On the recordMay 16, 2017
I oppose Jeffrey Rosen's nomination to be Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transportation. Mr. Rosen has a troubling history of standing with industry over consumers and opposing common sense public health and environmental protections. In both his time as general counsel at the Department of Transportation in the George W. Bush administration and his private sector work on behalf of industry, Mr. Rosen advocated for limits on the agency's authority to protect health and safety through the regulatory process. In one case when he was at the Department of Transportation, the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency proposed a weak standard for the required strength of vehicle roofs, which could collapse in rollovers. In addition to the weak standard, the rule would make it difficult for consumers who had been in accidents to seek damages from the companies responsible. Mr. Rosen has also repeatedly questioned the necessity of limiting carbon emissions from vehicles. He opposed efforts to improve fuel economy standards that have spurred innovation, cut pollution, and saved consumers at the pump. Mr. Rosen's ideological approach to regulation appears bent on minimizing rulemaking at any costs, regardless of the need. He has advocated for one-in, one-out regulatory schemes and ``regulatory budgeting'' that place arbitrary limits that would interfere with the ability of agencies to implement the law.…
