The to-do list for the U.S. Department of Transportation includes some pretty big concerns. This week, the Federal Aviation Administration, which is an agency within the DOT, cut air traffic at Newark Liberty International Airport by 25% after weeks of delays due to air traffic controller shortages and runway construction — and multiple blackouts in the air traffic systems that could’ve been deadly.
And it’s not just in Newark. There are FAA staffing shortages at other airports. And the nation suffered the first fatal commercial aviation crash in 15 years as 67 people were killed when a military helicopter hit an airplane near Reagan Washington National Airport. Additionally, there are efforts needed to modernize railroads, highways, and more.
In this moment, all of those important tasks fall under the purview of a former reality TV star. President Donald Trump named Real World star-turned-GOP congressman-turned-Fox Business host Sean Duffy to the important department with nearly 60,000 employees and an annual budget of close to $90 billion. Many questioned the pick given Duffy’s lack of relevant experience.
“There is nothing in Duffy’s background that suggests he would be effective at managing and leading a large organization on the scale of the Department of Transportation,” wrote Wisconsin journalist Frank Zufall, who had covered Duffy for years as a local politician. “One of Duffy’s primary qualifications for the nomination appears to be his visibility on Fox News. Trump loves Fox and has picked other agency heads from the Fox lineup, including [Secretary of Defense Pete] Hegseth.”
“The other reason I scratch my head over Trump’s nomination of Duffy for Secretary of Transportation is that while Duffy was in Congress, he very rarely raised any concerns or even showed an interest in transportation infrastructure,” Zufall added.
Despite all of that, Duffy was confirmed in a 77-22 vote. In between various media interviews, he’s gotten to work on the big issues. Or at least some “issues.” He signed a requirement that all commercial truck drivers be fluent in English — even though they already have to be proficient enough in English to drive safely. Critics argued the new rule was designed to target immigrants, including those who are qualified and safe drivers.
And Duffy’s moving a painting in the Merchant Marine Academy. Now, our nation’s transportation system is fixed!
A sign welcomes visitors at the entrance to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. (Frank Eltman/Associated Press)
The painting in question is supposedly one of Jesus, though all I see is a massive White dude in a robe walking on water toward a boat full of much-smaller people. Thus, Duffy’s made this a Christian crusade to resurrect the Jesus painting from down in the basement up into a more prominent location in the New York government building that trains officers for the U.S. Merchant Marine. Part of the DOT, the merchant marines are civilian mariners who help make sure cargo can be safely moved around in our oceans, lakes, rivers, and other waterways. Duffy’s taking the action despite previous complaints by numerous merchant marines about the sectarian painting.
I don’t know how to fix our nation’s shortage of air traffic controllers or how to finally get us to have a nice public railway system, though unlike for Duffy, those things aren’t my job. I do, however, understand the problems with his grandstanding about the Christ on the Water painting since, unlike Duffy, I recognize how Christian Nationalism undermines religious liberty rights. So this issue of A Public Witness sails over to the church-state crash in the DOT to consider the problems with this made-for-TV controversy.
You Raise Me Up
“We are moving Jesus out of the basement!”
Sean Duffy made that declaration last week in a video as he stood in front of the Christ on the Water painting in the Merchant Marine Academy. He complained that the “historic painting” had been moved from “a place of prominence” to down into the “basement.” Then, after announcing he was having it moved back up, he literally clapped for his own announcement as something “to celebrate.”
While Duffy has attacked the Biden administration as anti-Christian for moving the painting, the real-world story is more complicated and helps highlight the problems with his Christian Nationalism. But first, the story of how the painting got into the building is important.
Screengrab of a Sean Duffy video about moving the Christ on the Water painting.
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