WASHINGTON, D.C. – In his opening statement at today’s Senate Commerce Committee confirmation hearing for the Deputy Secretary of Transportation, Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) endorsed the nomination of Steven Bradbury. Sen. Cruz highlighted Mr. Bradbury’s past leadership roles at the Department of Transportation (DOT), including time as General Counsel and Acting Secretary, as well as Mr. Bradbury’s legal work in the private sector dealing with transportation matters. Mr. Bradbury will draw on his experience to help keep travelers safe, responsibly invest in the nation’s infrastructure, and ensure the DOT operates efficiently.

Here are Sen. Cruz’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

“Today, we are considering the nomination of Steven Bradbury to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transportation. If confirmed, Mr. Bradbury will serve as the Department’s second-in-command, overseeing day-to-day operations and implementing critical safety policies for our nation’s transportation system.

“Mr. Bradbury is exceptionally well-qualified for this position. He served as General Counsel of the Department from 2017 to 2021 and briefly as Acting Secretary. As DOT’s chief legal counsel, Mr. Bradbury supervised a team of over 500 attorneys and support staff. He oversaw rulemaking and enforcement, as well as regulatory reforms, saving the Department $98 billion. In 2020, Mr. Bradbury received the Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award.

“Prior to the first Trump administration, Mr. Bradbury was a partner at major law firms here in Washington, D.C. He dealt with various transportation matters in private practice, including a consequential airline merger and one of the largest automotive recalls in history.

“Mr. Bradbury also led the Office of Legal Counsel at the Department of Justice and clerked at both the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. Simply put, his legal and policy credentials are of the highest caliber.

“But he is also suited for those aspects of the DOT role that can’t be captured in a resume: recognizing that lives are indirectly in your hands, listening to accident victims’ families and taking action to prevent future tragedies. More than many public servants, Mr. Bradbury has had to grapple with the fact that public policy has real-life consequences. He knows that with power comes responsibility.

“Mr. Bradbury will work closely with Secretary Duffy to help keep travelers safe and to responsibly invest in the nation’s infrastructure. I have made it clear that safety—particularly in the aviation sector—must be his foremost priority. To that end, Mr. Bradbury is ready to eliminate non-statutory policy objectives that have been detracting from the Department’s core safety mission.

“I’ve also emphasized Congress’s role in enhancing safety and the importance of complying with congressional oversight. Mr. Bradbury is prepared to be forthcoming with Congress, in line with commitments Secretary Duffy made to this Committee a few weeks ago to turn over information we’ve requested.

“Finally, as I noted, Mr. Bradbury is a smart regulator. He has a track record of substantial cost savings at DOT and will come on board at a time when this administration—and the American people—are particularly focused on government efficiency. With Mr. Bradbury, we get someone with the experience to drive intelligent change, the kind of change that improves outcomes while saving taxpayers money.

“I have received over twenty letters of support for Mr. Bradbury from major transportation groups representing sectors from aviation and trucking to ports and waterways. I too support his confirmation and look forward to hearing more about his approach to the Department.”

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