President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation said Boeing needs “tough love” to get back on track after an airborne emergency in 2024 and that electric vehicles should pay to use the roads. “We have to make sure they are implementing their security plan.
“We have to put pressure on the (Federal Aviation Administration, FAA) to make sure they are implementing their security plan,” former House lawmaker Sean Duffy told the Senate Committee at his confirmation hearing.
Duffy said he would work “with Congress and the FAA to restore global confidence in Boeing and ensure our skies are safe.” “Boeing is a matter of national security. Boeing is the largest exporter of American products, which is incredibly important. In one of my meetings, someone said that they need a tough hand though, which is what they need,” Duffy said.
The FAA is maintaining stricter oversight of Boeing indefinitely, a year after a door panel with four missing bolts flew off a new Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane in mid-flight. It has also prohibited Boeing from expanding production to more than 38 MAX planes per month.
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Duffy’s vision
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker plans to step down on Jan. 20, while FAA Deputy Administrator Katie Thomson left the agency last week. Trump has not yet named a new candidate to lead the department.
Most of the revenue for federally funded road repair is collected through taxes on diesel and gasoline, which electric vehicles do not pay. “They should pay for the use of our roads. How to do it, I think, is a little more complicated,” Duffy said.
Some states charge fees for electric vehicles to cover road repair costs. For the past three decades, Congress has chosen not to raise taxes and instead used general tax revenue to address federal highway trust fund shortfalls.
With information from Reuters.
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