Elaine Chao
From Ballotpedia
Elaine Chao
Prior offices
U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Education
Elaine Chao served as the 18th secretary of transportation. She was a member of President Donald Trump's (R) administration.
The secretary of transportation is responsible for overseeing "the formulation of national transportation policy and promotes intermodal transportation. Other responsibilities range from negotiation and implementation of international transportation agreements, assuring the fitness of US airlines, enforcing airline consumer protection regulations, issuance of regulations to prevent alcohol and illegal drug misuse in transportation systems and preparing transportation legislation."[1]
On November 29, 2016, President Donald Trump announced that Chao was his choice for secretary of transportation. Chao previously served in President George W. Bush's Cabinet as secretary of labor from 2001 to 2009.[2]
On January 7, 2021, Chao announced that she would be resigning as secretary of transportation effective January 11, 2021. In a statement, Chao said, “Yesterday, our country experienced a traumatic and entirely avoidable event as supporters of the President stormed the Capitol building following a rally he addressed. As I’m sure is the case with many of you, it has deeply troubled me in a way that I simply cannot set aside."[3]
Biography
Chao was born on March 26, 1953, in Taipei, Taiwan. She received a bachelor's degree in economics from Mount Holyoke College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. After completing her education, she worked in the private sector for financial institutions like Citicorp and Bank America before becoming the deputy maritime administrator in the U.S. Department of Transportation in the 1980s. Chao went on to lead the Peace Corps and United Way of America.[4]
In 2001, Chao became the first American woman of Asian descent to serve in a presidential Cabinet, acting as the secretary of labor during both of President George W. Bush's terms in office.[5]
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of Chao's academic, professional, and political career:
- January 31, 2017-January 11, 2021: Secretary of Transportation
- 2001-2009: Secretary of Labor in the George W. Bush Administration
- 1996-2000: Distinguished Fellow at the Heritage Foundation
- 1992-1996: President and Chief Executive of United Way of America
- 1991-1992: Director of the Peace Corps
Confirmation vote
On November 29, 2016, President Donald Trump announced that Chao was his choice for secretary of transportation. She was confirmed by the Senate on January 31, 2017, and sworn into office the same day.[2][6]
Senate vote
On January 31, 2017, the Senate voted 93-6 to confirm Chao as secretary of transportation. Five Democrats—Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.)—and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) voted against Chao's confirmation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Chao's husband, voted present.[6]
| Elaine Chao confirmation vote, January 31, 2017 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes for  |
Votes against  |
Total votes |
 Democrats |
41 | 5 | 46 |
 Republicans |
51 | 0 | 51 |
 Independents |
1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total Votes | 93 | 6 | 99 |
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
| Nomination tracker | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate: Elaine Chao | ||
| Position: Secretary of Transportation | ||
| Confirmation progress | ||
| Announced: | November 29, 2016 |
| Hearing: | January 11, 2017 |
| Committee: | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee |
| Reported: | January 24, 2017 |
| Confirmed: | January 31, 2017 |
| Vote: | 93-6 (1 voting present) |
The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a confirmation hearing for Chao on January 11, 2017.
Chao discussed the following issues during her confirmation hearing:[7]
- On funding a major infrastructure plan: Chao emphasized the importance of the administration working closely with Congress on developing an infrastructure plan. She said, “As the infrastructure proposal is being put together, we will certainly be in great discussion with the Congress, because, once again, we can’t do it on our own.” She added that, while federal spending would likely be included in a potential infrastructure plan, “The government does not have the resources to address all the infrastructure needs within our country.” Chao noted that additional capital could come from public-private partnerships such as equity firms, pension funds, and endowments. She said that the country should “unleash the potential for private investment in our nation's infrastructure.”
- On privatizing air traffic control: Some Republican members of Congress proposed privatizing air traffic control operations throughout the country—operations controlled by the Federal Aviation Administration. Supporters of the plan said that it would modernize air traffic control operations and make them more efficient. Critics, on the other hand, said that it could make air travel less safe and that it offered few-to-no improvements over the existing system. When asked about her stance on the issue, Chao said, “Obviously this is an issue of great importance, it’s a huge issue that needs to have a national consensus. For that national consensus to occur there needs to be a dialogue. The administration has not made a decision on this point.” She added, “I am open to all ideas,” and “I am cognizant of those who are in favor it. I am cognizant of those who have safety concerns.”
Issues
Goals as secretary of transportation
- During an interview on September 18, 2017, Chao was asked what she wanted to achieve as secretary of transportation. She said, "There are three goals. Three themes. One is safety, which is always number one. Number two, the president wants to have an infrastructure proposal, 16 different agencies have been working together for the last few months on an infrastructure proposal that we hope will be available to be unveiled later on this fall. The principles were unveiled around middle of May. We are now filling in the principles, working on legislative text language, so we hope to have that out by the latter part of the fall. And then thirdly, the third theme or goal is to look to the future, which is why I am here today in MCity in Michigan. To talk about autonomous vehicles and automated driving systems and what that means for us, for our country. And for so many swaths of our population that hitherto have not had mobility freedom. Autonomous vehicles and automated driving systems can give freedom to the elderly and to the disabled. So it had great potential. We're giving them their freedom back. It's very powerful."[8]
The Trump administration's infrastructure plan
- Following Trump's signing of the executive order rolling back permitting regulations for infrastructure projects on August 15, 2017, Chao stated that regulations were the primary holdup facing transportation projects rather than a lack of funding.[9]
- Addressing the Senate on May 17, 2017, Chao said that the basics of Trump's infrastructure policy would be released by the end of May. Chao said, "The proposal will likely include $200 billion in direct federal funds which will be used to leverage $1 trillion in infrastructure investment over the next 10 years."[10]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Chao is married to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).[5]
Recent News
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See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Transportation.gov, "Office of the Secretary," January 15, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The New York Times, "Elaine Chao Is Said to Be Trump’s Pick for Transportation Secretary," November 29, 2016
- ↑ CNBC, "Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao is first Trump Cabinet member to quit after riot," January 7, 2021
- ↑ Biography.com, "Elaine L. Chao," accessed November 29, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Elaine L. Chao, "Biography," accessed November 29, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Senate.gov, "On the Nomination (Confirmation Elaine L. Chao, of Kentucky, to be Secretary of Transportation)," January 31, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, "Senate Commerce Announces Nomination Hearing for Elaine Chao to be next Secretary of Transportation," accessed January 5, 2017
- ↑ Washington Examiner, "Elaine Chao: Expect an infrastructure package this fall," September 18, 2017
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Trump signs order to speed infrastructure construction," August 15, 2017
- ↑ CNN, "Chao to Senate: Trump infrastructure 'principles' coming soon," May 17, 2017
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Anthony Foxx |
U.S. Department of Transportation 2017-2021 |
Succeeded by Steven Bradbury (acting) |
| President Donald Trump's policies (first term) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overviews |  | |
| Domestic policy | ||
| Economic affairs and regulations | ||
| Foreign affairs and national security | ||
| Trump's second term overviews |
