a project near my home. We expanded our interstate, the federal interstate. The state spent $1.7 billion because it increases the cost of the budget to roughly 30%. We would love to work with uid regulation and spending those dollars will.
▶ 1:55:58Mr. Duffy: One other point on that. Up to 40% of the cost is in the permitting and studies that are done. Making sure we speed that up.
▶ 1:56:09Sen. Curtis: Yep. >> senator lujan.
▶ 1:56:15Sen. Lujan: Mr. duffy, thank you for your focus on safety throughout your testimony. If I heard you correctly, you told senator cruz you want your legacy a secretary to be improving safety. I cannot think of a more noble and important priority. In your work and commitment to making our country safer for families and for our communities.
▶ 1:56:43Sen. Lujan: I want to say thank you for sharing your wife rachel's story. I know firsthand how hard it is to speak about these tragedies and traumas. 30 years ago, I was hit by a drunk driver. Thank god you're here. Thank god I survived. It took me a long time to learn how to tell my story. I don't like talking about it.
▶ 1:57:13Sen. Lujan: I can feel the swelling around my eyes right now. It still brings back these memories whenever you think about it. It is one of the reasons why I introduced the halt and ride act. I want to thank the chair. She has been a steadfast leader on getting this done.
▶ 1:57:38Sen. Lujan: I introduced legislation that I believe will dramatically reduce not just drunk driving deaths but distracted deaths and crashes across america. 10,000 people die a year. Not fortunate like rachel and I. To be here and share our stories so others do not go through this.
▶ 1:58:07Sen. Lujan: I was proud to speak at the announcement of the advanced notice rulemaking in december of 2023. Upon passage of this bipartisan legislation, I want to thank senator rick scott of florida he has done in the space. However, I'm disappointed we have not made more progress since then. I'm very disappointed at under this administration the rule has not been finalized. Work has been done but more people's lives could be getting saved in the next couple of years.
▶ 1:58:39Sen. Lujan: The problem is getting worse with drunk driving as we have seen with deaths increasing 33% since 2019. These are preventable deaths. It's in the department now. Not only does the law make sense to make us safer but it also makes economic sense.
▶ 1:59:01Sen. Lujan: In 2019, the economic cost of alcohol involved in distracted driving crashes totaled 167 alien dollars and -- 167 alien dollars in a single year -- $167 billion dollars in a single year. This will come under your time as secretary of transportation. If you want your legacy to be improving safety and saving lives, this is a good place to start. Mr.
▶ 1:59:30Sen. Lujan: Duffy, do you commit to providing me with an update on the status of the rulemaking, including a timeline to complete it within six month of your confirmation?
▶ 1:59:40Mr. Duffy: Senator, I appreciate you sharing your story with me in your office. It prompted me to share mine with rachel with you. Fark 70 families are being destroyed and losing loved ones -- far too many families are being destroyed and losing loved ones by drunk drivers. I commit to looking at the status of the rule and I will get back to you.
▶ 2:00:04Mr. Duffy: I think one of the things I mentioned to you, my concern and I think you shared it as well is we can have technology that can save lives but the technology that is smart can also be stupid. I want to make sure we protect people's privacy in regard to uploads of information. You were in agreement with me on that. Your point is you want to see the technology and the intent of the law executed. I will work with you on that.
▶ 2:00:31Sen. Lujan: That was the reason for the legislation and rulemaking, to collect this information. Years ago, congress did move forward working with the automotive industry and investing in other technologies and things of that nature. Some has been considered today. At least nine auto manufacturers have filed patents on some form of technology.
▶ 2:00:56Sen. Lujan: At least the following 14 tier one and two suppliers of building out is in america have filed. We have seen this technology deployed in europe. There were stories recently of people's lives saved as well. I agree we should have smart technology. Technology that's going to prevent these deaths and crashes and the trauma associated with it. I appreciate that very much. One follow-up.
▶ 2:01:25Sen. Lujan: Yes or no, do you commit to ensuring the national highway transportation safety administration has the manpower, the people power and resources it needs to acquire technology, develop testing procedures and finish the rulemaking on time?
▶ 2:01:40Mr. Duffy: Yes. You guys will set the funding levels but I commit to looking at where we are at with the law and what has to be done to make sure it is brought to a completion. You mentioned the eye movement technology which is similar to the horizontal gaze were the horizontal gaze wehere when people are drinking their eyes will twitch.
▶ 2:02:10Mr. Duffy: I look forward to talking to about the technology.
▶ 2:02:13Sen. Lujan: If you have a health episode, a heart attack, you lose the gaze. Everyone is on the darn phones these days. I believe this will help. I know have gone over my time. I hope to god we can get this done for all the families that are out there. >> senator marino.
▶ 2:02:37Sen. Graham: Reno -- Sen. moran:
▶ 2:02:44Eno: I'm hopeful we get you across the finish line and all the other nominees so president trump can get to work on the agenda he ran on that the voters overwhelmingly supported to make this country great again. I want to ask a tough question. You have been asked to make a lot of commitments. As somebody with extensive and eve knowledge of the big ten -- big knowledge of the big ten, do you commit to cheer for ohio state on monday?
▶ 2:03:14Mr. Duffy: We can discuss that further, senator. [laughter]
▶ 2:03:18Sen. Moreno: As you know, the automobile industry is near and dear to my heart. I spent my entire adult life in automotive. What's important is for us to know how we got here. We did not invent the automobile. That was done by another country. We invented what the automobile became. It became a symbol of freedom. Just ask any 16-year-old who gets his driver's license for the first time with that license really means.
▶ 2:03:48Sen. Moreno: The vast majority of americans don't take public has rotation or airplanes -- transportation or airplanes. They get in an automobile. For the longest time as the country developed the automotive sector it's been a simple formula. You had a car company that listened to their dealers that listened to their customers that made the cars the consumers wanted. That power of the market place dictated the pace of innovation.
▶ 2:04:17Sen. Moreno: It led to an automotive industry that thrived in this country. The auto industry is supported probably somewhere above 7% of our entire gdp. It seems like in the last few years there's been the idea that car companies, instead of listening to their dealers and customers, dictate where she should go -- to dictate work innovation to go, somehow washington inserted itself in between the relationship between
▶ 2:04:48Sen. Moreno: Manufacturers and consumers. There's no better example than the way of one particular powertrain versus another as to what should be incentivized and produced and made. Unfortunately we have played into the hands of china. China could never compete with us with internal combustion engines. Instead, they decided to go all in on electric vehicles. They have now convinced a lot of people here in this city that electric vehicles is the only path forward.
▶ 2:05:19Sen. Moreno: As a result, instead of investing in safety technologies and innovation that consumers want, they are losing tens of billions of dollars to make cars people just do not want to buy. I would love to work with you to find a way to make america's automakers thrive again in this country by allowing them and freeing them to make the cars consumers truly want and are truly demanding.
▶ 2:05:49Mr. Duffy: I appreciate the question. I could not agree with you more. We should not be forced to buy cars washington once. We should buy the cars that we want. There is room in the space for electric vehicles and gas powered vehicles and it might depend on your priorities, the places you live, the temperatures of where you live. I want to see a robust marketplace. You have a lot of expertise in this space.
▶ 2:06:20Mr. Duffy: I enjoyed our conversation that you brought up a few points that I was not aware of. I would welcome the chance to continue to work with you and pull off your expertise should I be confirmed as secretary of transportation.
▶ 2:06:31Sen. Moreno: In my decades of experience in the retail automotive business watching customer behavior in the showroom I've never had one single solitary client asked me what kind of car there elected official wanted them to buy. That was never something asked of me. It was what car makes sense for them. I look forward to working with you on that. I will spend the last few moments of my time here directed to your wonderful wife.
▶ 2:06:59Sen. Moreno: Thank you for allowing him to come back into the public space. Doing this will be really, really hard. I don't how you manage nine kids. I only have four so I'm an amateur by your standards. Thank you to your kids. This is hard on them as well. It is all of you as a family that are serving this country. It takes a deep love of this nation to do what you are doing. Thank you so much for doing this.
▶ 2:07:25Sen. Moreno: Grateful, senator. >> senator markey.
▶ 2:07:30Sen. Markey: Welcome to your beautiful family. As you and I talked about in my office, I was hit by a car at age five. It hurts a lot when you told me about your wife's story. It is something we both understand from personal experience.
▶ 2:07:59Sen. Markey: It is what I focus so much on auto safety as an issue. It's very personal to me. I have repeatedly urged treasure tatian leaders to prioritize safety. I'm glad to hear you will do so. The national highway transportation administration is conducting an investigation into a number of carbon factors, including tesla self driving.
▶ 2:08:33Sen. Markey: Regardless of outside clinical pressure, can you commit to allowing the traffic safety investigators to follow the evidence and operate objectively as part of their investigations?
▶ 2:08:46Mr. Duffy: I appreciated and enjoyed our meeting in your office. There's a history I was not aware of. I'm grateful you shared that with me. Yes, I commit to this committee and you that I will let nits do their investigation -- nitsa do the investigation. A lot of the players, I have not met any of them.
▶ 2:09:11Sen. Markey: Be here talk about pedestrians being hit. You mentioned the number of people who die on the highways. We have to make sure we don't see history repeating. That is key to me in your own family. I want to say at the top just to clarify, there is no fuel economy standards that mandates the use of electric vehicles. That is not a law. I just want to put that out there. We will keep hearing it.
▶ 2:09:42Sen. Markey: It is not true. Manufacturers can use all available technologies to apply with the standards -- comply with the standards and save drivers money. The democratic author of the 2007 lot to increase fuel economy standards -- law to increase fuel economy standards saves consumers $26 billion because they don't have to pay the guy at the gas station to put it into their pump because they got more miles per gallon.
▶ 2:10:14Sen. Markey: It's about american innovation. American ingenuity in moving forward. From my perspective, you know, I have a question that is going to go right to the heart of this. Whether or not the law, as it is written, under the energy conservation and policy act, nitsa is required to set maximum feasible average fuel economy
▶ 2:10:45Sen. Markey: Standards that car and truck manufacturers can achieve. If confirmed, will you follow the law in setting the standards and setting the maximum feasible fuel economy standards as supported by the technological evidence provided to your agency?
▶ 2:11:05Mr. Duffy: I have all respect for the body I served in. I will follow the law.
▶ 2:11:12Sen. Markey: Which is great. Les congress this committee heard over and over again that having multiple crewmembers on the train in east palestine increased safety and health event the disaster from being even worse. The federal railroad administration's objective research on the issue has also concluded that technology is no replacement for having multiple crewmembers on each freight train.
▶ 2:11:39Sen. Markey: I was proud to work with incoming vice president jd vance on this committee to include a provision in the railway safety act to require at least two crewmembers. The federal railroad administration has also now imposed this requirement. If you are confirmed do you support the requirement that freight trains have two crewmembers?
▶ 2:12:09Mr. Duffy: Can I take a moment? What happened in east palestine was horrified what happened to the community and their air and water. I share in that and I want to make sure we have the utmost safety in regard to rail. He worked with the vice president.
▶ 2:12:30Mr. Duffy: I'm sure he will have a position on the two-person crew which will flow down to the department of transportation which I will abide by.
▶ 2:12:40Sen. Markey: The federal railway -- railroad administration has imposed that requirement already. Will you stand by that?
▶ 2:12:50Mr. Duffy: Yes.
▶ 2:12:53Sen. Markey: That is important for us to hear. Thank you. >> I want to thank senator sheehy for allowing me to question before him and he will take the chair. I have one wonderful view of your family. They are amazing. I have to tell you -- we are boring them to death. That's probably a good thing.
▶ 2:13:17Sen. Markey: We share the financial services committee together and I came to wisconsin and did a field hearing and enjoyed it. The surface transportation authorization expires on september 30, bank six. These are complicated and large -- 2026. These are complicated and large bills.
▶ 2:13:43Sen. Markey: We will be working with this committee with chairman cruz and ranking never cantwell to make sure we are coordinated here. Can you commit to supporting us because we will the copperheads of technical desistance? -- assistance -- because --
▶ 2:14:06Mr. Duffy: When we were in wisconsin you saw some of the finer offerings we have in our state. I appreciate that. I will direct the department to provide all necessary technical assistance to the congress and will work with this committee as we work through that process, as well as with the administration.
▶ 2:14:38Mr. Duffy: >> there was creation of discretionary programs. Some have not really been rolled out. We are three years passed the bill signing. It is my hope that you would commit to reviewing and updating as necessary with the biden administration really drag to their heels on this thing.
▶ 2:15:01Mr. Duffy: The benefit cost analysis guidance they have put forward and make sure we are looking at the vital role that bridges and roads play connecting rural areas like mine in states like yours -- and states like yours.
▶ 2:15:17Mr. Duffy: Yes, senator.
▶ 2:15:19Chair Capito: One federal decision was supposed to help with ease of permitting. It was supposed to put one particular agency in charge of the core fish and wildlife and others would go up to the federal highway administration. I can't get an accurate reading as to whether this is working or not. I can't get a reading of whether the other agencies are abiding by this. It makes good common sense. We have talked about project delivery and how things can go quicker. I don't know how familiar you are with the one federal decision process.
▶ 2:15:51Chair Capito: Are you familiar with it? Will you please take a look at it to make sure the desires we had initially are actually being met?
▶ 2:15:58Mr. Duffy: Should I be confirmed, I will become more familiar with it. I think it makes sense and it goes to the point of bipartisanship in this committee but also in the body as a whole of figuring how to streamline this process and be responsible but also move projects. I will report back on what I find.
▶ 2:16:22Chair Capito: The model has been used in energy projects and I'm hoping what we did entrance rotation can translate to other project of element permitting. We need to work on that. Safety would be what your legacy is. We talked about safety away from drunk driving and disasters.
▶ 2:16:48Chair Capito: One thing occurring in our state is that workplace safety -- when someone works on the highway, we had tragic accidents where people are blowing into workers, killing them in some instances. Marilyn had a terrible accident. We need to see what we can make drivers more aware when they enter a work sound and they are entering a work sound where people are putting their lives in danger.
▶ 2:17:18Chair Capito: I wonder if you have thoughts on that in terms of keeping our highway workers or construction workers safe in the middle of the night.
▶ 2:17:26Mr. Duffy: It's an important point. I will look at the data to figure out what we can do to make sure those doing the work of building great roads in america are not losing their lives because of inattentive or reckless drivers.
▶ 2:17:44Chair Capito: I would say that the east palestine accident occurred seven miles from west virginia. A lot of the emergency responders who responded to that were volunteer firefighters from my state. Everybody pitched in to help.
▶ 2:18:04Chair Capito: I think there are things we can work with the industry and others, the union and everybody to make sure our rails are as safe as they possibly can be as they move the goods and people throughout the country. I want to work with you on that as well.
▶ 2:18:18Mr. Duffy: Even knowing what hazardous materials are on trains in communities so they can prepare should the be an accident will go a long way to making sure we don't have this scenario we had in east palestine.
▶ 2:18:32Chair Capito: One aftermath has been additional training so that they know the materials, they know what the best way to handle it is. We have made strides. We need to continue that. It is good to see you again.
▶ 2:18:48Mr. Duffy: Thank you, senator.
▶ 2:18:51Chair Capito: I am going to senator blunt rochester. >> thank you to the members of this committee for your warm welcome. Thank you to Mr. duffy for our meeting earlier this week and I want to welcome your family. As a first-time grandparent myself I will give all the credit to the grandparents.
▶ 2:19:15Chair Capito: [laughter] as we discussed in my office, the department of transportation plays a critical role in global competitiveness. It impacts our economy. We also focus on workforce, supply chains which is vitally important to me and infrastructure.
▶ 2:19:36Chair Capito: We've had conversations before about port expansion wing of the bipartisan for structure law provided 2.2 $5 billion for the port infrastructure develop a program to improve our nation's ports -- $2.25 billion. I want to follow-up on the question.
▶ 2:20:04Chair Capito: I appreciated your commitment to making sure there is funding. Because there is so much need I wanted to ask you specifically what you commit to supporting additional funding for the port infrastructure development program in the next surface trap rotation reauthorization?
▶ 2:20:27Mr. Duffy: Yesterday you made time to meet with me and I appreciate that. I know how busy you are. It is a topic you brought up in which I understand how important the ports are to american commerce. Making sure product produced in this country have a pathway to countries around the world that go to the great ports like the one in your community.
▶ 2:20:51Mr. Duffy: We saw the ring covid won the supply chain breaks down we need to make sure we can get products from around the world into this country that we don't produce. I would welcome the opportunity to work with you to make sure we have the resources to make sure our ports can meet the needs of today's economy.
▶ 2:21:11Sen. Blunt Rochester: As a follow-up, we talked about airports and that we should as a country continue to have robust airports but really be world-class in our airports. Will you continue to support funding for airport terminal and for structure improvement in the next surface transportation reauthorization?
▶ 2:21:35Sen. Blunt Rochester: I shared our airport in delaware, even though people might not assume we have -- we do have airports in delaware as well. Small but mighty.
▶ 2:21:45Mr. Duffy: I think we should have beautiful airports in america. Sometimes folks travel overseas and see these beautiful airports. Our airports have aged. Maybe they were built 40 or 50 years ago.
▶ 2:22:08Mr. Duffy: Congress put money into this effort and I will work with this committee to make sure we can build out our reports to meet today's needs -- airports to meet today's needs.
▶ 2:22:22Sen. Blunt Rochester: We are urban, suburban, rural and coastal. Many communities in america are rural communities. I wanted to talk about making sure we have adequate access to public transportation. In delaware, when folks can I get the jobs, cannot get to appointments, health care appointments unless they have a car or own one or have some other way.
▶ 2:22:49Sen. Blunt Rochester: As secretary in your golden age of travel, can you talk about connecting rural and coastal communities to rail access?
▶ 2:22:57Mr. Duffy: I appreciate the question. From my vintage point often times I think rural communities can be forgotten. Smaller populations. One of the balances I will have to make with this committee is the amount of dollars it cost to connect rural communities, whether it is through rail or better options, buses or other forms of transportation.
▶ 2:23:25Mr. Duffy: I would welcome the chance to work with you to figure out pathways in which we can make sure our communities get connected to the arteries of this country that connect everybody.
▶ 2:23:36Sen. Blunt Rochester: I want to follow-up on senator kim's point. You shared you had great trips on amtrak.
▶ 2:23:48Mr. Duffy: I don't know if I said great.
▶ 2:23:51Sen. Blunt Rochester: Yes, you did. [laughter] I am putting this on the record. Beautiful. We want to make sure to support that real because it is vital. People talked about the pilot shortage. I would love to follow-up with you. Delaware state university has the first program in the country that is in aviation program.
▶ 2:24:21Sen. Blunt Rochester: We are growing pilots, helicopter pilots and airplanes. I without the follow-up with you on the efforts that delaware state university is making in partnership with the private sector, with the public sector and a model for the rest of the nation.
▶ 2:24:36Mr. Duffy: This is a great industry to get into, a great career path. We have to do a better job of incentivizing young americans to consider aviation as a carr. I would love to follow-up and speak on that. High-heeled back. -- I yield back. >> recognizing senator wicker now I am fired because the real one is back.
▶ 2:25:05Sen. Wicker: Great to have you here. You and I had a great conversation and let me reiterate a thing or two and I want to invite you to mississippi and new york. First of all, I understand you had several questions about essential air service. You spoke favorably about that. There are many parts of wisconsin that are rural.
▶ 2:25:33Sen. Wicker: In mississippi all of our airports would have problems if it were not for the essential air service program. It gets cars off the road and helps three -- helps the situation on highways and for air travel.
▶ 2:25:55Sen. Wicker: I'm glad to see you said something about -- something positive about central air service -- essential air service. I want you to visit mississippi in june of this year when the amtrak real twice -- rail twice-daily between mobile on the gulf coast of mississippi and new orleans and back opens in june of this year. I worked with a number of secretaries of transportation about this.
▶ 2:26:27Sen. Wicker: The service was ended after hurricane katrina in 2005. This was a sore spot for my predecessor, senator trent lott. And now senator hyde-smith and I are working on this. We're just about there.
▶ 2:26:55Sen. Wicker: Maybe one little fra award is coming. In june, that service will reopen. Let me tell you, amtrak isn't going to work all over rural america but we have the city of new orleans that goes from chicago, runs down through memphis into jackson. About 180 miles further to new orleans.
▶ 2:27:24Sen. Wicker: That segment of amtrak is widely traveled. I can tell you that it is the same type of service, the same type of population centers as the major city of mobile to the gulf coast and then a major american city of new orleans. Amtrak works from jackson to new orleans. It will work for mobile. All you have to do is come see us.
▶ 2:27:56Sen. Wicker: I want to invite you. Your calendar is not full for june, is it? When you look at coming to cs at this big reopening -- see us at this big reopening?
▶ 2:28:12Mr. Duffy: You brought this up in the meeting we had together. The event of effort we put into make this a reality. I would welcome that I would welcome t to come see even mississippi is this project, after long delays, is launched.
▶ 2:28:29Sen. Wicker: Thank you for that. You will be warmly received. Let me invite you to kings point, new york. Why is mississippi senator inviting the neck secretary chest rotation to new york? I am a board member of the merchant marine academy. You will not be the first secretary of transportation that I have posted there.
▶ 2:28:58Sen. Wicker: I can assure you, my friend, in addition to the three service academies, air force, annapolis and west point, and the coast guard academy, the merchant marine academy at kings point is a fine opportunity for young americans.
▶ 2:29:25Sen. Wicker: Not only provides great officers for our merchant marine, but having been to graduation their and having been there as a member of the board and having served there for several years, their graduates serve -- many, many of them move right into the armed services. The three branches, coast guard.
▶ 2:29:52Sen. Wicker: It is a vital part of educating young americans. It's a great opportunity for them. As a board member I can tell you since it is not in dod and it is under -- going to be under your jurisdiction we have not been able to get the infrastructure repairs done that perhaps would have been easier had kings point
▶ 2:30:23Sen. Wicker: Been under the pentagon. Many of the buildings -- I have seen this -- exhibit kremlin concrete, leaky pipes, mold and inadequate heating and inadequate air conditioning for the midshipmen.
▶ 2:30:41Sen. Wicker: Yet still we had young people from all 50 states and the territories applying to come to this great educational institution. Get an education. A world-class education unmatched anywhere. I would invite you as soon as you get your schedule to make plans to come.
▶ 2:31:13Sen. Wicker: It's really about an hour and a half, an hour and 15 minutes from new york half, hour and 15, from new york city, tom come, se what a great tradition we have there, of the great young americans, the education. Will you commit during the year 20 25 to come see the merchant marine academy?
▶ 2:31:42Mr. Duffy: 100%. And I encourage wisconsinites in the commission we could offer congress to go to merchant marines. I consider it an important role of the department of transportation. Maybe even go to a football game, which you suggested.
▶ 2:32:07Sen. Wicker: Yes, they are competitive in their division. Thank you very much. >> amtrak from mississippi, alabama, and new orleans, and the merchant marine academy. Thank you for your time. >> thank you, senator wicker.
▶ 2:32:41Sen. Wicker: Senator duckworth.
▶ 2:32:44Sen. Duckworth: Thank you, Mr. chair. Welcome, Mr. duffy. I want to second what they said about buy america. It is critical to the U.S. steel industry, and our steelworkers are critical to our nation, commerce, and also the industrial complex. We need to make our own steel, so it is really important. To reinforce the buy america provision.
▶ 2:33:19Sen. Duckworth: If confirmed, you will be taking the helm at a critical time. We already talked about safety and air transportation. You mentioned traveling americans, and I'm interested into those who have some form of a disability, and I have to say that I hope that you will support the act which provides funding to make our nation come it's called the all stations accessibility program.
▶ 2:33:51Sen. Duckworth: It provides funding to make all stations for mass transit stations accessible for all persons who face challenges, not just a mobility disability like I have but also come as you mention, cognitive disability, vision, hearing, when everything is done, you have to buy your ticket on a flat screen, that makes somebody with a vision impairment of a very difficult for them to do that. When you have some stations set up in a way that is a challenge for people with cognitive disabilities.
▶ 2:34:21Sen. Duckworth: I hope that you will support the a.s.a.p. Act as transportation secretary.
▶ 2:34:30Mr. Duffy: I appreciate the meaningful phone call we had. I'm grateful for that. I'm not that familiar with the act. I would love to review it. But I'm committed to you and the chair of the caucus. To make sure we do have access with all kinds of disabilities toward our transportation system.
▶ 2:35:01Mr. Duffy: How tammy baldwin got the chairmanship, we can go over that later.
▶ 2:35:06Sen. Duckworth: She was unanimously voted. To implement the law as congress directed, and illinois needs to receive all the funding awarded to it on time and without any delay, to both red states and blue states. If confirmed, will you ensure the bipartisan infrastructure act that will get implemented in a timely manner?
▶ 2:35:33Mr. Duffy: Yes. A number of people indicate the money is going out slowly. We will try to identify what the holdups are.
▶ 2:35:52Sen. Duckworth: Thank you. I remain concerned about aviation safety. Along with senator moran, a wonderful partner, if confirmed, will you complete the 15 hour rule.
▶ 2:36:14Mr. Duffy: We will follow the law, the 1500 hour rule.
▶ 2:36:20Sen. Duckworth: If confirmed, will you ensure it is in a timely manner, so that safety will be promulgated without delay? We've already talked about this for the a fit -- the faa has conducted over last year.
▶ 2:36:41Sen. Duckworth: In october, a scathing department of transportation inspector general report found out only the oversight of boeing's production, prior to the alaska airlines incident, was ineffective, but that report also disclosed a few months prior, faa oversight officials had initiated a request for airworthiness inspections back to boeing so they would be self inspecting. This is a dereliction of faa oversight responsibility.
▶ 2:37:09Sen. Duckworth: If confirmed, will you ensure the faa conducts appropriate oversight of boeing?
▶ 2:37:13Mr. Duffy: 100%.
▶ 2:37:15Sen. Duckworth: Thank you. I also want to make sure that we continue to address, as I talked about, accessibility is for americans with disabilities. If confirmed, will you work with me to continue improving presentation for access for individuals with all forms of disabilities?
▶ 2:37:32Mr. Duffy: Yes. I look forward to working with you, senator.
▶ 2:37:36Sen. Duckworth: Thank you, and I am out of time.
▶ 2:37:39Chair Cruz: Thank you. And I now recognize senator sheedy. >> thank you, chairman. Thank you for taking on this challenge. Rachel and your beautiful family. My wife has two daughters with down syndrome, and they are the family favorite. They like them better than me.
▶ 2:38:08Chair Cruz: I want to talk about faa manufacturing in particular. The planes you see in california, that's what I used to do. Our nations aviation's challenge right now if you're what senator duckworth said is very true but one of those issues is the federal government cannot solve everything, and one of the dynamics of the federal government has created as we have one single company in the country that makes planes, big plans, airliners.
▶ 2:38:39Chair Cruz: A few decades ago, we had several, we had mac donald's, lockheed, boeing, and they competed with each other to create the best product, save this product, and most trusted product. We have encouraged this massive consolidation. I think it would behoove the faa to help create competition again in that marketplace inside america, not just with airbus and other nations companies.
▶ 2:39:04Chair Cruz: I would be curious what your thoughts, what the dot and faa can do to increase domestic competition in large aircraft manufacturing.
▶ 2:39:14Mr. Duffy: Senator, I appreciate the conversation. It was a great conversation you and I had in your office about what can actually happen. Is that possible? Can we get these innovators to actually start up and make additional planes in america? And you said, absolutely. I would like to work with you. You are a businessman who've been very successful, who knows this space.
▶ 2:39:43Mr. Duffy: I think it's important to have people talk with people like you on what needs to happen on rule changes to the committee's process that will allow startups to expand and grow, because I do think that is the key to competition, the key for better products and better pricing. And if we had more competition, I think that would be better for all americans, so I welcome the chance to figure out what has to be done that startups could actually build planes in america.
▶ 2:40:11Sen. Sheehy: Great. Thank you. Another piece, due to automation and what has been mentioned several times today, which is critical, we are seeing proposals for single pilot in airline compacts. Although that sounds great and reduces costs, in the event of an emergency, if -- it is a two-crew environment. I'm a survivor of a fatal aircraft myself.
▶ 2:40:43Sen. Sheehy: I got out. My pilot mate did not. Apply rigorous scrutiny to any pressure you are getting to to put single pilot's in a cockpit, when they have hundreds of people's lives in their hands. The technology is not ready. I don't think it will ever be ready come and the 99.9% of the flights that go well, that's not what you have the two pilots come is for the very rare occasions that did not go well.
▶ 2:41:09Mr. Duffy: Absolutely.
▶ 2:41:10Sen. Sheehy: Ok. We obviously see what is happening in los angeles right now. There's not an faa code to govern aerial firefighting feared one of the most critical airborne missions we have in the country is governed by a crop dusting regulations, air charter regulations, airline regulations. But nowhere in there we have specific f.a.r.'s that dictate how it will operate safely in the environment.
▶ 2:41:39Sen. Sheehy: It's one of the deadliest jobs in the world, to be a firefighting pilot. I think it is high time the faa recognizes we are in a new era of wild fire aviation. Instead of allowing it to be shoehorned into inappropriate codes, we need to start drafting an faa code that can actually do wildland firefighting.
▶ 2:42:05Mr. Duffy: Especially with what is happening in california right now, I wasn't aware that firefighters were using crop dusting techniques.
▶ 2:42:22Sen. Sheehy: Once again, thank you to your family for letting you do this. It is a good job.
▶ 2:42:50Chair Cruz: I will know that montana is one of the few who don't have cold. [laughter] senator rosen?
▶ 2:43:00Sen. Rosen: Thank you for your service, your willingness to serve. Thank you for doing that. There is a productive meeting we had it, ahead of this hearing, we will talk a little bit about how to support infrastructure as everybody else has talked about the state, following that, and talk a little bit about nevada.
▶ 2:43:27Sen. Rosen: So in the data our economic well-being, everybody heavily relies on travel and tourism. In 2023, las vegas, the international airport saw over 57 million passengers, the most in its history. We generated 35 billion dollars in economic output, and we support over a quarter of a million jobs come at hotels, convention halls, and the airport itself.
▶ 2:43:55Sen. Rosen: As demand rises, the historic levels, travel demand for business, for personal. How can d.o.t. Play a greater role to facilitate tourism across the country, insurer transportation is easier? We talked about rail, air travel, easier, more efficient, it a force of good paying jobs.
▶ 2:44:18Sen. Rosen: Will you commit to working with me to ensure that the department prioritizes key projects in states like nevada that really depend on this?
▶ 2:44:27Mr. Duffy: Not unlike nevada coming wisconsin, we love our tourism. I will break away for a few moments.
▶ 2:44:50Mr. Duffy: I think nevada seems to be a perfect example of investments in real projects that can make commute better. What is the freeway between you and l.a.?
▶ 2:45:06Sen. Rosen: I-15.
▶ 2:45:09Mr. Duffy: It is bumper-to-bumper, no matter the time or day, and making investments that will move people between those two cities can reduce congestion. I think it is projects like that that make a lot of sense, a lot of ridership, and even taking cars off the road, I think it makes it better for everybody.
▶ 2:45:36Sen. Rosen: Well, that is true. And I will say our airports are the gateways they are. And we do have the trains. One of the questions we passed two is about the I-15 and the bright line, the high-speed trail come but what most people don't know is that nevada, we actually have a couple of ports c1 it's for the shipping lanes, the
▶ 2:46:07Sen. Rosen: Ports of san francisco, los angeles. We want to bring those goods in. The two major arteries going into the country from the west coast. That allows those trains and trucks to go back and relieves congestion in your supply chains. Making sure we expand the project. That brings travel and tourism.
▶ 2:46:33Sen. Rosen: We expand the freeway capacity to help with our supply chain with trump's economic input.
▶ 2:46:43Mr. Duffy: You did say you have one of the biggest ports.
▶ 2:46:48Sen. Rosen: Not the biggest port , it is to drop those containers off and move in.
▶ 2:46:56Mr. Duffy: I would welcome the chance to continue to work with you on nevada and the infrastructure around these containers.
▶ 2:47:07Sen. Rosen: Thank you. We moved a little bit ahead. I will talk about emerging transportation technology. That has been on the cutting-edge again. We host the only statewide faa authorized drone test site. The smart transformation projects, the testbed is there.
▶ 2:47:34Sen. Rosen: It is important with this great line of sight in southern nevada. If confirmed, I know my time is about to end, you encourage creativity in the transportation sector, what about those things we were doing so well in nevada?
▶ 2:47:54Mr. Duffy: It is innovative now. To the point of all of these technologies are developing, I think we will be data-driven driven, safety driven, we need to have rules with clear guardrails about how these innovators could expand and grow and create products here.
▶ 2:48:20Mr. Duffy: I don't want to see americans with fantastic ideas, that they pack up and go somewhere else. I want them in nevada and other states around this country. The products, manufacturing, technology is ours. Making sure that we have rules that allow for that investment and creativity.
▶ 2:48:46Sen. Rosen: I will yield back. They are probably hungry for lunch.
▶ 2:48:55Sen. Cruz: Thank you.
▶ 2:48:58Sen. Young: Great to be with you, I look forward to serving with you in this new capacity. We had a great meeting in my office, I wanted to ask you a few questions building on that conversation.
▶ 2:49:17Sen. Young: Therefore on account of our vibrant agricultural sector logistics autonomy, transportation and infrastructure dare I say is an important part of the economy and our culture. We identify ourselves as the crossroads of america from time to time. Working with you on a number of priorities.
▶ 2:49:50Sen. Young: I want to begin by flagging with you the largest at least for so many of my constituents, the ohio river crossing project. This was a crucial final connection between evansville and henderson, kentucky. It will provide massive safety and economic benefits not just to indiana but more broadly to the economy.
▶ 2:50:22Sen. Young: When you commit to work with me to secure federal funding to this project and others like it?
▶ 2:50:27Mr. Duffy: I appreciate the time. I will welcome the opportunity to work with you on the project and learn more, possibly come to indiana and see it with you.
▶ 2:50:43Sen. Young: We will look forward to your confirmation to following up with your team about schedules for that visit. Turning to autonomous vehicles, I have long been a proponent of continuing to and encourage our innovators to go out there and keep innovating.
▶ 2:51:07Sen. Young: To ensure them that we will adopt a regulatory atmosphere that is friendly to autonomous vehicles. We see many other countries aiming to lead in this space. China, most notably, is keeping up -- catching up. We will be surpassed if we don't adopt pro policies. Over the outgoing administration, what are your thoughts generally and what do you see at the d.o.t.
▶ 2:51:35Sen. Young: With av policy?
▶ 2:51:43Mr. Duffy: I think you make an incredibly important point. This is not just a wonderful technology, it has the potential of making our roads safer. We can't fall behind china or other countries as it comes to ev technology.
▶ 2:52:09Mr. Duffy: I believe there has to be a federal law, all of these innovators could abide by if you are in texas, california, somewhere else. After safety, we want to give a wide runway for these companies and innovators to create products that create this new technology that could revolutionize the way, how we travel, whether you are taking uber, it is remarkable and
▶ 2:52:43Mr. Duffy: Exciting.
▶ 2:52:44Sen. Young: I'm impressed and encouraged that you identified this as a national security priority. As with so many other emerging technologies, they are dual use in nature. If we could incentivize the innovators to keep innovating, the capital markets to keep deploying capital, in this area, there is spillover effects to the pentagon, intelligence agencies, and others.
▶ 2:53:16Sen. Young: This is an argument that needs to continue to be made so everyone understands all of our departments here in washington from d.o.t., doc, and beyond, they are all national security entities. We need to fund them and be attentive to their programming as much as we are dod.
▶ 2:53:43Sen. Young: The last service reauthorization build of my bipartisan drive safe act, it was quite simple. We want to establish an apprenticeship program for motor vehicles in interstate commerce by cdl holders under the age of 21. Let me just explain how this works.
▶ 2:54:10Sen. Young: If you live in gary, indiana up near chicago, you could drive all the way down to lawrenceburg, indiana near cincinnati, ohio age 19, you can't go from gary indiana over to the illinois line. You can't go from lawrenceburg indiana into ohio doing the same thing. Even if those states authorize it. Why is that?
▶ 2:54:43Sen. Young: Charitably there are vested interests that really don't want us to solve the driver shortage problem. We passed a pilot program, it took us years to get this done.
▶ 2:55:02Sen. Young: We set off to the biden administration, they have re-construed the language in what strikes the average person, I was trained in the law, incidentally, it is a bizarre construction.
▶ 2:55:19Sen. Young: Would you commit to reviewing how the biden administration screwed up the implementation and tried to fix this probably bipartisan effort and if it can't be fixed administratively, I strongly believe it can, might you work with me to improve the language go around?
▶ 2:55:43Mr. Duffy: I was a cosponsor of this in the house and I saw the same concerns. Want to make sure these people are safe when they drive. I commit to you that I will look at where the department is and making sure what congress passed is fairly and hopefully implemented. Clearly tell you what that problem is.
▶ 2:56:13Sen. Young: That is all I need to congrats again. I yield back.
▶ 2:56:19Chair Cruz: Thank you very much. We are going to do what is going to be a very abbreviated second round. There are a couple of senators on both sides who are trying to make it, if they make it, if they don't, they don't. Two other things.
▶ 2:56:44Chair Cruz: Last year, the faa find spacex in 2023. One claimed lunch control from a building to another violin the -- violating the communications plan. They conducted a lunch with unapproved rocket site.
▶ 2:57:12Chair Cruz: Under the law, the secretary of transportation is ultimately responsible for licensing space launch to protect public safety. Finds like these are not only corrosive but are counter to U.S. law which says the d.o.t. Should encourage, facilitate, and promote commercial space.
▶ 2:57:34Chair Cruz: If confirmed, will you commit to reviewing these penalties and more broadly to curtailing bureaucratic overreach and excel -- accelerating launch approvals?
▶ 2:57:49Mr. Duffy: Following up with the space launch is in what has been going on in regard with the faa.
▶ 2:57:56Chair Cruz: A major part of america continuing to lead in space. I had the opportunity to be at starship launch. If you haven't done that, I encourage you, it is awesome. The true, inspiring awe to see the statue of liberty into the skies.
▶ 2:58:25Chair Cruz: Five years ago that was an empty stretch of beach. If you haven't been there, it is definitely worthwhile, that might be a trip worth bringing the kids to. It is really cool seeing a launch.
▶ 2:58:42Chair Cruz: Final question, we authorize the legislation for the pipeline safety programs at the pipelines and hazardous materials safety administration required -- expired at the end of fiscal year 2023. This committee did not take action. I found this concerning because the biden administration used d.o.t. To slow the production and movement of american energy.
▶ 2:59:13Chair Cruz: This committee plans to pursue a pipeline safety bill that has the proper focus on cost-effective and data-driven regulation. Two related questions, do you agree pipelines are one of the safest modes of surface transportation?
▶ 2:59:30Mr. Duffy: I do.
▶ 2:59:31Chair Cruz: Department of transportation should be focused on safety and let data drive regulatory decisions?
▶ 2:59:39Mr. Duffy: Yes.
▶ 2:59:40Sen. Cantwell: A couple of follow-ups in the rulemaking with the way that you have this d.o.t. Is come -- incredibly important. I brought up earlier about the nomination to work with you as deputy. In producing some documents, even senator wicker had frustration about getting documents out.
▶ 3:00:09Sen. Cantwell: I hope you will comply with the request from our committees on that. With the rulemaking I hope your prioritization in the project 2025 suggests we should get rid of this. We hear from people a lot on this committee that you will prioritize things that will not undermine safety or consume -- consumer protection.
▶ 3:00:37Mr. Duffy: I have never read project 2025. I am not sure what is in it. The president will decide policy and he made me the secretary. This is a good example. I didn't realize that the project was in project 2025. It has not been part of his agenda.
▶ 3:01:04Mr. Duffy: I have been a supporter of a central service.
▶ 3:01:09Sen. Cantwell: The notion of rulemaking not to undermine safety.
▶ 3:01:19Mr. Duffy: I am committed to transparency in providing the document you all have requested.
▶ 3:01:31Sen. Cantwell: The bipartisan infrastructure bill done five years ago for five years appropriation on those big grant programs, they want to -- he really becomes an agreement between d.o.t. And the applicant. Both of those commitments moving forward. Will you honor those commitments?
▶ 3:01:52Mr. Duffy: I anticipate honoring those commitments especially if the law has been followed and agreements are being met. Might get some backlash from this committee halfway through the project. Projects are going well. Funding is flowing. The deal has been met. I don't see an issue with that.
▶ 3:02:18Chair Cruz: I have been told senator schmitt is sprinting back from judiciary where he was just asking questions. I have been instructed to stretch for a moment. Could you tell this committee the most amazing characteristics about your wife?
▶ 3:02:44Mr. Duffy: I better not get this wrong. I am grateful for my wife. I think everybody who has a family looks at their kids and spouse, someone who has nine kids I would love to take credit for doing the hard work and heavy lifting raising kids. I have to give that award and gold-medal to my wife who has been the heart of our family.
▶ 3:03:15Mr. Duffy: I am just stretching, we will wait for senator schmitt. When you get that diagnosis it could be very scary. There is a point of unknown with a down syndrome child. It was a little bit scary. She has been the joy of our life. She had open-heart surgery and had a full recovery. She is very friendly.
▶ 3:03:44Mr. Duffy: When senator baldwin came into the room, she is very bipartisan. She went up and is hugging senator baldwin. The senator was very kind. They had a second hug.
▶ 3:04:02Mr. Duffy: Just to put a point on that, anybody who has the diagnosis, they are wonderful, beautiful children and they will bring happiness and joy to your life and I would encourage people to take a hard look at that. I appreciate senator schmitt allowing me to talk about valentina and our family as he sprinted down here.
▶ 3:04:27Chair Cruz: Senator cantwell and I were enjoying -- observing the absolute joy valentina has. Perhaps a lesson that all of us could learn. Her joy and marvel in everything around her is inspiring.
▶ 3:04:47Mr. Duffy: It was probably stressful for me not to be able to see that behind me.
▶ 3:04:55Sen. Schmitt: Thank you Mr. chairman, it is good to say that. You and I had a chance to talk about her in our office. We shared that special bond of being dads of kids with special needs. There's a reason I do this. The perspective as you know that you gain from it is life-changing. I am very grateful. Thanks for sharing that.
▶ 3:05:27Sen. Schmitt: I wanted to start by saying my congratulations to you and your family. You will do a great job. Our conversation was great. I think the american people deserve new leadership in this position. Be focused on the right thing. I wanted to focus on a couple of questions.
▶ 3:05:55Sen. Schmitt: One of the real challenges we have dealt with is this obsession the biden administration has had with di. Pete buttigieg for example implemented this and was focused on this and a month before the first national ground stop of our national airspace since 9/11 , he was busy renaming the notice system to be more inclusive. It is such a priority problem.
▶ 3:06:26Sen. Schmitt: I welcome the leadership. How do you intend to tackle that , refocusing the department on building big, beautiful roads as president trump says.
▶ 3:06:36Mr. Duffy: This is -- I appreciate the question, when we talk about safety and flying through the airspace, air traffic control, the machinists that build the planes, we want the hiring decisions to be based on that. We want excellence, we want the best people in these jobs. We should have a conversation about what communities are we drawn from.
▶ 3:07:09Mr. Duffy: There is great opportunities at boeing or one of the airline. Accessing a lot of community information about opportunities in this field is something I would commit to doing. We could only hire the best and brightest. Everyone safety is at stake.
▶ 3:07:30Sen. Schmitt: We talked less time about the faa. It is responsible for licensing and regulating all of the commercial space. The commercial launch activities in the united states. The only reason I'm aware of this is I was a ranking member of the space and science subcommittee.
▶ 3:07:58Sen. Schmitt: How important and how critical this competition is that we have with china in space. I just want to make sure that we are on the same page and work together and they will only become more competent. In this 21st century competition we have.
▶ 3:08:21Mr. Duffy: We are in the heart and center of some of the biggest innovation spaces in direct competition with china.
▶ 3:08:35Sen. Schmitt: We may have the opportunity of a lifetime for the first big, beautiful airport. Going through this redesign. You have heard a lot of these questions about rural airport and the redesigns and updating as a lot of them are updated. These are the core of the infrastructure projects.
▶ 3:09:16Mr. Duffy: Senator klobuchar would talk about the president has given me the directive to say let's build these big projects. They move our products from coast-to-coast. That doesn't mean we forget about rural america. It has to connect in to this structure. It connects us, it doesn't exist or is crumbling.
▶ 3:09:44Mr. Duffy: You can't serve those rural communities as well. Making sure we upgrade and having airports is important.
▶ 3:09:55Sen. Schmitt: It doesn't get talked about a lot. Ev's are a lot heavier than traditional vehicles. There will be ramifications. The mandate, I don't know what is going to happen. They are here to some degree our roads and bridges just wasn't built for that. Something to keep an eye on. Congratulations to you and your family.
▶ 3:10:27Chair Cruz: Thank you very much job today. A final question is required of all nominees. Do you pledge to work collaboratively with this committee to provider sponsors to the request and appear before the committee when requested?
▶ 3:10:44Mr. Duffy: Yes.
▶ 3:10:47Chair Cruz: I have 44 letters of report for congressman duffy's nomination that I ask unanimous consent to be inserted into the hearing record, without objection, so ordered. Senators have until the close of business january 16. The nominee will have until the end of the day on january 19 to respond. That concludes today's hearing. This committee stands adjourned.