Affordability is a critical component of safety, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation nominee told senators during a confirmation hearing on Thursday, Feb. 20.
Steven Bradbury, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve under DOT Secretary Sean Duffy, said he plans to improve government efficiency without hindering safety.
“I’d like the legacy to be that the department had achieved greater efficiency in directing the dollars to the projects of most national importance for the American people,” Bradbury said. “Basically, the greatest bang for the buck for the American taxpayer in terms of infrastructure projects. We need to assess how the department exercises the discretion that Congress has given it with regard to funding programs to ensure that we are focusing our intention on safety and efficiency in those projects.”
The Trump administration has been focused on rolling back regulations. Bradbury, who served as the Department of Transportation’s general counsel during Trump’s first term as president, noted that efficiency and safety can be achieved simultaneously.
“Under my tenure, DOT was a leader in achieving efficiencies and very sizable regulatory cost savings for the American economy without compromising safety,” he said in his opening statements.
Maria Cantwell, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, argued that efforts to reduce costs can get in the way of safety. For instance, Cantwell referenced cuts to the Federal Aviation Administration despite recent crashes.
“We need leadership at DOT that recognizes that safety is the top priority,” Cantwell said. “There is no issue about saving dollars if you’re not saving lives. I think that what’s been wrong at FAA and DOT overall is that we’ve had too much of a light touch on these very important issues.”
Fewer regulatory mandates
In recent years, the DOT has introduced several proposals to mandate technology on vehicles in an effort to improve roadway safety.
Bradbury argued that these mandates make newer vehicles less affordable, thus forcing more older vehicles to remain on the roads.
“Regulations have costs, and those costs are passed by the manufacturers down the line to American families and the Americans who buy those automobiles or who want to try to buy those automobiles,” Bradbury said. “So, the effect is on the affordability of new automobiles, and that’s a critical issue. We want new automobiles to be affordable. We want Americans to buy more new automobiles … New cars and trucks are safer – significantly safer than used vehicles … Affordability isn’t just an economic issue. It’s a safety issue.”
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, asked Bradbury about California’s emission mandates and how they affect the costs of vehicles nationwide.
“Regulations can’t achieve an aspirational result,” Bradbury said. “That’s not really consistent with economics … I think we need one reasonable federal standard. I really believe that’s what Congress intended, particularly for the fuel economy.”
OOIDA letter
In advance of the confirmation hearing, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association wrote to the Senate committee in support of Bradbury’s nomination.
OOIDA noted Bradbury’s experience as chief counsel and applauded his role in withdrawing burdensome regulations, such as a proposal to increase minimum liability insurance for motor carriers.
“Under his leadership, we are confident USDOT will take steps to cut other overly costly and burdensome regulatory proposals,” OOIDA wrote in a letter signed by President Todd Spencer. “Most immediately, we are hopeful Mr. Bradbury will work with Secretary Duffy and officials from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to fully rescind the agency’s highly controversial speed limiter rulemaking, which is a top priority for OOIDA and our members.”
With that said, OOIDA is supportive of policies that make sense for truck drivers and the supply chain, such as hours-of-service reform and broker transparency.
“Given his past experience and demonstrated commitment to developing a regulatory framework that supports small trucking businesses and professional drivers, we encourage your committee to approve Mr. Bradbury’s nomination without delay,” the Association wrote. LL
Credit: Source link
