Posted on 11/29/2016 8:22:31 AM PST by usafa92
(CNN)President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Elaine Chao, the former labor secretary and wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, to be his choice for transportation secretary, an official briefed on the matter told CNN on Tuesday.
The announcement is expected to come this afternoon. Chao served as secretary of labor under President George W. Bush from 2001 through 2009 -- the longest tenure in the position since World War II -- and has been married to McConnell since 1993. She was the first Asian-American woman to serve in a Cabinet position.
Chao also served as the deputy secretary of transportation under President George H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1991. Following her time in government, Chao has held a position as a distinguished fellow at the Heritage Foundation in addition to conducting media appearances.
At the Transportation Department, Chao would have a key role in helping Trump get an infrastructure spending bill passed through Congress and start government-backed works projects -- a role likely to be complicated by her relationship with McConnell, who will also be a critical player in any infrastructure bill negotiations.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Sounds like taking away federal regulation of an area that should be up to the employer and employee. No?
I think many here on FR are still in a foxhole. Chao was selected for transportation secretary - not exactly the department that creates fiery debate around here. She appears to have great credentials.
On the topic of her spouse, I have never praised him, but it is worth mentioning again that Mitch deserves a huge amount of credit and even cheers for holding the line on Scalia’s successor even if we don’t like or trust him. One cannot overestimate the importance of that seat on the Supreme court that will now be filled by Trump. McConnell just did the most conservative thing I have seen in his career and he took a beating for it. Trump needs to work with him so perhaps this is a two-fer.
I expect Transportation (infrastructure) to be an area where Trump is very hands on given his prior statements so he is obviously comfortable with her. I will save my powder and keyboard angst for something more substantial.
Creating another one?
Very good post. I agree with you 100%.
What Trump intends to do on transportation is NOT going to be Conservative.
Just make your peace with that fact now.
Small price to pay to avoid the Clinton regime.
I’m interested in your take on this. How would you define “conservative” in the context of national transportation infrastructure and policy?
If she can untangle the gordian knot that is truck drivers hours of service regulations she has my vote.
CC
Priebus is giving too much advice that involves cronies getting jobs, but that is just my opinion.
Her father founded a shipping company per post 7, so I am guessing she may know a thing or two about transportation. I say, everything considered, she is at least an ok choice.
The OT Rules under Chao allowed People to have flexible work schedules such as a four day 10 hour a day workweek without costing their Employers OT Pay.
Liberals thought it was only instituted to screw with People’s Overtime. These are the same People who whined about the damage to Families due to our outdated 40 Hour Fulltime Work Week while the Europeans “progressed” to a 35 or 32 Hour Fulltime work Week.
Considering Mitch McConnell saved the Supreme Court seat of Scalia.............
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
“Not a good sign. The more establishment figures are in the administration, the more they can screw things up.”
What Trump intends to do on transportation is NOT going to be Conservative.
Just make your peace with that fact now.
Small price to pay to avoid the Clinton regime.
Trump has made no bones about wanting to ramp up infrastructure spending. He wants to put blue-collar workers back to work, and (left unstated by him) he wants to draw support from suburbanites mired in traffic congestion.
Obummer’s “Stimulus” was supposed to accomplish these things, though as far as I can tell, it did nothing except for replace a bunch of highway signs with slightly newer ones along my commuting route. If Trump can actually put people to work and deliver on fixing up our roads, bridges, airports, etc., and if Chao can help him do it, I think it’ll be worth the less-than-conservative spending that it will require.
Yikes.
I am sure this lady does not need the work. I would guess that this gives Trump a diversity card. As well as a very smart hardworking member of the team that can negotiated better with congress.
Its another billionaire. Or lets say that the family is worth a billion as a whole. And she is very connected to Washington and the RNC.
But lets face it. She is old Chinese money escaping from Mao. Her father was very much a hard nosed business man who did things the old Chinese way. He paid off people and broke people. Whichever worked best for his business.
I work in Logistics, DOT has been out of control under O. Sound like Chao is just want we need at DOT.
So how about we base our thinking going forward on facts rather then continue to cling to hurt feelings left over from the Primaries?
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