New DOT Secretary Confirmed
The U.S. Senate voted unanimously to confirm Anthony Foxx, mayor of Charlotte, N.C., on June 27.
Two months after being nominated by President Obama, Anthony Foxx officially is the U.S. secretary of Transportation as a result of his unanimous confirmation June 27 by the U.S. Senate. Foxx replaces Ray LaHood, a former Republican congressman who received accolades for his performance as secretary during Obama's first term.
Foxx is the mayor of Charlotte, N.C., and his experience there during the recent economic crisis is one reason the president said he selected him. "The economy is growing. There are more jobs, more opportunity. And if you ask Anthony how that happened, he'll tell you that one of the reasons is that Charlotte made one of the largest investments in transportation in the city’s history," including starting a streetcar project, expanding the airport, and extending the city's light rail system, President Obama said April 29, when he announced the nomination.
"I am pleased that the Senate today voted unanimously to confirm Anthony Foxx as the next Secretary of Transportation," the president said in a June 27 statement posted by the White House. "Anthony knows firsthand that investing in our roads, bridges, and transit systems is vital to creating good jobs and ensuring American businesses can grow and compete in a 21st century global economy. I welcome Anthony to my team, and I look forward to working with him as we aim to modernize the infrastructure that powers our economy."
President Obama also praised LaHood's performance when he announced the nomination. "Over the past four years, thanks to Ray's leadership, we've built or improved more than 350,000 miles of road -- enough to circle the world more than 14 times. We've upgraded more than 6,000 miles of rail -– enough to go coast to coast and back. We've repaired or replaced more than 20,000 bridges, and helped put tens of thousands of construction workers back on the job," the president said. "He is a good man and has been an outstanding public servant and a model for the kind of bipartisan approach to governance that I think we need so badly in this town."