Former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy Picked for Transportation Secretary

What happened: President-elect Donald Trump late Monday announced he is nominating former U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy as his Transportation Secretary, saying the Wisconsin Republican “will prioritize Excellence, Competence, Competitiveness and Beauty when rebuilding America’s highways, tunnels, bridges and airports.”

Why it matters: If confirmed, Duffy and his team at the U.S. Department of Transportation will manage implementation of funding and key initiatives authorized in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) over its final 20 months. Their agenda will likely include revising parameters for several discretionary grant programs. It is expected Duffy will also take a highly visible role in formulating and advocating for any Trump administration proposals relating to surface transportation reauthorization legislation scheduled for 2026.

A lawyer, Duffy represented a northern Wisconsin district from 2011 until 2019, when he resigned his House seat, citing family obligations.  During his tenure, he served on the Financial Services, Budget and Joint Economic Committees. Duffy also brings experience in network television, most recently co-hosting a show on Fox Business.

Notable aspects of Duffy’s transportation record in the House include:

• Successfully co-sponsoring 2012 legislation with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and others to move forward on construction of the new St. Croix River Bridge between Wisconsin and Minnesota. The measure prevented the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act from being used to block federal-aid funding earmarked for the project, which was completed in 2017.
• Voting for the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century” (MAP-21) surface transportation reauthorization legislation in 2012, which passed the House 373-52.
• Signing a February 2015 letter to House leaders, in which 285 members of both parties urged development of “a long-term sustainable revenue source for our nation’s transportation network as soon as possible,” while seeking to reauthorize MAP-21.
• Although co-sponsoring legislation to reauthorize the federal highway and public transportation programs in early 2015, Duffy was one of 65 House Republicans voting against the final product, which passed that chamber 359-65 and became law in December of that year.

In reacting to the Duffy announcement, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, cited the longstanding bipartisan tradition in federal transportation policymaking, saying he looked forward to “working together to pass the next surface transportation authorization, creating more jobs…”

What’s next: Should Duffy’s nomination follow the typical process for cabinet nominees, President-elect Trump will formally submit his name to the U.S. Senate, with the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation conducting a confirmation hearing. Cabinet members typically take office within a few days of a new president’s inauguration on Jan. 20. While President-elect Trump may choose to bypass the Senate with recess appointments for more contentious nominees, early reaction to Sean Duffy’s announcement suggests he will undergo the usual confirmation process.