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On January 28, 2025, Sean Duffy was officially sworn in as the 20th U.S. Secretary of Transportation. With a promise to make cars more affordable for Americans, he wasted no time in making significant changes immediately after taking office. Justice Clarence Thomas administered the oath of office at a ceremony held at the U.S. Supreme Court, marking a significant day in the realm of U.S. transportation policy.
Upon assuming his new role, Secretary Duffy signed a memorandum aimed at revising the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. These revisions are expected to lower car prices that have surged dramatically over recent years. The memorandum signals a shift away from previous mandates, including those requiring increases in electric vehicles, which Duffy argues are too burdensome on consumers. He is on a mission to tackle what he describes as government overreach, and his immediate goal is to bring down costs for American families.
In just a few short years, from March 2021 to March 2024, the average price of a new car increased by a startling 15.5%. What used to cost around $40,881 now sits at about $47,218. Astonishingly, in March 2024, out of 275 new vehicle models on the market, only eight had a price tag of less than $25,000, making car ownership increasingly out of reach for many families.
Secretary Duffy’s memorandum has rescinded or replaced existing CAFE standards that had previously mandated that passenger cars and light trucks must achieve an average fuel economy of 50.4 miles per gallon by the model year 2031. He believes that simplifying these regulations will ease the financial burden on consumers, allowing them to spend less when purchasing a new vehicle. Duffy stated that the steps he’s taking respond to the Executive Orders 14148 and 14154, which were issued by President Trump earlier this year.
The journey to these changes hasn’t been without controversy. Duffy was confirmed to his position in the Senate with a vote of 77 to 22. Initially, some Democratic Senators supported his nomination, but that support shifted after the Trump administration’s freeze on federal aid raised concerns. Senator Chris Coons voiced this change of heart, indicating that the aid freeze played a role in this reversal. Duffy’s confirmation reflects a divided opinion on how best to lead the department amidst significant changes in transportation policy.
As Secretary Duffy embarks on this new chapter, his actions will be closely monitored by both supporters and critics alike. The revisions to fuel economy standards are poised to influence not only car buyers but the entire automotive industry. It will be interesting to see how these changes unfold over time and whether they lead to the affordability that many American families desperately need.
Under Secretary Duffy’s leadership, the Department of Transportation will continue to tackle pressing issues such as road safety, infrastructure improvements, and now, the growing concern over car affordability as well. This new direction may set the tone for transportation policies in the years to come, making Duffy a key figure to watch in Washington.
On January 28, 2025, Sean Duffy was officially sworn in as the 20th U.S. Secretary of Transportation. With a promise to make cars more affordable for Americans, he wasted no time in making significant changes immediately after taking office. Justice Clarence Thomas administered the oath of office at a ceremony held at the U.S. Supreme Court, marking a significant day in the realm of U.S. transportation policy.
Upon assuming his new role, Secretary Duffy signed a memorandum aimed at revising the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. These revisions are expected to lower car prices that have surged dramatically over recent years. The memorandum signals a shift away from previous mandates, including those requiring increases in electric vehicles, which Duffy argues are too burdensome on consumers. He is on a mission to tackle what he describes as government overreach, and his immediate goal is to bring down costs for American families.
In just a few short years, from March 2021 to March 2024, the average price of a new car increased by a startling 15.5%. What used to cost around $40,881 now sits at about $47,218. Astonishingly, in March 2024, out of 275 new vehicle models on the market, only eight had a price tag of less than $25,000, making car ownership increasingly out of reach for many families.
Secretary Duffy’s memorandum has rescinded or replaced existing CAFE standards that had previously mandated that passenger cars and light trucks must achieve an average fuel economy of 50.4 miles per gallon by the model year 2031. He believes that simplifying these regulations will ease the financial burden on consumers, allowing them to spend less when purchasing a new vehicle. Duffy stated that the steps he’s taking respond to the Executive Orders 14148 and 14154, which were issued by President Trump earlier this year.
The journey to these changes hasn’t been without controversy. Duffy was confirmed to his position in the Senate with a vote of 77 to 22. Initially, some Democratic Senators supported his nomination, but that support shifted after the Trump administration’s freeze on federal aid raised concerns. Senator Chris Coons voiced this change of heart, indicating that the aid freeze played a role in this reversal. Duffy’s confirmation reflects a divided opinion on how best to lead the department amidst significant changes in transportation policy.
As Secretary Duffy embarks on this new chapter, his actions will be closely monitored by both supporters and critics alike. The revisions to fuel economy standards are poised to influence not only car buyers but the entire automotive industry. It will be interesting to see how these changes unfold over time and whether they lead to the affordability that many American families desperately need.
Under Secretary Duffy’s leadership, the Department of Transportation will continue to tackle pressing issues such as road safety, infrastructure improvements, and now, the growing concern over car affordability as well. This new direction may set the tone for transportation policies in the years to come, making Duffy a key figure to watch in Washington.
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It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
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