Department of Transportation News

The Daily Signal reports on Department of Transportation news with analysis and commentary on infrastructure spending, highway policy, airline regulations, electric vehicle mandates, and the federal government’s role in transportation and mobility across America.
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  • news

    Shutdown Will Disrupt Air Travel, Transportation Chief Warns
    Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy delivered a stern message at the Capitol on Thursday: The federal government shutdown is already putting a strain on air traffic controllers, and the problem will only get worse until the government reopens. “Next Tuesday is the first paycheck that [air traffic controllers] will not receive for the work that…
    George Caldwell
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  • news

    Transportation Secretary Celebrates Inaugural Ride of New High-Speed Train
    President Donald Trump is overhauling the train stations in Washington, D.C., and New York City. The Trump administration is taking over the management of Washington’s Union Station. The move comes amid the administration’s effort to clean up crime in American cities, starting with the nation’s capital. “I think the president has been pretty clear on…
    Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell
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  • news

    3 Blue States Could Be at Fault in Fatal Florida Car Crash, Transportation Secretary Says
    The U.S. Department of Transportation is investigating three blue states’ possible involvement in an Aug. 12 fatal car crash in Florida that killed three. Illegal immigrant truck driver Harjinder Singh stands accused of causing the crash by making an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike 19 miles north of Fort Pierce in St. Lucie County. He…
    Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell
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  • news

    EXCLUSIVE: 1,500 Truck Drivers Taken Out of Service for Poor English Following Transportation Department Directive
    FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Following new guidelines from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to enforce English language proficiency for commercial truck drivers, 1,500 drivers have had their licenses placed out of service by law enforcement, The Daily Signal has learned. “‘America First’ means safety first. Americans are a lot safer on roads alongside truckers who can…
    Fred Lucas
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  • news

    EXCLUSIVE: Trump Transportation Department Reforms Biden ‘Climate Justice’ Program
    FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—President Donald Trump’s Department of Transportation is moving away from the Biden administration’s climate justice initiative, which made it harder and pricier to build buses. Joe Biden’s transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, forced grant recipients of a $1.5 billion Federal Transit Administration grant program to build buses in accordance with low or…
    Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell
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  • news

    Transportation Secretary Unveils Overhaul of ‘Antiquated’ Air Traffic Control Systems
    Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a massive overhaul of the United States’ antiquated air traffic control system to modernize operations and reduce delays and inefficiencies. “This proposal seeks to transform the United States’ air traffic control system from its antiquated system to a modern system capable of meeting the demands of today and the future,”…
    Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell
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  • news

    EXCLUSIVE: Trump’s Transportation Department Cut $9.5B of Waste in 100 Days
    FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Secretary Sean Duffy is celebrating 100 days of prioritizing safety and efficiency at the Department of Transportation. “The Department of Transportation is focused on its core mission of safety and efficiency,” Duffy said in a statement shared with The Daily Signal. “Under this administration, America is building again—forging a future with…
    Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell
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  • opinion

    Distracted By Climate Change? Former Trump Transportation Official Weighs in on Bridge Collapse
    What will be the long-term impact of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, Tuesday? What industries will be affected and how? And who in the U.S. supervises ship safety—and are they prioritizing safety ahead of issues like climate change? Steve Bradbury, who formerly served as acting deputy secretary of the…
    Brian Gottstein
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  • opinion

    California Transportation Policy Is Not for the Free
    MIDLAND, Texas—Here in Texas oil country, your Uber is more likely to be a pickup than a Prius. Daniel, who works in the oil pipeline business when he’s not driving for Uber, picked me up from Midland International Air & Space Port in his Chevy Silverado. Born in Midland Memorial Hospital and raised in Midland,…
    Diana Furchtgott-Roth
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  • opinion

    Amid Aviation Crisis, Buttigieg’s Transportation Department Expands Vacation
    "Secretary Pete" seems more focused on holiday leave than fixing issues with the Department of Transportation. Things aren’t going to well for Pete Buttigieg on a number of fronts. As the secretary of transportation, he is also in charge of the Federal Aviation Administration. Wednesday morning, the FAA halted all outbound flights throughout the country…
    Roman Jankowski
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  • news

    Transportation Chief Buttigieg Uses Taxpayer-Funded Private Jets Despite Calling for Curbing Carbon Emissions
    A Biden administration Cabinet member has taken at least 18 taxpayer-funded private jets since taking office despite a strong stance on curbing carbon emissions, according to a Monday release by Americans for Public Trust. Pete Buttigieg, the 19th secretary of transportation, has reportedly taken a minimum of 18 taxpayer-funded flights while using private jets managed by…
    Bronson Winslow
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  • opinion

    5 Biden Transportation Potholes Making Motorists’ Lives Miserable
    Just a few months ago, Washington celebrated the passage of a bloated infrastructure bill. Supporters trotted out tired claims about fixing “crumbling roads and bridges” using gobs of taxpayer money. Yet even if we assume a certain amount of waste, fraud, and abuse due to the problems inherent with federal involvement, Americans might reasonably expect…
    David Ditch
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  • news

    Biden Administration Sues Texas Over Governor’s Order Restricting Transportation of Illegal Immigrants
    The Biden administration filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas challenging Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order targeting the transportation of migrants spreading COVID-19 in the state, according to court documents filed Friday. Abbott, a Republican, announced restrictions on the ground transportation of illegal migrants in federal custody who could spread COVID-19 around Texas communities…
    Kaylee Greenlee
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  • news

    Exclusive: Rep. Ted Budd Introduces Amendment to Nix Over 1,400 Earmarks From Transportation Bill
    A North Carolina congressman is introducing an amendment to remove all earmarks from a transportation spending bill slated for a House vote this week. “Taxpayers across the country are getting their first look at what Washington is like in the new earmark era,” Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., said in a statement to The Daily Signal. …
    Rachel del Guidice
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  • opinion

    Call Transportation Bailouts What They Are: More Welfare for Labor Unions
    Congress is moving full steam ahead on ramming through a bloated, wasteful, and debt-exploding $1.9 trillion legislative package. Although it’s supposedly justified by the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the spending is designed to appease progressive ideological causes and politically connected interest groups. A prime example is the $57.5 billion currently earmarked for various parts of…
    David Ditch
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  • opinion

    What Social Distancing? House Transportation Bill Would Pack Americans on Mass Transit
    For months, the news media and health experts have repeatedly told Americans that the main way to stop the spread of COVID-19 is to avoid crowded and enclosed spaces. That guidance led to a nationwide shutdown of churches, schools, businesses, and other places of public gathering, causing the greatest disruption to our way of life…
    David Ditch
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  • news

    Federal Transportation Officials Launch Probe of Chick-Fil-A Bans
    The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Friday that it will investigate whether two airports violated federal law or transportation regulations by denying a contract to Chick-fil-A on religious grounds. “The Department has received complaints alleging discrimination by two airport operators against a private company due to the expression of the owner’s religious beliefs,” DOT said…
    Molly Prince
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  • opinion

    New York City Just Sent Its Transportation Industry Back to the 1930s
    At 5 o’clock on Aug. 14, New York City turned its clocks back to the 1930s. The Taxi and Limousine Commission officially stopped issuing licenses to most for-hire vehicles, effectively declaring war on Uber and Lyft in an effort to protect taxis from competition. This is the first of many steps that aim to constrain…
    Jason Snead
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  • opinion

    Transportation Reforms Take to the Fast Lane in Trump Budget
    Following on his pledge to eliminate wasteful and inappropriate federal programs, President Donald Trump’s budget blueprint delivers when it comes to the Department of Transportation. Trump’s budget blueprint shears the Department of Transportation’s discretionary budget by $2.4 billion—some 13 percent—by slashing some of its most egregious programs. Although most of the department’s funding is classified as…
    Michael Sargent
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  • news

    6 Interesting Facts About Elaine Chao, Trump’s Pick for Transportation Secretary
    President-elect Donald Trump tapped Elaine Chao to head the U.S. Department of Transportation, his transition team announced Tuesday. “Secretary Chao’s extensive record of strong leadership and her expertise are invaluable assets in our mission to rebuild our infrastructure in a fiscally responsible manner,” Trump said in a statement. “She has an amazing life story and has…
    Kelsey Bolar
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