Hearing on Ferro's nomination to FMCSA's top post may occur within two weeks

President Barack Obama announced in June that Anne Ferro was his choice to head the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. (File photo)

By LYNDON FINNEY
The Trucker Staff

9/16/2009

WASHINGTON — Anne S. Ferro’s nomination to become the next administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration continues to wait on a Senate committee to schedule a hearing, probably sometime this month.

The Senate Science, Commerce and Transportation Committee, which considers appointments within the Department of Transportation and other transportation-related agencies, confirmed and sent to the full Senate several nominations just before the August recess, but Ferro was not among those.

President Barack Obama announced in early June he was appointing Ferro to the position pending Senate confirmation.

A spokesman for the committee said it was his understanding that Ferro’s nomination would be considered within one to two weeks during a scheduled nomination hearing.

The hearing schedule is generally posted on the committee’s Web site several days in advance.

No explanation has been given for the delay in hearing Ferro’s nomination.

Ironically, the same committee confirmed the appointment of Deborah Hersman to become director of the National Transportation Safety Board within a month of Obama appointing her in mid-June.

Almost nine months into the Obama administration, two key positions in the DOT remain unfilled — the FMCSA administrator’s post and the position of administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Obama picked Chuck Hurley, CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, to the NTSHA position in April, but Hurley withdrew his name in May.

Obama has yet to announce a new choice for the NTHSA post, according to the White House Web site.

Lyndon Finney of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment on this article at editor@thetrucker.com.

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