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Department of Transportation
DepartmentsAt-will removal
At a glance
Type
Cabinet departments
Removal of leadership
Removable at will
Appointed by
Secretary appointed by the President, confirmed by the Senate
Structure
Cabinet department · led by the Secretary of Transportation
Term
No fixed term
Funding
Annual appropriations
Independence
Direct presidential control
What it does
The Department of Transportation sets national transportation policy and regulates safety across highways, aviation, railroads, transit, pipelines, and maritime shipping. It distributes federal funding for roads, bridges, airports, and transit systems and runs operating agencies such as the FAA, FHWA, and NHTSA. It oversees the carriers, builders, and travelers who use the nation's transportation networks.
TransportationInfrastructureSafety
Where it sits
How it fits
Created by Congress under the Department of Transportation Act (Pub. L. 89-670, 80 Stat. 931 (Oct. 15, 1966); now codified at 49 U.S.C. § 102), it acts within the authority that statute grants. Its actions are subject to judicial review and to congressional oversight and funding.
Recent actions
Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes
Amendment of Class C Airspace; Laughlin Air Force Base, Del Rio, TX
Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes
Airworthiness Directives; Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. Engines
Airworthiness Directives; General Electric Company Engines
Agency Information Collection Activities: Requests for Comments; Clearance of Renewed Approval of Information Collection: Noise Certification Standards for Subsonic Jet Airplanes and Subsonic Transport Category Large Airplanes
Amendment of Class C Airspace; President Donald J. Trump International Airport, FL
Airworthiness Directives; Dassault Aviation Airplanes