Senate Panel to Vote on Darling Nomination March 3
The Senate Commerce Committee has scheduled a vote March 3 on Scott Darling’s nomination to be administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
If the panel advances his nomination, it will be up to the full Senate to confirm him. Darling, FMCSA’s acting administrator, had served as chief counsel since September 2012.
Darling testified before the committee Jan. 20, telling senators the agency plans to advance myriad policy proposals this spring. Darling also said the agency’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability performance scoring program is being reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences. FMCSA removed CSA from public view soon after the enactment of the FAST Act, the 2015 highway law, in December.
After the Feb. 2 hearing, Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), chairwoman of the committee’s subpanel on trucking affairs, said she would prefer to see Darling focus on advancing provisions in the FAST Act.
Darling came to FMCSA from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the public transit agency serving the greater Boston area, where he was deputy chief of staff and assistant general counsel.
The Commerce Committee vote is scheduled for 10 a.m.
An earlier version of this article noted Darling testified before the Commerce Committee on Feb. 2.
