Trump Nominates Sean McMaster to Lead FHWA

President Donald Trump nominated Sean McMaster, a former U.S. Dept. of Transportation staffer, to be administrator of the Federal Freeway Administration. Building trade teams expressed assist for his affirmation.

The White Home introduced McMaster’s nomination March 11, a day after sending it to the U.S. Senate, which referred it to the Committee on Atmosphere and Public Works. 

McMaster beforehand served as deputy chief of employees and deputy assistant secretary for congressional affairs at DOT throughout the first Trump administration taking part in a key position in growing the company’s proposal for floor transportation reauthorization and setting coverage.

Since then, McMaster has labored within the personal sector for engineering agency HNTB and, most just lately, for Boeing Co. Previous to becoming a member of DOT, he was a congressional staffer, primarily for former Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.). He has additionally labored within the U.S. Dept. of Commerce’s Worldwide Commerce Administration and the U.S. Dept. of Housing and City Growth throughout the George W. Bush administration.

If the Senate confirms McMaster for the position, he would lead the company inside DOT that’s accountable for supporting development and upkeep of highways throughout the nation. FHWA has sometimes in recent times distributed tens of billions of {dollars} to states, native governments and tribes for varied street, bridge, tunnel and different associated initiatives—FHWA spending $61.3 billion final yr—though administration officers have indicated they are going to possible not proceed spending with the identical priorities because the Biden administration. 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy just lately rescinded a pair of Biden period memos that had instructed FHWA officers to encourage recipients of funds from the 2021 Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act to pick out initiatives that met company priorities. Business teams had opposed the original 2021 memo, and then-FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt later issued a replacement memo in 2023 emphasizing states’ position in selecting their very own initiatives however nonetheless reiterating company objectives. 

Beneath Duffy, DOT has additionally already reshaped its insurance policies to “be based mostly on sound financial ideas and evaluation supported by rigorous cost-benefit necessities and data-driven choices” and moved to rescind a rule that requires state transportation departments to trace and goal to scale back greenhouse gasoline emissions on federally supported highways. 

Audrey Copeland, president and CEO of the Nationwide Asphalt Paving Affiliation stated in an emailed assertion that the group “helps [McMaster’s] “expeditious affirmation.” His nomination comes at a vital time forward of the subsequent floor transportation authorization bundle, with present funding set to run out subsequent yr. 

Nile Elam, the group’s vp of presidency affairs, added that McMaster is “a fantastic facilitator” who “instructions immense information of federal infrastructure coverage and the vital roles that these on Capitol Hill and within the administration play in managing our important floor transportation community.” 

Kristen Swearingen, vp of legislative & political affairs on the Related Builders and Contractors, stated the group anticipates McMaster will “guarantee all certified, skilled development corporations have alternatives to construct our transportation infrastructure” no matter whether or not they use union or nonunion labor.