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Former Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., was flanked by some sitting Wisconsin senators successful a bipartisan amusement of enactment to footwear disconnected his Wednesday confirmation proceeding earlier the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee.
Duffy, who served 5 terms aft flipping a spot held by Democrat David Obey for decades, aboriginal moved connected to enactment astatine Fox News; astir precocious co-hosting "The Bottom Line" with Dagen McDowell connected FOX Business.
"I’m humbled by the information that President Trump has nominated maine to this precise important position," Duffy said successful his opening statement.
He besides introduced the 8 of his 9 children contiguous – arsenic good arsenic his wife, "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy.
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He noted that his eldest lad could not beryllium successful Washington connected Wednesday, arsenic helium and his woman precocious had a kid and besides unrecorded successful Southern California, which is being ravaged by wildfires.
"No national bureau impacts Americans’ regular lives and loved ones similar the Department of Transportation," helium said, adding that President-elect Donald Trump "is a builder" and knows the value of maintaining and gathering captious infrastructure. He besides noted that Campos-Duffy survived a deadly head-on automobile collision, which brought road information to the forefront successful his family.
Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., disclosed helium excessively was progressive successful an mishap with a drunk operator 30 years agone and does not similar to speech astir it.
Lujan appeared to get concisely affectional arsenic helium addressed Campos-Duffy successful connecting implicit their shared acquisition – and praised Duffy for his stated extremity to beryllium remembered arsenic a caput who improved proscription safety.
Later successful the hearing, Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., besides stressed the value of road information and disclosed helium had been deed by a car astatine property 5.
Duffy besides pledged to reconstruct Americans’ spot successful the hose manufacture amid immoderate caller incidents, including problems astatine Boeing. "We privation the champion and the brightest aerial postulation controllers. We indispensable modernize our systems with cutting borderline technologies. I'll enactment with Congress and the FAA to reconstruct planetary assurance successful Boeing, and to guarantee that our skies are safe," helium said.
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Similarly, Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan noted the Last Frontier was not yet a authorities erstwhile President Dwight Eisenhower launched the national interstate programme – and that 251 communities successful his authorities inactive are not connected by roads.
Duffy pledged enactment for the national programme that ensures indispensable aerial work to far-flung communities successful Alaska and different sparsely-populated states.
Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Ted Budd, R-N.C., brought up the value of making definite Hurricane Helene victims are "not forgotten."
Blackburn noted Interstate 40 – a important transcontinental artery from Wilmington, North Carolina, to Barstow, California, remains washed retired crossed the Great Smoky Mountains.
During the September hurricane, a agelong of the eastbound lanes successful Haywood County, North Carolina, collapsed into the then-raging Pigeon River, stymieing determination commerce and entree to upland communities. Parts of Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee proceed to spot semipermanent closures of large arteries and communities trying to rebuild.
"We’re continuing to effort to enactment done this process to get that rebuild, but we request to cognize this volition beryllium beforehand and halfway with you truthful we tin get that interstate rebuilt and reopened," Duffy told Blackburn.
He pledged to marque his archetypal authoritative travel arsenic caput beryllium 1 to the Helene-affected portion of those states.
Speaking astir enactment for alternate proscription means, ranking subordinate Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., noted astatine 1 constituent that the monthly outgo to ain a car tin beryllium arsenic precocious arsenic $1,000, portion riding nationalist transit averages $100 per month.
Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said 1 contented that the Department of Transportation indispensable code is the deficiency of means for electrical conveyance drivers to wage into the road spot fund. At present, taxes connected gasoline are the main constituent of that gross source.
Duffy responded that determination should beryllium a method done which greenish vehicles assistance money the roads they thrust on.
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In a airy infinitesimal partway done the hearing, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, made notation of Duffy perchance visiting the Aloha State, to which Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, joked that it whitethorn beryllium a bully junket for the full panel.
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., asked Duffy to bring attraction to rider obstruction work successful the Heartland, remarking that galore times the superior absorption has been connected Amtrak’s Northeast Regional – which runs betwixt Newport News, Virginia, and Boston.
He mentioned the Southwest Chief, a cardinal two-day tally betwixt Chicago and Los Angeles, and however it is cardinal to his state.
Additionally, New Jersey Democratic Sen. Andy Kim discussed caller mysterious drone sightings crossed the Garden State, arsenic good arsenic determination transit issues plaguing New York City suburbs.
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