United States Secretary of Transportation

Secretary of Transportation of the United States of America
Seal of the Department of Transportation
Flag of the Secretary of Transportation
Incumbent Anthony R. Foxx since July 2, 2013
United States Department of Transportation
Style	Mr. Secretary
Member of	Cabinet
Reports to	The President
Seat	Washington, D.C.
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	No fixed term
Constituting instrument	49 U.S.C. § 102
Formation	October 15, 1966
First holder	Alan Stephenson Boyd
Succession	Thirteenth in the United States Presidential Line of Succession
Deputy	Deputy Secretary of Transportation
Salary	Executive Schedule, level 1
Website	www.dot.gov

The United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation, a member of the President's Cabinet, and thirteenth in the Presidential Line of Succession.^[1] The post was created with the formation of the Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966, by President Lyndon B. Johnson's signing of the Department of Transportation Act.^[2] The Department's mission is "to develop and coordinate policies that will provide an efficient and economical national transportation system, with due regard for need, the environment, and the national defense."^[2] The Secretary of Transportation oversees eleven agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.^[2] In April 2008, Mary Peters launched the official blog of the Secretary of Transportation called The Fast Lane.^[3]

The first Secretary of Transportation was Alan Stephenson Boyd, nominated to the post by Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson. Ronald Reagan's second Secretary of Transportation, Elizabeth Dole, was the first female holder, and Mary Peters was the second. Gerald Ford's nominee William Thaddeus Coleman, Jr. was the first African American to serve as Transportation Secretary, and Federico Peña, serving under Bill Clinton, was the first Hispanic to hold the position, subsequently becoming Secretary of Energy. Japanese American Norman Mineta, who had previously been Secretary of Commerce, is the longest-serving Secretary, holding the post for over five and a half years,^[2] and Andrew Card is the shortest-serving Secretary, serving only eleven months. Neil Goldschmidt was the youngest secretary, taking office at age thirty-nine, while Norman Mineta was the oldest, retiring at age seventy-four.^[4] On January 23, 2009, the sixteenth secretary Ray LaHood took office, serving under the administration of Democrat Barack Obama; he had previously been a Republican Congressman from Illinois for fourteen years.^[5] The salary of the Secretary of Transportation is $199,700.^[6]

Anthony Foxx, then Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina was nominated by President Barack Obama on April 29, 2013, to succeed Ray LaHood. On June 27, 2013 the Senate confirmed his appointment by a vote of 100-0.^[7]

Secretaries of Transportation

Parties

      Democratic       Republican

No.	Image	Name	State of residence	Took office	Left office	President serving under
1		Boyd, Alan S.Alan S. Boyd	Florida	000000001967-01-16-0000January 16, 1967	000000001969-01-20-0000January 20, 1969		Johnson, Lyndon B.Lyndon B. Johnson
2		Volpe, John A.John A. Volpe	Massachusetts	000000001969-01-22-0000January 22, 1969	000000001973-02-02-0000February 2, 1973		Nixon, Richard M.Richard M. Nixon
3		Brinegar, Claude S.Claude S. Brinegar	California	000000001973-02-02-0000February 2, 1973	000000001975-02-01-0000February 1, 1975
							Gerald R. Ford
4		Coleman, Jr., William T.William T. Coleman, Jr.	Pennsylvania	000000001975-03-07-0000March 7, 1975	000000001977-01-20-0000January 20, 1977
5		Adams, BrockBrock Adams	Washington	000000001977-01-23-0000January 23, 1977	000000001979-07-20-0000July 20, 1979		Carter, JimmyJimmy Carter
6		Goldschmidt, Neil E.Neil E. Goldschmidt	Oregon	000000001979-08-15-0000August 15, 1979	000000001981-01-20-0000January 20, 1981
7		Lewis, DrewDrew Lewis	Pennsylvania	000000001981-01-23-0000January 23, 1981	000000001983-02-01-0000February 1, 1983		Reagan, RonaldRonald Reagan
8		Dole, Elizabeth H.Elizabeth H. Dole	Kansas	000000001983-02-07-0000February 7, 1983	000000001987-09-30-0000September 30, 1987
9		Burnley IV, James H.James H. Burnley IV	North Carolina	000000001987-12-03-0000December 3, 1987	000000001989-01-20-0000January 20, 1989
10		Skinner, Samuel K.Samuel K. Skinner	Illinois	000000001989-02-06-0000February 6, 1989	000000001991-12-13-0000December 13, 1991		Bush, George H. W.George H. W. Bush
11		Card, Andrew H.Andrew H. Card	Massachusetts	000000001992-02-24-0000February 24, 1992	000000001993-01-20-0000January 20, 1993
12		Peña, FedericoFederico Peña	Colorado	000000001993-01-21-0000January 21, 1993	000000001997-02-14-0000February 14, 1997		Clinton, BillBill Clinton
13		Slater, Rodney E.Rodney E. Slater	Arkansas	000000001997-02-14-0000February 14, 1997	000000002001-01-20-0000January 20, 2001
14		Mineta, Norman Y.Norman Y. Mineta	California	000000002001-01-25-0000January 25, 2001	000000002006-08-07-0000August 7, 2006		Bush, George W.George W. Bush
15		Peters, Mary E.Mary E. Peters	Arizona	000000002006-10-17-0000October 17, 2006	000000002009-01-20-0000January 20, 2009
16		LaHood, Ray H.Ray H. LaHood	Illinois	000000002009-01-23-0000January 23, 2009	000000002013-07-02-0000July 2, 2013		Obama, BarackBarack Obama
17		Foxx, Anthony R.Anthony R. Foxx	North Carolina	000000002013-07-02-0000July 2, 2013	present

Line of succession

The line of succession regarding who would act as Secretary of Transportation in the event of a vacancy or incapacitation is as follows:^[8]

1. Deputy Secretary of Transportation
2. Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy
3. General Counsel
4. Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs
5. Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy
6. Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs.
7. Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs
8. Assistant Secretary for Administration
9. Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration
10. Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
11. Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
12. Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration
13. Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration
14. Administrator of the Maritime Administration
15. Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
16. Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
17. Administrator of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration
18. Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
19. Regional Administrator, Southern Region, Federal Aviation Administration
20. Director, Resource Center, Lakewood, Colorado, Federal Highway Administration
21. Regional Administrator, Northwest Mountain Region, Federal Aviation Administration

Living former Secretaries of Transportation

As of February 2016, there are twelve living former Secretaries of Transportation, the oldest being William T. Coleman, Jr. (1975-1977, born 1920). The most recent Secretary of Transportation to pass away was Andrew L. Lewis (1981-1983), on February 10, 2016.

References

General

• "Biographical Sketches of the Secretaries of Transportation". U.S. Department of Transportation. August 14, 2009. Retrieved January 2, 2010. 

Specific

The order of succession of the U.S. Department of Transportation is as follows <http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-5543.pdf>:

1. Deputy Secretary.
2. Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy.
3. General Counsel.
4. Assistant Secretary for Budget and Programs.
5. Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy.
6. Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs.
7. Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs.
8. Assistant Secretary for Administration.
9. Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration
10. Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
11. Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
12. Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration
13. Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration
14. Administrator of the Maritime Administration
15. Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
16. Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
17. Administrator of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration
18. Administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation
19. Regional Administrator, Southern Region, Federal Aviation Administration
20. Director, Resource Center, Lakewood, Colorado, Federal Highway Administration
21. Regional Administrator, Northwest Mountain Region, Federal Aviation Administration

External links

• Department of Transportation
• The Fast Lane, the official blog of the Secretary

United States Secretaries of Transportation Boyd Volpe Brinegar Coleman Adams Goldschmidt Lewis Dole Burnley Skinner Card Peña Slater Mineta Peters LaHood Foxx

Agencies of the United States Department of Transportation Headquarters: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE (Transportation Department Building) Anthony Foxx, Secretary of Transportation Victor Mendez, Deputy Secretary of Transportation Deputy Secretary of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration Federal Highway Administration Federal Railroad Administration Federal Transit Administration Inspector General U.S. Maritime Administration Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Research and Innovative Technology Administration Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Surface Transportation Board Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy Office of Aviation and International Affairs Office of Transportation Policy