WASHINGTON, D.C. The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to confirm Elaine Chao to run the U.S. Transportation Department, the agency that overseas aviation, vehicle, train and pipeline safety. Chao served as U.S. labor secretary under former President George W. Bush, and deputy transportation secretary under President H.W. Bush. She also served as director of the Peace Corps. She will face key decisions on how to regulate the growing use of drones and automakers’ plans to offer self-driving cars. She will be a key player in the Trump administration’s plans to win approval for a $1 trillion infrastructure proposal over 10 years. The department has a $75 billion annual budget and around 60,000 employees and includes the Federal Aviation Administration, which handles air traffic control.
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