**Click here or the image above to watch Senator Capito’s questions.**

***Click here to download Senator Capito’s questions.***

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Commerce) Committee, today questioned former U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), during his confirmation hearing in front of the full Commerce Committee.

During her questions, Senator Capito asked Mr. Duffy for assurances on efficiently delivering provisions critical to West Virginia of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), increasing safety measures for workers on roads, streamlining permitting processes, and implementing lessons learned from the 2023 train derailment disaster in East Palestine, Ohio.

HIGHLIGHTS:

ON IMPROVING IMPLEMENTATION EFFICIENCY OF THE IIJA:

SEN. CAPITO: “The rules and regulations, you know, we’re over three years past [the IIJA’s] signing, and it is my hope that you would commit to reviewing and updating as necessary what this Biden administration, they really dragged their heels on this thing, the benefit-cost analysis guidance that they have put forward and make sure that we are looking at the vital role that bridges and roads play in connecting rural areas like mine and states like yours.”

MR. DUFFY: “Yes, absolutely, Senator.”

ON IMPROVING PERMITTING PROCESSES UNDER THE “ONE FEDERAL DECISION” POLICY:

SEN. CAPITO: “One of the other things in the [IIJA] is a thing called ‘One Federal Decision.’ It was supposed to help with ease of permitting. It was supposed to put one particular agency in charge, and maybe the [Army Corps of Engineers], Fish and Wildlife, and others would go up to the Federal Highway Administration. I can't get an accurate reading as to whether this is working or not. I can't get an accurate reading of whether these other agencies are abiding by this. It makes good, common sense. We've all talked about project delivery and how things can go quicker. I don't know how familiar you are with the One Federal Decision process. Are you familiar with it, and will you please take a look at it to make sure the desires that we had initially are actually being met in the end?”

MR. DUFFY: “Should I be confirmed, I'll become more familiar with it, and I think it makes a lot of sense, and I think it goes to the point of bipartisanship in this- in this committee, but also in the body as a whole, of figuring out how we can streamline this process and, again, be responsible, but also move projects. So, I would work with you on that, and I'll report back on what I find.”

SEN. CAPITO: “You know, the model for that has been used in some energy projects and hoping that what we've done in transportation can translate into other project development. Permitting goes into this as well, but it just hasn't met the expectation. So, we need to work on that.”

ON IMPROVING RAIL SAFETY AFTER THE EAST PALESTINE DISASTER:

SEN. CAPITO: “I would say that the rail safety, the East Palestine accident occurred seven miles from West Virginia. A lot of the emergency responders who responded to that were volunteer firefighters from my state. Obviously, everybody's going to- I mean, we, everybody pitched in to help there. But I do think there are things that we can work, working with the industry, working with others, the union, and everybody to make sure that our rails are as safe as they possibly can be as they move the goods and the people throughout the country. So, I want to work with you on that as well.”

MR. DUFFY: “I would welcome that, and also just, I mean, even knowing what hazardous materials are on trains, communities knowing so they can prepare, should there be an accident, I think would go a long way to making sure we don't have the scenario that we had in East Palestine.”

SEN. CAPITO: “Right, I think one of the aftermaths of that has been some training- additional training so that this, you know, they know the materials, they know what the best way to handle it is. So, we have made strides there we just need to continue that.”

ON IMPROVING ROAD SAFETY, ESPECIALLY FOR HIGHWAY WORKERS:

SEN. CAPITO: “When somebody is working on the highways, we've had some tragic accidents where people just blowing into workers, killing them in some instances. Maryland had a terrible accident. I think this is- we need to look at best practices here to see where we can make drivers more aware when they enter a work zone, they're really entering a work zone where people are putting their lives the danger. So, I would encourage you, I don't know if you have any thoughts on that in terms of keeping our highway workers or construction workers safe while they're out there sometimes in the middle of the night?”

MR. DUFFY: “I think that's a really important point. I'll look at the data, and I'd love to partner with you to figure out what we can do to make sure that those who, again, are just doing the work of building great roads in America aren't losing their lives because of inattentive or reckless drivers.”

# # #