Automated Car Advocates Welcome Chao As Trump's Pick For Transportation

Elaine Chao, President-elect Donald Trump's choice for Transportation Secretary, stands with her husband Republican Senator Mitch McConnell at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July. News that Elaine Chao, a former U.S. Labor Secretary and wife of Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, has been selected as the next Transportation Secretary appears to be a welcome development for the companies backing technology to automate cars and trucks. Chao, who was a Deputy Secretary of Transportation for President George H.W. Bush and led Labor for George W. Bush, is among the more familiar Washington officials named to President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet, with a career in federal agencies stretching back 30 years. The Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets advocacy group, whose members include Google, Ford, Uber, Lyft and Volvo, wasted little time reacting to the selection. "We congratulate Elaine Chao on her nomination as Secretary of Transportation, and we welcome the opportunity to work with her on bringing the safety and mobility benefits of fully self-driving vehicles to America's roads and highways," David Strickland, the coalition's general counsel said in a statement.