Elaine Chao Confirmed As US Department of Transportation Secretary

Longtime Washington insider Elaine Chao today was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the new Department of Transportation Secretary under the Trump administration.

Trending Now

Trump's Travel Impact

Virtuoso Drops Trump Hotels From List of Hotel Partners

Biden To End Trump’s Travel Ban

The Legacy of President Donald Trump’s Travel Impact

Finally, Travel Community Can Exhale After Trump Signs...

President Trump Reportedly Wants an Airport Named After Him

The six dissenting votes came from five Democrats—Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Cory Booker (N.J.)—as well as Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Chao has a rugged schedule in front of her, highlighted by an ambitious $1 trillion infrastructure plan laid out by the new President to repair the country’s faltering highways, roads, trains, mass transit and airports.

Michael W. McCormick, Global Business Travel Association executive director and COO, issued a statement welcoming Chao.

“We plan to work closely with the DOT to leverage her considerable experience to focus on improving the nation’s infrastructure, continued modernization of air traffic control and ensuring safe, secure and efficient travel for our nation,” he said.

Chao also must address the debate over whether to privatize the nation’s air traffic control system – "I am open to all ideas," Chao said at a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on her confirmation earlier in January. "I am cognizant of those who are in favor it. I am cognizant of those who have safety concerns." – and, to a lesser extent but still nonetheless important decision of what to do with the Open Skies debate and the complaints of the U.S Big Three airlines who claim that Middle East Gulf carriers receive government subsidies.

READ MORE: What Her Past Roles Tell Us About Elaine Chao

The Partnership for Open & Fair Skies, the lobby group for American, Delta and United airlines asking the DOT to curb new routes to the U.S. by the Gulf carriers, issued a statement Tuesday.

“We congratulate Secretary Chao on her confirmation as secretary of transportation, and applaud her commitment to addressing our nation’s most pressing infrastructure and transportation needs,” said Jill Zuckman, chief spokesperson for the Partnership for Open and Fair Skies. “In particular, we look forward to working with Secretary Chao on a critical issue to the U.S. aviation industry where the Obama administration failed to stand up against foreign interests and protect the jobs of hard-working Americans. The United Arab Emirates and Qatar are violating their agreements with the United States and threatening the jobs of hundreds of thousands of American aviation workers by massively subsidizing their state-owned airlines. We are optimistic that Secretary Chao and the rest of the Trump team will enforce our agreements and stand up for American jobs.”

At the moment, some lawmakers want to know Chao’s stance on Trump’s executive order last week to put a temporary ban on immigration from seven primarily Muslim nations.

According to the Washington Post, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) contacted Chao and was frustrated by the results. Chao, he said, had never been given his initial list of questions by the transition team about the decision and the ensuing chaos and protests at dozens of U.S. airports.

“What I found out in the conversation was the nominee to be secretary of transportation had not been consulted by the White House, not in advance, not during, not after the implementation” of Trump’s order, Nelson told the Post.