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JUST IN: Trump Cabinet Nominee Confirmed By Senate

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In a bipartisan display of support, the Senate confirmed former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) as the next Secretary of Transportation on Monday, endorsing President Donald Trump’s nominee with a 77-22 vote.

Duffy, who has taken the helm of a department responsible for regulating everything from highways and railroads to pipelines and air travel, previously articulated his priorities during a hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.

His agenda includes enhancing aviation and highway safety, addressing air traffic controller shortages, and rebuilding trust in Boeing amid recent controversies. The confirmation clears Duffy to lead the sprawling agency into a new phase of transportation oversight.

Duffy’s confirmation was anticipated to proceed smoothly. Last week, he was advanced unanimously by the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee with a decisive 28-0 vote. The strong endorsement was followed by a unanimous procedural vote on the Senate floor Monday evening, paving the way for his successful confirmation.

Duffy earned a marketing degree from St. Mary’s University and a Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law. He initially gained public attention as a cast member on MTV’s “The Real World: Boston” in 1997 and later appeared on “Road Rules: All Stars” in 1998.

Congressman Sean Duffy of Wisconsin speaking at CPAC 2011 in Washington, D.C.

Duffy’s political career began when he was appointed as the district attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin, in 2002. He served in this role until 2010, when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district.

During his tenure in Congress, Duffy was a member of the House Committee on Financial Services and chaired the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. He resigned from Congress in September 2019 to focus on his family due to health complications with his ninth child.

In November 2024, President Trump nominated Duffy for the position of Secretary of Transportation. Throughout his career, Duffy has been known for his conservative viewpoints and support of President Trump’s policies. Before his appointment as Transportation Secretary, he co-hosted a show on Fox Business Network.

As Secretary, Duffy will oversee over 55,000 employees and manage a budget of approximately $110 billion.

Duffy has stressed the need for stringent measures to address safety concerns at Boeing, particularly following a mid-air emergency in 2024. He has pledged not to approve additional production of the 737 MAX until necessary safety improvements are implemented.

Duffy also advocated for unified federal regulations for autonomous vehicles to replace the existing patchwork of state laws. “Without clear rules, or a patchwork of rules state by state, we put ourselves behind those countries that allow innovators to expand and grow,” Duffy said earlier this month. “We are in direct competition with China.”

Despite Elon Musk’s close ties to President Trump, Duffy also committed to allowing ongoing safety investigations into Tesla’s advanced driving technologies to proceed without interference. The new Secretary of Transportation committed to allowing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to conduct an objective investigation into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software following a recall from the previous October.

“Yes, I commit to this committee and to you that I will let NHTSA do their investigation.” He added, “I think I also mentioned to you that a lot of the players in these spaces, I haven’t met any of them.”