Senator Hassan Calls on Biden Administration to Swiftly Appoint Leadership to Respond to Trucking, Supply Chain Issues

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) called on the Biden administration to swiftly appoint leadership at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which oversees the safety and stability of the U.S. trucking industry, a critical role as the U.S. responds to inflation and supply chain issues.

In the letter, Senator Hassan cites the importance of the role in helping the U.S. respond to the economic issues facing the country: “The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration plays a critical role in the safe and efficient movement of goods and people…A Senate-confirmed and permanent Administrator is critical to the successful implementation of the law. In addition to carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the Administrator position, any nominee will be deeply involved in the ongoing, all-hands-on-deck efforts to rebuild and strengthen our supply chains, which is necessary for addressing inflation and strengthening our country’s economy.”

The Senator also discusses how filling the role will help fulfill the goals of the bipartisan infrastructure package that Senator Hassan helped negotiate and pass into law. The law “...reauthorizes surface transportation programs at levels not seen since the creation of the Interstate Highway System, invests $110 billion in additional funding for critical needs like repairing our roads and bridges, which are vital for the trucking industry, and establishes a pilot program and workforce promotion campaign to bring new commercial drivers into the industry.”

Senator Hassan is working to strengthen supply chains so that Americans can thrive in today’s 21st century economy. Earlier this year, the Senate passed the United States Innovation and Competition Act, to help position the United States to build its competitive edge against China. The bill contained a Hassan-led amendment to strengthen efforts to investigate unfair trade practices that systematically impact critical domestic supply chains and U.S. workers. The bill also included $50 billion to support legislation that Senator Hassan and colleagues previously passed into law to stimulate advanced semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. Earlier this year, Senator Hassan and a bipartisan group of her colleagues discussed strengthening the U.S. supply chain with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. After their meeting, President Biden signed an Executive Order to address supply chain vulnerabilities in pharmaceutical products and critical minerals. 

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear President Biden:

I write today regarding the need for a new nominee for Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration following the announced departure of Meera Joshi, current Deputy Administrator and nominee-Administrator. Given the ongoing supply chain challenges that are contributing to inflation and the importance of ensuring both safety and stability within the trucking industry, I urge you to swiftly select another nominee for consideration by the Senate.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration plays a critical role in the safe and efficient movement of goods and people. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that you signed into law in November reauthorizes surface transportation programs at levels not seen since the creation of the Interstate Highway System. It invests $110 billion in additional funding for critical needs like repairing our roads and bridges, which are vital for the trucking industry, and establishes a pilot program and workforce promotion campaign to bring new commercial drivers into the industry. The bill also makes a number of improvements to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to protect commercial and non-commercial drivers alike. A Senate-confirmed and permanent Administrator is critical to the successful implementation of the law. In addition to carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the Administrator position, any nominee will be deeply involved in the ongoing, all-hands-on-deck efforts to rebuild and strengthen our supply chains, which is necessary for addressing inflation and strengthening our country’s economy.

Given the importance of leadership at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for both ensuring highway safety and for contributing to resilient supply chains, I urge you to quickly nominate a new Administrator for consideration by the Senate.

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