[Senate Hearing 117-862]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                        S. Hrg. 117-862

                NOMINATION TO THE FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER
                 SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT
                   OF COMMERCE, AND THE METROPOLITAN
                     WASHINGTON AIRPORTS AUTHORITY

=======================================================================

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                         COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
                      SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                               __________

                              JUNE 8, 2022

                               __________

    Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                             Transportation
                             
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                Available online: http://www.govinfo.gov
                
                              __________

                   U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE                    
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       SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION

                    ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                   MARIA CANTWELL, Washington, Chair
AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota             ROGER WICKER, Mississippi, Ranking
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut      JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii                 ROY BLUNT, Missouri
EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts         TED CRUZ, Texas
GARY PETERS, Michigan                DEB FISCHER, Nebraska
TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin             JERRY MORAN, Kansas
TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois            DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
JON TESTER, Montana                  MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee
KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona              TODD YOUNG, Indiana
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada                  MIKE LEE, Utah
BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico            RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
JOHN HICKENLOOPER, Colorado          SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West 
RAPHAEL WARNOCK, Georgia                 Virginia
                                     RICK SCOTT, Florida
                                     CYNTHIA LUMMIS, Wyoming
                       Lila Helms, Staff Director
                 Melissa Porter, Deputy Staff Director
       George Greenwell, Policy Coordinator and Security Manager
                 John Keast, Republican Staff Director
            Crystal Tully, Republican Deputy Staff Director
                      Steven Wall, General Counsel
                            
                            
                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page
Hearing held on June 8, 2022.....................................     1
Statement of Senator Cantwell....................................     1
Statement of Senator Wicker......................................     3
Statement of Senator Baldwin.....................................    42
Statement of Senator Fischer.....................................    44
Statement of Senator Klobuchar...................................    45
    Letter dated June 7, 2022 to Hon. Maria Cantwell and Hon. 
      Roger Wicker from Chris Spear, President and CEO, American 
      Trucking Association.......................................    46
Statement of Senator Moran.......................................    48
Statement of Senator Rosen.......................................    50
Statement of Senator Blackburn...................................    51
Statement of Senator Tester......................................    53
Statement of Senator Peters......................................    57
Statement of Senator Young.......................................    58
Statement of Senator Sullivan....................................    60

                               Witnesses

Robin Hutcheson, Nominee to be Administrator, Federal Motor 
  Carrier Safety Administration, U.S. Department of 
  Transportation.................................................     3
    Prepared statement...........................................     5
    Biographical information.....................................     6
Dr. Michael C. Morgan, Nominee to be Assistant Secretary for 
  Environmental Observation and Prediction, U.S. Department of 
  Commerce.......................................................    14
    Prepared statement...........................................    15
    Biographical information.....................................    16
Sean Burton, Nominee to be a Member of the Board of Directors, 
  Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.....................    27
    Prepared statement...........................................    28
    Biographical information.....................................    29

                                Appendix

Letter dated April 11, 2022 to Hon. Maria Cantwell and Hon. Roger 
  Wicker from A. Bailey Wood, Jr., President/CEO, Commercial 
  Vehicle Training Association (CVTA) and Martin Garsee, 
  Executive Director, National Association of Publicly Funded 
  Truck Driving Schools (NAPFTDS)................................    63
Letter dated June 22, 2022 to the United States Senate from Sean 
  M. O'Brien, General President, International Brotherhood of 
  Teamsters......................................................    64
Response to written questions submitted to Robin Hutcheson by:
    Hon. Maria Cantwell..........................................    65
    Hon. Kyrsten Sinema..........................................    66
    Hon. Jacky Rosen.............................................    68
    Hon. Roger Wicker............................................    69
    Hon. Mike Lee................................................    71
    Hon. Rick Scott..............................................    73
Response to written questions submitted to Dr. Michael C. Morgan 
  by:
    Hon. Maria Cantwell..........................................    73
    Hon. Jon Tester..............................................    75
    Hon. Kyrsten Sinema..........................................    76
    Hon. Roger Wicker............................................    77
    Hon. Mike Lee................................................    78
    Hon. Rick Scott..............................................    78
Response to written questions submitted to Sean Burton by:
    Hon. Maria Cantwell..........................................    79
    Hon. Roger Wicker............................................    80

 
                    NOMINATION TO THE FEDERAL MOTOR
                     CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION,
                  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, AND THE
               METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORTS AUTHORITY

                              ----------                              


                        WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 2022

                                       U.S. Senate,
        Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:07 a.m., in 
room SR-253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Maria 
Cantwell, Chair of the Committee, presiding.
    Present: Senators Cantwell [presiding], Klobuchar, 
Blumenthal, Peters, Baldwin, Tester, Rosen, Wicker, Fischer, 
Moran, Sullivan, Blackburn, and Young.

           OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MARIA CANTWELL, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM WASHINGTON

    The Chair. Good morning. The U.S. Senate Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation will come to order. This 
morning, we are reviewing the nominations of three individuals, 
Ms. Robin Meredith Hutcheson of Utah, to be Administrator of 
the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration; Mr. Michael 
Cottman Morgan of Wisconsin to be Assistant Secretary of 
Commerce; and Mr. Sean Burton of California to be a Member of 
the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports 
Authority.
    So welcome to all of the nominees and to your families and 
thank you all for your willingness to serve. First, we will 
consider the nomination of Dr. Michael Morgan to be Assistant 
Secretary for Environmental Observation and Prediction. Welcome 
to you and to your family.
    The highest priority for this position is to accelerate 
improvements to the precision and accuracy of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's weather and climate 
forecasting. I guarantee you this is a big priority for both 
myself and the Ranking Member. We both have pushed NOAA and 
legislation to make sure that we are a weather ready Nation.
    As our Nation grapples with the impacts of climate, 
improving NOAA's forecasting critical to protecting lives, 
protecting property, and keeping our economy moving, you will 
play a significant role. Mr. Morgan--Dr. Morgan is a Professor 
in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the 
University of Wisconsin-Madison and serves as an Associate 
Chair of the department's undergraduate program.
    Dr. Morgan has been a leader in the American Meteorological 
Society and its community, and he has served as a member on a 
Board of Women and Minorities in Scientific and Technological 
Activities and Commission for Atmospheric and Oceanic Fluid 
Dynamics, and as an AMS counselor.
    He spent part of his career at the National Science 
Foundation serving as the Division Director and Division of 
Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences. Weather impacts all aspects 
of our economy.
    Improving our forecasting models mean that people can move 
goods and services more safely and efficiently, farmers can 
maximize harvest in the midst of drought conditions, and 
communities can better prepare for the mitigation of natural 
disasters.
    In 2021, there were 2--there were 20 separate, sorry, 20 
separate billion dollar weather, climate disasters across the 
United States. At the same time, recent studies say that the 
sectors such as agriculture, energy, and transportation, and 
their disaster risk management can benefit by over $160 billion 
from upgrades to weather forecasting capabilities and other 
technology.
    I am sure we will get into this in the questions, but it is 
about preparing, obviously, knowing what is happening, what is 
going to be coming down the road and being better prepared for 
it, and obviously having caching of resources to better respond 
once you have identified what the impacts are going to be.
    But Dr. Morgan will be charged with leading the Nation's 
resiliency to extreme weather and realizing the economic 
benefits from improving forecast. Next, we will consider the 
nomination of Robin Hutcheson, to be the Administrator of the 
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
    Ms. Hutcheson knows the agency mission well. She currently 
serves as the Deputy Administrator and previously served as the 
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Safety and Policy at DOT. In 
addition, she brings tremendous on the ground experiences, 
having served as the Director of Public Works for the City of 
Minneapolis and the Transportation Director for Salt Lake City, 
Utah.
    Strong Federal leadership is needed as the Nation faces a 
tragic rise in the highway fatalities, including a dramatic 
increase in fatal crashes involving large trucks. In 2021, 
5,600 people lost their lives in accidents involving large 
trucks, a 13 percent increase from the year before. In the 
State of Washington, 94 people died in crashes involving heavy 
trucks last year, up 25 percent from the year before, and 
doubled the number of fatalities. So we have lots of work to 
do.
    Those are unacceptable increases. If confirmed, Ms. 
Hutcheson will be responsible for confronting these crises on 
the roads and ensuring our safety. I believe her executive 
experience heading the public sector transportation agencies 
will provide critical leadership and skills needed to address 
these issues.
    And finally, Mr. Sean Burton to serve on the Board of the 
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates 
Dulles and Reagan Airports. Trust me, all the members of this 
committee care about these issues and probably have very 
specific questions for you. Many of us here are frequent fliers 
in and out of these airports.
    We share a responsibility to ensure that Federal dollars 
are spent efficiently and effectively. And Mr. Burton currently 
sits on the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners and 
previously served as its President. He is an attorney and CEO 
of a real estate firm, and Mr. Burton is no stranger to public 
service, having served in the Defense Intelligence Agency as 
the Navy's reserve Commander of the Third Fleet in the Clinton 
Administration.
    His experience, particularly on the L.A. Board of Airport 
Commissioners, will give him an important perspective on many 
of the issues facing the organization. For instance, at Reagan 
National Airport, like JFK and LaGuardia, the number of hours 
flights is capped through FAA slots controls.
    In addition, National Airport has what it is called the 
perimeter rule, which prohibits flights to destinations more 
than 1,250 miles away, although Congress created exemptions 
that allowed 20 daily round trips beyond the perimeter. And 
that is exactly--anyway, those are some of the issues and 
challenges that I am sure we are going to discuss with you.
    I will now turn to the Ranking Member for his opening 
statement.

                STATEMENT OF HON. ROGER WICKER, 
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM MISSISSIPPI

    Senator Wicker. Thank you, Madam Chair. These are three 
experienced nominees. It should be an interesting hearing. I 
was a bit tardy this morning and I am going to attempt to atone 
for that by submitting my opening statement for the record. I 
yield back.
    [The prepared statement of Senator Wicker was unavailable 
at time of printing.]
    The Chair. Well, thank you, Senator Wicker. Ms. Hutcheson, 
we will begin with you. And please, if you want to introduce 
anybody in your family or make any kind of comments about that, 
do so. And then obviously we are asking people to keep to 5 
minutes, if you can, and submit the rest for the record. But 
again, welcome and thank you.

          STATEMENT OF ROBIN HUTCHESON, NOMINEE TO BE

          ADMINISTRATOR, FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY

       ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

    Ms. Hutcheson. Thank you, Chair Cantwell, Ranking Member 
Wicker, and members of the Committee. I am honored to appear 
before you today as a nominee for the Administrator of the 
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. I am grateful to 
President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg for selecting me to 
serve in this important role.
    I am joined here today by my husband, Dr. David Hutcheson, 
an accomplished neuroscientist and professor at the University 
of Utah, and whose constant love and support makes it possible 
for me to continue to work in public service. I also want to 
thank my parents and my extended family who are watching today, 
and I know they are proud to see this moment.
    I am grateful to all of the FMCSA employees who have 
dedicated their careers to our country in pursuit of safer 
roadways and safer CMVs, commercial motor vehicles and the 
motorcoach industry. And for their tireless work, I offer a 
public thank you today. It would be an honor to lead FMCSA 
employees across the Nation in carrying out our lifesaving 
mission.
    I would also like to note the honor of being here today in 
front of Senators who represent special places I have called 
home, Connecticut, Colorado, Montana, Minnesota, and Utah, all 
of which have shaped my view of the United states that we 
serve. There is a spotlight currently on the trucking and 
motorcoach industry.
    And if confirmed, I intend to keep that light shining as we 
work to carry out the primary safety mission of FMCSA. 
Fatalities are increasing dramatically on our Nation's 
roadways, with recent data showing over 40,000 people lost 
their lives in 2021. Of those lost, 800 of them were commercial 
motor vehicle drivers.
    Roadway safety affects not only those whose lives were 
lost, but the family members and loved ones who suffer the 
grief of loss. We must do better, and I am committed to working 
with FMCSA, our stakeholders, and member offices to reverse 
this unacceptable trend. In my previous position with the 
Department of Transportation as the Deputy Assistant Secretary 
for Safety Policy, I led the development of the National 
Roadway Safety Strategy.
    It identifies numerous actions to improve safety for the 
men and women driving the commercial motor vehicle industry and 
all of those with whom they share the road. And now more than 
ever, Americans are acutely attuned to how our goods get to our 
homes. From the flour for the bread we eat, the clothes we 
wear, the bed we sleep in, we all have a better understanding 
that it probably came on a truck.
    People, in this case drivers, are the most important part 
of the industry. It is a difficult job, and men and women have 
been working long hours to literally keep our economy rolling 
in unprecedented challenges. The importance of our Nation's 
motorcoach industry, responsible for safely transporting 
passengers throughout the country, was underscored through the 
last 4 years.
    Approximately 300 companies and over 36,000 vehicles set 
parked during the early days of the pandemic. And the industry 
has put in the work to reestablish itself for the traveling 
American public.
    The work of FMCSA and the industry supported by the 
historic passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law--and I 
want to thank you all for the opportunity to work with you on 
that generational investment, which will allow not only our 
FMCSA but our State and local partners to carry out safety 
priorities to achieve an ambitious goal of zero fatalities on 
our Nation's roadways.
    The bipartisan infrastructure law also dedicates resources 
to assisting the truck driving profession by creating a better, 
safer pipeline of drivers, and improving recruitment and 
retention into the profession. I have and I will continue to 
engage in discussion, ride alongs, and other forums to deepen 
my understanding of the needs of drivers and all of our 
critical stakeholders.
    In the 25 years I have worked in the transportation 
industry, safety has always been at the core of my work. I have 
had the opportunity to lead a large organization with frontline 
and operational staff with boots on the ground like those at 
FMCSA. I have learned that the foundation of successful 
leadership requires collaboration, transparency, both within 
the organization as well as with stakeholders and Congressional 
relationships.
    If confirmed, I will put my experience and dedication to 
work for the employees of FMCSA, the commercial motor vehicle 
industry, and the people of the United States of America. Thank 
you for your consideration and the opportunity to be here 
today, and I look forward to answering your questions.
    [The prepared statement and biographical information of Ms. 
Hutcheson follow:]

  Prepared Statement of Robin Hutcheson, Nominee to be Administrator, 
    Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, U.S. Department of 
                             Transportation
    Chair Cantwell, Ranking Member Wicker, and Members of the 
Committee, I am honored to appear before you today as the nominee for 
Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. I am 
grateful to President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg for selecting me to 
serve in this important role.
    I'm joined here today by my husband David Hutcheson, an 
accomplished neuroscientist and professor at the University of Utah, 
and whose constant love and support makes it possible for me to 
continue to work in public service. I also want to thank my parents and 
extended family who are watching today, and I know are proud to see 
this moment.
    I am grateful to all the FMCSA employees who have dedicated their 
careers to our country in pursuit of safer roadways and a safer 
commercial motor vehicle and motorcoach industry. For their tireless 
work, I offer a public thank you. It would be an honor to lead FMCSA 
employees across the Nation in carrying out our life-saving mission.
    I would also like to note the honor of being here today in front of 
Senators who represent the special places I have called home: 
Connecticut, Colorado, Montana, Minnesota, and Utah, all of which have 
shaped my view of the United States we serve.
    Currently, there is a spotlight on the trucking and motorcoach 
industry, and, if confirmed, I intend to keep the light shining, as we 
work to carry out the primary safety mission of FMCSA. Fatalities are 
increasing dramatically on our Nation's roadways, with recent data 
showing that over 40,000 people lost their lives in 2021. Of those 
lost, 800 were commercial motor vehicle drivers. Roadway safety affects 
not only those whose lives were lost, but the family members and loved 
ones who suffer the grief of loss. We must do better, and I am 
committed to working with FMCSA, our stakeholders, and Member offices 
to reverse this unacceptable trend.
    In my previous position within the Department of Transportation as 
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Safety Policy, I led the development of 
the National Roadway Safety Strategy. The Strategy identifies numerous 
actions to improve safety for the men and women driving the commercial 
motor vehicle industry and all those with whom they share the road. For 
FMCSA, such actions include increasing our investigations in high-risk 
carriers, and technology investments to close registration loopholes 
that would prevent unsafe drivers from ever being on the road.
    Now, more than ever, Americans are acutely tuned into how our goods 
get to our homes--from the flour for the bread we eat, the clothes we 
wear, the bed we sleep in--we all have a better understanding that it 
probably came on a truck. People, in this case, drivers, are the most 
important part of the industry. It is a difficult job, and men and 
women have been working long hours to literally keep our economy 
rolling in the face of unprecedented challenges.
    The importance of our Nation's motorcoach industry, responsible for 
safely transporting passengers throughout the Country, was underscored 
throughout the last few years. Approximately 300 companies and over 
36,000 vehicles sat parked during the early days of the pandemic. The 
industry has put in the work to reestablish itself for the traveling 
American public.
    The work of FMCSA and the industry is supported by the historic 
passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. I want to thank you all 
for the opportunity to work with you on the unprecedented investment, 
which will allow not only FMCSA, but our State and local partners, to 
carry out safety priorities to achieve our ambitious goal of zero 
fatalities on our Nation's roadways.
    The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also dedicates resources to 
assisting the truck driving profession by creating a better, safer 
pipeline of drivers and improving recruitment and retention in the 
profession. I have and will continue to engage in discussion, ride-
alongs, and other forums to deepen my understanding of the needs of 
drivers, and all of our critical stakeholders.
    In the twenty-five years I have worked in the transportation 
industry, safety has always been the at the core of my work. I have had 
the opportunity to lead a large organization with front line and 
operational staff with boots on the ground, like those at FMCSA. I have 
learned that the foundation of successful leadership requires 
collaboration and transparency within the Agency and across stakeholder 
and Congressional relationships.
    If confirmed, I will put my experience and dedication to work for 
the employees of FMCSA, the commercial motor vehicle industry, and the 
people of the United States of America. Thank you for your 
consideration and the opportunity to be here today. I look forward to 
answering your questions.
                                 ______
                                 
                      a. biographical information
    1. Name (Include any former names or nicknames used):

        Robin Meredith Cohn Hutcheson
        Robin Meredith Cohn (maiden name)

    2. Position to which nominated: Administrator, Federal Motor 
Carrier Safety Administration.
    3. Date of Nomination: April 7, 2022.
    4. Address (List current place of residence and office addresses):

        Residence: Information not released to the public.
        Office: 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.

    5. Date and Place of Birth: September 3, 1970; Stamford, CT.
    6. Provide the name, position, and place of employment for your 
spouse (if married) and the names and ages of your children (including 
stepchildren and children by a previous marriage).

        Spouse: David Andrew Hutcheson, Research Assistant Professor of 
        Neuroscience, University of Utah School of Medicine.
        No children.

    7. List all college and graduate degrees. Provide year and school 
attended.

        University of Utah, Salt Lake City, M.S., Parks, Recreation and 
        Tourism, emphasis in Urban Planning and GIS, 1997
        University of Colorado, Boulder, B.A., History, 1992

    8. List all post-undergraduate employment, and highlight all 
management level jobs held and any non-managerial jobs that relate to 
the position for which you are nominated.
Management-Level Positions
        Deputy/Acting Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
        Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2022 to 
        present

        Deputy Assistant Secretary for Safety Policy, Office of the 
        Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2021-2022

        Director of Public Works, City of Minneapolis, MN, 2016-2021 
        Director of Transportation, Salt Lake City, UT, 2010-2016
        Senior Associate, Fehr & Peers, 2005-2010

        Senior Transportation Planner, Sear Brown Group, 1999-2002
Non Management-Level Positions:
        Senior Planner, Park City, UT, 2005

        Transit Planner, TTK, GmbH, 2004-2005

        Senior Planner, SWCA Environmental Consultants, 2002-2003

        Transportation Planner, Fehr & Peers Transportation 
        Consultants, 1997-1999

        GIS Analyst, Utah State Department of Parks, 1996-1997

    9. Attach a copy of your resume. Attached.
    10. List any advisory, consultative, honorary, or other part-time 
service or positions with Federal, State, or local governments, other 
than those listed above, within the last ten years.

        Advisory Council Member, Minnesota Governor Walz Advisory 
        Council on Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (2019-2021)
        Advisory Committee Member, University of Minnesota Center for 
        Transportation Research (2020-2021)

    11. List all positions held as an officer, director, trustee, 
partner, proprietor, agent, representative, or consultant of any 
corporation, company, firm, partnership, or other business, enterprise, 
educational, or other institution within the last ten years.

        Robin Hutcheson Irrevocable Trust: Co-trustee (2012 to present)

        Jennifer Henske Irrevocable Trust: Co-trustee (2012 to present)

        Wendy Cohn Irrevocable Trust: Co-trustee (2012 to present)

        Lester Cohn Irrevocable Trust: Co-trustee (2017 to present)

        National Association of City Transportation Officials: Officer 
        (2008-2021)

        Hutcheson Independent, LLC: President 2016-2018 (no revenue 
        generated)

    12. Please list each membership you have had during the past ten 
years or currently hold with any civic, social, charitable, 
educational, political, professional, fraternal, benevolent or 
religiously affiliated organization, private club, or other membership 
organization. (For this question, you do not have to list your 
religious affiliation or membership in a religious house of worship or 
institution.). Include dates of membership and any positions you have 
held with any organization. Please note whether any such club or 
organization restricts membership on the basis of sex, race, color, 
religion, national origin, age, or disability.

        American Planning Association, American Institute of Certified 
        Planners, 2001-2021, Professional membership organization

        Women's Transportation Seminar, 2006-2022, Professional 
        membership organization

        American Public Works Association, 2016-2021, Professional 
        membership organization

        U.S. Triathlon Association, 2017-2022 (appx)

        U.S. Masters Swim Association 2017-2022 (appx)

    None of these organizations restricts membership on the basis of 
sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, or disability.
    13. Have you ever been a candidate for and/or held a public office 
(elected, non elected, or appointed)? If so, indicate whether any 
campaign has any outstanding debt, the amount, and whether you are 
personally liable for that debt. No.
    14. List all memberships and offices held with and services 
rendered to, whether compensated or not, any political party or 
election committee within the past ten years. If you have held a paid 
position or served in a formal or official advisory position (whether 
compensated or not) in a political campaign within the past ten years, 
identify the particulars of the campaign, including the candidate, year 
of the campaign, and your title and responsibilities. None.
    15. Itemize all political contributions to any individual, campaign 
organization, political party, political action committee, or similar 
entity of $500 or more for the past ten years. None.
    16. List all scholarships, fellowships, honorary degrees, honorary 
society memberships, military medals, and any other special recognition 
for outstanding service or achievements. None.
    17. Please list each book, article, column, Internet blog posting, 
or other publication you have authored, individually or with others. 
Include a link to each publication when possible. Also list any 
speeches that you have given on topics relevant to the position for 
which you have been nominated. Do not attach copies of these 
publications unless otherwise instructed.
    The following speaking engagements are listed to the best of my 
recollection. Additional speaking engagements may have occurred within 
the capacity of my employment.

        Freightwaves Global Supply Chain Week, Fireside Chat, February 
        2022

        Mid America Truck Show, FMCSA Updates, March 2022

        FMCSA office of Analysis, Research and Technology, Opening 
        Keynote, March 2022

        Association for Safe International Road Travel, Opening 
        Keynote, December 2021

        Veterans Rural Health Advisory Committee, Office of Veterans 
        Affairs, Infrastructure in Rural Communities, November 2021

        Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, Innovation for 
        Transformation, Safety, Economic Strength, Equity and Climate, 
        January 2022

        United States Access Board, Inclusive Design of Autonomous 
        Vehicles, March 2021

        Global Business Travel Association, National Security 
        Roundtable, The Future of Travel Post COVID-19, March 2021

        Gulf Coast Safe Streets Summit, Keynote Speaker, September 2021

        Livable Appalachia, Getting There: Transportation Solutions, 
        December 2021

        Vision Zero Philadelphia, Recovery Through Safety and Mobility, 
        April 2021

        United States Department of State, U.S. Speaker Program, 
        various engagements: Consulate of Nigeria, Lagos Traffic: What 
        can be done? July 2020, Hungarian Embassy, Smart Cities Summit, 
        September 2018, Master of Ceremonies

        National Association of City Transportation Officials, Opening 
        Keynote, December 2020

        National Association of City Transportation Officials, How 
        Pricing Shapes Travel Decisions, September 2019

        University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies, 
        Transport and Urban Governance in a Platform Driven World 
        (panelist), November 2019

        Smart Growth America, Complete Streets Responses to COVID-10, 
        April 2020

        City Age, Building for the Future, May 2018

        Downtown Minneapolis Transportation Summit, The Future is 
        Multi-Modal, May 2018

        Mass Transit Magazine, The Sugar House Streetcar, 2004

    18. List all digital platforms (including social media and other 
digital content sites) on which you currently or have formerly operated 
an account, regardless of whether or not the account was held in your 
name or an alias. Include the name of an ``alias'' or ''handle'' you 
have used on each of the named platforms. Indicate whether the account 
is active, deleted, or dormant. Include a link to each account if 
possible.

        Twitter: @rchonthego (active)

        LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/robinhutcheson (active)

        Instagram: Mountainandtown_(active)

        Facebook: www.facebook.com/robin.c.hutcheson (active)

    19. Please identify each instance in which you have testified 
orally or in writing before Congress in a governmental or non-
governmental capacity and specify the date and subject matter of each 
testimony.
    The following testimony is listed to the best of my recollection. 
If additional testimony is identified following the submission of this 
questionnaire, I will promptly let the Committee know.

        Minnesota State Legislature, House Transportation Finance and 
        Policy Division, Transportation and Climate, February 2019

        Minnesota State Legislature, Senate Transportation Finance and 
        Policy Committee, 2019, Bridge Conditions

        Minnesota State Legislature, House Environment and Natural 
        Resources Policy Committee, Public Works Facilities, May 2020

    All testimony given in my official capacity as the Director of 
Public Works for the City of Minneapolis
    20. Given the current mission, major programs, and major 
operational objectives of the department/agency to which you have been 
nominated, what in your background or employment experience do you 
believe affirmatively qualifies you for appointment to the position for 
which you have been nominated, and why do you wish to serve in that 
position?
    I wish to serve as the Administrator of FMCSA to impact the lives 
of all Americans directly and positively by leading the agency tasked 
with ensuring the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles. In doing 
so, I will bring leadership skills to the organization to uplift the 
work of professional staff, and to work together with industry. My 
background and experience include specialized focus on safety, and 
experience working with Congress on numerous safety related legislation 
and elements of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
    I have led a large organization of a similar size, with front line 
and field operations staff. My experience in Public Works included 
several critical aspects relevant to FMCSA, including roadway safety, 
planning for freight, management of a fleet, job training and 
apprenticeship programs, and emergency response. This experience 
qualifies me for the position to lead this organization, and I wish to 
bring my dedication to employees of all levels, and to an industry of 
people who work hard day in and day out.
    I have worked in multi-modal transportation for approximately 25 
years in numerous settings, with experience in both transit as well as 
freight studies and movement. I have worked with state and local 
government, private industry, and advocacy for my entire career. I have 
served on committees with trucking industry representatives to solve 
transportation issues and find opportunities for efficient and safe 
goods movement, and I was an active member in national organizations 
that provided a wide view of transportation issues.
    21. What do you believe are your responsibilities, if confirmed, to 
ensure that the department/agency has proper management and accounting 
controls, and what experience do you have in managing a large 
organization?
    If confirmed as the head of the agency, the responsible stewardship 
of agency resources would be my top responsibility. This includes 
active participation in the development and approval of annual budgets, 
and rigorous internal controls to ensure proper allocation of funds. It 
would also be my responsibility to fully participate in and learn from 
audits and external controls to continuously improve our financial 
practices. Prior to joining the Department, I was responsible for a 
large front-line municipal organization of over 1,100 employees and a 
combined operating and capital budget of nearly $lB, where I exercised 
rigorous internal controls.
    22. What do you believe to be the top three challenges facing the 
department/agency, and why?

  1.  Nearly 40,000 people lost their lives on the Nation's roadways in 
        2021, and approximately 5,000 of those crashes involved a 
        commercial motor vehicle. Roadway safety, and the safe 
        operation of commercial motor vehicles will continue to be the 
        top challenge, and opportunity for the agency.

  2.  The vulnerabilities of the supply chain have highlighted the need 
        for a stable and recognized commercial motor vehicle workforce. 
        Recruitment and retention continue to be a challenge that will 
        be met with a deeper understanding of the barriers to quality 
        work environment and compensation, including ensuring the 
        profession is welcoming to women and people of color.

  3.  Managing the pressures of rapidly changing vehicle technology and 
        understanding how this technology will affect commercial motor 
        vehicle operation.
                   b. potential conflicts of interest
    1. Describe all financial arrangements, deferred compensation 
agreements, and other continuing dealings with business associates, 
clients, or customers. Please include information related to retirement 
accounts.
    My arrangements are fully described in Part 3 of my Public 
Financial Disclosure Report.
    2. Do you have any commitments or agreements, formal or informal, 
to maintain employment, affiliation, or practice with any business, 
association or other organization during your appointment? If so, 
please explain. No.
    3. Indicate any investments, obligations, liabilities, or other 
relationships which could involve potential conflicts of interest in 
the position to which you have been nominated. Explain how you will 
resolve each potential conflict of interest.
    In connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with 
the Office of Government Ethics and the Department of Transportation's 
Designated Agency Ethics Official to identify any potential conflicts 
of interest. Any potential conflicts of interest will continue to be 
resolved in accordance with the terms of an ethics agreement that I 
have entered into with the Department's Designated Agency Ethics 
Official and that has been provided to this Committee. I am not aware 
of any potential conflicts of interest.
    4. Describe any business relationship, dealing, or financial 
transaction which you have had during the last ten years, whether for 
yourself, on behalf of a client, or acting as an agent, that could in 
any way constitute or result in a possible conflict of interest in the 
position to which you have been nominated. Explain how you will resolve 
each potential conflict of interest.
    In connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with 
the Office of Government Ethics and the Department of Transportation's 
Designated Agency Ethics Official to identify any potential conflicts 
of interest. Any potential conflicts of interest will continue to be 
resolved in accordance with the terms of an ethics agreement that I 
have entered into with the Department's Designated Agency Ethics 
Official and that has been provided to this Committee. I am not aware 
of any potential conflicts of interest.
    5. Identify any other potential conflicts of interest, and explain 
how you will resolve each potential conflict of interest.
    In connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with 
the Office of Government Ethics and the Department of Transportation's 
Designated Agency Ethics Official to identify any potential conflicts 
of interest. Any potential conflicts of interest will continue to be 
resolved in accordance with the terms of an ethics agreement that I 
have entered into with the Department's Designated Agency Ethics 
Official and that has been provided to this Committee. I am not aware 
of any potential conflicts of interest.
    6. Describe any activity during the past ten years, including the 
names of clients represented, in which you have been engaged for the 
purpose of directly or indirectly influencing the passage, defeat, or 
modification of any legislation or affecting the administration and 
execution of law or public policy. None.
                            c. legal matters
    1. Have you ever been disciplined or cited for a breach of ethics, 
professional misconduct, or retaliation by, or been the subject of a 
complaint to, any court, administrative agency, the Office of Special 
Counsel, professional association, disciplinary committee, or other 
professional group? No.
    2. Have you ever been investigated, arrested, charged, or held by 
any Federal, State, or other law enforcement authority of any Federal, 
State, county, or municipal entity, other than for a minor traffic 
offense? No.
    3. Have you or any business or nonprofit of which you are or were 
an officer ever been involved as a party in an administrative agency 
proceeding, criminal proceeding, or civil litigation? If so, please 
explain. No.
    4. Have you ever been convicted (including pleas of guilty or nolo 
contendere) of any criminal violation other than a minor traffic 
offense? If so, please explain. No.
    5. Have you ever been accused, formally or informally, of sexual 
harassment or discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, or 
any other basis? If so, please explain. No.
    6. Please advise the Committee of any additional information, 
favorable or unfavorable, which you feel should be disclosed in 
connection with your nomination. None.
                     d. relationship with committee
    1. Will you ensure that your department/agency complies with 
deadlines for information set by congressional committees, and that 
your department/agency endeavors to timely comply with requests for 
information from individual Members of Congress, including requests 
from members in the minority? Yes.
    2. Will you ensure that your department/agency does whatever it can 
to protect congressional witnesses and whistle blowers from reprisal 
for their testimony and disclosures? Yes.
    3. Will you cooperate in providing the Committee with requested 
witnesses, including technical experts and career employees, with 
firsthand knowledge of matters of interest to the Committee? Yes.
    4. Are you willing to appear and testify before any duly 
constituted committee of the Congress on such occasions as you may be 
reasonably requested to do so? Yes.
                                 ______
                                 
                              Attachment 
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


    The Chair. Thank you so much. And Dr. Morgan, welcome. Make 
any introductions you want, and again, statement and we will 
definitely get to questions. So whatever else you want to 
submit, we can submit to the record. But thank you so much for 
being here.

       STATEMENT OF DR. MICHAEL C. MORGAN, NOMINEE TO BE

       ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL OBSERVATION

          AND PREDICTION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

    Dr. Morgan. Thank you and good morning, Chair Cantwell, 
Ranking Member Wicker, members of the Committee. My name is 
Michael Cottman Morgan, and I am honored to be nominated by 
President Biden for the position of National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration's Assistant Secretary for 
Environmental Observation and Prediction.
    I am grateful to Secretary Raimondo and NOAA Administrator, 
Dr. Spinrad for their support of my nomination. I acknowledge 
also my supportive family, some who are with me today. My 
parents Windsor and Curline Morgan. My sister Dr. Martha Ethel 
Morgan. My brother Dr. Windsor Anthony Morgan.
    And my niece Aurelia. And I also acknowledge the colleagues 
and students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison during this 
process. Finally, I want to thank members of the Committee and 
staff for taking the time to meet with me over the past several 
weeks to share their perspectives. I am a resident of Madison, 
Wisconsin.
    I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. My earliest interest in 
science was sparked by my fascination with a lunar landing of 
the late 1960s and 1970s. My interest in meteorology came a bit 
later when the mid-Atlantic region was hit by massive 
snowstorms like the Presidents' Day snowstorm of 1979 and the 
remnants of hurricanes like Hurricane David later that same 
year.
    I have been fortunate to have a family supportive of my 
interest, dedicated public school teachers, and university 
faculty advisors and professors who helped hone my skills in 
mathematics, physics, and the atmospheric sciences. The 
support, education, and professional experiences I have had 
shaped me as a scientist, and I look forward to the opportunity 
to build upon this background to serve NOAA and our country.
    I work with both the American Meteorological Society, the 
American Geophysical Union have connected me with the research 
operational, academic, and private sectors of my professional 
community.
    This professional--these professional community 
connections, my background as a university professor, my 
service as Division Director for Atmospheric and Geospace 
Sciences at the National Science Foundation, and my 
International Service on the World Weather Research Scientific 
Steering Committee provide me with a breadth of experience to 
enable me to serve in this capacity.
    One might view the very act of numerical weather prediction 
as one of the greatest achievements of the physical sciences in 
the last century. The notion that with sufficient data and a 
rigorous understanding of the physics and thermodynamics of the 
atmosphere, one could create accurate, actionable depictions of 
future weather that could improve public safety, protect lives 
and property, and ensure the more efficient conduct of commerce 
and transportation is a scientific success story.
    The advances that have occurred over the last 100 years in 
numerical weather forecasting would not have been possible 
without research, education, and innovation in all aspects of 
our earth's system. For our space systems, the innovations we 
have seen in the past decade, indeed have in the last 5 years 
have been tremendous for collecting new observations and 
applying them to our operational forecasting products in 
exciting ways.
    It should be noted, however, that many of these advances 
would not have been useful without partnerships with behavioral 
and social scientists to guide how to communicate this 
information effectively to all regions of the country, both 
rural and urban, for all people. NOAA's Impact Decision Support 
Services benefit from this partnership.
    The need for investments in the areas--in these areas 
continue as public and private sector requirements for 
accurate, timely, and detailed weather forecast and climate 
projections increase. I support NOAA's mission of science, 
service, and stewardship, including understanding and 
predicting changes in weather, climate, oceans and coast, and 
sharing that knowledge and information.
    Furthermore, I recognize the importance of scientific 
integrity in NOAA's mission and how NOAA's mission is 
accomplished. Scientific integrity builds trust. For NOAA, a 
loss of this public trust may mean a loss of lives.
    If confirmed, my priorities are to one, advance our 
Nation's predictive capacity by enhancing our modeling systems, 
improving our use of observations, identifying new observing 
technologies that will benefit our situational awareness for 
high impact extreme weather, and improve longer term climate 
projections, as well as bolstering NOAA's high performance 
computing technologies.
    Second, I would develop a platform for rapid access to 
public weather and climate data that includes data on 
demographics, economic activity, and infrastructure to allow 
for a better understanding of the impacts of weather and 
climate variability, not just on infrastructure, but on people 
and their communities.
    And finally, I would work hard to ensure that NOAA's 
workforce reflects the diversity of our country. Thank you for 
your consideration of my nomination and the opportunity to 
testify before you today.
    I enthusiastically look forward to the prospect of working 
with the extraordinary talented individuals within NOAA, if 
confirmed. I welcome your questions.
    [The prepared statement and biographical information of Dr. 
Morgan follow:]

              Prepared Statement of Dr. Michael C. Morgan,
    Nominee to be Assistant Secretary for Environmental Observation
              and Prediction, U.S. Department of Commerce
    Chair Cantwell, Ranking Member Wicker, Members of the Committee, my 
name is Michael Cottman Morgan, and I am honored to be nominated by 
President Biden for the position of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration's Assistant Secretary for Environmental 
Observation and Prediction. I am especially grateful to Secretary 
Raimondo and NOAA Administrator Dr. Spinrad for their support of my 
nomination. I acknowledge, also, my supportive family some who are with 
me today, and colleagues and students at the University of Wisconsin-
Madison during this process. Finally, I want to thank members of the 
Committee and staff for taking time to meet with me over the past 
several weeks to share their perspectives.
    I am a resident of Madison, WI and I grew up in Baltimore, MD. My 
earliest interest in science was sparked by my fascination with the 
lunar landings of the late 1960s and early 1970s. My interest in 
meteorology came a bit later when the mid-Atlantic region was hit by 
massive snowstorms like the Presidents' Day Storm of 1979 and the 
remnants of hurricanes like Hurricane David later that same year. I 
have been fortunate to have a family supportive of my interests, 
dedicated public school teachers, and university faculty advisors and 
professors who helped hone my skills in mathematics, physics, and the 
atmospheric sciences. The support, education, and professional 
experiences I have had shaped me as a scientist, and I look forward to 
the opportunity to build upon this background to serve NOAA and our 
country.
    My work with both the American Meteorological Society and the 
American Geophysical Union have connected me with the research, 
operational, academic, and private sectors of my professional 
community. These professional community connections and my background 
as a university professor, my service as the Director of Atmospheric 
and Geospace Sciences Division of the National Science Foundation, and 
my international service on the World Weather Research Scientific 
Steering Committee provide me with a breadth of experience to enable me 
to serve as NOAA's Assistant Secretary for Environmental Observation 
and Prediction.
    One might view the very act of numerical weather prediction as one 
of the greatest achievements in the physical sciences in the last 
century. The notion that with sufficient data and a rigorous 
understanding of the physics and thermodynamics of the atmosphere, one 
could create accurate, actionable depictions of future weather that 
could improve public safety, protect lives and property, and ensure the 
more efficient conduct of commerce and transportation is a scientific 
success story.
    The advances that have occurred over the last 100 years in 
numerical weather forecasting would not have been possible without 
research, education, and innovation in all aspects of our earth system. 
For our space systems, the innovations we have seen in the past 
decade--even in the last five years--have been tremendous for 
collecting new observations and applying them to our operational 
forecasting products in exciting ways. It should be noted however, that 
many of these advances would not have been as useful without 
partnerships with behavioral and social scientists to guide how to 
communicate this information effectively to all regions of our country, 
both rural and urban, for all people. NOAA's Impact-based Decision 
Support Services benefit from this partnership.
    The need for investments in these areas continue as the public and 
private sector requirements for accurate, timely, and detailed weather 
forecasts and climate projections increase. I support NOAA's mission of 
science, service, and stewardship including understanding and 
predicting changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, and sharing 
that knowledge and information. Furthermore, I recognize the importance 
of scientific integrity in how NOAA's mission is accomplished. 
Scientific integrity builds public trust. For NOAA, a loss of trust may 
mean a loss of lives.
    If confirmed, my priorities are to: 1) advance our Nation's 
predictive capacity by enhancing our modeling systems, improving our 
use of observations, identifying new observing technologies that will 
benefit our situational awareness of high impact events and improve 
longer-term climate projections, as well as bolstering NOAA's high 
performance computing technologies; 2) develop a platform for rapid 
access to public weather and climate data that includes data on 
demographics, economic activity, and infrastructure to allow for a 
better understanding of the impacts of weather and climate variability 
on communities; and 3) work to ensure that NOAA's workforce reflects 
the diversity of our country.
    Thank you for your consideration of my nomination and the 
opportunity to testify before you today. I enthusiastically look 
forward to the prospect of working with the extraordinary, talented 
individuals within NOAA, if confirmed. I welcome your questions.
                                 ______
                                 
                      a. biographical information
    1. Name (Include any former names or nicknames used):

        Michael Cottman Morgan.

    2. Position to which nominated: Assistant Secretary for 
Environmental Observation and Prediction.
    3. Date of Nomination: January 12, 2022.
    4. Address (List current place of residence and office addresses):

        Residence: Information not released to the public.
        Office: 1225 W. Dayton Street, Room 1401; Madison, WI 53706.

    5. Date and Place of Birth: November 28, 1966; Northampton, MA.
    6. Provide the name, position, and place of employment for your 
spouse (if married) and the names and ages of your children (including 
stepchildren and children by a previous marriage).
    Not applicable.
    7. List all college and graduate degrees. Provide year and school 
attended.

        SB (1988) and PhD (1994), Massachusetts Institute of 
        Technology.

    8. List all post-undergraduate employment, and highlight all 
management level jobs held and any non-managerial jobs that relate to 
the position for which you are nominated.

        Massachusetts Institute of Technology
        September 1988 through August 1994: Graduate student. Served as 
        a research assistant and as a teaching assistant. Advisor for 
        first two years, Dr. Randall Dole, for final four, Prof. Kerry 
        Emanuel.

        Atmospheric Environmental Research (Cambridge, MA):
        Summer 1988: Research directed by Dr. William Gutowski 
        concerning climate change.

        University of Wisconsin-Madison
        August 1994-August 1995: Supervised by Prof. John Nielsen-
        Gammon, Post-doctoral researcher, work performed at Texas A&M 
        University; research on mid-latitude tropopause dynamics funded 
        by UW-Madison.

        August 1995 to present: Tenured Professor, Department of 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences; teaching, research, service, 
        mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students.

        Office of U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin
        September 2007-August 2008: I worked as a Senior legislative 
        fellow on his Maryland ``Projects Team.'' This position was an 
        AAAS Congressional Science Fellowship funded by the University 
        Corporation for Atmospheric Research and the American 
        Meteorological Society. I supported Energy and Environmental 
        issues for Senator Cardin's office.

        IPA Assignment National Science Foundation (Arlington, VA)
        June 2010-June 2014: Division Director, Atmospheric and 
        Geospace Sciences

        CrossFit, LLC
        July/August 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021: Independent Contractor; 
        lead a team to provide weather forecast support for the safety 
        of CrossFit athletes, vendors, spectators, grounds crews for 
        about a week to 10 days centered around the event.

    9. Attach a copy of your resume.
    Attached.
    10. List any advisory, consultative, honorary, or other part-time 
service or positions with Federal, State, or local governments, other 
than those listed above, within the last ten years.

        North Carolina State University
        Member, external review team for the Department of Marine, 
        Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, Fall 2014.

    11. List all positions held as an officer, director, trustee, 
partner, proprietor, agent, representative, or consultant of any 
corporation, company, firm, partnership, or other business, enterprise, 
educational, or other institution within the last ten years.

        American Meteorological Society (since at least 2006) 
        Professional society for my discipline. I have served as an 
        elected councilor (by the membership) to the AMS, and at 
        various times on their planning, ethics, and diversity and 
        inclusiveness committees.

        American Institute of Physics (since 2018) Member Board of 
        Directors and AIP Public Policy Advisory Committee.

        University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Officer.

    12. Please list each membership you have had during the past ten 
years or currently hold with any civic, social, charitable, 
educational, political, professional, fraternal, benevolent or 
religiously affiliated organization, private club, or other membership 
organization. (For this question, you do not have to list your 
religious affiliation or membership in a religious house of worship or 
institution.). Include dates of membership and any positions you have 
held with any organization. Please note whether any such club or 
organization restricts membership on the basis of sex, race, color, 
religion, national origin, age, or disability.

        African American and Jewish Friendship Group, Madison, WI 
        (since 2017) no formal membership.

        Poor People's Campaign of Wisconsin (Wisconsin affiliate of the 
        national Poor People's Campaign) (since September 2020) no 
        formal membership.

        DaneDems (since approximately 2019) Dane County, WI Democratic 
        Party organization.

    I have never been a member of any club or organization that 
restricts membership on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, 
national origin, age, or disability.
    13. Have you ever been a candidate for and/or held a public office 
(elected, non elected, or appointed)? If so, indicate whether any 
campaign has any outstanding debt, the amount, and whether you are 
personally liable for that debt. No.
    14. List all memberships and offices held with and services 
rendered to, whether compensated or not, any political party or 
election committee within the past ten years. If you have held a paid 
position or served in a formal or official advisory position (whether 
compensated or not) in a political campaign within the past ten years, 
identify the particulars of the campaign, including the candidate, year 
of the campaign, and your title and responsibilities.

        DaneDems (since approximately 2019) Dane County, WI Democratic 
        Party organization. No office held, just dues paying member.

        Delegate, Wisconsin Democratic Convention, 2020.

        Delegate, Democratic National Convention 2020.

    15. Itemize all political contributions to any individual, campaign 
organization, political party, political action committee, or similar 
entity of $200 or more for the past ten years.
    Not applicable.
    16. List all scholarships, fellowships, honorary degrees, honorary 
society memberships, military medals, and any other special recognition 
for outstanding service or achievements.

        Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of 
        Wisconsin-Madison, Ned P. Smith Chair in Meteorology (2019-
        2022)

        Elected Fellow, American Meteorological Society (2019)

        Congressional Record
        https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2008/7/31/senate-
        section/arti
        cle/
        s78974?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Michael+Morgan+University+of+
        Wisconsin%22%2C%22Michael%22%2C%22Morgan%22%2C%22University%22
        %2C%22of%,22%2C%22Wisconsin%22%5D%7D&s=6&r=90

        Recipient American Meteorological Society--University 
        Corporation for Atmospheric Research Congressional Science 
        Fellowship: 2007-2008

        Recipient, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Vialas Associates 
        Research Award (1999-2000)

        National Collegiate Weather Forecasting Competition, First 
        Place Graduate Student Division (1992) and Faculty/Staff 
        Division (2003)

        Recipient, Ford Foundation Graduate Fellowship (1988-1990)

    17. Please list each book, article, column, Internet blog posting, 
or other publication you have authored, individually or with others. 
Include a link to each publication when possible. Also list any 
speeches that you have given on topics relevant to the position for 
which you have been nominated. Do not attach copies of these 
publications unless otherwise instructed.
    Please see attached list.
    18. List all digital platforms (including social media and other 
digital content sites) on which you currently or have formerly operated 
an account, regardless of whether or not the account was held in your 
name or an alias. Include the name of an ``alias'' or ``handle'' you 
have used on each of the named platforms. Indicate whether the account 
is active, deleted, or dormant. Include a link to each account if 
possible.

        Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profl1e.php?id=8626916 
        (dormant)

        LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-morgan-8206396/ 
        (active)

        Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaelcmorgan (@michaelcmorgan) 
        (active)

    19. Please identify each instance in which you have testified 
orally or in writing before Congress in a governmental or non-
governmental capacity and specify the date and subject matter of each 
testimony.
    Not applicable.
    20. Given the current mission, major programs, and major 
operational objectives of the department/agency to which you have been 
nominated, what in your background or employment experience do you 
believe affirmatively qualifies you for appointment to the position for 
which you have been nominated, and why do you wish to serve in that 
position?
    My background. as a university professor in the Atmospheric and 
Oceanic Sciences Department of the University of Wisconsin--Madison, my 
service to U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin as a senior legislative fellow 
responsible for energy and environmental issues, my service as Director 
of the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences at the National 
Science Foundation, and my international service on the World Weather 
Research Scientific Steering Committee affirmatively qualifies me for 
appointment to the position of Assistance Secretary for Environmental 
Observations and Prediction and, if confirmed, will allow me to fully 
support NOAA's mission of science, service, and stewardship.
    My research as a faculty member has focused on understanding the 
dynamics of weather systems and improving prediction of weather systems 
through improved use of observations in predictive models. My service 
at the NSF introduced me to a broader perspective of the atmospheric 
and related sciences as my portfolio of responsibility included 
weather, climate, atmospheric chemistry, and space weather (all with 
links to NOAA activities). Additionally, I had responsibility for the 
oversight of the management of NSF observational assets (aircraft and 
ground based observing systems or AGS) used by the NSF supported 
atmospheric sciences research community.
    As AGS Division Director, I fostered greater interagency ties with 
Federal agencies involved in atmospheric and geospace phenomena, 
including NOAA and NASA. As an example, in recognizing the need for the 
GEO/AGS PI community to become more engaged with social science and 
engineering communities to advance NSF's Hazard SEES initiative, I led 
an NSF effort to support NSF-funded principal investigators (PIs) in 
AGS and PIs in the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences 
Directorate (SBE) to participate in two co-funded national workshops 
with NOAA:

   Weather Ready Nation: A Vital Conversation on Tornadoes and 
        Severe Weather 13-15 December 2011.

   Weather Ready Nation: Science Imperatives for Severe 
        Thunderstorm Research'' 24-26 April 2012.

    I served on the executive planning team for both meetings and led 
the NSF coordination of identifying potential PI participants from the 
AGS and SBE science communities. The latter workshop's 63 participants, 
representing the disciplines of civil engineering, communication, 
economics, emergency management, geography, meteorology, psychology, 
public health, public policy, sociology, and urban planning, met to 
identify research issues needed to be addressed to make the Nation more 
resilient to severe thunderstorms. My actions on behalf of this 
activity supported the Geosciences Directorate and the Foundation 
interest in advancing sustainability science, and helped NOAA with 
promoting its strategic vision of creating a ``weather ready nation''.
    I worked in the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology 
while serving as the NSF member of the Program Council for National 
Operational Processing Centers and the Interdepartmental Committee for 
Meteorological Services and Supporting Research. Through this service, 
I developed a deeper appreciation for the importance of Federal 
coordination of meteorological services and the unique role individual 
Federal agencies have in supporting the operational and research 
components of the weather enterprise.
    Finally, I have served as a member of the World Meteorological 
Organizations World Weather Research Program's Scientific Steering 
Committee. In this capacity, I have developed professional 
relationships with members of the international weather, water, 
climate, and social sciences communities engaged in improving 
operational prediction and delivery of actionable forecast information. 
Specific responsibilities included: providing scientific guidance for 
the WWRP on major project activities; and facilitating, coordinating, 
and prioritizing weather research and development activities.
    I would like to bring the skills and knowledge built during the 
myriad experiences I have had the great privilege and pleasure to 
experience throughout my career to serve our country in this position. 
I am excited about the challenges of ensuring and enhancing the 
provision of high quality, actionable, environmental data, including 
weather forecast and climate projections, to the public and private 
sectors.
    21. What do you believe are your responsibilities, if confirmed, to 
ensure that the department/agency has proper management and accounting 
controls, and what experience do you have in managing a large 
organization?
    If confirmed, my main responsibility will be to support the NOAA 
Administrator in advancing the mission of the agency, and help to 
develop the programs, budgets, and policies necessary to accomplish the 
components of that mission. I would be responsible for being 
knowledgeable about the agency's controls for management and accounting 
and insisting on our adherence to those controls.
    As an NSF Division Director, I was responsible for developing and 
executing the Division's approximate $250 million budget. I 
administered human, financial, material, and information resources in a 
manner that I believe would instill public trust and accomplish NSF's 
mission. Further, I used technology to enhance organizational 
effectiveness and decision-making. I recognize that an organization is 
effective when all business processes work to optimize administrative 
efficiencies, provide business intelligence for data-driven decision 
making, and enable organizational agility while being fully consistent 
with agency policies.
    22. What do you believe to be the top three challenges facing the 
department/agency, and why?
    The top challenge facing NOAA relates directly to its mission of 
understanding and predicting changes in climate, weather, oceans, and 
coasts--the challenge of developing and delivering a robust earth 
system prediction capability. Public and private sector requirements 
and expectations for increasingly detailed, seamless, and longer-lead 
earth system predictions to support planning and action by emergency 
managers, public planners, and private sector business requirements 
will require that NOAA make the necessary investments in fundamental 
research, model development, enhanced observational and computational 
infrastructure, and improved use of available and future observations 
(data assimilation). This is a significant challenge as it requires not 
only work internal to NOAA, but also collaboration across all agencies 
on advancing fundamental research in the earth system and social system 
processes and their interactions, next generation cyberinfrastructure 
and surface-and space-based observing capabilities, and collaboration 
with users of such predictions in co designing such a system and 
evaluating its fitness for purposes.
    The second challenge facing NOAA also relates to its mission of 
sharing its gathered knowledge and information with others. NOAA is 
seen as an authoritative, trusted source of environmental intelligence 
(particularly focused on weather, oceans, and climate) by the public 
and by the private sectors. This data has been particularly useful in 
envisioning the impacts of changing climate scenarios on 
infrastructure, but when carefully coupled with other data including 
land use, ecosystem function, and socioeconomic data could also be used 
to ascertain the impacts of weather and changing climate on communities 
across our Nation and the world. The challenges for NOAA in this space 
are the development of a carefully curated, integrated data set and the 
development of a data service platform to make distribution and 
integration of this data straightforward for researchers, communities, 
and the private sector. Such a data platform would also support the 
earth system modeling challenge by providing a basis for deeper 
exploration of interactions between natural and human social systems.
    The third challenge for NOAA is supporting and hiring a diverse 
workforce with the necessary skills and knowledge to advance earth 
systems science understanding and prediction as well as communicating 
effectively the knowledge and information produced by NOAA. The 
workforce needed to accomplish the first two challenges described above 
would be drawn from scientists with training and expertise across the 
natural, social, computational, and data sciences.
                   b. potential conflicts of interest
    1. Describe all financial arrangements, deferred compensation 
agreements, and other continuing dealings with business associates, 
clients, or customers. Please include information related to retirement 
accounts.
    My arrangements are described in Part 3 of my Public Financial 
Disclosure Report.
    2. Do you have any commitments or agreements, formal or informal, 
to maintain employment, affiliation, or practice with any business, 
association or other organization during your appointment? If so, 
please explain.
    As described in my Ethics Agreement, I will take an unpaid leave of 
absence from my tenured professor position, as well as my position as 
Associate Chair of the Undergraduate Program of the Department of 
Atmospheric and Oceanic Services with the University of Wisconsin 
Madison. I have consulted with Department of Commerce ethics officials 
and the Office of Government Ethics regarding this leave of absence and 
will resolve any conflict that may arise in accordance with the terms 
of the ethics agreement that I have entered into with the Department of 
Commerce, which I understand will be provided to this Committee.
    3. Indicate any investments, obligations, liabilities, or other 
relationships which could involve potential conflicts of interest in 
the position to which you have been nominated. Explain how you will 
resolve each potential conflict of interest.
    In connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with 
Department of Commerce ethics officials and the Office of Government 
Ethics to identify any potential conflict of interest. Any potential 
conflict of interest will be resolved according to the terms of the 
ethics agreement that I have entered into with the Department of 
Commerce, which I understand will be provided to this Committee. I am 
not aware of any potential conflict of interest other than those 
identified in my ethics agreement. In the event that an actual or 
potential conflict of interest arises during my appointment, I will 
consult with the Commerce Department's ethics officials and take the 
actions necessary to resolve the conflict.
    4. Describe any business relationship, dealing, or financial 
transaction which you have had during the last ten years, whether for 
yourself, on behalf of a client, or acting as an agent, that could in 
any way constitute or result in a possible conflict of interest in the 
position to which you have been nominated. Explain how you will resolve 
each potential conflict of interest. None.
    5. Identify any other potential conflicts of interest, and explain 
how you will resolve each potential conflict of interest.
    I am not aware of any other potential conflicts of interest that 
may arise other than those identified in my ethics agreement. However, 
should a conflict arise during my appointment, I will consult with the 
Commerce Department's ethics officials and take the actions necessary 
to resolve the conflict.
    6. Describe any activity during the past ten years, including the 
names of clients represented, in which you have been engaged for the 
purpose of directly or indirectly influencing the passage, defeat, or 
modification of any legislation or affecting the administration and 
execution of law or public policy.
    Not applicable.
                            c. legal matters
    1. Have you ever been disciplined or cited for a breach of ethics, 
professional misconduct, or retaliation by, or been the subject of a 
complaint to, any court, administrative agency, the Office of Special 
Counsel, professional association, disciplinary committee, or other 
professional group? No. If yes:

  a.  Provide the name of agency, association, committee, or group;

  b.  Provide the date the citation, disciplinary action, complaint, or 
        personnel action was issued or initiated;

  c.  Describe the citation, disciplinary action, complaint, or 
        personnel action;

  d.  Provide the results of the citation, disciplinary action, 
        complaint, or personnel action.

    2. Have you ever been investigated, arrested, charged, or held by 
any Federal, State, or other law enforcement authority of any Federal, 
State, county, or municipal entity, other than for a minor traffic 
offense? If so, please explain. No.
    3. Have you or any business or nonprofit of which you are or were 
an officer ever been involved as a party in an administrative agency 
proceeding, criminal proceeding, or civil litigation? If so, please 
explain. No.
    4. Have you ever been convicted (including pleas of guilty or nolo 
contendere) of any criminal violation other than a minor traffic 
offense? If so, please explain. No.
    5. Have you ever been accused, formally or informally, of sexual 
harassment or discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, or 
any other basis? If so, please explain. No.
    6. Please advise the Committee of any additional information, 
favorable or unfavorable, which you feel should be disclosed in 
connection with your nomination. None.
                     d. relationship with committee
    1. Will you ensure that your department/agency complies with 
deadlines for information set by congressional committees, and that 
your department/agency endeavors to timely comply with requests for 
information from individual Members of Congress, including requests 
from members in the minority? Yes.
    2. Will you ensure that your department/agency does whatever it can 
to protect congressional witnesses and whistle blowers from reprisal 
for their testimony and disclosures? Yes.
    3. Will you cooperate in providing the Committee with requested 
witnesses, including technical experts and career employees, with 
firsthand knowledge of matters of interest to the Committee? Yes.
    4. Are you willing to appear and testify before any duly 
constituted committee of the Congress on such occasions as you may be 
reasonably requested to do so? Yes.
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


    The Chair. Thank you, Dr. Morgan, and welcome to your 
family. It looks like science runs in the genes and it is good 
to have them with us this morning. Mr. Burton, welcome. Thank 
you for your willingness to serve here in the D.C. area.

           STATEMENT OF SEAN BURTON, NOMINEE TO BE A

               MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,

           METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORTS AUTHORITY

    Mr. Burton. Thank you. Good morning, Chair Cantwell, and 
Ranking Member Wicker, and members of the Committee. I want to 
thank you for this opportunity to appear here this morning as a 
nominee, to be a member of the Board of Directors of the 
Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority.
    I am grateful to the President for nominating me to the 
Board. It is a great honor. And I will say after sitting up 
here, I am humbled by the other nominees up here today and 
their experience. I want to begin by thanking my wonderful 
wife, Teresa, and my children, Grace and Russell, for their 
love and support.
    My wife and daughter are watching this hearing from our 
home in California, and I am grateful to have my son Russell 
here with me this morning. I am excited to have this 
opportunity to serve and believe that my public and private 
sector experience will be a benefit to the Board in the 
authority.
    MWAA's mission is to provide world class facilities and 
services to the traveling public in the national capital 
region. This includes Dulles and Reagan National Airports, the 
Dulles Toll Road, and the Metro Silver Line. To do this 
effectively, MWAA must remain competitive as passengers have a 
choice as to which airports they use and where they spend their 
money. Airlines have a choice of where to serve their 
passengers.
    Modern airports that are convenient for passengers, give 
them cost effective options as to where to fly, and focus on 
creating a great passenger experience are the preferred options 
for both leisure and business travelers. Also, airports are 
major economic development engines and job creators for a 
region and are critical to meeting the needs of the region's 
businesses and economic interests.
    The primary responsibility for the Board is to set policy 
for MWAA and to oversee and provide direction to management. I 
have both significant and relevant experience in this capacity. 
Since 2013, I have been on the Board of Los Angeles World 
Airports, which oversees LAX and the Van Nuys General Aviation 
Airport and served for eight of those years as its President. 
At LAWA, we dealt with many of the same issues that MWAA faces, 
controlling costs, boosting revenue, and managing balance sheet 
debt.
    Moreover, we have worked to find innovative solutions too 
many of our most pressing problems, including in the use of 
technology. We have also implemented the largest airport 
modernization in the country, focused on creating the best 
passenger experience possible. If confirmed, I hope to bring 
this experience to bear at MWAA, along with a fresh perspective 
as to how to take advantage of the opportunities that exist.
    MWAA has several challenges as well as opportunities going 
forward. Safety and security must always be the first priority 
of an airport. Without this, nothing else matters. This is the 
chief concern of every airport but takes on even greater 
importance because of the proximity of both airports to the 
Nation's capital.
    These greater security responsibilities and the costs that 
come with them must always be a primary focus of MWAA 
management and the Board. I have extensive experience dealing 
with these issues at LAWA. LAX is the number one terrorist 
target on the West Coast. For that reason, LAX has the largest 
police force of any airport in the Nation, in addition to full 
time dedicated intelligence staff.
    I created and chaired the security committee at LAWA to 
ensure that our officers and management have everything they 
need at all times to protect our passengers, our employees, and 
our city. I will bring the same focus and commitment to MWAA. 
From a financial perspective, MWAA's airports must be cost 
competitive for its passengers, concessionaires, and airlines.
    For MWAA's management and the Board, this responsibility 
includes growing revenue, controlling expenses, and effectively 
managing debt. As our country emerges from the pandemic, MWAA's 
management and Board must remain diligent in finding innovative 
ways to continue to help its airports recover from the economic 
impact of the pandemic.
    Finally, MWAA faces unique issues because it operates a two 
airport system as a unit under its enabling legislation. This 
means the two airports must be kept in balance according to 
their size and capabilities. Maintaining this balance is 
important for growing the region's international air service, 
which is based at Dulles, due to its larger terminal and runway 
capacity.
    Moving domestic flights away from Dulles to DCA may prompt 
international carriers seeking domestic connections to move 
flights to other airports that don't serve the capital region. 
These concerns must be considered when the Board is setting 
policy moving forward.
    As you can tell, I am passionate and excited about the 
opportunity to serve on this Board. And I would like to thank 
the Committee for considering my nomination this morning, and I 
look forward to your questions. Thank you.
    [The prepared statement and biographical information of Mr. 
Burton follow:]

Prepared Statement of Sean Burton, Nominee to be a Member of the Board 
        of Directors, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
    Good morning. Chair Cantwell, Ranking Member Wicker, and Members of 
the Committee. I want to thank you for this opportunity to appear 
before you today as the nominee to be a member of the Board of 
Directors of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). I 
am grateful to the President from nominating me to this Board. It is a 
great honor.
    I want to begin by thanking my wonderful wife--Teresa--and my 
children--Grace and Russell--for their love and support. My wife and 
daughter are watching this hearing from home, and I am grateful that my 
son is here with me.
    I am excited about this opportunity to serve and believe my public 
and private sector experience will be a benefit to the Board and the 
Authority. MWAA's mission is to provide world-class facilities and 
services to the traveling public in the National Capital Region. This 
includes Dulles and Reagan National airports, Dulles Toll Road, and the 
Metro Silver Line. To do this effectively, MWAA must remain competitive 
as passengers have a choice as to which airports they use and where 
they spend their money. And airlines have a choice of where to serve 
their passengers. Modern airports that are convenient for passengers, 
give them cost effective options as to where to fly, and focus on 
creating a great passenger experience, are the preferred options for 
both leisure and business travelers. Also, airports are major economic 
development engines and job creators for a region and are critical to 
meeting the needs of the region's business and economic interests.
    The primary responsibility of the Board is to set policy from MWAA 
and to oversee and provide direction to management. I have significant 
and relevant experience in this capacity. Since 2013, I have been on 
the Board of Los Angeles World Airports (``LAWA''), which oversees LAX 
and Van Nuys general aviation airport, and served for 8 of those years 
as President. At LAWA, we dealt with many of the same issues that MWAA 
faces--controlling costs, boosting revenue, and managing balance sheet 
debt. Moreover, we have worked to find innovative solutions to many of 
our most pressing problems, especially in the use of technology. We 
have also implemented the largest airport modernization in the country 
focused on creating the best passenger experience possible. If 
confirmed, I hope to bring this experience to bear at MWAA along with a 
fresh perspective on how to take advantage of the opportunities that 
exist.
    MWAA has several challenges as well as opportunities going forward. 
Safety and security must always be the top priority of an airport. 
Without this, nothing else matters. This is the chief concern of every 
airport but takes on even greater importance because of the proximity 
of both airports to the Nation's Capital. These greater security 
responsibilities (and the costs that come with them) must always be a 
primary focus of MWAA Management and the Board. I have extensive 
experience dealing with these issues at LAWA. LAX is the number one 
terrorist target on the West Coast. For that reason, LAX has the 
largest police force of any airport in the Nation in addition to full 
time dedicated intelligence staff. I created and have chaired the 
Security Committee at LAWA to ensure that our officers and management 
have everything they need to protect our passengers and employees and 
our city. I will bring the same focus and commitment to MWAA.
    From a financial perspective, MWAA's airports must be cost-
competitive for its passengers, concessionaires, and airlines. For MWAA 
management and the Board, this responsibility includes growing revenue, 
controlling expenses, and effectively managing debt. As our country 
emerges from the pandemic, MWAA's management and Board must remain 
diligent in finding innovative ways to continue to help its airports 
recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic.
    Finally, MWAA faces unique issues because it operates a two-airport 
system as a unit under its enabling legislation. This means the two 
airports must be kept in balance, according to their size and 
capabilities. Maintaining this balance is important for growing the 
region's international air service, which is based at Dulles, due to 
its much larger terminal and runway capacity. Moving domestic flights 
away from Dulles to DCA may prompt international carriers seeking 
domestic connections to move flights to other airports that do not 
serve the National Capital Region. These concerns must be considered 
when the Board is setting policy going forward.
    I am passionate and excited about the opportunity to serve on 
MWAA's Board. I would like to thank the Committee for considering my 
nomination this morning, and I look forward to your questions. Thank 
you.
                                 ______
                                 
                      a. biographical information
    1. Name (Include any former names or nicknames used): Sean O. 
Burton.
    2. Position to which nominated: Member, Board of Directors, 
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
    3. Date of Nomination: April 29, 2021.
    4. Address (List current place of residence and office addresses):

        Residence: Information not released to the public.
        Office: 1901 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1950, Los Angeles, CA 
        90067.

    5. Date and Place of Birth: June 8, 1971; Los Angeles, CA.
    6. Provide the name, position, and place of employment for your 
spouse (if married) and the names and ages of your children (including 
stepchildren and children by a previous marriage).

        Spouse: Teresa Cisneros Burton (Grant Manager, Focusing 
        Philanthropy).
        Children: Russell Burton, Age 21 (student) Grace Burton, Age 19 
        (student).

    7. List all college and graduate degrees. Provide year and school 
attended.

        Harvard Business School
                Graduated from Executive Leadership Program for CEOs, 
                2020

        New York University, School of Law J.D., cum laude, May 1997

        University of California, Irvine
                B.A. with honors, Social Ecology, June 1993

    8. List all post-undergraduate employment, and highlight all 
management level jobs held and any non-managerial jobs that relate to 
the position for which you are nominated.
    All post-graduate employment is listed below. All management-level 
jobs and non-managerial jobs that relate to the position for which I am 
nominated are highlighted.

        CityView Management Services, LLC, Chief Executive Officer, 
        2003 to present

        Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners, President, 2013 to 
        present

        United States Navy Reserve, Intelligence Officer (Retired as 
        LT), 2002-2010

        Warner Bros., Vice President, Corporate Business Development 
        and Strategy, 1999-2003

        O'Melveny & Myers LLP, Associate, 1997-1999

        The White House, 4/1993-8/1993, Staff Assistant

        Democratic National Committee, 8/1993-6/1994, Director, 
        Saxophone Club

    9. Attach a copy of your resume. See Attachment A.
    10. List any advisory, consultative, honorary, or other part-time 
service or positions with Federal, State, or local governments, other 
than those listed above, within the last ten years.

        Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners, President, 2013 to 
        present
        Los Angeles City Planning Commission, Commissioner, 2008-2013

    11. List all positions held as an officer, director, trustee, 
partner, proprietor, agent, representative, or consultant of any 
corporation, company, firm, partnership, or other business, enterprise, 
educational, or other institution within the last ten years.

        CityView Management Services, LLC, Chief Executive Officer, 
        2003 to present

        Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners, President, 2013 to 
        present

        Los Angeles Coalition for Jobs and the Economy, Member, Board 
        of Directors, 2014 to present

        Central City Association, Member, Board of Directors, 2017 to 
        present

        United Friends of the Children, Member, Board of Directors, 
        2011-2013

        Trustee, Burton Family Trust, 2005 to present

        Trustee, Joan Farley Trust, 2015 to present

    In addition, over the past 10 years, I have held positions at the 
following upper level, operating entities related to CityView through 
which CityView has owned hundreds of single purpose project level 
entities that owned a single real estate investment, and through which 
I have directly or indirectly owned a direct and/or carried interest 
and right to receive excess fee income:

        CityView Holding Partners, LLC (Officer, Director)

        CityView Investment Advisors, L.P. (Officer, Director)

        CPMC, Inc. (Officer, Director)

        Cisneros Burton Investment Holdings, LLC (Officer)

        CVWF I Investment Partners, LLC (Officer)

        CVWF I Incentive Vehicle Investor, LLC (Officer)

        CV AG Sponsor Opportunity Zone Fund, L.P. (Officer)

        CV OW Sponsor Opportunity Zone Fund, L.P. (Officer)

        CV OW OZF Subsidiary Member, LLC (Officer)

        CV OW OZF Subsidiary Investor, LLC (Officer)

        CityView Real Estate Partners, LLC (Officer, Director)

        LAVA Property Advisors, LP (Officer)

        CV LAVA JV I, LLC (Officer)

        AEI CV BA II Investor, LLC (Officer)

        AEI CV III Investor, LLC (Officer)

    Please also see Part III of my Executive Branch Confidential 
Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450) for a list of project-level 
entities in which I currently serve ex officio as Chief Executive 
Officer, by virtue of my position as Chief Executive Officer of 
CityView Management Services, LLC.
    12. Please list each membership you have had during the past ten 
years or currently hold with any civic, social, charitable, 
educational, political, professional, fraternal, benevolent or 
religiously affiliated organization, private club, or other membership 
organization. (For this question, you do not have to list your 
religious affiliation or membership in a religious house of worship or 
institution.). Include dates of membership and any positions you have 
held with any organization. Please note whether any such club or 
organization restricts membership on the basis of sex, race, color, 
religion, national origin, age, or disability.

        Real Estate Roundtable (professional), Member, 2019 to present

        Pacific Council on International Policy (professional), Member, 
        2016-2017

        Young Presidents Organization (professional), Member, 2010 to 
        present

        Jonathan Club (social), Member, 2015 to present

        Mountain Gate Country Club (social), Member, 2003 to present

        California State Bar (professional), Member, 1997 to present

    None of these organizations restrict membership on the basis of 
race, color, religion, national origin, age, or disability.
    13. Have you ever been a candidate for and/or held a public office 
(elected, non elected, or appointed)? If so, indicate whether any 
campaign has any outstanding debt, the amount, and whether you are 
personally liable for that debt. No.
    14. List all memberships and offices held with and services 
rendered to, whether compensated or not, any political party or 
election committee within the past ten years. If you have held a paid 
position or served in a formal or official advisory position (whether 
compensated or not) in a political campaign within the past ten years, 
identify the particulars of the campaign, including the candidate, year 
of the campaign, and your title and responsibilities.

        Member (volunteer position), Biden for President, National 
        Finance Committee (fundraising), 2020
        Member (volunteer position), Clinton for President, National 
        Fundraising Council (fundraising), 2015-2016

    15. Itemize all political contributions to any individual, campaign 
organization, political party, political action committee, or similar 
entity of $500 or more for the past ten years.
    See Attachment B.
    16. List all scholarships, fellowships, honorary degrees, honorary 
society memberships, military medals, and any other special recognition 
for outstanding service or achievements.

        Sharpshooter Medal--United States Navy, 2002

        2019 Corps Champion of the Year, LA Conservation Corps, 2019

        Breathe SoCal: Civic Leadership Award, 2020

    17. Please list each book, article, column, Internet blog posting, 
or other publication you have authored, individually or with others. 
Include a link to each publication when possible. Also list any 
speeches that you have given on topics relevant to the position for 
which you have been nominated. Do not attach copies of these 
publications unless otherwise instructed.
    In my capacity as President of the Los Angeles Board of Airport 
Commissioners, I have on occasion spoken at events on behalf of the 
Board at various events for Los Angeles World Airports. In addition, in 
my capacity as Chief Executive Officer of CityView, I have on occasion 
participated given speeches and participated in panel discussions 
involving question-and-answer sessions in the Los Angeles area. I do 
not recall the exact times and panel hosts but am happy to discuss 
further with the Committee.
    I have also authored the following articles:

  1.  The Mann Report--2.1.19--``Opportunity Zones: Bright Days Ahead 
        For The Multifamily Sector''

  2.  Multifamily Executive Magazine--2.15.19--``Opportunity Zones 
        Benefit Multifamily Investors''

  3.  Multifamily Executive Magazine--6.18.19--``Opportunity Zones 
        Benefit Small Investors''

  4.  Builder and Developer (online)--7.1.19--``Opportunity Zones: An 
        Exciting New Era of Development''

  5.  Builder and Developer (print)--7.1.19--``Opportunity Zones: An 
        Exciting New Era of Development''

  6.  NREI Midyear Outlook--7.31.19--``Opportunities Ahead for CRE 
        Investors''

  7.  Builder and Developer (print)--8.5.20--``Adapting to the New 
        Normal''

  8.  Builder and Developer (online)--8.14.20--``Adapting to the New 
        Normal''

  9.  The Mann Report--11.12.20--``Multi-family's New Normal''

    18. List all digital platforms (including social media and other 
digital content sites) on which you currently or have formerly operated 
an account, regardless of whether or not the account was held in your 
name or an alias. Include the name of an ``alias'' or ``handle'' you 
have used on each of the named platforms. Indicate whether the account 
is active, deleted, or dormant. Include a link to each account if 
possible.

        LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-burton-7232b55a 
        (active)

        Instagram: https://instagram.com/
        seanburton20?igshid=shbrzrhwjhnv
        (dormant)

        Twitter: Sean Burton (@Seanburton20)/Twitter (dormant)

        Facebook: https://facebook.com/sean.burton.148 (dormant)

    19. Please identify each instance in which you have testified 
orally or in writing before Congress in a governmental or non-
governmental capacity and specify the date and subject matter of each 
testimony. None.
    20. Given the current mission, major programs, and major 
operational objectives of the department/agency to which you have been 
nominated, what in your background or employment experience do you 
believe affirmatively qualifies you for appointment to the position for 
which you have been nominated, and why do you wish to serve in that 
position?
    The current mission of the Airports Authority is to provide world-
class facilities and services to the traveling public in the National 
Capital Region (airports, Dulles Toll Road and construction of Metro 
Silver Line). This requires keeping airport costs competitive for 
airlines--which have a choice of airports to serve with various 
schedules, destinations, and connections--to meet the needs of the 
region's business and economic interests.
    Because of a high debt load and past pressure to move flights from 
Dulles to the closer-in (but smaller) Reagan National, Dulles was in 
serious financial trouble in 2014. This caused spiraling costs at 
Dulles, which was driving away even more airline business, along with 
serious overcrowding issues at Reagan National. In response, MWAA 
worked, and will need to continue to work, to control costs, boost non-
airline revenue, refinance debt and keep new regulatory and 
congressional action from allowing even more flights to shift away from 
Dulles to DCA. As a result, Dulles traffic was growing again until 
COVID hit.
    A primary responsibility of the board is to support the work of 
MWAA that brought the airports back into balance and to prevent these 
financial and operational problems from recurring. I have been the 
President of the Board of Los Angeles World Airports (``LAWA''), which 
oversees LAX and Van Nuys general aviation airport, since 2013. At 
LAWA, we have dealt with many of the same issues--controlling costs, 
boosting revenue and managing our balance sheet debt. Moreover, we have 
worked to find innovative solutions to many of our most pressing 
problems especially in the use of technology. Finally, we have 
implemented the largest airport modernization in the country. I hope to 
be able to bring this experience to bear at MWAA along with a fresh 
perspective on how to take advantage of the opportunities that exist.
    21. What do you believe are your responsibilities, if confirmed, to 
ensure that the department/agency has proper management and accounting 
controls, and what experience do you have in managing a large 
organization?
    Because the board oversees and sets management policies in this 
area, a key responsibility is to ensure that the airports remain cost-
competitive for airlines and the other on-site businesses that serve 
airport passengers. This is a key fiduciary responsibility for MWAA 
board members, particularly in light of the growing competition among 
U.S. airports. Also, in my capacity as President of LAWA, I have 
participated in the oversight of our CEO, who reports directly to the 
Board.
    We have implemented best practices and strong accounting controls, 
and I would also bring that experience to MWAA.
    22. What do you believe to be the top three challenges facing the 
department/agency, and why?

  (1)  Preserving the DCA perimeter and slot rules--MWAA operates a 
        two-airport system ``as a unit'' under its enabling 
        legislation. This means the two airports must be kept in 
        balance, according to their size and capabilities. I understand 
        maintaining this balance is important for maintaining and 
        growing the region's international air service, which is based 
        at Dulles because of its much larger terminal and runway 
        capacity. Moving domestic destinations away from Dulles to DCA 
        may prompt international carriers seeking domestic connections 
        to move flights to other airports, usually in other regions. I 
        recognize this can impact business at MWAA's airports and the 
        National Capital Region's economy and its international travel 
        options.

  (2)  Driving new non aeronautical revenue and controlling costs at 
        airports--MWAA should be creative and innovative in driving new 
        non aeronautical revenue at both Dulles and Reagan. In 
        addition, to keep current levels of air service and grow 
        service for the Washington region, MWAA's airports must be cost 
        competitive for airlines. For MWAA and its board, this 
        responsibility includes controlling expenses, careful 
        investment and aggressively managing debt.

  (3)  Ensuring a safe, secure, predictable, economical, convenient and 
        pleasant passenger experience -To give the National Capital 
        Region the air service it needs and deserves, MWAA' s airports 
        must offer top-quality services and customer experiences. A 
        large factor is security, because of the large number of 
        security concerns in and around the Nation's capital. This 
        gives MWAA far greater security responsibilities and higher 
        costs than most other airports, which is a factor in MWAA' s 
        cost structure. This means MWAA's top concerns must include 
        security issues, its cost of operations and its focus on 
        customer service.
                   b. potential conflicts of interest
    1. Describe all financial arrangements, deferred compensation 
agreements, and other continuing dealings with business associates, 
clients, or customers. Please include information related to retirement 
accounts.
    My arrangements are fully described in Part III of my Executive 
Branch Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 450). In 
connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with the 
Office of the Government Ethics and the Metropolitan Washington 
Airports Authority's Ethics Official to identify potential conflicts of 
interest. Any potential conflicts of interest will be resolved in 
accordance with the Authority's Code of Ethics and the terms of the 
Authority's Ethics Opinion Letter which has been provided to this 
Committee. I am not aware of any other potential conflicts of interest.
    2. Do you have any commitments or agreements, formal or informal, 
to maintain employment, affiliation, or practice with any business, 
association or other organization during your appointment? If so, 
please explain.
    Yes. My arrangements are fully described in Part III of my 
Executive Branch Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 
450). In connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with 
the Office of the Government Ethics and the Metropolitan Washington 
Airports Authority's Ethics Official to identify potential conflicts of 
interest. Any potential conflicts of interest will be resolved in 
accordance with the Authority's Code of Ethics and the terms of the 
Authority's Ethics Opinion Letter which has been provided to this 
Committee. I am not aware of any other potential conflicts of interest.
    3. Indicate any investments, obligations, liabilities, or other 
relationships which could involve potential conflicts of interest in 
the position to which you have been nominated. Explain how you will 
resolve each potential conflict of interest.
    In connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with 
the Office of the Government Ethics and the Metropolitan Washington 
Airports Authority's Ethics Official to identify potential conflicts of 
interest. Any potential conflicts of interest will be resolved in 
accordance with the Authority's Code of Ethics and the terms of the 
Authority's Ethics Opinion Letter which has been provided to this 
Committee. I am not aware of any other potential conflicts of interest.
    4. Describe any business relationship, dealing, or financial 
transaction which you have had during the last ten years, whether for 
yourself, on behalf of a client, or acting as an agent, that could in 
any way constitute or result in a possible conflict of interest in the 
position to which you have been nominated. Explain how you will resolve 
each potential conflict of interest.
    In connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with 
the Office of the Government Ethics and the Metropolitan Washington 
Airports Authority's Ethics Official to identify potential conflicts of 
interest. Any potential conflicts of interest will be resolved in 
accordance with the Authority's Code of Ethics and the terms of the 
Authority's Ethics Opinion Letter which has been provided to this 
Committee. I am not aware of any other potential conflicts of interest.
    5. Identify any other potential conflicts of interest and explain 
how you will resolve each potential conflict of interest.
    In connection with the nomination process, I have consulted with 
the Office of the Government Ethics and the Metropolitan Washington 
Airports Authority's Ethics Official to identify potential conflicts of 
interest. Any potential conflicts of interest will be resolved in 
accordance with the Authority's Code of Ethics and the terms of the 
Authority's Ethics Opinion Letter which has been provided to this 
Committee. I am not aware of any other potential conflicts of interest.
    6. Describe any activity during the past ten years, including the 
names of clients represented, in which you have been engaged for the 
purpose of directly or indirectly influencing the passage, defeat, or 
modification of any legislation or affecting the administration and 
execution of law or public policy. None.
                            c. legal matters
    1. Have you ever been disciplined or cited for a breach of ethics, 
professional misconduct, or retaliation by, or been the subject of a 
complaint to, any court, administrative agency, the Office of Special 
Counsel, professional association, disciplinary committee, or other 
professional group? If yes:

  a.  Provide the name of agency, association, committee, or group;

  b.  Provide the date the citation, disciplinary action, complaint, or 
        personnel action was issued or initiated;

  c.  Describe the citation, disciplinary action, complaint, or 
        personnel action;

  d.  Provide the results of the citation, disciplinary action, 
        complaint, or personnel action.

    No.
    2. Have you ever been investigated, arrested, charged, or held by 
any Federal, State, or other law enforcement authority of any Federal, 
State, county, or municipal entity, other than for a minor traffic 
offense? If so, please explain. No.
    3. Have you or any business or nonprofit of which you are or were 
an officer ever been involved as a party in an administrative agency 
proceeding, criminal proceeding, or civil litigation? If so, please 
explain.
    In the past 10 years, there have been three claims brought against 
upper-level operating entities through which I ultimately own and 
operate the CityView business and am an officer and/or director:

  1.  Lee H Wagman v. Cisneros et al., LASC No. BC 474651. This action, 
        filed on December 6, 2011 in the Superior Court of the State of 
        California for the County of Los Angeles, was brought by a 
        former CityView partner against CityView and its existing 
        partners alleging claims relating to the former partner's right 
        to participate financially in future ventures. The matter was 
        settled without admission of wrongdoing and the case dismissed 
        with prejudice in 2012.

  2.  In 2013, following a routine presence audit, the Securities & 
        Exchange Commission initiated an investigation of CityView 
        Management Services, LLC, entitled In the Matter of CityView 
        Management Services, LLC, LA-4408. The investigation was 
        concluded with no enforcement recommended and no further 
        actions required by CityView Management Services, LLC, on 
        October 26, 2015.

  3.  On December 8, 2016, a former CityView employee in CityView's San 
        Antonio office filed a Charge of Discrimination against 
        CityView Management Services, LLC and Henry Cisneros with the 
        Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Charge #451-2017-
        00516, alleging age discrimination and retaliation. The matter 
        was settled without an admission of wrongdoing in 2017.

    4. Have you ever been convicted (including pleas of guilty or nolo 
contendere) of any criminal violation other than a minor traffic 
offense? If so, please explain. No.
    5. Have you ever been accused, formally or informally, of sexual 
harassment or discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, or 
any other basis? If so, please explain. No.
    6. Please advise the Committee of any additional information, 
favorable or unfavorable, which you feel should be disclosed in 
connection with your nomination. No.
                     d. relationship with committee
    1. Will you ensure that your department/agency complies with 
deadlines for information set by congressional committees, and that 
your department/agency endeavors to timely comply with requests for 
information from individual Members of Congress, including requests 
from members in the minority? Yes.
    2. Will you ensure that your department/agency does whatever it can 
to protect congressional witnesses and whistle blowers from reprisal 
for their testimony and disclosures? Yes.
    3. Will you cooperate in providing the Committee with requested 
witnesses, including technical experts and career employees, with 
firsthand knowledge of matters of interest to the Committee? Yes.
    4. Are you willing to appear and testify before any duly 
constituted committee of the Congress on such occasions as you may be 
reasonably requested to do so? Yes.
                                 ______
                                 
                              Attachment A
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                              Attachment B

                   Sean Burton Political Donations Log
                                2011-2021
------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Individual       Candidate        Election Office    Amount     Date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. Sean       Andrei Cherny      Congress (AZ)        $2,500    6/30/12
 Burton
 2. Sean       Karen Bass         Congress (CA)          $500   10/23/13
 Burton
 3. Sean       Hillary Clinton    President            $2,700    6/28/15
 Burton
 4. Sean       Hillary Clinton    President            $2,700    6/30/16
 Burton
 5. Sean       Lucille Royball-   Congress (CA)        $1,250   10/25/16
 Burton         Allard
 6. Sean       Jon Tester         Senate (MT)          $2,700    3/27/17
 Burton
 7. Sean       Tim Kaine          Senate (VA)          $2,700    3/31/17
 Burton
 8. Sean       Jon Tester         Senate (MT)          $2,700    3/27/17
 Burton
 9. Sean       Antonio Delgado    Congress (NY)        $2,700    10/9/18
 Burton
10. Sean       Karen Bass         Congress (CA)        $2,700   10/15/18
 Burton
11. Sean       Jacky Rosen        Senate (NV)          $1,000   10/16/18
 Burton
12. Sean       Biden for          President            $2,800    4/25/19
 Burton         President
13. Sean       Karen Bass         Congress (CA)        $2,800    5/29/19
 Burton
14. Sean       Biden Victory      President            $2,800     5/7/20
 Burton         Fund
15. Sean       Biden for          President            $2,800     5/7/20
 Burton         President
16. Sean       DNC                N/A                  $1,000    6/18/20
 Burton
17. Sean       Biden Victory      President            $1,000    6/18/20
 Burton         Fund
18. Sean       Peter DeFazio      Congress (OR)        $2,500    10/6/20
 Burton
19. Sean       Tim Ryan           Congress (OH)          $500    3/04/21
 Burton
------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The Chair. Thank you very much. Thank you. I mean, trading 
LAX for Dulles and DCA, I don't know. But, you know, different 
challenges. So welcome to slot issues, so they will be----
    [Laughter.]
    The Chair. You might wish you were back in L.A. after those 
discussions. Well, let me start with you, Dr. Morgan. I really 
appreciated your mentioning of scientific integrity, and I 
can't tell you how important that is.
    I learned a lot more about weather forecasting after we 
tried to update a Doppler system out on our coast and people 
didn't think we needed to, and then we had a hurricane wind 
event that cost us loss of lives and damage no one saw coming. 
And then people said, yes, we need to update our system.
    And it taught me that we can do so much more with this 
science today. Do you think supercomputing is a linchpin behind 
the forecasting models? Do we in the United States, we gave 
some money and the infrastructure bill, the bipartisan bill, to 
invest in supercomputing power for our weather models.
    I know everybody always talks about the UK model, Europe. 
You know, you hear this on the news all the time. Well, the 
European model, because they do invest in supercomputing a 
little more than we do. So what do you see this as a linchpin?
    Dr. Morgan. Thank you for the question. Yes, I think high 
performance computing is going to be essential for the United 
States to maintain its leadership in global weather prediction. 
Our global models like NOAA's Global Forecast System model is a 
competitive model with the European and UK MET models.
    In the last hurricane season, I believe, its track 
performance outperformed that of these other models in terms of 
global models in this realm. In addition to the high 
performance computing, there is going to be a need as well to 
train researchers and model developers in the development of 
our new models, the next generation of models, in order for 
them to make the most effective use of the computing that is 
available.
    As a member of the research community, I am delighted to 
see the investment in the bipartisan infrastructure bill that 
provided $80 million to NOAA for this purpose.
    The Chair. Do you think we need to do more, I guess is the 
question?
    Dr. Morgan. Yes, definitely we should--we can be doing more 
in computing, and we are going to need to do that in order for 
our models to be able to continue to increase in their 
granularity, their resolution, and their timeliness for 
providing forecast.
    The Chair. Well, I will let Senator Wicker speak for 
himself, but I know whether you are talking about tornadoes in 
the, you know, in the Midwest or you are talking about our 
ability, you know, for our maritime community to have accurate 
information, all of these issues play such an important role.
    And for us lately, it is always about rain. But it is, you 
know, what people now call atmospheric rivers of rain dumping 
on soil at, you know, intense periods of time. Obviously, we 
had the Oso experience where we had an unbelievable, it is not 
really even a landslide as much as it was an explosion, you 
know, after four inches of rain, I think, that morning.
    So we need to know a lot more about this, the changes, and 
so I appreciate you saying that. Ms. Hutcheson, on those safety 
statistics I mentioned, what do you think should be the number 
one priority in driving down those statistics?
    Ms. Hutcheson. National Roadway Safety--Senator, thank you 
so much for the question. The National Roadway Safety Strategy 
outlines a number of actions that the DOT should take. For 
commercial motor vehicles, there are a few priorities. One, 
increasing investigations on high risk carriers.
    Two, making sure we are quickly getting the resources of 
the bipartisan infrastructure law into the partners of our 
hands--into their hands very quickly for their use. And three, 
is closing loopholes so that unsafe drivers are never on the 
road.
    The Chair. Do you think--do you have some analysis of these 
crashes and fatalities? Do you have some analysis of it? Do you 
think it is a specific carrier or something of under training 
or--?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator, thank you for that question. We 
have analysis on the causes of crashes. However, we are 
conducting a more in-depth analysis now on a large crash causal 
factors study, which will give us even more information so that 
we can target our resources in the very best way possible.
    The Chair. Well, look, I am going to ask you some follow up 
questions for the record or maybe later in this hearing on that 
point. Mr. Burton, obviously, the infrastructure resources--I 
appreciate your statement about how airports are the economic 
development tool for a region, and we certainly see that here 
within this region.
    So the integration of those transportation resources at 
Dulles for the region are very important. And so obviously, DCA 
has a lot of construction work going on right now. And so I 
guess the question is, how do you communicate those priorities 
about what we need to do to upgrade the infrastructure so that 
the region has more, let's say easier travel, easier travel 
experiences.
    Mr. Burton. Thank you for the question. The bipartisan 
infrastructure bill is going to be helpful. I was meeting with 
the MWAA staff earlier this week and looking at the plans not 
just at National but also at Dulles, very significant plans to 
build a new terminal and fix the ingress and egress. You do 
have the--one of the biggest complaints about airports is 
getting to airports. And you do have the silver line 
construction, which has been finished, will run out to Dulles. 
And it is--they are testing the trains on it. It is supposed to 
be operational by the end of the year.
    But I think that needs to be a major priority for the 
Board. It has been for us at LAX. Again, we have you know, we 
have spent almost $15 billion upgrading airport facilities at 
LAX to try to create a better passenger experience.
    In this country, we generally have underfunded our airports 
for the last few decades, and I think there is a recognition 
now that needs to be a major priority. So I look forward to 
bringing that experience and working with MWAW on that.
    The Chair. Thank you. Senator Wicker.
    Senator Wicker. Thank you very much. Let me start with Dr. 
Morgan. I made my very first speech on the Senate floor about 
Hurricane Katrina and the devastating damage we had there and 
the finger pointing between wind and water insurance carriers. 
Following the hurricane, it can be difficult to assess whether 
damages were caused by wind or water, particularly when only a 
structure's foundation or slab remains.
    In response to that, one of the first pieces of legislation 
I was able to get passed and signed into law was the Coastal 
Act. The purpose of the Coastal Act is to reduce conflict over 
which party is responsible by better discerning wind versus 
water damage. People who lose their homes may not receive 
compensation because of this.
    And I notice that the President's Fiscal Year 2023 budget 
eliminates Coastal Act funding. It seems to me we should 
actually be enhancing this and working harder on that because 
it is going to happen repeatedly. Will you commit to working 
with me to ensure that this important work continues, the 
Coastal Act?
    Dr. Morgan. Senator, yes, I would commit to working with 
you on that. And I would like to add that I was actually down 
in Moss Point, Mississippi at the time of, when Katrina was 
making landfall a little bit further to the West. I was down 
there with students to observe a hurricane at landfall, and 
that was a very impactful event for me.
    And we ended up actually talking with a number of residents 
that had either evacuated from Louisiana, moving east, thinking 
they would be safer there, and we saw the extreme damage that 
occurred in Southern Louisiana.
    And that was really--it influenced my mind in terms of not 
just thinking about the physical science aspect of things, but 
how these weather systems impact people.
    Senator Wicker. Absolutely. And I would say for the record, 
Moss Point is, of the three coastal counties, the furthest 
East. The eye of the storm actually----
    Dr. Morgan. That is right.
    Senator Wicker.--hit near the Mississippi, Louisiana line. 
So it was two counties over and there were still slabs in 
Jackson County, including my predecessor's own, Senator Lott. 
Sir, the named storm event model and coastal wind water 
database is 92 percent complete. Do you have any idea of what 
the barriers are to finishing this work?
    Dr. Morgan. Unfortunately, Senator, I am not familiar with 
how that database is constructed, but I would certainly like to 
learn more about that, and if confirmed.
    Senator Wicker. OK. Well, I appreciate that assurance. And 
if you have information, perhaps you could supplement your 
verbal testimony today on the record. Let me quickly then move 
to Ms. Hutcheson. I am concerned about the Department of 
Transportation placing additional requirements to implement the 
bipartisan infrastructure law.
    I was, as in addition to my friend, the chair of the 
Committee, I was very instrumental in the negotiations on that 
law. And it took a bipartisan effort and doesn't get passed--
something like that in the Senate doesn't get passed without 
bipartisanship. I note that FMCSA is requiring truck carriers 
seeking to participate in the 18 to 21 year old driver pilot 
program to register with the Department of Labor as a 
registered apprenticeship.
    We didn't put that in the law. There is no mention of that 
whatsoever. And as everyone knows, there are alternative 
apprenticeships. I know this was issued before you began your 
position as Deputy Administrator. However, are you aware of 
where that requirement originated?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator Wicker, thank you so much for the 
question, and thank you for your leadership on the bipartisan 
infrastructure law. The Department of Transportation partnered 
with the Department of Labor in order to launch this program in 
the most expeditious manner. By doing so, we had approximately 
100 registrants within the first 90 days. We now have over 500 
companies.
    Senator Wicker. But with regard to going beyond the law to 
a requirement that is not in the statute that is my question.
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator, we will continue to implement this 
program in order to maximize its beneficial effect on bringing 
drivers into the profession. And I would be happy to talk with 
you more about this. At this time, we are following this 
registered apprenticeship model, and I will be delighted to 
report our success as we enter new drivers into the driving 
profession.
    Senator Wicker. OK. Well, we will have some more discussion 
about this. You know, you get a bipartisan bill passed based on 
give and take from both sides. And I just don't--I am not sure, 
had that been placed in the proposed legislation, I am not sure 
the 60 vote threshold would have been reached in the U.S. 
Senate. Let's work together expeditiously to implement this 
driver apprenticeship program, and I can guarantee we will have 
further conversations about this. Thank you, Madam Chair.
    The Chair. Well thank you, Senator Wicker. And I agree. I 
think this was a very big part of our negotiations and well, 
let's just say our committee, I think, did fabulous work on the 
infrastructure bill as the basis of what was a larger 
discussion that then got added to the EPW. So we did with full 
focus of members and coming together and lots of discussions 
create that language. And so yes, we want to see it implemented 
and we will work with you and Ms. Hutcheson on that. I believe 
Senator Baldwin is next. Then Senator Fischer.

               STATEMENT OF HON. TAMMY BALDWIN, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM WISCONSIN

    Senator Baldwin. Thank you. So Dr. Morgan, it is a delight 
to see you here today. And I really commend your many years of 
leadership at the University of Wisconsin in the Department of 
Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.
    I know your time at the university, as well as your work 
with the National Science Foundation and the American 
Meteorology or--a mouthful--Society and the University 
Corporation for Atmospheric Research, all of those experiences 
will set you up for success as the Assistant Secretary for 
Environmental Observation and Prediction at NOAA.
    Given that base and expertise, I want to hear your thoughts 
on how NOAA can effectively partner with external researchers 
in academia and the private sector. And also, can you share 
with the Committee how you plan to use your expertise to 
advance the agency's work in improving our weather prediction 
models?
    Dr. Morgan. Yes. Thank you, Senator. Thank you, Senator, 
for that question. The first question you had concerning 
working with external partners and building those 
relationships, part of it is recognizing that NOAA alone is not 
going to be developing these models.
    There is an opportunities for folks to work with the 
private sector, with university academic community, working 
with research labs, like with the DOE, as well as the Air 
Force. They have some modeling efforts that are ongoing as 
well, and the Navy. And I have actually had opportunities to 
work with each of these groups at various times in my past work 
to look at model improvement.
    But the thing is to clearly recognize what are the 
strengths and the unique strengths that each of these Federal 
agencies brings to the table in model development and leverage 
those to come up with a comprehensive plan to improve models. 
NOAA Science Advisory Board has requested that NOAA begin to 
expand, looking at not just weather models, but looking at 
earth system models which include the entire system.
    My expertise that I bring is knowledge of how models work, 
looking at how we put data into those models, and best use the 
data that Congress has allocated and provided the funds for us 
to use, to best use that data to improve the forecast.
    It is called data assimilation. But finally, it is also 
doing some horizon scanning and understanding what are the new 
opportunities, the new observational platforms that NOAA might 
be able to make best use of, to get that data into the models 
to then improve our predictive capacity.
    And as I mentioned before, as in response to an earlier 
question, high performance computing is going to play a 
significant role as well in ensuring that we are able to run 
these next generation models. Thank you.
    Senator Baldwin. Thank you. Ms. Hutcheson, despite making 
up 47 percent of the U.S. labor force, women represent only 24 
percent of America's trucking workforce and just 7 percent of 
drivers. That is why I was proud to have included my 
legislation that I advanced with my colleague, Senator Moran, 
in the bipartisan infrastructure law to establish a Women of 
Trucking Advisory Board.
    Do you agree that identifying the barriers to women's entry 
into trucking should be a priority for FMCSA? And can you also 
commit to providing serious consideration of the Board's 
recommendations and to working closely with my office in this 
committee in implementing any recommendations that they make?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator Baldwin, thank you so much for the 
question and your leadership on the Women of Trucking Advisory 
Board. We called for nominations in May. We had over 250 
nominations. We are now working through those and doing the 
review. We anticipate being able to hold a kickoff meeting in 
late summer or early fall of this Board.
    Its role will be to identify barriers to women entering and 
staying in the driving profession. And Senator, you have my 
commitment to work closely with you as we are standing up this 
brand new Women of Trucking Advisory Board.
    Senator Baldwin. Thank you. Mr. Burton, I don't have a 
question, I have more of a comment. I think about this role you 
are undertaking. And the Chair mentioned that you will be 
hearing a lot about landing slots and takeoff slots. It is--
with the exception of just a few members of the Senate who 
commute via car or train, you have a Senate that feels like 
they are all experts in aviation and that experience, at least 
as passengers. And so you are likely to get a lot of input.
    I wanted to just mention, as a passenger, air passenger 
that uses the airports, something that happened recently that I 
found interesting and that is arriving at the airport to find 
every parking space full with a flight taking off in about an 
hour and a backup, because everyone is trying to get into one 
of the parking lots. And that has been happening with greater 
frequency.
    And it is kind of a puzzling situation if you have a car, 
and you need to drop it off to get to your flight on a timely 
manner. So I just wanted to share that observation.
    Mr. Burton. Well, thank you, Senator, for the comment. And 
I will say that is an issue that airports are facing around the 
country. I know Dulles in particular is facing it. I will say, 
a part of that is because post-pandemic--pre-pandemic, a lot of 
people are taking transportation network companies, Uber and 
Lyft. Those numbers are significantly down, but car traffic is 
up. So at LAX, for example, we have had, even though we are 
about 85 percent of 2019 levels, we have about 150 percent of 
the traffic. So that is something that I would, if confirmed, I 
would focus on at MWAA.
    The Chair. Thank you. Senator Fischer.

                STATEMENT OF HON. DEB FISCHER, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM NEBRASKA

    Senator Fischer. Thank you, Madam Chairman. Ms. Hutcheson, 
I recently co-sponsored with Senator Wicker legislation that 
would standardize the Transportation Security Administration's 
enrollment and renewal process for many credentials necessary 
for commercial driver's license holders. It is common sense 
legislation. It cuts your bureaucratic red tape without 
compromising security measures. If you are confirmed, how will 
you work to streamline the processes within FMCSA that will 
help the trucking industry and not sacrifice safety?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator Fischer, thank you for the question. 
I look forward to learning more about the bill that has been 
introduced. And if confirmed, you have my commitment to work 
closely with you on its contents and to work toward the benefit 
of achieving FMCSA's primary mission of safety and as well 
supporting our economy.
    Senator Fischer. Thank you. You know, I think all of us 
recognize the shortage of truck drivers and the effect that has 
on supply chain, the effect it has on our economy. Those are 
good jobs, well-paying jobs, and needed jobs. Obviously, safety 
is the number one concern. But to be able to help the industry 
and not put additional burdens on that haven't really been 
shown to have been--I think that is extremely important as we 
move forward here.
    Also, since the inception of the Compliance Safety and 
Accountability and Safety Management System Programs in 2010, 
we have seen a steady uptick in truck related crashes, 
injuries, fatalities. In 2017, the National Academy of Sciences 
issued a number of recommendations on improving motor carrier 
safety measurement following the Fast Act, required review of 
those programs. Have these recommendations been fully 
implemented?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Thank you for the question, Senator. I have 
reviewed the studies. There are a few updates to the framework. 
There are four conditions that need to be met before this--any 
new prioritization system can be put in place. We will be 
seeking input from stakeholders and member offices, and I look 
forward to working with you and your office on this very 
important issue.
    Senator Fischer. Thank you very much. Also in Operation 
Sideswipes, the U.S. District Attorney in Louisiana has 
uncovered a truck accident staging ring that has resulted in at 
least 37 guilty pleas. Right now, there is no requirement for 
shippers or freight brokers to check any FMCSA data prior to 
hiring motor carriers, which can adversely impact safety when 
unauthorized motor carriers continue to get offered business 
despite FMCSA trying to shut them down.
    I plan to reintroduce my legislation, the Transportation 
and Logistics Hiring Reform Act, which will clarify hiring 
criteria in the selection of the motor carriers to address 
these fundamental practices. If shippers and brokers had a 
standard due diligence process, would it improve safety and 
help remove these unauthorized carriers off the road?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Thank you for the question, Senator. We are 
working to clarify the definition of broker. We believe this 
will be effective in solving some of the problems that we are 
seeing as you are. We are very close to asking for comment on 
it, and I look forward to continuing to working with you in 
your office as we work toward our mission of safety on our 
roadways. Thank you.
    Senator Fischer. Thank you. I appreciate your reaching out 
like that. Thank you. Dr. Morgan, the University of Nebraska 
works closely with NOAA on weather and climate related efforts, 
specifically the High Plains Regional Climate Center and the 
National Drought Mitigation Center.
    Given your university experience, you understand the 
important role that universities play in this research. If 
confirmed, will you work collaboratively with UNL and other 
entities as part of NOAA's efforts to collect weather data?
    Dr. Morgan. Most definitely. Senator, thank you for the 
question. I would work closely with universities and all 
entities that are related to universities and helping support 
the collection of data that is relevant to the atmosphere and 
our environment broadly.
    Senator Fischer. Are you aware of the University of 
Nebraska's programs that they have at those institutes?
    Dr. Morgan. With the High Plains Center? I am familiar with 
that, yes.
    Senator Fischer. With the drought mitigation----
    Dr. Morgan. Right, yes. I haven't worked with them 
directly, but I am familiar with it.
    Senator Fischer. OK, great. Maybe we will have to get you 
out to Nebraska.
    Dr. Morgan. I would love to do that. I would love to be out 
there. I visited the campus of the University of Nebraska many 
times in Lincoln.
    Senator Fischer. Wonderful. Thank you very much.
    Dr. Morgan. Thank you.
    Senator Fischer. And I think that will do it. Thank you, 
Madam Chair.
    The Chair. Thank you. Senator Klobuchar.

               STATEMENT OF HON. AMY KLOBUCHAR, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM MINNESOTA

    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I 
welcome all the nominees. But I specifically wanted to welcome 
Ms. Hutcheson, joined by her husband David, nominated, of 
course, to be the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier 
Safety Administration.
    Has worked extensively in the agency, and I am proud to say 
she used to call Minnesota home. So, Madam Chair, I would like 
to enter into a record a letter from the American Trucking 
Association in support of Ms. Hutcheson's nomination.
    The Chair. Without objection.
    [The information referred to follows:]

    
    

    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you. I will start with you, Ms. 
Hutcheson. If confirmed, how will you work with DOT interagency 
and industry stakeholders to ensure a steady supply of truckers 
can keep our goods moving? We obviously have a shortage of 
truckers nationally.
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator Klobuchar, thank you so much for 
that question. FMCSA is working on both short and long term 
efforts to increase the supply of drivers. We know that there 
are more jobs than there are drivers. We are working to issue 
commercial driver's licenses more expeditiously in the short 
term.
    We are also working on long term, like recruiting more 
women into the industry, understanding barriers for why people 
leave the industry through research into truck leasing task 
force, research on compensation, and research on detention. I 
look forward to working with you and your office on these very 
important issues so that we can keep our supply chain strong.
    Senator Klobuchar. Very good. Human trafficking, something 
that I have worked on both in my capacity in the Judiciary 
committee and Commerce with Senator Thune, when it comes to 
specific issues with trucking and commercial vehicles. If 
confirmed, how will you support efforts to educate drivers on 
how to detect and prevent human trafficking?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Thank you for the question, Senator, and 
thank you for your leadership on this issue. We issued a final 
rule that disqualifies drivers if they are convicted of human 
trafficking. We will be reporting on the 3-year cycle on that 
effort. We are also increasing our emphasis through our grant 
programs, both high priority grant programs, as well as motor 
carrier safety assistance programs, to offer encourage more 
training to detect and prevent and report human trafficking. 
Look forward to working with you on this very important issue.
    Senator Klobuchar. Excellent. Thank you. Freight 
bottlenecks, big deal. Minnesota has three of the top 100 
trucking traffic bottlenecks. But one of the issues is our 
ports as well. We have the port of Duluth, which we are very 
proud of. What investments can Congress make to improve supply 
chain efficiency at ports?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Well, thank you for the question, Senator. 
The bipartisan infrastructure law has resources to improve port 
operations. For our work at FMCSA, we are looking at chassis 
availability. Just one example of a link in the supply chain 
where FMCSA can work with industry to alleviate the supply 
chain issues at ports. We will continue to work on this along 
with the rest of the Department of Transportation and our 
sister agencies. Thank you.
    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you very much. Dr. Morgan, 
according to the National Weather Service, communities near the 
Rainey River Basin in Northern Minnesota are experiencing 
historic flooding. Senator Smith and I were just up there on 
the Canadian border last weekend with the Governor.
    We are seeing historic flooding exceeding the previous 
record peak in 1950. Sandbags everywhere. Over 100 National 
Guard have been stationed up there now to protect both homes 
and resorts, which is really the lifeline of the economy in 
Koochiching County. If confirmed, how will you work to mitigate 
future impacts from flooding and other natural disasters?
    Dr. Morgan. Thank you, Senator, for that question. And as a 
resident of Great Lakes--Great Lakes State, I certainly 
appreciate the importance of the Great Lakes for the economy, 
for recreation, for transportation, and commerce.
    With respect to the flooding that is ongoing and looking to 
the future, one of the critical things that NOAA can do is work 
carefully with local governments and other Federal agencies in 
the implementation of the Digital Coastal Act, which has 
provisions that allow for understanding how to secure the data 
that is necessary to enhance the resilience of coastal 
communities. And this would include, certainly on the regions 
around the Great Lakes.
    Senator Klobuchar. Very good. All right. Well, I appreciate 
it. And thank you, Senator Rosen. I ended early in deference to 
my colleagues. So thank you very much for holding the hearing.
    The Chair. Thank you. Senator Moran.
    Senator Klobuchar. Senator Cantwell--I am sorry. I saw 
Jacky on the----
    The Chair. No, no, it is all good.
    Senator Klobuchar. Thank you.
    The Chair. Senator Moran and then Senator Rosen, who has 
been so, so patient.
    Senator Klobuchar. Exactly.

                STATEMENT OF HON. JERRY MORAN, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM KANSAS

    Senator Moran. I thank Senator Klobuchar for her timeliness 
in allowing me to go 60 seconds earlier, which I have just 
used, thanking her for doing so. Thank you all to the folks 
before us today and for your willingness to serve our Nation. 
Just a few questions. Dr. Morgan, I don't have any questions 
for you this morning, but we will get acquainted in the 
appropriations process, and I look forward to that being the 
case.
    We want to work closely with you on a variety of issues 
that are your responsibility. Ms. Hutcheson, electronic logging 
devices are a significant issue to me and to my constituents 
and to the livestock industry. And we have worked closely with 
FMCSA to try to find a solution.
    We need a department to have hours of service rules that 
don't create unintended situations that would cause harm or 
death to animals that are being hauled by our livestock 
haulers. And the solutions of pulling off to the side of the 
road with a load of cattle or requiring offloading aren't 
practical and sometimes terribly damaging.
    If confirmed, will you and the agency work continue to work 
with me to address the underlying hours of service issues, so 
livestock haulers are able to safely and humanely transport 
animals?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Thank you, Senator, for the question. FMCSA 
has implemented the haulers' relief measures that were passed 
in the bipartisan infrastructure law, which provides relief to 
agricultural haulers. We have also exempted livestock haulers 
from electronic logging device requirements.
    I recently held a roundtable discussion with the 
agricultural community to listen to their concerns, and I have 
heard firsthand from them. And if confirmed, I will continue to 
work with you and your office on these important issues 
regarding the hauling of livestock.
    Senator Moran. I didn't intend to suggest that initiatives 
haven't been taken, that efforts haven't been made. We just 
don't believe we are quite there yet. And I appreciate what has 
taken place in the past. I look forward to additional future 
efforts to solve this problem.
    Let me ask you an additional question. Drug impaired 
driving remains a serious issue. We have been pursuing, through 
the appropriations process, hair testing, and yet we can't seem 
to get it to occur. The Federal adoption of hair testing would 
allow motor carriers to report positive hair test results to 
DOT's Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, closing a current 
loophole and creating a safer environment for the traveling 
public.
    Again, I am asking for your cooperation, perhaps even an 
explanation of why this is so difficult to achieve.
    Ms. Hutcheson. Thank you, Senator, and I understand your 
concerns. We are working with Health and Human Services. They 
are completing a study of the hair testing. And when that is 
complete, we stand ready to implement their recommendations. 
And you have my commitment that if confirmed, I will continue 
to work with you to improve safety on our roadways and closing 
those loopholes.
    Senator Moran. I appreciate that, and I appreciate your 
smile. And it has always been the case in which I need to be 
knocking on the door of Health and Human Services, which has 
seemingly unmoving on this topic for now a number of years. But 
I appreciate your cooperation if I can ever get the cooperation 
of Health and Human Services. And Mr. Burton, just a couple of 
questions in your role.
    You have a significant history in the aviation world. I 
appreciate that. We are facing tremendous challenges in regard 
to shortages of personnel, workforce pilots in particular, but 
crew and others. I am a passenger in an airplane every Monday 
and every Thursday or Friday, and often there are challenges on 
whether or not a crew is available.
    Any thoughts that you would have on what we can do to 
increase the number of people who work and eliminate the pilot 
shortage? And I will also give you a chance, I think the 
chairwoman mentioned about slots. How would you balance flights 
and slots availabilities between airports within your 
jurisdiction?
    Mr. Burton. Thank you for the question, Senator, and maybe 
I will start with slots first on the perimeter rule. This is 
not something that we faced at LAX. This is a unique issue for 
Reagan National. And as I have spent time learning about it and 
reading the GSA report, it appears that the real issue there is 
that obviously National is quite stressed from an operational 
standpoint in how crowded it is. And there is concerns with the 
community and economically at Dulles of moving more planes and 
more flights to National.
    That obviously has to be balanced with competitiveness and 
convenience for passengers. And so I look forward to working 
with the Board on this issue. And ultimately, this will be--you 
know, this is from Federal legislation to require an act of 
Congress to change the perimeter rule and add an additional 
exceptions. As far as shortages, you know, that is something 
that airports are concerned about.
    Obviously, with pilots for safety. You also, you know, 
shortages with concession workers and a number of other parts 
of the airport. And it has made for a very challenging travel 
experience. And so what we focused on at LAX's, you know, 
working on things like using technology so you can reserve your 
parking spot in advance, and you can get to the airport a 
little bit later.
    We have worked with the TSA on actually getting able to 
reserve a slot in the TSA line in a time period, so you know 
that when you get to the airport, you will be able to get 
through security. So we have really focused on the areas that 
we can control as an airport authority to try to improve that 
passenger experience and then work with airlines and 
concessionaires on planning so we can, you know, create a 
better, you know, better situation for the passengers.
    Senator Moran. I think it is an adequate answer. It isn't 
your responsibility to find all the employees that we need, but 
I would be interested in hearing if you had suggestions. And I 
appreciate your response. Thank you, Chairman.
    The Chair. Thank you. Senator Rosen, thank you so much for 
your patience and so a great active member of this committee. 
Thank you for your hearing yesterday on tourism. So anyway, 
Senator Rosen.

                STATEMENT OF HON. JACKY ROSEN, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM NEVADA

    Senator Rosen. Well, thank you, Chair Cantwell. It is worth 
waiting for. We have great nominees and their willingness to 
serve. So thank you for holding this hearing and thank you to 
everybody who is here today. So I want to talk a little bit 
more about labor and labor relations at Washington's airports. 
So, Mr. Burton, since 2013, you have served as the President of 
the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners, which oversees 
LAX and Van Nuys airports.
    And during your tenure, the Board oversaw the adoption and 
implementation of a $16 billion modernization plan, so one that 
required qualified contractors and the navigation of labor 
contractor relations.
    And so the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is 
currently working on its request for proposal for its 
concessions management program for Dulles and Reagan National 
Airports, which means they need qualified contractors to 
execute on their program in a way that gets the job done and 
treats workers fairly.
    So, Mr. Burton, if you are confirmed, how would you use 
your experience to ensure that metropolitan Washington 
airports--excuse me, the Metropolitan Washington Airports 
Authority, your concession program does not experience 
disruption from labor disputes?
    Mr. Burton. Thank you, Senator, for that question. Well, 
this is something we have taken very seriously at LAX. We 
actually put a labor peace agreement in place in 2014. That was 
one of the first acts of our Board. And the purpose there was 
just to create an open line of communication between 
concessionaires and labor and licensees. And it has worked very 
effectively.
    We really work to strike that balance between making sure 
workers are treated fairly and making sure businesses can 
compete, and we are not raising prices for the traveling public 
as well. So I would work to bring that same sort of spirit to 
the MWAA Board in discussions on future concession agreements 
and other things moving forward.
    On the construction side, we have worked very closely at 
LAX to make sure that, again, workers are paid fairly. And also 
to really work to have minority owned businesses, and women 
owned businesses, and disabled veteran owned businesses 
participate in the project. And we work to have at least 20 
percent of our construction contracts go to MWBE contractors.
    That has been a very successful program, and it has ensured 
that the broader community benefits in the tremendous 
investment that we are making. And again, I would work to bring 
that same spirit to MWAA.
    Senator Rosen. Thank you. I want to move to a topic that is 
really unfortunately devastating to the West Coast, and it is 
wildfires. So, Dr. Morgan, I am going to turn to you because 2 
weeks ago, this committee unanimously passed the Fire 
Resignation Act, Chair Cantwell's bipartisan legislation to 
establish a fire weather services program at NOAA.
    I am a proud co-sponsor of this bill, which would support 
NOAA's wildfire response activities, its forecasting, its 
technology development. So, Dr. Morgan, if you are confirmed, 
how would you work to enhance NOAA's capacity to help and 
prevent wildfires? They are just rampant all the time now 
through the West and actually, I would say through many other 
parts of the country. So can you share with us your thoughts 
there, please?
    Dr. Morgan. Yes. Thank you for your question, Senator. The 
long, ongoing drought in the Western part of the United States 
is certainly a concern for agricultural interests, but also for 
public safety and health due to fires and the smoke on that can 
damage lungs. And I believe that NOAA's work in this space 
really is going to be important, because, as I understand it, 
NOAA is committed to fire weather research and developing fire 
weather products that can be transitioned to operations.
    I think what is going to be necessary are going to be the 
improvement of our forecast models for fire weather, also 
providing and ensuring that there is a provision of incident 
meteorologists at the sites so they can provide onsite, real 
time evaluation of the hazards and the conditions that are 
related to these wildfires.
    And I certainly would work with you and Congress to ensure 
that the funds that have been made available in the Bipartisan 
Infrastructure Act for wildfire work gets implemented within 
NOAA.
    Senator Rosen. Thank you. I know I only have a few seconds 
left. I see Senator Tester behind me. I am going to submit this 
for the record to you, Ms. Hutcheson, about autonomous 
vehicles. Nevada has been leading on the forefront of smart 
mobility. And I want to talk a little bit about standards for 
autonomous vehicles. We will submit that question for the 
record. I appreciate everyone being here today. I will yield 
back. Thank you.
    The Chair. Thank you. Thank you. Senator Blackburn and then 
Senator Tester.

              STATEMENT OF HON. MARSHA BLACKBURN, 
                  U.S. SENATOR FROM TENNESSEE

    Senator Blackburn. Thank you, Madam Chairman. Thank you all 
for being in front of us today. Dr. Morgan, I would love to 
come to you so I can brag on Oak Ridge National Lab for just a 
moment.
    Last week, they announced that Frontier, their current 
supercomputer, it is there at the lab. It has been deemed the 
fastest supercomputer and on the face of the earth. And it 
broke the exascale speed barrier. And when we talk about 
supercomputing and quantum computing, I would like to know how 
you plan to use these technologies for NOAA's mission and how 
you plan to take advantage of this type of work in these 
systems.
    Dr. Morgan. Thank you for your question, Senator. And it is 
really exciting of the arrival of this new computer, this new 
computing infrastructure at the National Labs, Frontier, the 
first exascale computer in the--as you said, on the face of 
this planet. For the requirements that NOAA has in the 
development of their operational models, as well as their 
climate models, it is going to be necessary for us to increase, 
as I mentioned earlier, the resolution of these models to feed 
greater datasets into these models.
    And I think the exascale computing, which just about a 
decade ago was something that was a glimmer in the eye of folks 
within the atmospheric science community, we realize we are 
going to be transitioning in that direction, I think, yes, 
there is a role that these supercomputing centers, particularly 
exascale computing, can be fully exploited to take the vast 
numerical computations that are necessary to produce forecast, 
but also to run large ensemble forecasts, to be able to be able 
to better establish probabilities when we do these forecasts, 
to understand the uncertainties with our forecasts, weather 
forecasts as well as climate.
    Senator Blackburn. I think that whether it is the weather 
forecast, the climate, when we talk about our agricultural 
sector, this is something that would be so incredibly helpful 
to many of my Tennessee constituents who are very much engaged 
in that.
    So one of the things that we put a good bit of focus on is 
how you can do more with less, how you use technology to 
increase performance and do it at a more efficient cost. So 
what activities do you think you can target at NOAA so that 
they are being more effective but more efficient with the use 
of taxpayer resources as they work on their earth and space 
observation operations.
    Dr. Morgan. Senator, thank you again for the question. I 
would say that in order to do more with less, I would have to 
better understand how the resources are allocated within NOAA 
for their operations. But one of the key things that I think is 
important, I think you allude to it in your question, is how to 
best use the data that currently is available and ensuring that 
we have the most efficient ways of getting it into our 
operational models.
    This notion again, data assimilation is a term that, if 
confirmed, you will hear me talk about from now to the end of 
time, but it really involves making the best use of the data 
sets. And I think that is going to be something that is going 
to be a high priority for me if I were confirmed.
    Senator Blackburn. Thank you. Ms. Hutcheson, I would like 
to talk with you about CDLs and the Drive Safe Act. And as you 
know, the Drive Safe Act, the Infrastructure bill had a 
modified version of that in it and it requires the FMCSA to 
carry out a pilot program to study, allowing the 18 year olds, 
18 to 20 year olds to operate in interstate commerce. And we 
have such a driver shortage in Tennessee.
    We are a logistics State. We want to make certain that this 
program is a success. So I would like to hear from you how you 
plan to work on the implementation, how you plan to smooth this 
rollout so that we can increase those that do carry a CDL.
    Ms. Hutcheson. Thank you for the question, Senator 
Blackburn. We are hard at work on the Safe Driver 
apprenticeship program, which is the under 21 study. We have 
made significant progress. There are over 500 companies 
currently registered to participate. We are working very 
closely with the American Trucking Associations and others on 
it.
    We are on track to begin welcoming younger drivers in, 
along with all of the safety provisions that wrap around this 
program. We are on track for early fall to begin that program. 
I look forward to sharing more with you and your office as we 
are rolling this out.
    Senator Blackburn. And I will say, in addition to that, 
just to add on the CDL time waivers that were given during 
COVID, this is something that is common sense. There should be 
a way to make some of these pandemic related waivers permanent. 
So thank you, Madam Chairman.
    The Chair. Thank you. Senator Tester.

                 STATEMENT OF HON. JON TESTER, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM MONTANA

    Senator Tester. Thank you, Madam Chair. And I want to thank 
all the folks that are here on the panel today. I am going to 
start with you, Administrator Hutcheson. Thank you for your 
willingness to serve and thank you for your work with your 
colleagues at DOT and FMCSA during what would have been 
challenging times.
    Look, the supply chain crisis is putting more and more 
pressure on our Nation's commercial drivers. These are not easy 
jobs. These folks put in long hours under sometimes very 
stressful conditions to make sure that goods get to where they 
need to go. I think it is safe to say there are fewer drivers 
on the road than we need, and a lot of those who are driving 
find the job less attractive than it used to be.
    So Administrator Hutcheson, do you have a role in getting 
more drivers in the cab, other than the 18 to 21 year olds that 
Senator Blackburn talked about?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Thank you for the question, Senator Tester. 
We do have a role. We have both short and long term strategies 
to close the gap between jobs and drivers. In the short term, 
we are working to expedite the issuance of commercial driver's 
licenses, working very closely with states.
    In the mid and longer term, we are looking at the barriers 
that prevent individuals from entering the profession as well 
as those that lead to their departing the profession, so 
retention.
    And that is through our work with the Women of Trucking 
Advisory Board, through our work with the Truck Leasing Task 
Force, through our work on the compensation study, the 
detention time study, all of which are getting underway fairly 
simultaneously this summer and fall. I look forward to working 
with you and your office on this important issue to support the 
supply chain.
    Senator Tester. So I do think it is a very, very important 
issue, and I think it is an issue that we have put up 
unnecessary roadblocks on in Congress. Are you familiar with 
the rule that was changed here a few years ago that only 
allowed certain nurse practitioners or MDs to allow medical 
certificates for CDLs?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator, I am not intimately familiar with 
that rule, but I will familiarize myself with it and would be 
happy to follow up with you and your office on it shortly.
    Senator Tester. So here is the deal, and I am just going to 
say this as somebody who used to have a CDL, I am a farmer and 
I thought it would be a good idea to have one, even though I 
don't need one. I am driving my own truck and farmers are 
exempt. But I do think CDLs are important.
    They changed the rule a few years back and made it so that 
the doctor that I normally is, and he is an M.D., went to 
college and got the degree, wasn't eligible to give me a 
medical clearance to get a driver's license. But yet there was 
a nurse practitioner that didn't have near as much experience 
as the M.D. that was eligible.
    I don't know who thought this. If it was Congress, it was a 
stupid damn idea and it was a rule put out by DOT or FMCSA. I 
hope somebody takes a look at it because I still think it is a 
stupid damn idea because if I can't go to my doctor who knows 
me and I got to go to somebody else, it just adds extra 
expense, extra hassle, extra baloney. And so could you take a 
peek at that for me?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator, I would be happy to take a look at 
that, consulting with my staff, and get back to you with 
information, back to you and your office.
    Senator Tester. It is just one of those things that just 
kind of irritates me, all right. I know somebody was behind 
there pushing it, but I don't think it does what it probably 
was meant to do. Look, I worked really hard with a bipartisan 
group of colleagues to craft legislation.
    Senator Blackburn talked about part of it. The other part 
of it was the Hauls Act, which is a provision to make sure that 
agricultural haulers can get mainly cattle to market. And have 
you--could you give me any update on how the Hauls Act 
provision is being implemented and if it is going well or if it 
is going poorly, if there is problems or if it is going along 
just swimmingly.
    Ms. Hutcheson. Thank you for the question, Senator. We have 
implemented the Haul's relief measures that are included in the 
bipartisan infrastructure law, and Congress has also exempted 
livestock haulers from the ELD requirements.
    I recently held a roundtable discussion with agricultural 
stakeholders, Cattlemen's Beef Association, American Farm 
Bureau Federation, there are too many to list. We are 
continuing to hear what is going well for them, what their 
concerns are. I would be happy to stay in close contact with 
you in your office on what we are hearing and to openly share 
information.
    Senator Tester. I appreciate that. Look, I understand if 
you get 80,000 pounds rolling down the road, things don't stop 
near as quick as they do if you driving another vehicle. And I 
understand that if you have a blowout, it is a problem. And so 
I know that the safety challenges there are different.
    Also know that you don't unload cows and load them back up 
very easily. You can't get them loaded the first step very 
easily. And so if you can keep me informed on that. I don't 
want to see safety standards go down the tubes.
    By the same token, I think we have to apply common sense, 
which is what the Act was meant to do, but we need to make sure 
it actually does that. But thank you, and thank you for the 
ability to go overtime, Madam Chair. Appreciate it. Talk to you 
later.
    The Chair. Thank you, Senator Tester. And thank you for 
your leadership on that issue particularly. I do think, you 
know, safety is paramount, and we definitely want to make sure 
we are looking at both of these issues in tandem and continuing 
to move forward. I wanted to return to you, Mr. Burton, for a 
second. I do have a few other members who thought they might 
make it by here. We will see.
    But I am giving them fair warning that they have to hurry 
because at the end of my questions will probably gavel out if 
they are not here. But we have had a great exchange this 
morning, and we appreciate everyone's succinctness in the 
answers. Mr. Burton, I wanted to ask you about sustainable 
aviation efforts, because obviously during your time period, we 
might start to see a transition and transformation to other 
sources of jet fuel.
    Obviously, we have drop in jet fuel now, but there are new 
developments that I think are particularly looking at the 40 
different, if you will, gas stations around the world, I mean, 
around the United States, which are our major airports. And 
what do we need to do to get them ready for sustainable 
aviation fuel?
    Mr. Burton. Senator, thank you for the question. I am not 
an expert on that issue. I will say that, you know, we have 
seen a lot of the airlines really make progress on 
sustainable--sustainability issues, particularly around jet 
fuel. Airplanes are getting more efficient. They are getting 
quieter. That is something that is important from a climate 
perspective.
    It is also important to neighbors of airports who have to 
live with jet noise all the time. I will say sustainability--
there is a lot of things airports can do as well. You can 
electrify fleets. In fact, something that MWAA is going through 
now is putting 800 acres of working with Dominion and a solar 
company in order to electrify its bus fleet.
    We have done that at LAX. And so there are lots of things 
airports can do as well. And but obviously, airlines play a 
major part in that.
    The Chair. Well, we will get back to you on that. But I 
think talking to airports about airport infrastructure issues, 
and I think a lot of the things that people are doing, and this 
is a big discussion for us in USICA, we are trying to get 
testbeds for next generation technologies so that they can get 
deployed faster.
    So I think what we need at airports thinking about, I know 
we have talked about this at Sea-Tac, so I am pretty familiar 
with what their views are. But we need airports throughout the 
United States to think about that existing infrastructure and 
whether how easily that can be used for a next generation fuel, 
if, in fact, that comes.
    And so what does that look like? Or what other changes need 
to be made? So I think we will ask you maybe a few things for 
the record on that. Dr. Morgan, you can see that my colleague, 
Senator Blackburn, is ready to get some more money for 
supercomputing. I mean, that is the way I took it.
    Obviously, she alluded to the fact that there were 
efficiencies. One of the thing that I am interested in is the 
development, which I have seen at NOAA, is the mobile app that 
can give people updated information.
    Do you think that is a tool for efficiency, that as we 
perfect our weather forecasting information, actually modeling 
out and then delivering that to individual devices, what the 
possible ramifications of weather events could be?
    Dr. Morgan. Yes. I think anything that enhances NOAA's 
ability to communicate with the public and provide timely 
watches and warnings is something that should be considered. On 
the development of these apps, I certainly recognize NOAA--the 
public views NOAA as a trusted, authoritative source of data 
and so development of really apps that can deliver the 
information in a timely manner, I think would certainly be 
helpful. You know, a possible concern might be where NOAA's 
role, how far NOAA's role goes forward and where the private 
sector plays a role in that space as well.
    The Chair. Well, we just had a discussion about this in 
Spokane, Washington, with the NOAA offices as it related to 
firefighting and weather forecasting related to that, because 
these are obviously huge impacts and events for us.
    And so knowing about smoke forecasting has been a really 
key aspect to the public health and people communicating about 
what is likely, given weather conditions, to be the impacts so 
that we can plan appropriately. And even on issues of 
harvesting, knowing what the potential we--NOAA presents a map.
    We don't really discuss this too much in this committee, 
but a lot in the Energy and Natural Resources committee, NOAA's 
forecasting map, which can show you now in May and then in 
June, an update exactly where the most likely hard hit areas 
for the summer are going to be. And so once we know that, then 
it is all about getting that day to day forecasting 
information.
    So we definitely want NOAA to be as empowered as they can 
to inform the public. And so I think these apps that we have 
seen, I mean, while they are not deployed. I think that NOAA 
has looked at some as it relates to tsunami and tsunami 
forecasting, which, you know, we don't have a lot of those, but 
we do have a lot of fire and smoke events now.
    And so I do think trying to figure out how to get that into 
more of an app form so that the public can be informed every 
day, like this is the likelihood of the next 3 days of health 
conditions, I think probably would be very helpful.
    Dr. Morgan. Thank you, Senator, for that comment. And I 
would certainly say that this is something, getting the 
information to people where they are. And a lot of people carry 
their handheld devices around with them. I think that is going 
to be an important--that plays a--that is an important tool for 
a forecast communication.
    The Chair. Thank you. Thank you. I see we have been joined 
by Senator Peters.

                STATEMENT OF HON. GARY PETERS, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM MICHIGAN

    Senator Peters. Thank you, Madam Chair. And to our three 
witnesses here today. I want to first congratulate you on your 
nominations and thank the three of you as well for your 
willingness to serve in these positions and your willingness to 
be engaged in public service. Dr. Morgan, I would first like to 
discuss a longstanding priority of mine, which has been the 
Great Lakes Center of expertise for oil spill preparedness and 
response.
    It is going to be co-located at Lake Superior State 
University and at NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research 
Laboratory. And as we have spoken before, the Great Lakes are 
not just an economic engine and an ecological treasure for us 
who claim Michigan as our home State, but it is actually in our 
DNA, something that we want to protect for future generations.
    And an oil spill in the Great Lakes would be absolutely 
catastrophic for both Michigan and the country, particularly 
given the fact that the Great Lakes provide drinking water for 
over 40 million people. So we need to be doing everything we 
can to protect them for future generations, to prevent a 
disaster from happening and assessing how we can effectively 
respond should there be an oil spill in the Great Lakes and any 
places where that could potentially occur.
    I led legislation establishing the Center that was signed 
into law back in 2018. We have been able to get funding, 
subsequent funding for it, and the center will now play a vital 
role in our efforts for examining the impacts of oil spills in 
freshwater environments, which is an area that we need to learn 
a whole lot more about. We know a lot about cleaning up oil in 
saltwater, but it is completely different in freshwater.
    So my question to you, Dr. Morgan, is can you speak more to 
the important role of NOAA's observational infrastructure and 
how that will play a role in supporting the Great Lakes and all 
freshwater ecosystems, and in particular dealing with oil 
preparedness and response? How will you support that work if 
you are confirmed?
    Dr. Morgan. Thank you, Senator, for the question. I believe 
the Digital Coastal Act does provide provisions to ensure that 
the Department of Commerce, through NOAA, is able to collect 
the necessary data to understand the ecological impacts of any 
sort of human based hazard or even natural hazards that arise.
    You know, I view the role that NOAA can play further in 
this, is ensuring that we have the best available deployment of 
observing technologies, both on the ground, in the lakes 
themselves and the freshwater regions, as well as looking at 
autonomous, potentially autonomous vehicles to collect and 
sample the environments to understand where is the largest risk 
for some of these hazards to occur and understanding what is 
going to be needed to remediate them if unfortunately say an 
oil spill were to occur. It is bolstering the observational 
capacity and making sure we have what we need to respond.
    Senator Peters. Appreciate that. Appreciate that. And kind 
of following up on that, over the past decade, we have seen 
water levels in the Great Lakes fluctuate a great deal. Winter 
ice cover has decreased, but also we have seen extreme ice 
cover as well. Average temperatures of the lakes are increasing 
as well, which provide a host of challenges as that occurs.
    So monitoring and tracking these changes is important for 
protecting drinking water, for--but also understanding the 
changes to the biodiversity that exist in the region, invasive 
species. We have harmful algal blooms as well as the needs to 
understand these weather conditions for both commercial 
shipping and commerce activities that are very extensive 
throughout the Great Lakes region.
    So my question for you, Dr. Morgan is, how will you work 
with the Great Lakes region to collect data to monitor the 
variability in lake levels, ice cover, and the changing climate 
environment that specifically is related to climate change?
    Dr. Morgan. Thank you for those questions. I believe that 
the key element of this, again, is bolstering the observational 
network that we have. I understand that there are provisions 
within the IJA, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, for 
enhancing some of the mesonets that exist in many locations 
around the country.
    These are high--highly dense, observing networks that can 
provide information on the state of the atmosphere or, say, the 
soil conditions, things of that sort. So I think it really 
comes down to continuing to monitor, but also making sure that 
we have the tools to get that data into the forecast models 
that are used to project trends and lake temperature, 
understand the quality of the lake in terms of the quality of 
the water and water availability.
    So improving our models, but also using the models to guide 
where we place the observation, I think is going to be key.
    Senator Peters. Well, very good, Dr. Morgan. If confirmed, 
I certainly look forward to working very closely with you to 
make sure that we do everything we possibly can to protect the 
Great Lakes for us today as well as for future generations. 
Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
    The Chair. Thank you. Senator--yes, Senator Young.

                 STATEMENT OF HON. TODD YOUNG, 
                   U.S. SENATOR FROM INDIANA

    Senator Young. Thank you, Chairman. Ms. Hutcheson, about 
this time last year, I came together with my colleagues to 
include in the recent service transportation reauthorization, a 
version of bipartisan legislation that I introduced with 
Senator Tester called the Drive Safe Act. Are you familiar with 
it?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator, yes, I am familiar.
    Senator Young. OK. Thank you. This legislation is now the 
law of the land, signed into law by President Biden. And this 
is important because the trucking industry entered the COVID-19 
pandemic short about 61,000 drivers.
    And over the next decade, the industry will need to hire 
roughly 1.1 million new drivers, or an average of nearly 
110,000 per year just to keep pace with driver retirements and 
growth that is anticipated in freight demand. The Drive Safe 
Act pilot program will help address the driver shortage, 
provides new career opportunities for young Hoosiers and other 
Americans, and helps us make the road safer, all under the same 
apprenticeship program.
    Throughout the pandemic, America's transportation and 
logistics sector stepped up to meet unprecedented challenges. 
And I know that because my state has a significant logistics 
presence. They delivered medical supplies, they delivered 
equipment, and other essential goods across the country.
    For the American public this was, I think, a stark reminder 
that our truck drivers, along with rail workers and cargo 
airlines and auto manufacturers, continue to provide critical 
services. And it underscores that we need to support these 
vital industries. So, Ms. Hutcheson, a series of what I hope 
will be yes or no responses. Do you believe there is a truck 
driver shortage in the United States of America?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator----
    Senator Young. Not a trick question.
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator, I believe there is a truck driver 
shortage in the United States of America.
    Senator Young. Do you believe that allowing an 18 to 20 
year old to drive five or so miles back and forth across the 
state border, say from New Albany, Indiana, over to Louisville 
in back is more dangerous than allowing the same driver to 
travel hundreds of miles back and forth within the same State, 
say from New Albany, Indiana, way up to Gary, near Chicago, in 
back to New Albany? Is it more dangerous to cross what are 
effectively artificial lines between States than it is to go 
within a state? It is not a trick question. Not a trick 
question.
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator, safety is FMCSA's primary mission. 
We are always looking for----
    Senator Young. Do you believe it is more dangerous to 
travel across state lines than it is within a given State, all 
things being equal?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator, I would prefer to rely on data 
versus speculation.
    Senator Young. Which is--OK, have you studied the Drive 
Safe Act and are you familiar with some of the data that is 
foundational and led to its drafting through--with Senator 
Tester and myself and signature into law by the President who 
nominated you for this position, Biden. Have you studied that 
data? Are you familiar with some of the conversations 
surrounding the Drive Safe Act?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator, I was not involved in the 
development of that in the way that you were, and I am familiar 
with the contents of the Act. And we are working expeditiously 
to launch the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Program.
    Senator Young. Do you believe the Drive Safe Apprenticeship 
Pilot program will help combat the truck driver shortage?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator, I do.
    Senator Young. And if confirmed, will you commit to 
continue supporting the swift implementation of this pilot 
program.
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator, we are working----
    Senator Young. Pursuant to the Federal law.
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator, we are working very swiftly to 
implement this program.
    Senator Young. And you will continue to?
    Ms. Hutcheson. And we will continue to keep our work moving 
very expeditiously.
    Senator Young. I have got a minute left so hence the very 
rapid fire questions. What other steps, Ms. Hutcheson, can 
FMCSA and the Administration take to support the trucking 
industry and the labor shortage that the industry will continue 
to face over coming years?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Thank you for that question. We have--FMCSA 
has short and long term initiatives, expediting the issuance of 
commercial driver's licenses, studying why more women don't 
enter the field, investigating the truck leasing structures, 
and why that prevents some people from staying in the field, 
compensation studies, and detention time studies. We are 
underway with all of these efforts.
    Senator Young. Thank you. And finally, do you believe that 
automated vehicles provide a potential solution to truck driver 
shortages in coming years?
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator, automated vehicles, if done 
correctly, can have an impact on lessening roadway fatalities.
    Senator Young. A potential solution?
    Ms. Hutcheson. I believe that Senator, automation is a 
technology that can both improve safety outcomes and support 
innovation for the truck industry as well as the driving 
public.
    Senator Young. I do as well. Thank you so much.
    The Chair. Thank you. Senator Sullivan, are you ready or do 
you need a moment?

                STATEMENT OF HON. DAN SULLIVAN, 
                    U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA

    Senator Sullivan. I am good, Madam Chair.
    The Chairman. Thank you. Well, thank you, Senator Sullivan.
    Senator Sullivan. Thanks for being flexible here. Ms. 
Hutcheson, I want to continue the conversation you and I had 2 
weeks ago, and hopefully you have a little bit of an update on 
some of the issues we talked about.
    This is the issue on CDL testing, particularly for rural 
states that don't have a lot of continuous freeways that need 
the testing, like mine, like my State. So do you have an update 
on both the CDL testing and the CDL training issue that we 
talked about? You know, we are facing this significant 
shortfall in terms of drivers, and we want to get them 
anywhere.
    Of course, we want safety, but I think when you and I 
talked about this, there are ways to do it, to be able to train 
people in rural areas that don't necessarily fit the national 
testing standard that assumes you can have a, you know, a 
freeway that is more than ten miles or things like that, we 
don't have a lot in my State.
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator, thanks for following up on these 
issues that we talked about in your office, and I appreciate 
the opportunity to talk with you then. And I understand the 
uniqueness of Alaska for both the CDLs, issuance of CDLs, and 
the training. We are continuing to look into both issues to 
work toward expeditious solutions.
    This is a really important issue. We want to ensure that 
Alaskan drivers are receiving safe training, especially given 
the unique circumstances in the State of Alaska. And I look 
forward to communicating more, back with you soon.
    Senator Sullivan. Good. So can I get your commitment on 
those the way we did in my office, just both on the testing and 
training? I think our DMV and working with you guys, we have 
ideas on how to make sure we do it safely and but also to fit 
the unique requirements, particularly as it relates to you 
know, entry and exit, controlled access on highways and things 
like that, that again, become very challenging and then 
enormously expensive if you got to fly a thousand miles.
    And we do have places in Alaska that are 1,000 miles from 
each other in rural communities, to go to Anchorage or 
Fairbanks to be able to do that. So can I get your commitment 
again on that? It is really important to me, and I think it 
should be important to you guys because we need drivers, we 
need them everywhere, every state in the country including 
mine.
    Ms. Hutcheson. Senator, you have my commitment to work on 
these unique issues. I look forward to hearing more ideas from 
you as you have them and will be bringing to you--bringing 
ideas to you as well. And you do have my commitment to work 
expeditiously on this. Thank you, Senator.
    Senator Sullivan. Good. OK. Mr. Morgan, I want to talk to 
you a little bit about oceans and marine resources. My State, 
we like to refer to Alaska as the superpower of seafood. Over 
66 percent of all seafood harvested in America comes from 
Alaska, two-thirds of the whole country.
    And we also are very focused on making sure we have clean, 
sustainable oceans. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and I have been 
the leads in the Senate the last couple of Congresses on the 
Save Our Seas Act and Save Our Seas 2.0, which in part came out 
of this committee and other committees, but very comprehensive, 
actually most comprehensive ocean cleanup legislation ever to 
come out of Congress. And that was a very bipartisan effort.
    So can I get your commitment to supporting our seafood 
industry and fishermen through improved monitoring and an 
understanding of the key issues happening in our oceans without 
resorting to wanting to shut down, you know, fishing? We have a 
council process that the chair and I are very familiar with in 
terms of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, named after a great 
Washington State and Alaska State Senators that has that power.
    And, you know, we consider our fishery in Alaska, which 
includes Washington, probably the best managed fishery in the 
world. So, we have a lot of good things going on database, but 
we are going to need your help on monitoring and data.
    So do you have a view on that and commit to me on those 
important issues for my constituents, but really for the whole 
country and the whole world in terms of our oceans?
    Dr. Morgan. Yes, Senator, you have my commitment to work 
with you and other Members of Congress on ensuring that NOAA is 
providing the appropriate monitoring of the oceans for fish 
stock and for just understanding the ecosystem condition.
    Senator Sullivan. And it has got to be databases, as you 
know.
    Dr. Morgan. That is certainly the case.
    Senator Sullivan. And Madam Chair, if I may, just one final 
question. It deals with weather reporting capability. You know, 
we have about 3 percent Alaska of the weather reporting 
capability, the rest of the lower 48. But as you know, we are a 
huge state and we have all kinds of weather that impacts our 
ability to move, particularly in terms of aviation and air 
carriers.
    We have a serious data gap as it relates to terminal air 
forecasts in different parts of our State. Even though the 
Weather Service, National Weather Service is responsible for 
providing this, we often have to pay contractors for their own 
weather data, which I think should be a function of the Federal 
Government. It is a huge safety issue for my constituents. 
Unfortunately, we have the highest rates of airplane crashes 
and fatalities in Alaska for these reasons and other reasons.
    A lot of Alaskans fly because we don't have roads to--over 
200 communities. Can you commit to me, if confirmed, to work 
with me on addressing this weather data gap that is a really 
important issue for my constituents and literally goes to the 
safety of so many Alaskans, and tourists by the way, who come 
up in the summer. We got about a million and a half coming up 
to my state this summer.
    Dr. Morgan. Right. Yes, Senator. You have my commitment 
that I will work with you on understanding and trying to 
provide action on the weather data gap that you have described.
    Senator Sullivan. Great. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.
    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Sullivan. And these are 
obviously, as you can see, very important issues to all of the 
Committee members. Some, Mr. Burton, on a very personal level, 
and obviously, Ms. Hutcheson, obviously safety is very big 
issue and implementation of the infrastructure bill. And Dr. 
Morgan, you can see from our committee, weather is a very big 
issue. So, we thank you all.
    That concludes our hearing this morning. We will have--
Senators will have 72 hours to submit questions for the record 
for the Committee witnesses here today. You will, the nominees, 
have one week to respond to those questions.
    We ask you to do those in as timely fashion as possible, 
then we can move forward on your nomination. That concludes our 
hearing today. We are adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 11:45 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]

                            A P P E N D I X

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                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to 
                            Robin Hutcheson
    NTSB Recommendations. There are twenty-nine open recommendations 
from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to the Federal 
Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and four recommendations closed 
with an unacceptable response.

    Question 1. Will you commit to reviewing these recommendations from 
the NTSB and taking appropriate actions that will reduce crashes and 
fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles?
    Answer. As the FMCSA's Deputy Administrator, I have continued to 
review the Agency's progress addressing NTSB recommendations. If 
confirmed, I will remain focused on addressing each open recommendation 
with the goal of closing the recommendations with an NTSB 
classification of closed-acceptable or closed-acceptable alternative 
action.

    Crash Causation. In 2021, there were 5,600 people who were killed 
in an accident involving a large truck, a 13 percent increase from the 
year before. In Washington state, 94 people died in crashes involving 
heavy trucks last year, a 25 percent increase from the year before, and 
double the number of fatalities a decade ago.

    Question 2. What is the agency doing to determine what is causing 
this spike in crashes and fatalities?
    Answer. I share your concern regarding the unacceptable increase in 
fatalities involving large trucks. The Agency is currently developing 
its Large Truck Crash Causal Factors Study (LTCCFS), which will 
contribute greatly to understanding the root causes of CMV-related 
crashes. On January 15, 2020, the Agency requested public comment on 
how best to design and conduct a study to identify factors contributing 
to all FMCSA reportable large truck crashes (towaway, injury and 
fatal). Since that time, we have been working diligently to advance the 
LTCCFS.

    Questions 3. What is the agency doing to address the root causes of 
these crashes?
    Answer. The forthcoming LTCCFS will contribute greatly to 
understanding the root causes of CMV-related crashes and will guide 
FMCSA's future actions to reduce roadway crashes and fatalities. FMCSA 
continues to monitor crash data trends to determine what short-term and 
long-term actions should be considered to address the safety 
challenges. The Agency also continues to review heavy truck fatal crash 
data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) 
Fatality Analysis Reporting System. The review of this crash data 
enables the Agency to prioritize the work of its field offices and to 
work with our State partners who receive Motor Carrier Safety 
Assistance Program (MCSAP) grants to develop their Commercial Vehicle 
Safety Plans to target resources as addressing the safety challenges 
reflected in the crash data.

    Entry Level Driver Training. In 2015, FMCSA published a notice of 
proposed rulemaking for entry level driver training standards which 
included 30 hours of behind the wheel training for a Class A commercial 
driver's license. This was based on recommendations from the Entry-
Level Driver Training Advisory Committee, which included safety 
advocates and representatives of drivers and motor carriers, who all 
agreed that entry level truck drivers should have some behind the wheel 
training before receiving their license. However, the final rule, which 
went into effect this year, does not require any behind the wheel 
training.

    Question 4. Will you commit to reviewing the entry level driver 
training requirements to determine whether behind the wheel training 
should be required?
    Answer. In accordance with the MAP-21 mandate for behind the wheel 
training, the Entry Level Driver Training regulations went into effect 
on February 7, 2022 and require training providers to offer both theory 
and behind-the-wheel training. FMCSA requires training providers to 
report the number of hours spent in behind the wheel training for each 
driver. This information will give FMCSA a basis to assess, over time, 
whether drivers who received more hours of behind the wheel training 
have better safety outcomes after they began operating a commercial 
motor vehicle (CMV), and whether the regulations should be further 
amended.
                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Kyrsten Sinema to 
                            Robin Hutcheson
    Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Implementation. The 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) created several grant 
programs for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to 
carry out, including the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance program to 
help State highway patrols carry out enforcement activities as well as 
High Priority Grants to help fund the installation of technology and 
equipment to increase vehicle safety and reduce accidents.

    Question 1. Can you provide an update on the implementation of 
these two programs?
    Answer. On June 2, 2022 FMCSA announced over $463 million in Motor 
Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) grants to States to reduce 
CMV-involved crashes, fatalities, and injuries through uniform, 
equitable, and effective CMV safety programs. The MCSAP grant program 
includes funding to State and local law enforcement and other 
government agencies for safety inspections of trucks and buses, traffic 
enforcement activities, investigations of motor carriers in response to 
safety concerns, and audits of new trucking and bus companies to 
reinforce the importance of responsible operation and ensure the safe 
movement of goods and passengers in the U.S. economy.
    The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes a 52 percent increase 
over Fiscal Year 2021 for MCSAP formula grants. MCSAP funds are an 
important tool to address the rising number of roadway fatalities and 
carry out the Department's mission. All 50 States, the District of 
Columbia, and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the 
Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will 
receive Federal funds.
    FMCSA is currently reviewing grant applications submitted by state 
and local enforcement agencies and anticipate awarding the High 
Priority grants later this summer.

    Workforce Issues. At the hearing, several of my colleagues raised 
concerns about FMCSA's implementation of the pilot program to allow 
3,000 drivers between the ages of 18 to 21 who complete over 400 hours 
of training to drive commercial motor vehicles across state lines.

    Question 2. Could you explain the progress FMCSA has made on 
implementing the pilot program so far? If FMCSA is instituting new 
requirements for the pilot program not authorized in the IIJA, could 
you explain the agency's reasoning for the additional requirements?
    Answer. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Section 
23022, required FMCSA to establish the Safe Driver Apprenticeship 
Program (SDAP) within 60 days. To meet that ambitious statutory 
deadline, FMCSA has already:

   obtained emergency approval for an Information Collection 
        Request (ICR) under the Paperwork Reduction Act;

   published the Federal Register notice announcing the SDAP 
        and established the program requirements for motor carriers and 
        apprentices;

   launched the SDAP website;

   Obtained approval for the Privacy Impact Assessment as 
        required by the E-Government Act of 2002;

   published in the Federal Register the 60-day ICR notice for 
        full approval; and

   awarded a contract to support the Agency's data collection 
        and analysis requirements for the Safe Driver Apprenticeship 
        Pilot Program.

    FMCSA is on target to begin accepting applications from motor 
carriers to participate in SDAP later this summer.
    The SDAP included several requirements on motor carriers and 
apprentices that wish to participate in the program that are important 
for prioritizing safety and ensuring compliance with existing 
regulations. For example, a motor carrier seeking to participate in 
SDAP must not have a conditional or unsatisfactory safety rating, must 
not have any open enforcement actions, must not have a crash rate above 
the national average, and must not have a driver or vehicle out-of-
service rate above the national average. In addition, an apprentice 
must not have had his or her license suspended, revoked, cancelled, or 
disqualified for a violation related to 49 CFR 383.51, or been 
convicted for being under the influence of alcohol as prescribed by 
State law.
    FMCSA also required that motor carriers sign up for the Department 
of Labor's (DOL) Registered Apprenticeship Program. The Department saw 
an opportunity to meet the short implementation deadline and attract a 
broad range of participants to the program by leveraging an existing, 
successful framework that has a proven model for success. Utilizing the 
DOL framework will incentivize participants to join the program through 
the significant benefit to participants offered by the registered 
apprenticeship program, including its rigorous training standards; 
mentorship and pay requirements; and equal employment protections. In 
addition, FMCSA has been able to leverage existing motor carriers 
already part of DOL's Registered Apprenticeship program and work with 
the industry to encourage more to register. Overall, FMCSA has seen a 
positive response from the trucking industry on the Registered 
Apprenticeship requirement and continues to work closely with industry 
in fulfilling the goals of the pilot. Additionally, there is the 
potential to encourage not only recruitment, but retention by utilizing 
the structure of the DOL program, which will help reduce turnover and 
keep safe drivers on the road. The DOL's Registered Apprenticeship 
Program has a proven model for success that has shown higher retention 
rates and higher pay for an apprentice throughout his/her career, as 
current retention rates show that 91 percent of the apprenticeships who 
complete a program are still employed 9 months later.

    Question 3. Are there any other steps Congress could take to 
address workforce challenges in the trucking industry?
    Answer. The Congressional direction provided in the Bipartisan 
Infrastructure Law (BIL) will enable the Agency to work with 
researchers and stakeholders to address workforce challenges in the 
trucking industry, including investing in driver recruitment and 
retention issues. FMCSA will work to study the impacts of driver 
compensation on safety and driver retention, as well as driver 
detention time and how such delays adversely impact the safe and 
efficient movement of goods through the Nation's supply chain.
    The establishment of the statutorily mandated Women of Trucking 
Advisory Board (WOTAB) will inform the best means and methods of 
attracting more women into the trucking profession. The WOTAB will be 
responsible for reviewing and reporting on policies that provide 
education, training, mentorship, or outreach to women in the trucking 
industry and recruit, retain, or advance women in the trucking 
industry. The recommendations of the WOTAB will help inform FMCSA and 
Congress on ways to facilitate support for women pursuing trucking 
careers and to expand opportunities, training, and outreach for women 
in trucking.
    In addition, the establishment of a Truck Leasing Task Force (TLTF) 
will contribute significantly to addressing workforce challenges. As 
part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Trucking Action Plan, the 
TLTF will evaluate the impacts of commercial motor vehicle lease 
agreements and potential best practices for future agreements. The TLTF 
will examine common lease-purchase agreements and their potential 
impact on the on-road safety performance and financial solvency of 
owner-operators.
    I believe that each of these initiatives, prompted and supported by 
Congress, will help address workforce challenges within the industry.

    Truck Safety. I have concerns that over 5,000 Americans lost their 
lives in crashes involving large trucks in 2021, and that 13 percent 
more crashes involving large motor vehicles occurred in 2021 compared 
to 2020. Data indicates that many fatal commercial motor vehicle 
crashes take place at higher rates of speed. FMCSA has published a 
Notice of Intent to initiate a rulemaking to institute speed limits on 
certain motor vehicles that operate in interstate commerce.

    Question 4. Do you have an update on when the supplemental notice 
of proposed rulemaking related to speed will be published? If so, what 
speed limit will FMCSA propose?
    Answer. On May 4, 2022, FMCSA published an advance notice of 
supplemental proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) announcing the Agency's intent 
to move forward with a rulemaking to require that motor carriers 
operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce set 
the electronic engine control unit (ECU) to a maximum speed to be 
determined through the rulemaking. The public comment period ends on 
July 18, 2022.
    As of June 15, there were approximately 14,600 public comments to 
the notice in the docket. At the end of the comment period, the Agency 
will consider the data and information provided by commenters in 
determining the specifics for the SNPRM and will continue to work with 
member offices, stakeholders, and industry.
    Because this rulemaking would be considered significant under 
Executive Order 12866 it must undergo review by the Office of 
Management and Budget prior to publication. While we cannot say 
definitively when the SNPRM will be issued before we have a chance to 
analyze all submitted comments, at this time we anticipate publishing 
the new speed limiter proposal in the second half of FY 2023.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Jacky Rosen to 
                            Robin Hutcheson
    Autonomous Vehicles. As the first state to legalize autonomous 
vehicles back in 2011, Nevada has been at the forefront of smart 
mobility. That includes the country's largest autonomous vehicle 
demonstration on one of Las Vegas's busiest routes, and the 
construction of a testing track for self-driving robot delivery 
vehicles.
    We don't want this domestic AV investment to move to foreign 
markets where countries have already enacted ``rules of the road'' that 
we have yet to adopt here in the U.S. That's why I recently joined a 
letter led by Senator Peters about how the Department of Transportation 
plans to address the future of autonomous vehicles.

    Question 1. Ms. Hutcheson, if confirmed, how would you lead 
coordination efforts between FMCSA and other relevant agencies within 
the Department of Transportation that work on safety standards for 
autonomous vehicles?
    Answer. Safety is the number one priority for FMCSA. Our safety 
mission not only allows us to work with advocates and industry to help 
guide safe innovation that leads to safer outcomes, but our work can 
help the public understand the ways new vehicle technology may help us 
achieve our safety goals. If confirmed as FMCSA Administrator, I would 
continue to coordinate the Agency's regulatory development and research 
efforts concerning automated commercial motor vehicles with the 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA), the Federal 
Highway Administration's (FHWA), and the Federal Transit 
Administration's (FTA) autonomous vehicle activities. I would also 
continue to participate in cross-cutting projects led by other modal 
Agencies including, for example, the National Roadway Integration of 
Automated Driving Systems Project being led by FHWA, as well as joint 
participation in ADS standards development activities by both FMCSA and 
NHTSA staff. We are committed to working across agencies and with all 
partners and stakeholders to understand and prepare for the safety 
opportunities that automation may support.

    Question 2. Ms. Hutcheson, if confirmed, how do you plan to engage 
with stakeholders in the AV space, including innovative startups, which 
make up a significant portion of the AV ecosystem?
    Answer. FMCSA continues to work closely with the trucking industry 
to understand the implications of deploying automated driving systems 
in commercial motor vehicles. As automated driving systems (ADS) 
mature, they may enhance or degrade trucking operations in ways we have 
not considered previously. FMCSA has met with several innovative 
startups and developers at their testing locations and operational 
depots and will continue to meet with ADS developers and heavy truck 
manufacturers both online and at industry conferences.
    If confirmed, I will continue to work with all stakeholders--
including developers, manufacturers, advocates, labor, and others--to 
advance FMCSA policy on automated and autonomous vehicles in a way that 
promotes innovation, supports American ingenuity and workers, and 
supports deployment of technology that improves safety.

    Question 3. FMCSA's 2022 Analysis, Research, and Technology Forum 
suggested that the agency is gearing up for a future with self-driving 
trucks. Ms. Hutcheson, what tools will you need, if confirmed, to 
enable data collection activities in order to inform future standards 
around autonomous truck safety so that we can remain globally 
competitive in the AV space? And if confirmed, will you work to ensure 
FMCSA keeps track of the various autonomous truck testing or 
demonstration projects in different states?
    Answer. If confirmed as the new FMCSA Administrator, I would 
leverage our relationships and partner with the NHTSA, FHWA, the 
scientific community, and academia to develop safety performance 
metrics and seek to conduct field operational tests and other field 
experiments to collect safety data that will inform future ADS policy 
and regulatory decisions. In terms of additional tools needed, an 
appropriate limited exemption from the Paperwork Reduction Act would 
significantly reduce the time needed to initiate research and 
technology deployment projects and to collect empirical data from a 
representative sample of research subjects.
    If confirmed as FMCSA Administrator, I would continue to track 
various autonomous truck testing and demonstration projects in 
partnership with NHTSA, including through their AV TEST \1\ and 
Standing General Order (SGO) \2\ programs, as well as existing tracking 
efforts by the Office of the Secretary's Intelligent Transportation 
Systems--Joint Program Office. FMCSA will also leverage our own Motor 
Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) to track the safety 
performance of motor carrier fleets that are operating ADS-enabled 
trucks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ For more information see https://www.nhtsa.gov/automated-
vehicle-test-tracking-tool.
    \2\ For more information see https://www.nhtsa.gov/laws-
regulations/standing-general-order-crash-reporting-levels-driving-
automation-2-5.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Roger Wicker to 
                            Robin Hutcheson
    Question 1. In response to my question about the Safe Driver 
Apprenticeship Pilot Program during the hearing, you said the 
Administration's additional requirement that carriers become Registered 
Apprenticeships with the Department of Labor (DOL), which is not 
mentioned in the authorizing statute, was done to expedite 
implementation of the pilot program. The 18 to 21 year old driver pilot 
program is a truck operations safety program, which is squarely within 
the Department of Transportation's jurisdiction, not DOL's. How is it 
the case that adding another layer of bureaucracy to a pilot program 
from an agency that does not regulate truck on-the-road safety 
expedited the implementation of the program? Does FMCSA intend to 
maintain the Registered Apprenticeship requirement throughout the 
duration of the pilot program?
    Answer. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Section 
23022, required FMCSA to establish the Safe Driver Apprenticeship 
Program (SDAP) within 60 days. The Department saw an opportunity to 
meet the short implementation deadline and attract a broad range of 
participants to the program by leveraging an existing, successful 
framework that has a proven model for success. Utilizing the DOL 
framework will incentivize participants to join the program through the 
significant benefit to participants offered by the registered 
apprenticeship program, including its rigorous training standards; 
mentorship and pay requirements; and equal employment protections. In 
addition, FMCSA has been able to leverage existing motor carriers 
already part of DOL's Registered Apprenticeship program. Overall, FMCSA 
has seen a positive response from the trucking industry on the 
Registered Apprenticeship requirement, including from industry and 
continues to work closely with industry in fulfilling the goals of the 
pilot.
    Additionally, there is the potential to encourage not only 
recruitment, but also retention by utilizing the structure of the DOL 
program, which will help reduce turnover and keep safe drivers on the 
road. The DOL's Registered Apprenticeship Program has a proven model 
for success that has shown higher retention rates and higher pay for an 
apprentice throughout his/her career, as current retention rates show 
that 91 percent of the apprenticeships who complete a program are still 
employed 9 months later.

    Question 2. Under the previous Administration, FMCSA completed 
several important regulatory actions. These include providing guidance 
on a trucker's use of personal conveyance, clarifying the 150 air-mile 
radius hours of service exemption for haulers of agricultural 
commodities, and stating that Federal regulations preempt state meal 
and rest break laws.
    Additionally, after carefully reviewing the data and thousands of 
public comments, FMCSA modernized the hours of service requirements. 
These actions taken by the previous Administration provided important 
regulatory flexibility while maintaining safety on our roads. If 
confirmed, will you commit to maintaining these actions in your role as 
Administrator?
    Answer. My number one priority is safety. I am committed to 
maintaining and considering regulatory flexibilities that do not 
negatively impact safety.

    Question 3. You had a key role in developing DOT's National Roadway 
Safety Strategy. Notably, the Strategy barely mentions automated 
driving systems, despite their potential to significantly improve 
safety. However, FMCSA has received comments in response to a 2019 
advanced notice of proposed rulemaking on the integration of automated 
driving systems, and FMCSA's Fiscal Year 2023 budget notes that the 
agency will work towards the safe integration of autonomous vehicles. 
Can you explain why the National Roadway Safety Strategy barely 
mentioned automated driving systems? If confirmed, would you work to 
advance FMCSA policy on automated and autonomous vehicles in a way that 
promotes innovation, including through FMCSA's proposed rulemaking on 
automated driving system integration?
    Answer. The National Roadway Safety Strategy acknowledges the role 
ADS can play in safety:

        ``U.S. DOT is also cognizant of the need to plan for the safety 
        landscape in the future. This includes a responsibility to use 
        holistic approaches to assess the safety of emerging 
        technologies such as Automated Driving Systems (ADS). A small 
        number of vehicles equipped with ADS are in development and 
        undergoing testing today. The Department is tracking their 
        performance daily, and is actively researching test methods, 
        procedures, and criteria to assess long-term safety benefits, 
        as well as broader impacts on workers, drivers, and all people 
        who use the roadways.'' (NRSS, page 23).

    FMCSA is involved in ADS research to both help advance safe 
deployment of ADS trucks, and to explore tools and methods for 
objectively assessing the on-road driving performance of new and 
emerging ADS-equipped CMVs. FMCSA has established the Automated CMV 
Evaluation (ACE) Program with the intention of advancing ADS safety 
evaluation tools.\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ See ACE program Description for more information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    While FMCSA is moving forward with ADS research to meet future 
roadway safety challenges, the Agency is also working to advance the 
adoption of current safety technologies collectively known as Advanced 
Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) as these technologies can have a more 
immediate impact on roadway safety. This emphasis was articulated in 
the NRSS as follows:

        ``Several Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) 
        technologies are known to help prevent or mitigate the impact 
        of crashes. Examples include Automatic Emergency Braking, which 
        can apply a vehicle's brakes automatically in time to avoid or 
        mitigate an impending forward crash with another vehicle; and 
        Lane Departure Warning, which monitors lane markings and alerts 
        the driver when it detects that the vehicle is drifting out of 
        its lane. The Department seeks to continue to leverage enhanced 
        motor vehicle safety performance and technologies to improve 
        safety, including commercial motor vehicle equipment. . .'' 
        Incentivizing the inclusion of technologies in new motor 
        vehicles can help to reduce the frequency of crashes, and to 
        reduce the severity of the outcomes when they do occur. (NRSS 
        at p. 22, footnote omitted.)

    ADAS technologies form the building-block systems for ADS vehicles 
and can play an important role in improving roadway safety. FMCSA has 
initiated its Tech-Celerate Program \2\ to help advance the safe 
deployment of ADAS technologies in CMVs through a series of outreach 
and educational tools.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\ For more information see https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/Tech-
CelerateNow.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    If confirmed, I will continue to work to advance FMCSA policy on 
automated and autonomous vehicles in a way that promotes innovation, 
supports American ingenuity and workers, and supports deployment of 
technology that improves safety.

    Question 4. Under the previous Administration, FMCSA carefully 
reviewed the data available to it, as well as public comments, when 
developing regulations. Notably, FMCSA reviewed over 8,000 public 
comments before modernizing the hours of service requirements. If 
confirmed, will you ensure that any FMCSA regulatory actions are based 
on a thorough review of the data, consideration of the costs and 
benefits, and input from public comments?
    Answer. If confirmed I am committed to ensuring that FMCSA's 
regulatory actions are data-driven, consider the costs and benefits of 
proposed actions and alternatives, and consider public comments 
submitted to the rulemaking dockets.

    Question 5. FMCSA has been working to improve its information 
technology (IT) system, an effort which is needed to better carry out 
its rulemaking, compliance, and enforcement mandates. Will improving 
FMCSA's IT be a priority for you? If so, can you outline how you will 
advance this work?
    Answer. FMCSA's Information Technology (IT) applications and 
systems play a critical role in supporting the Agency's mission to 
reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and 
buses. If confirmed, I will ensure that improving our IT applications 
and systems activities will be a priority for FMCSA. To advance this 
work we will continue to partner with the Department OCIO in 
transitioning Commodity IT Services over to the Department's IT Shared 
Services. We will also focus on innovating and developing IT that 
explicitly solves problems and being customer-centered to improve the 
usability and the user experience of the new systems we're developing. 
I will ensure that FMCSA is most effectively and strategically using 
its resources to modernize and enhance our IT investments and services.
                                 ______
                                 
      Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Mike Lee to 
                            Robin Hutcheson
    Question 1. If confirmed as Administrator of the FMCSA, what will 
be your key priorities?
    Answer. As Administrator, my priority will be safety and preventing 
commercial motor vehicle-related crashes and fatalities, which have 
steadily increased since 2010. The National Roadway Safety Strategy 
sets an ambitious goal of zero fatalities, commits to actions DOT will 
take and calls for action from our State and industry partners. The 
Strategy adopts a safe system approach, recognizing that, because 
humans are fallible, we need redundant systems among other things. I 
will also prioritize the implementation of the Bipartisan 
Infrastructure Law, which increases resources for safety, and also 
provides new research and tools improve the trucking profession and 
ultimately improve the supply chain.

    Question 2. Conducting cost-benefit analyses for proposed 
regulations has been a practice undertaken by agencies under both 
Democrat and Republican Administrations.

   Please explain your views on the use of cost-benefit 
        analysis when considering proposed regulations. Should all 
        FMCSA regulations be considered with a cost-benefit analysis?

   If a regulatory cost outweighs the benefit, should that be a 
        determining factor that prevents the FMCSA from moving forward 
        with the regulation?

   In considering safety regulations how do you balance 
        government safety requirements with the economic and technical 
        feasibility of implementing the regulation?

    Answer. FMCSA is required by statute (49 U.S.C. section 31136(c)) 
to consider the costs and benefits of regulatory actions issued under 
the Motor Carrier Safety Act (MCSA) of 1984. The practice of providing 
regulatory impact analyses is also covered by Executive Order 12866 and 
OMB Circular A-4. I am committed to complying with the statutory 
requirement and following the long-standing Executive Order and OMB 
Circular.
    Consistent with Executive Order 12866, agencies should assess costs 
and benefits of available regulatory alternatives. Costs and benefits 
include both quantifiable measures and qualitative measures that are 
difficult to quantify, but nevertheless essential to consider.
    Consistent with the Administrative Procedure Act, the MCSA of 1984, 
and Executive Order 12866, I will ensure that FMCSA's regulatory 
actions have a legal basis, are data driven, can be shown to provide a 
cost-effective approach for improving safety, and provide practicable 
technical means of achieving compliance.

    Question 3. When considering regulatory proposals, should FMCSA 
prioritize policies that allow market participants to freely compete 
without FMCSA regulatory action or is the market more successful when 
the FMCSA actively guides the market through regulatory action?
    Answer. FMCSA prioritizes safety and preventing commercial motor 
vehicle-related crashes in our regulatory proposals. FMCSA regulatory 
policies should and will continue to be consistent with Executive Order 
12866 which includes consideration of private-sector actions and other 
applicable considerations.

    Question 4. I would like to learn more about your views on the use 
of the FMCSA's rulemaking power:

   Should the FMCSA promulgate rules if the rulemaking power is 
        not expressly granted by Congress?

   Can the FMCSA use its rulemaking power to circumvent legal 
        precedents with which it disagrees?

   Can the rules passed by the FMCSA insulate market incumbents 
        from competition?

    Answer. If confirmed, I will ensure that FMCSA's regulatory actions 
are based on clear legal bases and are prescribed in accordance with 
the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act and our statutory 
authorities. I recognize that the Agency is obligated to fulfill 
specific statutory requirements for certain rulemakings and it is 
provided general authorities that allow FMCSA to take actions to 
address safety matters not explicitly listed in the authorizing 
statutes.
    I commit that the Agency will not initiate a rulemaking or 
regulatory action for which there is insufficient legal basis, nor will 
the Agency engage in rulemaking actions with the specific intent to 
circumvent legal decisions.
    Our top priority is safety. Consistent with Executive Order 12866, 
I would not engage in regulatory actions designed to discourage 
marketplace competition.

    Question 5. At the beginning of the pandemic, the FMCSA granted 
emergency relief to Hours-of-Service requirements for COVID-19 
emergency relief. As we look to a post COVID-19 world, would you 
support making any of these regulatory suspensions permanent? If not, 
why not?
    Answer. Following the Presidential declaration of a National 
emergency in March 2020 related to COVID-19, FMCSA instituted a 
nationwide declaration granting emergency regulatory relief for motor 
carriers and drivers transporting essential supplies and commodities 
impacted by the pandemic, including food, livestock and livestock feed, 
community sanitation and medical supplies, fuel, and supplies to assist 
individuals impacted by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, FMCSA has continuously monitored the 
unprecedented disruptions caused by the National emergency and expanded 
and removed categories of supplies, equipment, and persons covered by 
the declaration to respond to changing needs for emergency relief.
    The efficient movement of freight around the country by trucks is 
vital, and FMCSA understands that during emergencies some operational 
flexibility can make it easier to get essential supplies where they are 
needed. FMCSA has exercised its emergency authority to give truck 
drivers more time to make deliveries of critically needed commodities.
    FMCSA's safety mission is paramount, and the hours-of-service 
regulations are vital safety regulations to help ensure that drivers 
rested, awake, and alert to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities 
involving large trucks. FMCSA will continue to evaluate and balance 
regulatory relief and waivers with its safety mission.

    Question 6. Are there any lessons that we can learn from the FMCSA 
emergency relief that can reform our Hours-of-Service requirements to 
provide more flexibility and thus promote greater driver safety?
    Answer. Beginning September 1, 2021, FMCSA's COVID-19 emergency 
declaration included a requirement for motor carriers to report, on a 
monthly basis, their reliance on the emergency declaration during 
operations. While the information collected is limited, we will commit 
to evaluating all the data collected for the duration of FMCSA's 
emergency declaration to determine whether there are potential lessons 
learned that could be applied to future agency action.

    Question 7. FMCSA recently published a notice of intent for a 
rulemaking regarding speed limiters for commercial motor vehicles.\3\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\ Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety 
Administration; Docket No. FMCSA-2022-0004; Parts and Accessories 
Necessary for Safe Operations; Speed Limiting Devices; https://
www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/2022-04/FMC-PRR-220107-
001_AB
63%20Speed%20limiters%20NOI%2004.20.22signed.pdf

   If confirmed, will you be supportive of moving forward with 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        this rulemaking?

   Why shouldn't this practice be left to individual states 
        given that states generally retain the authority to mandate 
        their own traffic laws?

   Could this rule result in the increased likelihood of 
        collisions given that more frequent lane changes will certainly 
        be needed to pass slower commercial motor vehicles? If not, why 
        not?

   Given the current supply chain crisis, do you have concerns 
        that this required speed limit could slow the movement of 
        goods, and even create dangerous incentives for trucks to make 
        up for lost time on slower roads in order to deliver their 
        goods on time? If not, why not?

    Answer. On May 4, 2022, the FMCSA published an advance notice of 
supplemental proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) announcing the Agency's intent 
to move forward with a rulemaking to require that motor carriers 
operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce set 
the electronic engine control unit (ECU) to a maximum speed to be 
determined through the rulemaking.
    The public comment period ends on July 18, 2022.
    As of June 15, there were approximately 14,600 public comments to 
the notice in the docket. At the end of the comment period, the Agency 
will consider the data and information provided by commenters in 
determining the specifics for the SNPRM and will continue to work with 
member offices, stakeholders, and industry,
    The rulemaking proposal does not interfere with State and local 
jurisdictions' ability to establish speed limits; the SNPRM would 
propose a maximum safe speed for CMVs sharing the roads with other 
roadway users.
    Numerous large fleets currently operate speed-limited CMVs with no 
reported safety problems linked to speed differentials between their 
trucks and passenger cars. We will review the public comments to our 
May 2022 notice and determine the most appropriate actions to address 
these and other concerns.
    As numerous large fleets currently operate speed-limited CMVs, we 
do not anticipate the proposed rulemaking would have an adverse impact 
on the safe and efficient movement of freight.

    Question 8. The FMCSA issued new entry level driving training 
regulations on February 7, 2022. While I do appreciate the need to 
focus on safety, I have been informed by many in my state that 
additional costs to take the required classes will range from $2500 to 
$8500.

   In your view, will additional costs like this actually make 
        it more difficult to fill the driver needs that we already 
        have? If not, why not?

    Answer. The Entry-level Driver Training (ELDT) rules were mandated 
by Congress to improve driver safety. In developing the new ELDT rule, 
which was the product of a negotiated rulemaking involving a full range 
of driver, motor carrier, training providers, safety advocates, State 
licensing agencies and other stakeholder participants, FMCSA kept the 
additional costs to a minimum by requiring driver training only on the 
knowledge and skills essential to safe operation.
    The cost of the necessary training can also be made more affordable 
through various programs. Some motor carriers, for example, offer in-
house training programs and/or pay employees while they are going 
through the required training. Through its Commercial Motor Vehicle 
Operator Safety Training grant program, FMCSA provides financial 
assistance to organizations that provide CMV operator training to help 
cover tuition costs. Veterans and their families, as well as those from 
underserved communities, are provided priority access to these funds. 
FMCSA has and will continue to engage with States, constituents, and 
stakeholders on implementation and identifying opportunities for 
additional assistance.
                                 ______
                                 
     Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Rick Scott to 
                            Robin Hutcheson
    Question. Drivers who have driven a speed-governed truck have said 
that it takes additional time and practice to learn how to operate with 
a speed limiter. If a speed limiter mandate were implemented, all 
drivers, regardless of their driving experience, would have to use a 
speed limiter, requiring them to relearn and adjust their driving 
skills. For drivers who have decades of experience and millions of safe 
driving miles, this mandate would pose serious safety challenges.

   If confirmed, would you commit to studying the potential 
        operational and safety challenges for drivers with significant 
        experience driving a non-speed-limited truck, and incorporating 
        driver feedback on this issue in any rulemaking decisions?

    Answer. On May 4, 2022, the FMCSA published an advance notice of 
supplemental proposed rulemaking announcing the Agency's intent to move 
forward with a rulemaking to require that motor carriers operating 
commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce set the 
electronic engine control unit (ECU) to a maximum speed to be 
determined through the rulemaking. The public comment period ends on 
July 18, 2022. The Agency will review all the comments, including 
docket submissions from CMV drivers, to determine whether there are 
issues or concerns about training for drivers of speed-limited vehicles 
and how best to address those concerns.
                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to 
                         Dr. Michael C. Morgan
    Supercomputing. The European weather forecast model outperforms the 
American forecast model by providing more accurate three to seven-day 
forecasts and better prediction of the location of hurricane landfall 
compared to the American Model. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (``NOAA'') has identified the need to increase their 
supercomputing power by 32-times over the next three years to support 
both the research and operational weather needs of NOAA and its 
community partners.

    Question 1. What do you consider the key components of an 
actionable strategy to ensure that NOAA supercomputing capacity keeps 
pace with the growing science and modeling needs of our climate and 
economy?
    Answer. The key components of an actionable strategy to ensure 
NOAA's HPC is commensurate with advancing science and the modeling 
needs of both climate and economy include:

  (1)  Training and hiring software developers and engineers to 
        continually upgrade computer modeling code so that the models 
        can exploit the expected advances in HPC (e.g., exascale 
        computing) that are now emerging. Legacy codes may run a bit 
        faster, but if they are specifically engineered for the 
        upcoming computing platforms, significant acceleration of 
        models is possible.

  (2)  Establishment of scientifically-based, realistic long-time 
        horizon, benchmarks for computing that consider where the 
        science capabilities are and recognize that computing is needed 
        not only for operational model runs and associated data 
        assimilation, but also for reanalysis, research, and model 
        development.

    Question 2. I included $80 million for supercomputing in the 
Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (``IIJA''), but more needs to 
be done. I am concerned that NOAA doesn't have a comprehensive strategy 
for short and long term investments in supercomputing capacity with 
detailed information on additional resources needed. What would NOAA's 
HPC strategy look like, and how would you work with stakeholders, such 
as tribes, universities, and state governments to ensure it supports 
the broader weather, climate, and academic communities?
    Answer. A comprehensive strategy for HPC recognizes that computing 
is needed not only for operational model runs and associated data 
assimilation, but also for reanalysis, research, and model development. 
The strategy should also consider the appropriate mix of physical 
hardware purchases and cloud-based computing services and the relative 
costs for each.
    I would conduct stakeholder assessments of needed resources, 
computing experiences, and needed training to ensure NOAA's HPC systems 
are as effective and up to date as possible.

    Extreme Weather Communication. Increases in extreme weather events 
cause hundreds of deaths, cost billions of dollars annually, and 
threaten food, water, energy, and economic well-being. One of the major 
obstacles we face in reducing the loss of life and property from 
extreme weather is streamlining information delivery so that 
communities receive more accurate, clear, and timely warnings. The 
importance of advancing social and behavioral science across NOAA's 
weather enterprise cannot be overstated. Developing a deeper knowledge 
about diverse communities is critical to improving the effectiveness of 
extreme weather communications.

    Question 1. The risks associated with extreme weather events fall 
disproportionally on historically under resourced communities. For 
example, the Environmental Protection Agency (``EPA'') found that black 
communities are 40 percent more likely to live in areas with increased 
temperature-related deaths. What will you do to improve connection, 
communication, and build trust in these communities? In addition, what 
NOAA products and services need to be updated to support these 
communities?
    Answer. To improve the connection, communication, and trust in all 
communities, NOAA's workforce must reflect the diversity of the Nation, 
and more specifically, the diversity of the communities it serves. If 
confirmed, I would recommend that NOAA identify trusted community 
leaders and community organizations to be Weather (and Climate) Ready 
Nation ambassadors to serve as liaisons to these communities.
    I would need to better understand the complete portfolio of NOAA 
products and services before I could comment on which need to be 
updated to support communities of color.

    Question 2. Tribes are often uniquely impacted by climate. For 
instance, Tribes are 48 percent more likely to live in areas at risk of 
flooding from sea level rise and storm surges. How will you work to 
incorporate Tribal voices in decision-making and resilience activities 
throughout NOAA?
    Answer. I am committed to adhering to and building on NOAA's 2019 
publication ``Best Practices for Engaging and Incorporating Traditional 
Ecological Knowledge in Decision-Making,'' which outlines a process for 
ensuring respectful tribal engagement and upholding tribal sovereignty. 
I would work with NOAA's workforce to ensure Traditional Ecological 
Knowledge is incorporated into NOAA's decision making, where 
appropriate.

    Diversity. A diverse workforce is more nimble and better at problem 
solving than a homogenous workforce, while effective outreach to 
communities on weather preparedness requires a diverse workforce that 
is sensitive to the cultural differences affecting how weather 
information is consumed. Advancing diverse populations in Science, 
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (``STEM'') is a national 
priority, and NOAA is actively working to incorporate policies to 
support a diverse workforce. Female representation in NOAA has 
increased from 33 percent to 35 percent between 2010 and 2019. Yet 
there remains a pressing need for updated short-term and long-term 
strategies to make meaningful and concrete improvements to Diversity, 
Equity, and Inclusion at NOAA. If confirmed, you will oversee about 
half of NOAA, including educational programs. You will have tremendous 
opportunity, and challenges, when it comes to advancing STEM 
opportunities in grants, scholarships, and within NOAA's own workforce.

    Question 1. What do you envision for the future of NOAA's 
workforce, and if confirmed, what specific actions will you take to get 
there?
    Answer. Supporting and hiring a diverse workforce with the 
necessary skills and knowledge to advance earth systems science 
(natural, social, computational, and data sciences) and communicate 
NOAA's data and information broadly is critical. If confirmed, I would 
build this workforce by 1) increasing outreach to K-12 students to 
highlight the excitement of doing societally relevant work; and 2) 
developing, in concert with other Federal agencies (like the NSF) 
undergraduate (summer) research experience programs at NOAA Cooperative 
Institutes, NOAA regional climate centers, and other NOAA programs. The 
outreach and research activities would be targeted to all students with 
a special emphasis on those from historically under-represented 
communities (including rural, urban, and tribal).

    Question 2. NOAA also has an opportunity to help grow the STEM 
workforce through supporting educational opportunities for K-12 
students, investing in undergraduate scholarships, as well as 
postgraduate fellowships, such as the Sea Grant fellowship program. How 
will you leverage these programs to grow the STEM workforce at NOAA, 
and throughout the Federal government?
    Answer. If confirmed, I am committed to learning much more about 
NOAA's opportunities to grow the STEM workforce. Furthermore, I commit 
to growing NOAA's STEM workforce by strengthening equity internally by 
accelerating NOAA's efforts to attract, recruit, retain, and develop 
talent, including from diverse backgrounds through recruitment in STEM 
disciplines from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other 
Minority Serving Institutions including tribal colleges. If not already 
in practice, recruitment efforts could be focused on recipients of NOAA 
undergraduate scholarships and postgraduate fellowships.
    Furthermore, I recognize the importance of NOAA in advancing 
education and the understanding of our science for students and the 
public served by NOAA. NOAA is well-positioned to lead on environmental 
literacy and it is critical to its mission, with educational 
programming reaching 284,000 P-12 students and 46,000 educators in 
FY20. Programs such as NOAA's Environmental Literacy Grants increase 
understanding and stewardship of local watersheds through multi-stage 
activities performed both outdoors and in the classroom and support 
STEM and environmental education projects that engage people in using 
NOAA-related sciences to build community resilience to extreme weather 
events and climate change. If confirmed, I will commit to working with 
Congress to ensure these programs are fully supported and implemented 
at a high-level across the country. I look forward to learning more 
about how NOAA can improve student and public access to climate and 
environmental education.
                                 ______
                                 
     Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Jon Tester to 
                         Dr. Michael C. Morgan
    NEXRAD. Dr. Morgan, thank you for your willingness to serve NOAA in 
this role. Americans are well aware of how weather and climate affect 
our economy and our day-to-day lives. NOAA's observation and analysis 
capabilities are critical to accurate forecasts and appropriate risk 
response.
    In 2019, in response to a legislative requirement, NOAA submitted a 
report to Congress assessing NEXRAD radar coverage as it relates to 
extreme weather events like tornados and flash floods. The report 
identified several areas of the continental U.S. where there are 
significant gaps in weather radar coverage--including large parts of 
eastern and southwest Montana.
    NOAA's report concluded that these gaps did not significantly 
compromise NOAA's ability to forecast tornadoes and flash floods in 
these areas. However, the report did not take into account other types 
of natural emergencies like winter storms or wildfires.
    The simple fact is that many Americans live in regions where these 
radar gaps persist, and so we need to prioritize closing them to ensure 
we have the best possible understanding of severe weather events 
nationwide.

    Question. Please describe how NOAA under your leadership would 
prioritize improvements in its observational infrastructure. Will you 
commit to working to close the identified NEXRAD radar gaps to ensure 
we have the data coverage we need to forecast and track extreme weather 
nationwide?
    Answer. If confirmed, I would commit to ensuring that NOAA has the 
necessary observational assets and forecaster training to ensure that 
it can issue accurate and timely forecasts and warnings for all parts 
of our Nation.
    Observations are foundational to NOAA's science and operations--
including the issuance of forecasts and warnings. NOAA's weather 
forecast and warnings to protect lives and property are among the most 
critical work the agency does and is supported by the Weather Research 
Forecasting and Innovation Act of 2017 that drives NOAA's improvements 
in this area. I look forward to working with you to continue to 
implement this Act.
    Improving weather and climate forecast and warning capabilities 
will take an all-of-the-above approach, with advances needed in 
observations--including next-generation radar, modeling, high 
performance computing, dissemination systems, scientific research, and 
employing the best-trained forecasters that deliver the impact-based 
decision support to end-users.
                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Kyrsten Sinema to 
                         Dr. Michael C. Morgan
    Drought and Fire Monitoring at NOAA. Fire season began in late 
April in Arizona, as the Southwest experiences the most severe drought 
in twelve hundred years. The Tunnel Fire north of Flagstaff burned over 
twenty thousand acres while the Crooks Fire consumed over six thousand 
acres south of Prescott. In recent days, three new fires have erupted 
outside of Flagstaff.
    Arizonans rely on National Weather Service predictions and National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data to predict fire trajectory 
and to determine impacts to landscapes and human health. It is 
important that NOAA and the Weather Service have the resources and 
expertise needed to predict weather and drought conditions.

    Question 1. The bipartisan infrastructure law included $80 million 
dollars for NOAA high-performance computing technology and $50 million 
for wildfire prediction, detection, and forecasting. How will these 
resources allow NOAA to improve drought and wildfire prediction 
forecasting?
    Answer. NOAA's mission includes fire weather research and 
developing and transitioning fire weather products to help communities 
better detect and respond to fire weather. More support is needed in 
order to improve forecast models and increase NOAA's work with users, 
including by continuing to deploy Incident Meteorologists (IMETS) to 
major wildfires, with the latest computer technology they can use to 
provide critical on-site forecasts.
    NOAA's Hazard Mapping System provides at-risk populations with 
general information about the location of threatening wildfires and 
smoke. The bipartisan infrastructure law (BIL) will enable higher 
resolution around wildfire locations so that affected communities can 
prepare and react more quickly.
    If confirmed, I will work with Congress to implement the $100M in 
the BIL and additional funds in the 2022 Disaster Supplemental for 
NOAA's work on wildfires.

    Drought Monitoring, Response, and Inter-Agency Cooperation. As the 
Southwest continues to face historic drought, we must use every 
available tool to assess the length and severity of drought conditions. 
The National Integrated Drought Information System has been helpful to 
me when determining policy responses for drought-stricken areas, but we 
can always improve.

    Question 2. Will you commit to coordinate drought response with 
other agencies, particularly the Department of Interior, Bureau of 
Reclamation, and the Department of Agriculture?
    Answer. If confirmed, I commit to coordinate drought response with 
all relevant Federal agencies including Department of the Interior, the 
Bureau of Reclamation, and the Department of Agriculture.

    Question 3. If confirmed, how can you make this interagency process 
more effective so drought mitigation policies can be targeted for 
maximum impact of Federal dollars?
    Answer. Coordinating a timely and effective interagency response so 
that drought mitigation can be targeted for maximum impact of Federal 
dollars requires 1) an interagency agreement on the goals of the 
response and 2) a requirement that the expectations of each agencies' 
contribution to the effort is matched with the unique capabilities and 
missions of the participating Federal agencies.

    Heat Health. 552 people died in Arizona from heat-related causes in 
2021, and nearly 2,800 passed away over the past 10 years from heat-
related causes. Heat waves are getting worse, with record temperatures 
set this past weekend in Arizona. Saturday, June 11 saw a high 
temperature of 114 degrees Fahrenheit coupled with an overnight low of 
only 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

    Question 4. How will you ensure that the National Integrated Heat 
Health Information System provides the most timely and helpful data and 
monitoring to the people of AZ?
    Answer. If confirmed, I will ensure that NOAA's contribution to 
this important activity with the Centers of Disease Control and other 
partners continues to include improved forecasting capabilities, 
enhancement of necessary and relevant observational and monitoring 
capabilities, and work with communities to better understand their 
unique needs with respect to NIHHIS activities and communications. I 
look forward to working with your office to understand the unique 
concerns of residents of your state.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Roger Wicker to 
                         Dr. Michael C. Morgan
    Question 1. The University of Southern Mississippi is a leader in 
the use of uncrewed maritime systems. Uncrewed maritime systems are a 
highly cost-effective way for NOAA to collect many more observations. 
Studies have shown increased ocean temperature observations 
dramatically improve hurricane intensity forecasts.
   Will you work with me to ensure observations from unmanned 
        maritime systems are incorporated into weather models?
    Answer. The forecast process is enhanced if all available, relevant 
observations are incorporated into weather models. If confirmed, I will 
work with you and other partners to advance modern ocean technology and 
increase NOAA's use of uncrewed maritime systems and the relevant data 
from these platforms in NOAA's operational suite of models.

    Question 2. People who lose their homes in a storm or flooding 
event may not receive compensation, even with flood insurance, if the 
cause of damage is undetermined between water and wind hazards. The 
COASTAL Act required NOAA to work with FEMA to reduce legal conflicts 
over the determination of whether storm damage was caused by flooding 
or wind. The President's FY 2023 Budget eliminates COASTAL Act funding.
   Would you commit to working with me to ensure this important 
        work continues?

   The Named Storm Event Model and Coastal Wind and Water Event 
        Database is 92 percent complete. Are you aware of any barriers 
        to finishing this important work?
    Answer. I have experienced first-hand the ravages of extreme 
weather on my home and personal property. If confirmed, I commit to 
working with you to ensure that NOAA's work with FEMA is carried out 
consistent with the requirements of the COASTAL ACT.
    If confirmed, I will work to understand and report to you any 
barriers to completing the database and model that are specified in the 
COASTAL ACT.

    Question 3. NOAA's P-3 aircraft, known as the Hurricane Hunters, 
provide critical information for accurately forecasting hurricanes. The 
aircraft are rapidly reaching the end of their service life, yet the 
President's FY 2023 Budget failed to provide funding for their 
replacement.
   Do you agree that the P-3s provide critical information?

   Does NOAA have an updated aircraft recapitalization plan? If 
        confirmed, can you commit to ensure that Congress receives the 
        new plan promptly?

   Can you provide information on when that plan will be 
        delivered?
    Answer. Yes, NOAA's P-3 aircraft provide critical operational 
information concerning storm location, motion, intensity, and structure 
of the hurricane wind field. Additionally, these aircraft provide 
valuable information for researchers to better understand the inner 
workings of hurricanes.
    If confirmed, I will ensure that Congress receives information on 
the disposition of any updated aircraft recapitalization plan as 
expeditiously as possible and will share the plan with Congress once it 
is completed.

    Question 4. A toxic workplace culture can put the scientific 
enterprise and the stewardship of our Nation's natural resources in 
jeopardy. As was seen most recently at the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy, leadership within the agency sets the tone for the 
rest of the workforce. We have heard that there have been issues of 
disrespect and a toxic work environment within NOAA.
   Do you share my concerns about the work environment at NOAA?

   How would you ensure that there is a culture of respect in 
        the workplace, particularly for women and minorities?

   Do you pledge to respect and protect whistleblowers if they 
        come forward with concerns about workplace culture?
    Answer. I share your concerns that a toxic work environment can put 
elements of NOAA's mission--its scientific enterprise as well as its 
stewardship of natural resources in jeopardy. Furthermore, I agree that 
agency leadership set the tone for the workforce. Everyone should feel 
safe, protected, respected, and included at work.
    I will not tolerate any actions that contribute to a toxic work 
environment and I commit to working with NOAA leadership, line offices, 
and the Workplace Violence Prevention and Response Program so we can 
identify the risks, prevent incidents, and respond appropriately.
    I pledge to respect and protect whistleblowers if they come forward 
with concerns about NOAA's workplace culture. All workers should feel 
confident that their right to express concerns about workplace culture 
will be unimpeded and that those concerns will be heard and addressed.
                                 ______
                                 
      Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Mike Lee to 
                         Dr. Michael C. Morgan
    Question 1. As someone who will be responsible for converting data 
observations to predictions related to weather and climate if 
confirmed, I'd like to hear your thoughts regarding assumptions of 
stationarity and non-stationarity in prediction models.
   In your view, what factors are considered when employing a 
        non-stationarity assumption?

   How do non-stationarity and stationarity assumptions each 
        affect predictions of climate and weather?

   Should predictive models assume non-stationarity? If so, on 
        what basis?
    Answer. Stationarity of a system would refer to the statistics of 
that system being invariant with respect to a shift in time. The earth 
system is not a stationary one as key natural and anthropogenic 
forcings (e.g., solar radiation and greenhouse gases) to the system are 
not stationary, and internal system feedbacks allow for changes in the 
statistics of the system. Despite the variability of these inputs and 
feedbacks, a non-stationarity assumption may be valid if both 1) the 
time scale of variation of the inputs are much longer than the time 
scales of weather and climate prediction; and 2) the robustness of the 
feedbacks is weak.
    To my knowledge, explicit use of assumptions of stationarity and 
non-stationarity are not common. What is important for predictions of 
weather and climate are accurate representation of physical processes 
and forcings--some of which may not be stationary.
    For the purposes of weather prediction or climate projection, it is 
not clear that an assumption of stationarity or non-stationarity is 
necessary. Fundamental fluid dynamical equations are well-understood 
and modeled--note the success of day-to-day numerical weather 
prediction. A well-modeled non-stationary process would likely be 
superior to modeling the process as stationary--If the relevant 
physical processes are well understood and if the modeled 
representations of these physical processes are accurately coded. 
Processes that are either not well understood or that cannot be 
accurately represented in the models (e.g., physical parameterizations) 
will inevitably contribute to uncertainties in weather and climate 
model output.
    If confirmed, I would be happy to talk with you more about these 
issues.
                                 ______
                                 
     Response to Written Question Submitted by Hon. Rick Scott to 
                         Dr. Michael C. Morgan
    Question. Florida has experienced several hard-hitting hurricanes 
that devastated our communities. We know first-hand that preparedness 
saves lives, and NOAA's work to develop and improve weather predictive 
services has been critical to our preparedness efforts.
   How do you plan to improve NOAA's weather forecasting 
        services to ensure families have the best information to stay 
        safe?

   How do you plan on communicating that information to both 
        urban and rural areas?
    Answer. I understand and appreciate the challenges of living in a 
region of the country that experiences extreme weather, such as 
hurricanes. NOAA's predictive, warning, and outreach capabilities are 
central to its mission to protect lives and property from the 
devastating effects of hurricanes and all other types of extreme 
weather.
    If confirmed, I would promote advancements to NOAA's observational 
infrastructure, improve weather models internally and by engaging 
private sector expertise, and increase NOAA's computational capacity. I 
would also focus on the workforce needs--including proper staffing 
levels with commensurate training--to ensure that NOAA has the capacity 
to produce highly accurate forecasts and disseminate them to the public 
as timely as possible. Additionally, I would work ensure that model 
developers and software engineers are brought in as necessary to update 
the forecast model code on a regular basis so NOAA can take full 
advantage of computing upgrades.
    Finally, working with social scientists, I would identify ways to 
improve NOAA's outreach across the Nation to ensure communities get 
weather warnings in an understandable and actionable manner and with 
enough advanced warning to allow them to make sound decisions about 
their personal safety.
                                 ______
                                 
   Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Maria Cantwell to 
                              Sean Burton
    Sustainability and Airports. The aviation sector is taking steps to 
become more sustainable and reduce its environmental impact. Aviation 
currently represents 11 percent of U.S. transportation-related 
emissions and 2.5 percent of global emissions, and aviation emissions 
are expected to triple by 2050. So we must do better.
    Airports can play a key role in reducing aviation emissions by 
implementing sustainable aviation solutions. In my home state of 
Washington, Sea-Tac International Airport (``Sea-Tac'') became the 
first U.S. airport to set a specific timetable and goal for 
transitioning all its airline users to operate with commercially 
competitive sustainable aviation fuel (``SAF''). Sea-Tac set a goal to 
power every flight fueled at the airport with at least a 10 percent 
blend of sustainable aviation fuel (``SAF'') by 2028. Additionally, Los 
Angeles World Airports (``LAWA'') began using SAF at LAX in 2021 as 
part of its sustainability action plan to become carbon neutral by 
2045.
    As part of Build Back Better, my SAF and low-emissions aviation 
technology grant program includes $300 million to help build 
infrastructure necessary to produce, transport, blend, and store SAF, 
as well as develop, demonstrate, or apply low-emissions aviation 
technology for convenient use in existing aircraft operating today. I 
also support the Sustainable Skies Act, legislation to create a $1.50 
to $2.00 per gallon blender's tax credit for SAF that achieves a 50 
percent or greater reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions 
compared to conventional petroleum-based jet fuels. Getting aviation on 
a sustainable path moving forward is important and given the broad 
support from aviation stakeholders for these programs, I believe these 
proposals will help us achieve this goal.

    Question 1. Based on your experience working with LAX, what actions 
will you take to increase sustainable aviation efforts and ensure 
necessary infrastructure is in place to support the use of SAF at 
Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National 
Airport?
    Answer. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) provides the best 
opportunity in the short term to reduce the aviation carbon footprint. 
We worked with our airline partners at LAX and our operators at Van 
Nuys airports to promote and enable the use of SAF. In CY 2021, LAX 
dispensed nearly 6.8 million gallons of SAF while Van Nuys dispensed 
approximately 1 million galls of SAF. At LAX, SAF is being used by 
United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, KLM, Viva Aerobus and 
Atlantic Aviation. Airlines see the use of SAF as the best way to 
address environmental concerns and desire to increase the use of SAF 
for their fleets. Thus, the demand for the use of SAF at both airports 
is high, but there is not enough supply to meet this demand.
    LAWA is working with Federal and state elected officials to help 
get legislation in place that enables, promotes and incentivize the 
increased supply and use of SAF. This is not something that airports 
can accomplish by themselves, so airports need to collaborate with 
partners and elected officials to increase the manufacturing, transport 
and storage of SAF.
    Specific initiatives that I would attempt to explore at Dulles and 
Reagan National include:

   Develop a working group with the airlines to determine the 
        best way to ensure the infrastructure exists at the airports to 
        be able to obtain and accommodate a larger supply of SAF such 
        that it can be more affordable for the airlines to use--and to 
        develop a joint approach for promoting the use of SAF.

   Determine what the airports can do to facilitate the 
        implementation of infrastructure to enable the delivery, 
        storage and pumping of SAF.

   Develop an approach to working with state and Federal 
        legislators and office holders to enact laws and/or develop 
        programs to promote the manufacture and supply of SAF.

    There are numerous other sustainability measures that airports can 
take toward achieving a goal to reach zero emissions. Some key 
initiatives that I would attempt to explore at Dulles and Reagan 
include:

   Develop clear and significant sustainability goals, targets 
        and timelines to get the airports to zero emissions.

   Develop a Sustainability Action Plan to show how the 
        airports will achieve the goals, targets and timelines.

   As part of the plan, develop an approach and plan to move 
        all airport vehicles to zero emission vehicles--and a plan to 
        incent airlines, ground handlers and other operators to move to 
        zero emission vehicles, where technically feasible.

   Develop the infrastructure to allow for the charging of 
        airport electric vehicles, transportation network company 
        vehicles, taxis and private vehicles.

   Develop design policies and guidelines for new construction 
        and facilities to ensure facilities are being built or improved 
        sustainably (e.g., reduce energy needs, water use efficiency, 
        etc.).

   Develop clean construction policies to reduce emissions for 
        construction projects.

   Develop comprehensive waste management and recycling 
        policies, practices and plans.

   Develop energy management plan to reduce usage of energy,

    Question 2. What is your broader vision for the future of airports 
in terms of implementing technology to facilitate sustainable travel 
and trade?
    Answer. Some key technologies that airports should consider 
implementing to become more sustainable include:

   Alterative power technologies

     Solar panels to generate energy to power airports.

     On-site energy storage, e.g., battery farm, microgrid, 
            etc., to save excess power generated and for added 
            resiliency.

     Hydrogen powered cogeneration facility to produce 
            sustainable, off-grid power.

   Organic waste recycling solutions including composting 
        facilities and digestors to process food waste and use the 
        resulting products for fuel and fertilizer.

   Wastewater recycling solutions.

   Noise portals to help track noise complaints and give 
        residents the ability to post noise complaints and to 
        information about air traffic in their area.

   Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

   Electronic vehicles (EV) and EV charging facilities.

   Electronic Ground Service Equipment for airline and ground 
        handling partners.

   Electrification of gates and aircraft positions to reduce 
        emissions for standing aircraft.

   Smart parking solutions to reduce search time for parking 
        and reduce wait time at parking lot entrances and exits.
                                 ______
                                 
    Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Roger Wicker to 
                              Sean Burton
    Question 1. Mr. Burton, you are currently a Member of the Los 
Angeles World Airports Board of Airport Commissioners, which oversees 
Los Angeles International Airport. Although that experience can be 
significant as the Committee considers your nomination to be on the 
Board of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), I have 
concerns regarding a potential conflict of interest for someone sitting 
on both Boards simultaneously.
   It is my understanding that, if confirmed to the MWAA Board, 
        you would resign from the Los Angeles World Airports Board to 
        avoid potential conflicts of interest and to focus your 
        attention on MWAA. Can you confirm your intentions for the 
        committee?
    Answer. I can confirm that if confirmed to the MWAA Board, I will 
resign from the Los Angeles World Airports Board to focus on my new 
role.

    Question 2. Mr. Burton, officials from Dulles International Airport 
recently announced plans to build a new 14-gate concourse. My 
understanding is that the new concourse would eliminate the need for 
passengers to walk long distances or take a shuttle bus to their gates. 
Congress appropriated billions of dollars in grants for airport 
infrastructure as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in part, 
to improve the traveler experience.

   Do you have any comments on the state of the infrastructure 
        at Dulles?
    Answer. My understanding is that the purpose of the new concourse 
is to facilitate a significantly improved passenger experience at 
Dulles and is the result of careful long-term planning and 
collaboration over the past few years by MWAA with the FAA and the 
community. Several public and stakeholder meetings were held to develop 
a masterplan to improve the safety, efficiency, comfort, flexibility 
for future technologies, and sustainability for the airport. The new 
masterplan is scheduled to be completed within the next year. The 
capital construction plan to implement the new masterplan is 
concurrently being developed with the airlines and other stakeholders. 
The proposed concourse will have access to the airport's underground 
Aerotrain system. It would replace gates built in the 1990s at the 
eastern end of Concourse A, where many regional-flight passengers 
currently go outdoors to access their planes via covered walkways.

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