On Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy faced sharp questions from Democrats during a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, where he defended sweeping changes to department priorities, including the elimination of Biden-era climate and social justice initiatives.
Duffy argued these programs drained funds from critical infrastructure and safety efforts, citing a landmark 2023 Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action in college admissions as a legal foundation for his decisions. He emphasized that such policies unnecessarily inflated project costs without delivering tangible benefits to transportation systems.
In his opening remarks, Duffy highlighted significant cost-saving measures. “Our department, over the course of the last hundred days, has saved taxpayers roughly $9.5 billion,” he said. “Those savings include monies pulled from projects tied to social justice to climate requirements, also boondoggle projects, as well as bringing efficiencies to the department.”
The cuts sparked a passionate response from Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., who drew on personal history to challenge Duffy’s stance. “My late wife… had to walk two and a half miles to school every morning right past the White school, where the White kids had buses. That was social injustice,” Clyburn said. “Now all of a sudden we see this as wasteful government spending? I don’t think so. I think this is a wise investment in a country that has challenges that we need all people involved in.”
Duffy responded with respect for Clyburn’s legacy but held firm, clarifying his focus was on specific policy mandates rather than the concept of social justice itself. “What I see with the climate and the social justice requirements in the projects that you so dearly want built, that it’s adding costs on,” Duffy stated. “It’s costing more money. If we take out 5 to 10% climate or social justice, that’s money we don’t have for additional projects. And that’s my concern.”
WATCH:
Secretary Duffy calmly destroys Congressman Clyburn (D-SC) after he suggests that Department of Transportation should continue to fund social justice programs! The people have spoken we don't want our tax dollars going to social justice and DEI Programs! pic.twitter.com/m1dpVWn26T
— DeVory Darkins (@devorydarkins) May 14, 2025
Tensions escalated when Rep. Norma Torres, D-Calif., accused the Trump administration of compromising air travel safety by allowing 400 air traffic controllers to leave their posts, claiming this led to delays in vital infrastructure upgrades.
“The administration undermined [safety efforts] by offering deferred resignation to controllers, and at least 400 of them… were fired, resulting in delays to much-needed upgrades,” Torres stated.
Duffy swiftly rejected the claim as baseless. “We have not fired – haven’t let go – anyone,” he said. “Air traffic controllers? You said we let 400 go. No one in air traffic control has been allowed to take a deferred resignation offer. Not one. Not 400. Zero.”
The hearing centered on the Transportation Department’s proposed $26.7 billion discretionary budget for FY 2026, a 5.8% increase from the previous year. Duffy framed the budget as a streamlined plan to prioritize safety and infrastructure while cutting bureaucratic excess. “Our budget carefully focuses taxpayer resources on items critical to our most fundamental mission of safety and investing in transportation infrastructure,” he said.
Addressing recent disruptions at Newark Airport, Duffy pointed to errors by the prior administration, specifically a poorly executed transfer of airspace control from New York to Philadelphia. “They didn’t test and make sure the lines were hardened… and they didn’t move the STARS system, which helps interpret radar,” he said.
He assured lawmakers that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was moving quickly to resolve the issue, including collaborating with airlines to reduce flight volumes and ease system strain. “We’re working at lightning speed and pace to get this resolved,” Duffy said.
The fiery exchanges highlights deep divisions over the direction of federal transportation policy, with Duffy positioning himself as a reformer focused on efficiency and safety, while Democrats warned that his cuts could undermine efforts to address systemic inequities and modernize infrastructure.
The Fairview Gazette will keep our readers informed on any updates regarding the Department of Transportation.
