Elaine Chao, a former top U.S. labor official, was sworn in on Tuesday to lead the U.S. Transportation Department which overseas aviation, vehicle, train and pipelines safety. She is a former U.S. labor secretary and deputy transportation secretary, and after the U.S. Senate votes of about 93 to 6 she too charge as transportation department lead.
Chao, 63, the wife of Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the first Asian-American woman to hold a Cabinet position,will determine and formulate the key decisions on how to regulate the growing use of drones and automakers’ plans of offering self-driving cars and will also decide upon the revision of U.S. fuel efficiency standards.
She will be a key player in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet while his administration executes the major infrastructure spending program which is promised by the businessman-turned-politician during last year presidential campaign.
The Vice President Mike Pence, who administered the oath for transportation lead to Chao said that “Your leadership and your experience will serve well as the secretary of transportation, overseeing what we anticipate will be historic investments in our nation’s roads, bridges, airports and above all in our future.” Elaine Chao has tweeted in his official page as “It is an honor to rejoin the extraordinary people of @USDOT and begin working to rebuild America’s infrastructure”.
The transportation department has about 60,000 employees with $75 billion as annual budget. It also includes the Federal Aviation Administration, which handles air traffic control.
