Senate confirms Steven Bradbury as next U.S. deputy secretary of transportation
The Senate confirmed Steven Bradbury to be the next U.S. deputy secretary of transportation, where he will be responsible for overseeing the department’s day to day operations, including safety regulation, finance regulation and legislative actions, as well as serving as a key advisor to the secretary.
His position was confirmed with 51 senators voting for his approval and 46 voting against it during a roll call vote March 11. Bradbury had previously advanced out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Feb. 27 along a party-line vote.
Committee Chair Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) delivered the following remarks on Bradbury’s nomination during the hearing Feb. 27, “As the former general counsel of [US]DOT, Mr. Bradbury will bring a deep understanding of how the department and our transportation systems operate. He is intimately familiar with the department’s past attempts to address transportation challenges, such as aviation safety, and has learned from his experiences. This background will be invaluable in his new role when he is confirmed.”
As previously reported by Mass Transit magazine, Bradbury has served in previous administrations, including Trump’s first term as acting deputy secretary of transportation, acting secretary of transportation and his senate-confirmed position as general counsel for the USDOT. He also held positions during George W. Bush’s first term. Most recently, he was a fellow with the Heritage Foundation.
In light of his confirmation, American Public Transportation Association (APTA) President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas released the following statement:
“[APTA] congratulates Steven Bradbury on his confirmation as U.S. deputy secretary of transportation. His experience and leadership come at a pivotal moment for America's infrastructure future.
“Let me be clear: Public transit drives the American economy. Seventy-seven percent of federal transit investment flows to businesses nationwide, creating jobs and strengthening local economies. Across our 50 states, American workers build buses, trains and technology that power our nation's mobility. These are good-paying manufacturing and technology jobs that can't be outsourced.
“As the development of the next Surface Transportation Authorization Act approaches, APTA and its more than 1,600 member organizations representing several million transit workers look forward to working with Deputy Secretary Bradbury and the entire DOT team to advance policies that recognize the critical role public transportation plays in creating good paying jobs, stimulating economic growth and connecting communities,” Skoutelas concluded.
Several other transportation-related associations and organizations previously expressed support for Bradbury’s confirmation.
Secretary Duffy rescinds Biden Administration memos
In other news, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the USDOT is rescinding two memorandums issued by the Biden Administration. The memorandums, “Policy on Using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Resources to Build a Better America,” was issued to help implement Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding and prioritize preferred projects.
Specifically, the memo encouraged funding recipients to invest in projects upgrading street, highway and bridge conditions to be safe for all road users and modernize the transportation network to be accessible for all road users, offer “better choices across all modes, accommodates new and emerging technologies, is more sustainable and resilient to a changing climate and is more equitable.”
According to the USDOT, “these memos displaced the long-standing authorities granted to states by law, added meritless and costly burdens related to greenhouse gas emissions and equity initiatives.”
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Transportation is getting back to basics — building critical infrastructure projects that move people and move commerce safely,” Duffy said. “The previous administration flouted Congress in an attempt to push a radical social and environmental agenda on the American people. This was an act of federal overreach. It stops now.”
USDOT noted its rescission memo affirms that these policies have no basis in statute and will have no role in USDOT programs moving forward.
Megan Perrero | Editor in Chief
Megan Perrero is a national award-winning B2B journalist and lover of all things transit. Currently, she is the Editor in Chief of Mass Transit magazine, where she develops and leads a multi-channel editorial strategy while reporting on the North American public transit industry.
Prior to her position with Mass Transit, Perrero was the senior communications and external relations specialist for the Shared-Use Mobility Center, where she was responsible for helping develop internal/external communications, plan the National Shared Mobility Summit and manage brand strategy and marketing campaigns.
Perrero serves as the board secretary for Latinos In Transit and is a member of the American Public Transportation Association Marketing and Communications Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism with a concentration in magazine writing and a minor in public relations from Columbia College Chicago.
