United States Secretary of Transportation

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United States Secretary of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation seal.svg
Seal of the Department of Transportation
Flag of the United States Secretary of Transportation.svg
Flag of the secretary
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy Official Portrait.jpg
Incumbent
Sean Duffy
since January 28, 2025
United States Department of Transportation
Style Mr. Secretary (informal)
The Honorable (formal)
Member ofthe United States Cabinet
Reports to President of the United States
Seat Washington, D.C.
AppointerPresident of the United States
with Senate advice and consent
Term length No fixed term
Constituting instrument 49 U.S.C.   § 102
FormationOctober 15, 1966
(58 years ago)
 (1966-10-15)
First holder Alan Stephenson Boyd
Succession Fourteenth [1]
Deputy Deputy Secretary of Transportation
Salary Executive Schedule, Level I
Website transportation.gov

The United States secretary of transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to transportation. The secretary is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States, and is fourteenth in the presidential line of succession. [1]

Contents

The secretary of transportation oversees the U.S. Department of Transportation, which has over 55,000 employees and thirteen agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. [2] As of January 2021, the secretary receives an annual salary of $221,400. [3] [4]

Sean Duffy has served as the 20th secretary of transportation since January 28, 2025. He was appointed by President Donald Trump to serve this position, and was confirmed by the Senate in a 77-22 vote.

History

The post was created on October 15, 1966, by the Department of Transportation Act, signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. [2] The department's mission is "to develop and coordinate policies that will provide an efficient and economical national transportation system, with due regard for need, the environment, and the national defense." [2]

The first secretary of transportation was Alan S. Boyd, nominated to the post by Democratic president Lyndon B. Johnson. Ronald Reagan's second secretary of transportation, Elizabeth Dole, was the first female holder, and Mary Peters was the second. Gerald Ford's nominee William Thaddeus Coleman Jr. was the first African American to serve as transportation secretary, and Federico Peña, serving under Bill Clinton, was the first Hispanic to hold the position, subsequently becoming the secretary of energy. Japanese-American Norman Mineta, who had previously been the secretary of commerce, is the longest-serving secretary, holding the post for over five and a half years, [2] and Andrew Card is the shortest-serving secretary, serving only eleven months. Pete Buttigieg is the youngest secretary, taking office at 39 years 15 days old, overtaking Neil Goldschmidt as the youngest secretary, taking office at 39 years 3 months old, [5] while Norman Mineta was the oldest, retiring at age 74. [6] In April 2008, Mary Peters launched the official blog of the secretary of transportation called The Fast Lane. [7] On January 23, 2009, the 16th secretary, Ray LaHood, took office, serving under the administration of Democrat Barack Obama; he had previously been a Republican congressman from Illinois for fourteen years. [8]

Anthony Foxx was the 17th U.S. secretary of transportation from 2013 to 2017, when Barack Obama was president. Elaine Chao, who served as the secretary of labor under President George W. Bush, was nominated by Donald Trump on November 29, 2016. On January 31, 2017, the Senate confirmed her appointment by a vote of 93–6. On January 7, 2021, Chao announced her resignation following the January 6 United States Capitol attack, effective January 11. [9] On January 11, 2021, acting deputy secretary of transportation Steven G. Bradbury became acting secretary of transportation. Pete Buttigieg served as the 19th secretary of transportation during the presidency of Joe Biden.

List of secretaries of transportation

Parties

   Democratic (8)    Republican (12)

Status

  Denotes acting Secretary of Transportation

No.PortraitSecretaryState of residenceTook officeLeft office President
1 Alan stephenson boyd.jpg Alan S. Boyd Florida January 16, 1967January 20, 1969 Lyndon B. Johnson
(1963–1969)
2 Volpe.gif John Volpe Massachusetts January 22, 1969February 2, 1973 Richard Nixon
(1969–1974)
3 Claude S. Brinegar official photo (cropped).jpg Claude Brinegar California February 2, 1973February 1, 1975
Gerald Ford
(1974–1977)
4 William thaddeus coleman.jpg William Thaddeus Coleman Jr. Pennsylvania March 7, 1975January 20, 1977
5 Brock Adams.jpg Brock Adams Washington January 23, 1977July 20, 1979 Jimmy Carter
(1977–1981)
6 Neil Goldschmidt.jpg Neil Goldschmidt Oregon September 24, 1979January 20, 1981
7 Drew lewis.jpg Drew Lewis Pennsylvania January 23, 1981February 1, 1983 Ronald Reagan
(1981–1989)
8 Secretary Elizabeth Dole portrait.jpg Elizabeth Dole Kansas February 7, 1983September 30, 1987
9 James burnley IV.jpg James H. Burnley IV North Carolina December 3, 1987January 20, 1989
10 Samuel Knox Skinner.jpg Samuel K. Skinner Illinois February 6, 1989December 13, 1991 George H. W. Bush
(1989–1993)
11 Andrew Card award crop.jpg Andrew Card Massachusetts February 24, 1992January 20, 1993
12 Federico pena.jpg Federico Peña Colorado January 21, 1993February 14, 1997 Bill Clinton
(1993–2001)
13 Slater rodney.jpg Rodney E. Slater Arkansas February 14, 1997January 20, 2001

Downey.jpg Mortimer L. Downey III
Acting
Virginia January 20, 2001January 25, 2001 George W. Bush
(2001–2009)
14 Norman Mineta, official portrait, DOT.jpg Norman Mineta California January 25, 2001August 7, 2006

Maria Cino DOC official photo.jpg Maria Cino
Acting
New York August 7, 2006October 17, 2006
15 Mary Peters official DOT portrait.jpg Mary E. Peters Arizona October 17, 2006January 20, 2009
16 Ray LaHood official DOT portrait.jpg Ray LaHood Illinois January 23, 2009July 2, 2013 Barack Obama
(2009–2017)
17 Anthony Foxx official portrait.jpg Anthony Foxx North Carolina July 2, 2013January 20, 2017
Michael Huerta official picture.jpg Michael Huerta
Acting
California January 20, 2017January 31, 2017 Donald Trump
(2017–2021)
18 Elaine Chao official portrait 2 (cropped).jpg Elaine Chao Kentucky January 31, 2017January 11, 2021
Steven G. Bradbury official photo.jpg Steven G. Bradbury
Acting
Oregon January 12, 2021January 20, 2021
Lana Hurdle US Dept of Transportation.jpg Lana Hurdle
Acting
Virginia January 20, 2021February 3, 2021 Joe Biden
(2021–2025)
19 Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation (cropped).jpg Pete Buttigieg Indiana [a] February 3, 2021January 20, 2025
Judith-Kaleta.jpg Judith Kaleta
Acting
Illinois January 20, 2025January 28, 2025 Donald Trump
(2025–present)
20 Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy Official Portrait (cropped).jpg Sean Duffy Wisconsin January 28, 2025present

Line of succession

The line of succession regarding who would act as Secretary of Transportation in the event of a vacancy or incapacitation is as follows: [12]

  1. Deputy Secretary of Transportation
  2. Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy
  3. General Counsel
  4. Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs
  5. Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy
  6. Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs
  7. Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs
  8. Assistant Secretary for Administration
  9. Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration
  10. Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
  11. Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
  12. Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration
  13. Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration
  14. Administrator of the Maritime Administration
  15. Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
  16. Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  17. Administrator of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration
  18. Administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
  19. Regional Administrator, Southern Region, Federal Aviation Administration
  20. Director, Resource Center, Lakewood, Colorado, Federal Highway Administration
  21. Regional Administrator, Northwest Mountain Region, Federal Aviation Administration

Notes

  1. In July 2022, Buttigieg established his permanent residence in Traverse City, Michigan. [10] [11]

References

General

Specific

  1. 1 2 3 U.S.C.   § 19 : Vacancy in offices of both President and Vice President; officers eligible to act.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Grinder, R. Dale. "The United States Department of Transportation: A Brief History". U.S. Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on July 17, 2004. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  3. "Salary Table No. 2021-EX Rates of Basic Pay for the Executive Schedule (EX)" (PDF).
  4. 5 U.S.C.   § 5312 : Positions at level I.
  5. Josephs, Leslie (February 2, 2021). "Senate confirms Pete Buttigieg as Transportation secretary". CNBC . Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  6. "Biographical Sketches of the Secretaries of Transportation". U.S. Department of Transportation. August 14, 2009. Archived from the original on March 16, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  7. "A Chronology of Dates Significant in the Background, History and Development of the Department of Transportation". U.S. Department of Transportation. August 14, 2009. Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  8. "Ray LaHood—Secretary of Transportation". U.S. Department of Transportation. July 22, 2009. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
  9. Collins, Kaitlan; Diamond, Jeremy; Liptak, Kevin; Bennett, Kate (January 8, 2021). "Second Cabinet member announces resignation over Trump's response to riot". CNN.
  10. Hermani, Jordyn (July 8, 2022). "Buttigieg moves to Michigan, changes voter registration". MLive. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  11. Weigel, David; Everett, Burgess (February 6, 2025). "High hopes among Democrats as Buttigieg eyes a Senate bid". Semafor . Retrieved February 7, 2025.
  12. Obama, Barack (January 14, 2009). "Executive Order 13485: Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Transportation". NASA Online Directives Information System. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Order of precedence of the United States
as Secretary of Transportation
Succeeded byas Secretary of Energy
U.S. presidential line of succession
Preceded by 14th in line Succeeded by
Secretary of Energy
Chris Wright