The Senate in a 77-22 vote on Tuesday confirmed Sean Duffy as President Donald Trump's secretary of transportation.
Trump tapped Duffy shortly after his election victory in November, calling the Wisconsin native a "tremendous and well-liked public servant." The Senate advanced Duffy's nomination on Monday with a 97-0 vote, following unanimous approval from the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee earlier this month. While Duffy's confirmation vote was also expected to be unanimous, 21 Democrats and independent socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) changed their votes following Trump's decision to pause federal funding.
"No federal agency impacts Americans' daily lives and loved ones like the Department of Transportation," Duffy told the Senate committee on January 15, vowing to "modernize our systems with cutting-edge technologies" and "ensure that our skies are safe."
Duffy also plans to "restore global confidence in Boeing" and prioritize rebuilding a stretch of Interstate 40 damaged by Hurricane Helene.
"At the end of the day, I am confident that Sean is the right person for this job in this coming, upcoming administration," Democratic senator Tammy Baldwin (Wis.) said at Duffy’s initial confirmation hearing, adding that she expects Duffy to work with "both sides of the aisle to improve our infrastructure and address the challenges that arise in the years ahead."
Duffy, the sixth Trump appointee to be confirmed, served eight years in the House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's Seventh Congressional District. Since 2023, he has cohosted The Bottom Line on Fox Business Network.
The Senate has also confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state, John Ratcliffe as director of the CIA, Kristi Noem as secretary of homeland security, Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense, and Scott Bessent as secretary of the Treasury.