WASHINGTON, D.C.—John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, issued the following statement today regarding the nomination of Mr. David L. Strickland to be the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Mr. Strickland currently serves as the Senior Counsel on the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which has jurisdiction over NHTSA.

“I am extremely pleased that President Obama has nominated David to be the head of NHTSA,” said Chairman Rockefeller. “He is well-respected by the Members of the Commerce Committee and all of the stakeholders who work with NHTSA, including the industry, safety advocates, and environmental groups. The agency is in need of strong leadership, and David is an outstanding selection for this position as well as an asset to the Administration.”

Mr. Strickland has served on the Commerce Committee staff and as the lead counsel overseeing NHTSA for more than eight years. As the Senior Counsel on the Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance Subcommittee, Mr. Strickland is the Senate’s leading staff expert on fuel economy and vehicle safety. He played a lead role in the passage of several major pieces of legislation related to NHSTA, including SAFETEA-LU, the Highway Bill Reauthorization, which was passed in 2005. Mr. Strickland also served as the lead Senate staffer and negotiator on the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) title of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This major legislation was the first mandated increase in CAFE standards in 30 years.

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