Washington D.C. – During today’s U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation confirmation hearing for Sean Duffy, the President-elect’s choice to lead the U.S. Department of Transportation failed to resolve concerns around a major conflict of interest he could face after lobbying for the same airlines now suing the agency to overturn rulemaking to protect against surprise fees. 

Sean Duffy’s lobbying work for the same airlines now suing to overturn a Transportation Department rule against surprise junk fees poses a major conflict. Will Duffy use his power to protect the bottom line of his former corporate clients by scrapping basic transparency protections at the expense of everyday Americans? Duffy is just one of several Trump nominees with similar conflicts of interest that confirm the incoming administration intends to take care of wealthy corporate special interests first and working people last."

Accountable.US Executive Director Tony Carrk.

Here Are Key Questions Duffy Failed to Answer Today:

Airline Industry Lobbying 

  • Given Duffy’s prior lobbying efforts on behalf of major U.S. airlines—as well as the primary industry group’s celebration of his nomination amid its lawsuit against Department of Transportation rulemaking—how can American consumers trust he will prioritize their interests over the policy preferences of his former clients?In 2019, Duffy became a lobbyist for BGR Government Affairs after serving in Congress. In February 2020, Duffy and BGR were hired by the Partnership for Open Skies to lobby in “support for US Open Skies policy.” BGR ultimately received $70,000 from the group to lobby on this issue.The Partnership for Open Skies’ membership includes American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, which all joined the industry trade group Airlines for America in a May 2024 lawsuit against the Biden Department of Transportation’s rulemaking to “protect airline passengers from surprise junk fees when purchasing a ticket.” Following Duffy’s announced nomination, Airlines for America stated it was “thrilled” with President-elect Trump’s pick and was “eager to collaborate with [Duffy] on key issues impacting the U.S. airline industry.”

Empty Criticism of Investigation Into Southwest Airlines 2022 Holiday Scheduling Crisis 

  • During a December 2022 appearance on Fox Business, Duffy attacked Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s desire to investigate Southwest Airlines for its infamous holiday travel scheduling crisis, stating that “Southwest will fix this…Pete Buttigieg never will” while suggesting market forces would punish Southwest. As previously documented by Accountable.US, Southwest Airlines had long prioritized shareholder handouts over investments in its aging scheduling infrastructure, contributing to its winter meltdown.In December 2023, the Department of Transportation announced a $140 million civil penalty against Southwest Airlines after finding it violated consumer protection laws by failing to provide “adequate customer service assistance,” “prompt flight status notifications,” and “refunds in a prompt and proper manner.” The Department of Transportation also required Southwest to refund or reimburse over $600 million to passengers impacted by delays or cancellations during the 2022 holiday season and “reserve $90 million in vouchers for future Southwest customers impacted by controllable cancellations and significant delays.”

If Duffy had been the Transportation Secretary during this crisis, what, if anything, would he have done to protect consumers? Or would he have solely relied on market forces to determine Southwest’s penalty, allowing the company to avoid accountability while leaving current and future passengers without restitution or support? 

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