Duffy clashes with Democrats over DEI funding cuts, claims air traffic controllers let go.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made headlines on Wednesday as he sparred with Democrats during a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing. Duffy took aim at Biden-era climate and social justice projects, arguing that they were draining funds from other important transportation initiatives. He pointed to a recent Supreme Court decision that ended affirmative action in college admissions as a reason to scrap these projects, stating that they were inflating costs without contributing to safety or infrastructure quality.
During the hearing, Duffy proudly announced that his department had saved taxpayers approximately $9.5 billion in the last hundred days by cutting wasteful spending on projects related to social justice and climate requirements. He emphasized the importance of bringing efficiencies to the department and redirecting those savings towards critical transportation infrastructure.
However, not everyone was on board with Duffy’s approach. Rep. Jim Clyburn criticized the decision to cut social justice programs, citing personal experiences of inequality and emphasizing the need for wise investments in a country with ongoing challenges. Duffy clarified that he wasn’t attacking the broader concept of social justice, but rather specific policy conditions that were adding unnecessary costs to transportation projects.
Another point of contention arose when Rep. Norma Torres accused the Trump administration of letting go of 400 air traffic controllers, which she claimed was compromising national air travel safety and delaying infrastructure upgrades. Duffy vehemently denied this accusation, stating that no air traffic controllers had been fired or allowed to take deferred resignation offers under his watch.
The focus of the hearing was on reviewing the Transportation Department’s FY 2026 discretionary budget request of $26.7 billion, a 5.8% increase from the previous year. Duffy promised to reduce bureaucracy, eliminate inefficiencies, and reallocate savings towards critical infrastructure projects to improve transportation safety and efficiency.
When addressing recent outages at Newark Airport, Duffy attributed the problems to missteps by the previous administration, particularly in the transfer of airspace control from New York to Philadelphia. He assured that the FAA was working diligently to resolve these issues and collaborating with airlines to reduce flight volumes to ease pressure on the system.
Overall, Duffy’s firm stance on cutting wasteful spending and prioritizing transportation infrastructure drew both praise and criticism during the heated hearing. As he continues to navigate the challenges of the transportation sector, his commitment to efficiency and safety remains at the forefront of his agenda.
