Senate Confirms Elaine Chao as Transportation Secretary
She served as U.S. secretary of Labor from Jan. 29, 2001 to Jan. 20, 2009, during the presidency of George W. Bush.
On a 93-6 vote with her husband, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., voting present, Elaine Chao won confirmation Jan. 31 as U.S. transportation secretary in the new administration of President Donald Trump. There were five Democratic senators and Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent, voting no on her confirmation.
Chao served as U.S. secretary of Labor from Jan. 29, 2001 to Jan. 20, 2009, during the presidency of George W. Bush. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and Harvard Business School who, according to the DOL page about her, has served as president and CEO of United Way of America, vice president of Syndications at BankAmerica Capital Markets Group, and a banker with Citicorp. Her government service has included director of the Peace Corps, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and deputy maritime administration at DOT.