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WASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) chaired the first full hearing in 2016 of the Senate Commerce Committee. During today’s hearing, the committee considered the nomination of Mr. T.F. Scott Darling III to serve as the next administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The FMCSA is the federal agency responsible for ensuring commercial vehicle safety on our nation’s roads and highways. Senator Fischer, chairman of the Surface Transportation Subcommittee, released this statement following today’s hearing: “I look forward to a more inclusive FMCSA process that encourages collaboration and trust between public and private sector stakeholders. In that spirit, I appreciate Mr. Darling’s eagerness to immediately remove flawed truck safety scores from public view. If he is confirmed, I hope Mr. Darling will continue to oversee swift enactment of other critical highway bill reforms to the FMCSA. “Furthermore, I have new concerns regarding the agency’s proposed Safety Fitness Determination rule-making process because of its reliance on inaccurate methodology and analysis. “Finally, I would like to thank Chairman Thune for the opportunity to chair the first full committee hearing of 2016.” The five-year highway bill that was signed into law in December 2015 included a key provision to reform the flawed regulatory process at the FMCSA. The provision ensures better public and stakeholder participation in the regulatory process. It also promotes more transparency at the agency, improves responses to stakeholder petitions, and strengthens cost-benefit analyses for rule-making processes. Furthermore, the provision requires the FMCSA to inventory, update, and reissue outdated guidance documents every five years. Additionally, the highway bill included a new FMCSA pilot program to allow young veterans between the ages of 18 and 21 who have commercial driver’s licenses to operate vehicles across state lines. Forty-nine states already permit drivers under the age of 21 to operate commercial vehicles within their borders. This common-sense approach allows these commercial drivers to deliver goods, for example, from Omaha to Council Bluffs. Background on Mr. T.F. Scott Darling III After serving as the FMCSA’s chief counsel for three years, Mr. Darling was nominated to be the agency’s next administrator by President Obama on August 5, 2015. He is from Boston, earned his law degree from Suffolk University, and worked at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Mr. Darling has a strong connection to Nebraska. In his testimony today, he said: “My wife comes from a long line of hardy Nebraskans and proud Cornhuskers.” His father-in-law graduated from the Nebraska College of Law and the University of Nebraska. Several other members of his family currently reside and work in Lincoln, Nebraska. # # # |
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