As America approaches the 2024 Presidential Election, CVTA is preparing to effectively advocate for the entire national membership, regardless of the outcome on November 5th.
As such, CVTA’s advocacy strategy is built on creating and maintaining relationships with key policymakers from both parties.
We’re pleased to report that the majority of speculative nominees are well known, familiar faces to CVTA due to ongoing regulatory and Congressional advocacy.
Indeed, federal officials and members of Congress that have engaged with CVTA in recent years are among candidates likely to be considered for key cabinet posts in either a President Harris administration or a President Trump administration.
Potential Trump Administration Nominees
On the Republican side, Politico reports that Chairman Sam Graves and Congressman Garrett Graves are said to be leading contenders for the office of U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
Chairman Sam Graves, a Republican representing Missouri’s 6th Congressional District, is the current chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. As a small business owner and sixth-generation family farmer, Graves has long been a champion for the trucking industry. As Chairman, Graves has shown leadership in preserving federal funds to expand capacity to move freight, and his committee has advanced bills to increase access to CDL skills tests, reduce regulations on commercial motor vehicles, and create grant programs for truck parking.
Congressman Garret Graves, a Republican representing Louisiana’s 6th Congressional district, is a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation. Graves was the lead Republican sponsor of bipartisan legislation to streamline security credentialing requirements and is well-known as a supporter of the truck driver training industry throughout his time on T&I.
Potential Harris Administration Nominees
Politico also reports that Polly Trottenberg, Shailen Bhatt, and Francis Suarez are said to be leading contenders for the office of U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
Polly Trottenberg is the current Deputy Secretary at USDOT. Trottenberg has helped lead the administration’s implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Shailen Bhatt is the former Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, serving during the Biden Administration. He formerly led state departments of transportation in Delaware and Colorado.
CVTA has engaged with Deputy Secretary Trottenberg and former Administrator Bhatt at a variety of events at USDOT headquarters in recent years.
Francis Suarez is the Republican Mayor of Miami, Florida. Mayor Suarez’s term will end in 2025, and the office of Secretary of Transportation has been used in the past for cross-party appointments. For example, Ray LaHood, a former Republican member of Congress, served as Transportation Secretary during the Obama administration, and Norman Mineta, a former Democratic member of Congress, filled the same role during President George W. Bush’s administration.
On the Democratic side as well, Politico reports that Patrick Murphy is a leading contender for the role of Veterans Affairs Secretary. Murphy, a former Democratic Congressman from Pennsylvania, is currently the Chair of Task Force Movement, a coalition of industry groups seeking to advance career opportunities for veterans in the trucking industry and other high-demand fields. CVTA participates in Task Force Movement through members like American Truck Training and Werner Enterprises.
As we move towards the next administration, CVTA will be ready to engage with whomever fills critical positions in Washington D.C. We’ve laid the groundwork for successful engagement through work with many of these potential nominees in the past.
CVTA members play a critical role in supporting effective advocacy on behalf of the industry. To support CVTA’s advocacy efforts, consider joining for CVTA’s 2025 Hill Day and becoming part of CVTA’s Advocates Program.