Who Will Trump Pick for Secretary of Transportation?

Rumours about who the new U.S. Secretary of Transportation might be under President-elect Donald Trump aren’t exactly fueling a media frenzy, but it’s an important question.

Whoever gets the appointment will preside over a mobility revolution that could have a big impact on the lives of ordinary Americans.

Notwithstanding that the transportation secretary is thirteenth in the U.S. presidential line of succession, selection for the post will directly affect whether Trump can follow through on his campaign promise of $1 trillion in infrastructure investments.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) mandate is to ensure “fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation” that “enhances the quality of life” for all Americans.

Practically speaking, the DOT can no longer be the highway-building juggernaut it was in decades past. Laying pavement for cars and trucks will matter a lot for the foreseeable future, but so will infrastructure supporting passenger and freight rail, air travel, mass transit, and emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles and private ride-hailing companies.

Of course, the position still could be a wildcard. Both of Trump's most recent predecessors used the job to reach across the aisle; President Barack Obama appointed Republican Ray LaHood, and President George W. Bush appointed Democrat Norman Mineta.

Several candidates for the position of U.S. Secretary of Transportation are swirling about, from mayors to governors to heads of state, there could even be a dark horse candidate from the private sector.

Here are some of the potential candidates for Secretary of Transportation:

Harold Ford Jr.: Former Democratic Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. is emerging as a possible contender for transportation secretary, or another Cabinet post, in Donald Trump’s budding administration. The telegenic Ford, who served five terms in Congress representing Tennessee and is the son of a long-serving Democratic congressman from Memphis, has worked as a managing director at Morgan Stanley since 2011. Ford endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 race, and he and his wife, Emily, contributed to Clinton's campaign. But Ford is also close with Trump’s children, Don Jr., Ivanka, and son-in-law Jared Kushner, an associate said. Now the moderate Democrat is poised to potentially join the incoming Republican administration.

John Mica: This year, the Florida Republican and former chair of the House Transportation Committee lost his re-election bid for the House seat he has held since 1993, but he would eagerly return to Washington for the Cabinet post. The Hill reported that Mica said he would be “greatly honored” to serve as transportation secretary and has had discussions with key Trump team members about the position. Mica describes himself as a “workhorse” who would push to get Trump's infrastructure proposal approved quickly. Mica also has been a strong proponent of privatizing both air traffic control and Amtrak, which he has described as a “third-world rail system” and a “Soviet-style operation.”

Mark Rosenker: Rosenker was appointed a Board Member of the NTSB beginning March 2003 after unanimous confirmation by the Senate and was designated vice chairman the following month by the President. He began a second 5-year term as a Board Member in January 2005. From January 20, 2001, to November 2002 he was nominated for the NTSB, Rosenker served as deputy assistant to the President and Director of the White House Military Office. Rosenker has served in the Department of the Interior, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as well as a brief assignment in the US Department of Transportation.

James Simpson: Simpson's long transportation resume includes commissioner of New Jersey's Department of Transportation from 2010 through 2014, U.S. DOT's Federal Transit Administrator under President George W. Bush and 10 years as a commissioner on the state of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Trump and Simpson are close friends and that Simpson supported Trump over New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who had appointed Simpson as NJDOT commissioner. Even so, Simpson's association with Christie could hurt his chances, as Christie and his allies are reportedly being pushed aside in the transition team.

Shirley Ybarra: A former senior transportation policy analyst with the nonprofit think tank Reason Foundation, Ybarra is on Trump's transition team and is helping select the transportation secretary, according to The Washington Post. Ybarra, who served as Virginia secretary of transportation from 1998 to 2002, has written several editorials touting the benefits of air traffic control privatization and was the author of Virginia's Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995, which set a framework around public-private transportation partnerships. She also managed the privatization of Washington's Dulles and National airports as a policy advisor for Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole in the 1980s.

Greg Hughes: UtahPolicy.com has confirmed that Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes is under consideration for the Secretary of Transportation job. A source close to Hughes says the Utah House Speaker has been contacted by Trump's transition team. Since 2010, Hughes has served in House Leadership and he currently serves as the House Speaker in the Utah House of Representatives. During the 2016 legislative sessions, Hughes served on the Executive Appropriations Committee, the House Legislative Expense Oversight Committee, the Legislative Audit Subcommittee, and the Legislative Management Committee. During the interim, Hughes serves on the Education Interim Committee.

Hopefully, President-elect Trump and his transition team will pay some attention to vetting the DOT leader, a cabinet pick that could matter a lot. More than an end in itself, transportation is a means to many ends: increasing access to jobs and education, improving equity for disadvantaged communities, shifting environmental impacts, opening up economic development opportunities, shaping land use patterns. Her or his political views aside, a Trump cabinet member that brings some expertise and thoughtfulness to their leadership could go a very long way.

Donald Trump's Cabinet-in-waiting: What we know so far (Politico)