WASHINGTON, D.C. – As summer vacations begin, the Transportation Department is promoting the Great American Road Trip as part of our country’s 250th anniversary celebration. Along with that, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants Americans to know he’s focused on safety.
Secretary Duffy sees the first Great American Road Trip Expo as a way to showcase the many great aspects of this country and how government, specifically his department, serves the people. During a tour of the expo, we talked about his plans and love for the job.
“I have the best department. We have a really good team at DOT. And what we do truly impacts people’s lives, you know how they move. Do they move on time? Are we delayed? What kind of congestion? But also, do they get to where they’re going safely. And so, to have that kind of impact on people’s lives, I love it here. I couldn’t imagine I could love a job as much. I never worked harder in my life. I’ve never had more fun in my life,” he said.
What is he planning to do about the huge task of modernizing air safety in America?
“So, again, to put it simply, we have to gut the whole system, build it brand new,” Duffy said. “That’s easier said than done, because we have to keep planes flying and not colliding and landing and taking off. And so we have to, we have to choreograph that really well. We have a plan in place. We’re going to let industry come in and pressure test it, see how they think we’ve done.”
Duffy knows much is needed to modernize airports, including the hiring of more air traffic controllers. He’s also aware that these necessary improvements to enhance safety will take money and time. That’s why he’s asking Congress for more than $12 billion to get the job done.
“And so I need the money upfront and I need them to clear the deck in regard to permitting. If they can do that for me, we can get this done in 3 to 4 years,” he said. “But there’s nothing more important than good infrastructure. No bigger project, no better project, no more important project than this one. And it’s bipartisan as well. Both sides know what has to be done.”
As the DOT is preparing to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, they’re promoting cars that are made here and encouraging families to get out to celebrate by taking road trips. As a father of nine children, Duffy knows that can be a big undertaking for some families.
“I think our country is so beautiful, and to celebrate it you should see it. And so I want people to take a road trip. And not only to see this country, but I just have the fondest memories of my own family going on a road trip. I’ve taken my kids on countless (trips). And what happens is, if you get them to put away their phones, which I do, I’ve been able to do that, the conversations that happen, the information that you get, the personalities that come out, and the bond that happens as you get in the car and travel across the country, I think is an experience that is hard to replicate in any other way that families interact. It’s almost like the dinner table, which is so important having dinner as a family. This is an extended dinner,” he said.
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What is his hope for America, and how does his faith compel him to pursue that?
“Listen, I think, a country that believes in freedom, democracy, and free enterprise doesn’t work unless it’s a people of faith, and people that can tap into that, because I think that brings morality into culture, into government, into businesses. And so for me, I’m a Catholic. I have nine kids. It drives what I do and how I live my life. And again, what I can do here is make it better for families,” he said.
While Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has a very busy schedule and a lot on his plate, the bottom line is he believes that the greatness of America is found in the homes of its people. He believes in the power of family and God.
