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Derek Kan, who was previously an official at San Francisco-based
ride services company Lyft Inc, won confirmation to be
undersecretary of transportation for policy on a 90-7 vote.
Senate Republicans have said their Democratic rivals were
stalling a number of nominees over a dispute over funding for
the $24 billion "Gateway Program," which includes building a new
tunnel underneath New York's Hudson River. At least eight other
Transportation Department nominations are pending and other jobs
vacant, including a top auto safety regulator.
In addition to confirming Kan, the Senate voted 50-47 on Monday
to advance the nomination of Steven Bradbury, a Washington
lawyer, to be general counsel at the Transportation Department.
During the administration of President George W. Bush, Bradbury
was one of the principal authors of the legal justifications for
"enhanced interrogation techniques" called the "torture memos"
by critics. Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, said
in June that Bradbury "lacked the judgment to stand up against
(the Bush) administration’s use of torture."
Bradbury defended his work in June, saying the "questions we
addressed raised difficult issues about which reasonable people
could disagree."
In September, President Donald Trump met with top elected
officials from New York and New Jersey over the fate of the
Gateway Program deemed critical to northeast U.S.
transportation, but Trump made no commitments to finance the
project.
Republican Senator John Thune accused Democrats of holding
nominations "hostage" while awaiting "assurances that the Trump
administration will approve and fund" the Gateway project.
"While no one questions the importance of this corridor, there
are many other important projects that also are awaiting
approval and funding at the Department. No project should get to
cut the line based on the machinations of a handful of our"
colleagues, Thune said.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday he opposed
Kan because of administration roadblocks to the project. "Time
is running out and we must quickly build new tunnels," Schumer
said.
A Senate Democratic aide confirmed, separately, that Democrats
were holding up some nominations "because they want assurances
from the Transportation Department the Gateway Project will
quickly move forward after it’s funded."
The Transportation Department regulates the nation’s vehicles,
airplanes, railroads, pipelines, ports and highways.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Diane Craft and Tom
Brown)
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