The following is a statement by Feniosky Peña-Mora, P.E., President, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE):

 

WASHINGTON – The American Society of Civil Engineers applauds the Senate's vote to confirm Sean Duffy as the incoming Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT). We are eager to work with Secretary Duffy and the DOT to maintain and modernize our nation's vital infrastructure systems, prioritizing resilience and innovation to facilitate U.S. economic vitality. We urge the new administration to continue investments in our nation's transportation network as a means of prioritizing American interests, public safety, and economic growth. 

With a decade of experience representing his home state of Wisconsin in Congress, Secretary Duffy brings strong experience and leadership to the DOT. Secretary Duffy has shown he understands the importance of an efficient, robust and safely designed transportation network that connects and protects American citizens and businesses through roads, rail and air. 

Our nation's highways, bridges, local roads, ports, transit systems and railroads need sustained, robust investment to reach a state of good repair and allow the American economy to thrive. The average American household was losing $3,300 per year due to faulty infrastructure prior to passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Continuing IIJA funding will reduce those costs to $2,000 per year thanks, in part, to a more efficient supply chain and fewer delays for goods and services. By incorporating more state and local government activity, along with engaging with the private sector, we can lower these costs even further. 

We are looking forward to continuing our long-running relationship with the DOT and working with Secretary Duffy on improving our nation’s transportation networks and American quality of life.

 

About the American Society of Civil Engineers

Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers represents more than 160,000 civil engineers worldwide and is America's oldest national engineering society. ASCE works to raise awareness of the need to maintain and modernize the nation's infrastructure using sustainable and resilient practices, advocates for increasing and optimizing investment in infrastructure, and improve engineering knowledge and competency. For more information, visit www.asce.org or www.infrastructurereportcard.org and follow us on Twitter, @ASCETweets and @ASCEGovRel.