WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, joined colleagues in a letter urging Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to stop the mass layoffs and firing of essential transportation safety employees and instead focus on prioritizing safety. In the letter, the lawmakers demand information regarding Department of Transportation plans to protect passengers and prevent future airline crashes.
“At the Department of Transportation, safety must come first, but that commitment appears in doubt as the Trump administration promotes cost-cutting over protecting the public,” wrote the Senators. “By offering to buy out federal employees, ordering government agencies to prepare for mass layoffs, firing employees with critical safety functions, giving Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) free reign to cut the federal workforce, and turning Musk, DOGE, and their unqualified staff loose on the air traffic control system, the Trump administration risks undermining decades of safety improvements.”
“We urge you to cease this dangerous approach to governing and request important information on how the Department of Transportation (DOT) plans to prioritize safety in this environment,” they continued.
The lawmakers requested responses by March 3 to questions that include:
- How many DOT employees were offered the buyout? How many accepted?
- How many DOT employees have lost their jobs since January 20, 2025?
- What is Musk’s and DOGE’s role in reviewing DOT personnel and program information?
- What steps is the Department taking to ensure that Musk and the DOGE do not compromise public safety?
The full letter can be found HERE.
As a member of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Senator Rosen has been an advocate for Nevada’s transportation and infrastructure interests. Earlier this year, she announced more than $700,000 to improve transportation for tribal communities in Nevada. She worked to write and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to create good-paying jobs and upgrade Nevada’s infrastructure. Last year, she secured $275 million to improve and expand I-80 to reduce congestion in Northern Nevada.
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