WASHINGTON — Former Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday to lead the Department of Transportation with bipartisan support on a 77-22 vote. 


What You Need To Know

  • Sean Duffy has been confirmed as transportation secretary, giving him a key role in President Donald Trump's administration

  • Duffy, a 53-year-old former Wisconsin congressman and reality TV star, was approved on a 77-22 vote in the Senate, Duffy has promised safer Boeing planes, less regulation and help for U.S. companies developing self-driving cars — while not giving any breaks to Elon Musk, a key player in that technology

  • Duffy also vowed to “restore global confidence” in Boeing, hire more air traffic controllers, cut DEI programs at the Department of Transportation and create federal rules for self-driving cars

Duffy, 53, will be the country's 20th Secretary of Transportation. 

President Donald Trump tapped Duffy to head the Department of Transportation, a sprawling agency with more than 55,000 employees and the responsibility of managing the nation’s airlines, railroads and highways. 

The former Wisconsin congressman has promised safer Boeing planes, less regulation and help for U.S. companies developing self-driving cars — while not giving any breaks to Elon Musk, a key player in that technology.

Earlier this month, Duffy assured Senators from states devastated by Hurricane Helene that his first trip will be to survey the damage to critical infrastructure.

During his Senate confirmation hearing, Duffy made several other promises, from investing in public transit, to making electric vehicle owners pay into the Highway Trust Fund as owners of gas-powered vehicles do, to increasing oversight of airline manufacturers through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Several senators said a top priority was restoring trust in Boeing, the giant manufacturer that has been forced to ground planes for safety issues ranging from a door panel blowing off mid-air to deadly crashes.

At his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Duffy vowed to “restore global confidence” in Boeing, hire more air traffic controllers, cut DEI programs at DOT and create federal rules for self-driving cars instead of leaving that to patchwork of state regulations that critics said holds back U.S. development.

One of the biggest beneficiaries to a such a regulatory overhaul would be Musk. Stock his electric vehicle maker, Tesla, has soared since Trump was elected president on hopes that unified federal rules will be passed. Investors are also expecting the DOT's investigations into Tesla to be eased now that Musk is a key adviser to the president.

But when pressed by senators in hearings, Duffy promised to hold firm.

“I will let NHTSA do its investigation,” said Duffy, referring to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the agency in his department in charge of probes and crackdowns on car makers.

China came up several times at Duffy's confirmation hearing as a threat to U.S. development of self-driving technology overseen by DOT. A big Chinese electric vehicle maker there, BYD, is stealing market share from Tesla both in China and Europe.

“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 at his hearing before Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation “We are in direct competition with China.”

The agency has several open investigations into the safety of Tesla vehicles, some focusing on what the company calls Full Self-Driving, a misnomer because the vehicles require human intervention at any moment. In October, NHTSA launched a probe into Tesla’s self-driving system covering 2.4 million vehicles after getting reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian.

Musk, the world’s richest man who has dubbed himself “first buddy” of Trump, gave an estimated $250 million to Trump’s presidential campaign.

Duffy’s decisions at DOT will have a direct impact on profits not only at Tesla but Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX, which has billions of dollars of contracts with federal agencies. DOT's Federal Aviation Administration has occasionally fined the company for violations, including $633,000 last year for alleged safety violations during two Florida launches.

Duffy’s resume includes appearances on two reality TV shows before entering Congress, and work as a Fox News Commentator since leaving Capitol Hill. 

Wisconsin politicians have taken to social media to congratulate Duffy: 

Correction: A previous version of this story said Sean Duffy was confirmed as the next transportation secretary on Thursday. He was confirmed on Tuesday. This has been corrected. (Jan. 29, 2025)

Aly Prouty - Digital Media Producer

Aly Prouty is a digital producer for Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin, Ohio and Kentucky. An award-winning, multimedia journalist, she holds an honors B.A. in journalism from Marquette University and an M.A. in journalism and media studies from The University of Alabama.