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Floor Speech

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Mr. CRUZ. Madam President, I rise in support of the nomination of Sean Duffy to be Secretary of Transportation.

Last week, Congressman Duffy was reported favorably out of the Commerce Committee without a single ``no'' vote. All 28 members of the Commerce Committee--Republicans and Democrats--voted in favor of Congressman Duffy.

Two weeks ago, Congressman Duffy appeared before the Commerce Committee for nearly 3 hours for two rounds of questions, his family seated behind him, and he thoughtfully and ably answered the questions put forth by all of the members of the committee.

The resounding bipartisan support for his nomination demonstrates that Republicans and Democrats believe Congressman Duffy is eminently qualified to serve as the Secretary of Transportation.

Transportation is not Republican; it is not Democrat. Transportation is for all Americans, from roads to bridges to waterways to airspace. All Americans depend on the Department of Transportation to help ensure a safe and sufficient transportation system. Congressman Duffy understands this.

He is a five-term Congressman who reached across not just the aisle but across Chambers to bring home needed infrastructure to his district.

To quote his home State Senator, Senator Baldwin, a Democrat, who spoke glowingly of Congressman Duffy:

Sean is the right person for this job.

I agree with Senator Baldwin. As a father of nine children, Congressman Duffy told committee members:

I think about transportation quite a bit, and about transportation safety a lot.

He understands what American families care about: making sure that when they get in their cars or on a plane or are with their families, they know they will get to their destinations safely.

He embodies the ``revolution of common sense'' that President Trump has called for.

Not only has Congressman Duffy earned the support of the entire Commerce Committee, but there are over 60 stakeholders in support of his nomination. Congressman Duffy has received wide support from labor, from airlines, from railroads, from manufacturers, from energy providers, and many more.

It is my hope that, given this unanimous support that Congressman Duffy received on Wednesday from the Commerce Committee, the entire Senate can follow suit, that we can all agree he is the kind of consensus-driven leader we need at the Department of Transportation.

Therefore, I urge all of our colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, to come together and vote in support of the confirmation of Sean Duffy to be the next Secretary of Transportation.

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