DOT Nominees Await Senate Consideration for FRA, FTA Posts
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Nominees for top posts at two agencies await consideration before the Senate.
Republican leaders, managing the chamber’s summer agenda, are expected to schedule votes on the nominees to lead the and. The nominations of David Fink to become FRA administrator and Marc Molinaro to lead the FTA were recently advanced by committees of jurisdiction.
During his confirmation hearing in May before the Commerce Committee, Fink pledged to enhance rail safety and supply chain connectivity.
“The railroad industry in the United States has been developing state-of-the-art technology to make a safe system even safer. Much of this technology is ready to be deployed, and I look forward to ensuring FRA is a partner in advancing safety innovations and not a hindrance,” he said, noting that if confirmed, “one of my first jobs will be to get this safety technology out in the field, working to make the rail system even safer.”
David Fink (left) has been tapped to head the Federal Railroad Administration, and Marc Molinaro was the pick to lead the Federal Transit Administration.
Committee Chairman strongly endorsed Fink, who most recently was CEO of Pan Am Railways. “He is deeply committed to the FRA’s core mission — safety — and will ensure it remains top of mind in all regulatory actions,” Cruz said.
In written questions after the hearing, , the panel’s ranking member, asked Fink if he supported the Railway Safety Act, legislation the committee approved in 2023. “Rail safety is FRA’s primary mission. If confirmed, I will implement any legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President [Donald] Trump that is under FRA’s jurisdiction,” the nominee wrote in response.
The Railway Safety Act, which did not reach the president’s desk, proposed updates to FRA’s guidelines while promoting further industry safety standards. Vice President J.D. Vance, as a former member of the committee, was a co-sponsor with Cantwell.
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The rail legislation responded to a high-profile freight train derailment in Vance’s home state of Ohio in 2023. The , an independent agency, determined a railcar’s defective wheel bearing caused the derailment and the subsequent release of hazardous material. According to NTSB investigators, the bearing on a hopper car failed and overheated.
During a hearing before the Banking panel, Molinaro told senators that if confirmed, he “will advance President Trump’s bold ‘America First’ agenda for rebuilding our infrastructure and meet Secretary [Sean] Duffy’s high standards for leadership, innovation and accountability. I will work with each of you — regardless of party — to help build transit systems that deliver: for riders, for workers, for taxpayers and for the communities we all serve.”
In championing the nominee’s credentials, Banking Committee Chairman said, “{Molinaro] brings critical experience from his time serving in the House on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and a long career in local government … making him well-qualified for this role.”
Molinaro was most recently a Republican congressman from New York with a seat on the transportation panel.
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