Trump Pick to Head DOT Supports Continued Innovation of Emerging Tech

Transportation Secretary nominee Elaine Chao told Senate Commerce Committee members at her Wednesday confirmation hearing she would work with Congress to get the government positioned "as a catalyst ... not as an impediment" to safely and efficiently integrate drones, self-driving cars and other new technologies into the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's pick to head the Department of Transportation faced friendly questioning from Democrats and Republicans about a wide range of transportation issues, with little focus on emerging technologies and she offered few specifics. Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., asked her how DOT under her leadership will keep pace with evolving technology. She said the benefits of technologies like artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and drones are known, but "there are also concerns about how they will continue to develop and I will work with this committee and the Congress to address many of these concerns. But we need to do so in a way that will not dampen the basic creativity and innovation of our country." Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., asked whether Chao has specific ideas about how federal policy can keep up with technology while maintaining safety of self-driving vehicles. He said accidents "will have a tremendous public blowback" but innovation needs to be allowed to continue. Chao replied "it behooves all of us as a country, as a society, to bring greater familiarity and greater comfort for those who are passengers and other stakeholders who will be eventual users of this technology to understand the benefits, the limitations and also what it means going forward in the future. So it requires a national discussion." DOT has 57,000 full-time employees with an operating budget of $75 billion. Chao, whose husband is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., held cabinet positions in the George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush administrations (see 1701040063). Chao is “perfectly suited” to be the next secretary of transportation, said the National Retail Federation in a Wednesday letter to the Senate Commerce Committee backing her confirmation. NRF’s members “are among the nation’s largest shippers, moving hundreds of billions of dollars worth of merchandise through the nation’s ports, rail lines, and highways,” it said. “The condition of this interconnected supply chain and its ability to move freight quickly, efficiently and safely are vital to retailers’ businesses, as well as those of American manufacturers, agricultural producers and the millions of workers they employ.” With Chao’s previous experience at DOT, including as deputy secretary under President George H.W. Bush, she has “the background and experience to address some of the key supply chain issues facing our nation and our global competitiveness,” NRF said.