Trump Nominees Would Help Shape Federal Transportation Policy

What happened: President-elect Donald J. Trump has now announced nominees for all 12 cabinet positions, as well as several key executive branch roles, to serve in his second administration.

Why it matters: In addition to the Nov. 18 nomination of former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wisc.) to serve as Secretary of Transportation, here are his selections for positions important to transportation construction:

• Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Former Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) served four terms in Congress before an unsuccessful bid for the governorship in 2022. In 2015, Zeldin signed a bipartisan letter urging action on surface transportation reauthorization legislation. Later that year, he voted for the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation” (FAST) Act, which widened eligibility for federal funding of bridges in his Long Island region under a provision he championed. If confirmed, Zeldin will help lead administration efforts to reform policies on permitting, clean water and related issues.
• Director, Office of Management & Budget (OMB): Russell Vought served as director of OMB in President Trump’s first term and was re-nominated to the same role. Vought will be responsible for developing the federal budget and has been a vocal proponent of aggressive cost-cutting and downsizing the federal government. He has also held senior positions with conservative entities Heritage Action and the House Republican Study Committee.
• Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL): Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.) lost her 2024 re-election bid earlier this month. During her single term in the House, Chavez-DeRemer served on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She was one of three Republicans to co-sponsor the current version of the “Protecting the Right to Organize” (PRO) Act, a measure to expand the latitude of labor unions in the workplace, which ARTBA and numerous other national groups have opposed. The current DOL policy portfolio includes the proposed heat illness prevention standard, the new “walkaround” rule, and prevailing wage regulations.

What’s next: Each position requires Senate confirmation, and nomination hearings are expected to begin after the new Congress takes office Jan. 3, 2025.