Trump Expected To Pick Elaine Chao For Transportation Secretary

According to multiple reports, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao is President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for the next U.S. Secretary of Transportation. She previously served on the board of Bloomberg Philanthropies. Chao is a former Deputy Transportation Secretary and a former Labor Secretary, and wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) since 1993. And Ms Chao has experience – politically and personally – in navigating the competing centres of power in the United States capital.

“I think the experience really helps”. “Someone actually asked [spokesman Don Stewart] if I was going to recuse myself”. The infrastructure project will require a spending bill passing through Congress and public works projects backed by the government. The industry has no better supporter than Elaine Chao, and she has stood up to defend the Jones Act, the Maritime Security Program, cargo preference and the other key programs that keep our industry alive.

Thune said Chao had “a long record of accomplishment”.

She is a woman and an immigrant, a fixture of the Republican establishment for two decades.

As for McConnell, he said he’s gearing up for a quick round of Trump cabinet approvals on Inauguration Day.

Trump says such a policy would spur investment, create jobs and boost the economy.

Elaine Chao isn’t really the problem, but the optics are what looks bad. “I hope the officials responsible for USA foreign and security policy will pay attention to her insights”. Bob Dole, who served as majority leader from 1985-1987.

Mr Trump said during the campaign he would “create thousands of new jobs in construction, steel manufacturing, and other sectors to build the transportation, water, telecommunications and energy infrastructure needed to enable new economic development in the United States”.

Trump on Tuesday also chose Georgia Representative Tom Price to lead the Department of Health and Human Services nation’s health care system.

The department oversees highways, railroads, pipelines and hazardous materials, aviation, mass transit, waterborne transportation, truck and bus safety, and automobile safety.

As the Transportation Secretary nominee, Chao will be in an unusual but not a unique situation. She also worked on trade and transportation issues at the White House as a White House Fellow. She was the only member of Bush’s cabinet to serve all eight years of his tenure in office.