Sean Duffy confirmed by Senate as Transportation secretary, vows to improve travel safety

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate confirmed Sean Duffy on Tuesday as secretary of Transportation, clearing the way for another of President Donald Trump's Cabinet officials to start working on plans to improve traffic safety, cut regulations on construction projects and restore public confidence in Boeing.

Duffy was confirmed by a vote of 77 to 22.

In nominating Duffy to his post, Trump said the former Wisconsin Republican lawmaker would use his experience and relationships from eight years in Congress to rebuild the country’s infrastructure and improve travel safety.

At his confirmation hearing on Jan. 15, Duffy said he would prioritize road safety to reduce fatalities on American roadways, noting there are more than 40,000 deaths in traffic accidents each year.

Duffy, 53, said another priority is to focus on large construction projects and reduce the red tape that he said “slows critical infrastructure projects.”

Duffy said that the country needs more air traffic controllers to improve aviation. He promised to work with the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates Boeing, and Congress to restore international confidence in the plane manufacturer after fatal crashes overseas.

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Duffy, a former co-host of "The Bottom Line" on Fox Business, is one of several former Fox News hosts Trump chose to fill his administration. Duffy’s wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, is a host on the network, on “Fox & Friends Weekend.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was confirmed for the Cabinet post on Friday, was also a host of “Fox & Friends Weekend” and former GOP Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is a former Fox News contributor.

Since Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration, the Senate has confirmed Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Additional Senate votes are expected soon for Doug Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, Chris Wright to be the secretary of the Department of Energy, Doug Burgum to run the Interior Department and Lee Zeldin for administrator of the U.S. EPA.

Duffy represented Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, before he entered politics, Duffy was a cast member of a couple of MTV reality shows, including "The Real World: Boston," "Road Rules: All Stars" and "Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons."

While filming another MTV show, Duffy met his wife, who made her initial MTV appearance on "The Real World: San Francisco." The couple married in 1998. They have nine children.

Duffy appeared in the sixth season of "The Real World: Boston" in 1997. Before that, he graduated from St. Mary's University in Minneapolis and earned a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul. In his early career, he served as district attorney in Ashland County, Wisconsin.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sean Duffy is new secretary of Transportation, Senate confirms