In January, President Donald Trump appointed Sean Duffy as the new U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Duffy had made remarks about the future of U.S. roads and aviation earlier in the month, Reuters reported. While those remarks are not policy, they may offer a glimpse into the future for American transportation.
What's happening?
Duffy has since made headlines for being a part of damage control after recent plane crashes in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia following efforts to remove and reduce staff at the Federal Aviation Administration and other government agencies. While Duffy did not play a role in the accidents, he and his office have a lot of work to do with air traffic control concerns in the coming weeks and months.
Those tragic accidents have brought aviation safety back into the national spotlight. One of Duffy's comments last month worth attention was about Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer responsible for a problem last year in which a door panel blew off an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 and caused the cabin to decompress. The panel was missing four bolts — an oversight of the manufacturer, which has been under heavy scrutiny from the FAA ever since.
"We have to make sure they are implementing their safety plan," Duffy said of Boeing, per Reuters. "We have to push the [FAA] to make sure they're implementing their safety plan."
Duffy also said he would work "with Congress and the FAA to restore global confidence in Boeing and to ensure our skies are safe" and added: "Boeing is a national security issue. Boeing is the largest exporter of American product — incredibly important. In one of my meetings someone said, though, they need tough love, which is what they do need."
On the topic of American roadways, Duffy highlighted the fact that federal road projects are largely paid for with taxes on gas and diesel — which means electric vehicle drivers aren't sharing these costs. "They should pay for use of our roads. How to do that, I think, is a little more challenging," Duffy said.
Why are these remarks important?
Duffy's comments are one look into the Trump administration's thinking on transportation issues. It seems possible that a federal tax for EV use is in the country's future; if so, that may remove some or all of the financial advantages of driving an EV. That, in turn, could lead more drivers to choose gas-powered cars, which would lead to more air pollution.
Some states already charge a yearly fee for owning an EV to make up for the losses in tax revenue at the pump, though they are generally $100 to $200 per year — still far lower than the estimated savings of around $500 to thousands of dollars annually that comes from charging with electricity over fueling with gasoline, depending on how much a person drives.
Meanwhile, Boeing will likely continue to be closely watched.
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No way 👎 What's being done about Duffy's concerns?
Limits have been put into place concerning the number of aircraft that Boeing can produce — which may prevent sloppiness that could cause dangerous accidents. The company has been ordered not to manufacture more than 38 Max planes per month.
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However, with the change in leadership at the FAA — detailed by CBS News — those rules are also subject to change.
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