The position of National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator remains open as one of the numerous slots President Donald Trump has yet to fill. However, there’s already some speculation as to who may fill the vacancy.
The Detroit News reports General Motors CEO Mary Barra is speculated to possibly become the next head of the NHTSA. While purely speculations from insiders, it has raised alarms with advocacy groups who fear turning the agency over to an automotive executive could produce poor results.
“He has a penchant of appointing people who have been regulated and allowing them to dismantle agencies,” Rosemary Shahan, president of the Sacramento, Calif.-based Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety group, said. “You have all these companies who have been under investigations for safety violations recently. I wouldn’t be surprised if he appointed somebody from one of them. It would be consistent with his other appointments.”
On Barra specifically, she said, “[The president] seems to be very friendly with her.”
Barra continues to serve on President Trump’s Strategic and Policy Forum, which houses a handful of business leaders to advise the president from the private sector. The White House and GM both declined to comment on the speculations.
Skeptics say if an auto executive were to be appointed to the position it would cause major conflicts of interest with the government organization and make for major deregulation in automotive safety. In fact, the same government organization continues to keep a watchful eye on GM to ensure safety standards are met.
The facts won’t be known until President Trump officially names his candidate, whenever that may be.
Comments
Trump has not announced nominees for 470 out of 556 positions requiring congressional approval. (Hardly unimportant positions.) Trump has not even filled his own cabinet yet! And, despite a republican majority in both houses of congress, just days ago there was talk of a government shutdown!!! Trump’s 100 day scorecard? An F MINUS!
I’m sure Trump and company will get it all sorted out once they figure out those pesky White House light switches!
You right two whiny left-wing sore loser posts in a row. Triggered much?
Going to be a long 8 years for you. Just remember, if President Trump is a “dumb guy” you lost to him…Kind of puts your “intelligence” into perspective.
It just may have a lot to do with obstruction by the opposition.
That is how DC works…. or should I say not work.
It takes more than a nearly even majority unless you go nuclear.
Surely the opposition would love to obstruct… if given the opportunity. But since he has claimed to “know all the best people,” one would think the process would be a breeze. 😉
It’s people like you, Reggie, why Americans rejected HITLERy and Democrats in general.
All the Democraps are doing is obstructing President Trump in getting people appointed. They should be so proud of working against the American people and getting the economy back on track, jobs, and the border secure. No wonder Americans rejected the left-wingers. At least Mary Barra is intelligent and working with President Trump and helping America. Same with Elon Musk. Much respect.
“Elections have consequences.”
Oh,the left-wing trolls are out of their holes again.
Americans obviously are tired of the media bias and people like this who have nothing positive to say . Complaining about EVERYTHING President Trump does or doesn’t do just shows how bias you are, envious, and some would say how much of a sore loser you are.
Americans not only voted in President Trump, but Republican majorities in ALL branches of the federal government, governorships, and State legislatures. Your bias, and that of the media, will ensure an increase in Republican majorities in 2018 and Trump’s re-election in 2020. You obviously aren’t very bright.
Umm, I’m a troll? Got it.
It’s one thing to admire a candidate or be loyal to a party, Bhox. It’s another thing entirely to ignore and run from facts. Another thing entirely.
Just like the election, the majority disagree with you little Reggie.
See below…
Yup, you are so “smart” Reggie that you lost to Trump and Bush twice…Yup, you are a genius!
The people that go around telling everyone how smart they are and how dumb other people are usually suffer from an inferiority complex…And generally have lower IQs.
I have some free time now, Bhox. If you would like to have a conversation about Donald Trump and/or tackle some of the personal insults you’ve made, just say the word. Be prepared to discuss current events as well as yourself though, K?
And do try and contain your comments to one box at a time. What you’ve done, littering the page the way you have with your comments (to say nothing of the content of your posts) is outright obnoxious and disrespectful to all who have posted in this thread.
I hope Mary Barra doesn’t take the position because General Motors needs her as the company’s CEO.
This would lead to a huge conflict of interest for GM! The current political arena is fraught with mistrust. Ms. Barra should respectfully decline, if asked.
I too would hate to see here leave as she had done more good than anyone at GMfor the last 50 years.
As for conflict it is no more conflict that the car hating activist we have suffered over the years like Claybrook and others.
She also needs to stay out of prison until they figure out a better shift for the Terrain.
what the hell are you talking about now?
Well if its true she can quit GM and hand over the CEO job to Mark Ruess.
Use care here.
Mary is suited well for dealing with union, goverment and policy. While Mark is much more an engineer product guy. You make him CEO he will end up doing little with product it strongest area of expertise.
I see 0% chance of this happening.
Being NHTSA head does not pay nearly as much as being GM CEO (like tens of millions less) and frankly, is not as prestigious. Barra regularly shows up in the top 5, if not #1, in most powerful women CEOs; the NHSTA is not even a cabinet level position. Additionally, Barra is a GM lifer — being the head of the company is a lifetime goal and I’m guessing very rewarding; I’ve never heard anything about her wanting to be the head of a govt agency.
Plus GM has the recent issue with the ignition switches which continually pops up in the news (see early this week, when the Supreme Court declined to hear GM’s objection that it was not liable for pre-bankruptcy liability). Tons of people would scream if the GM CEO, who was (and still is) the face of handling this safety issue became the head of NHTSA.
Fake News! She won’t resign from her post with a wage so rich…
True dat why trade millions of dollars for millions of headaches.
That was my thought why take the pay cut and take on all the grief.
I don’t know if Mary Barra would be the right choice or if she would even be interested in the job. But it WOULD be great to see a qualified person from the auto industry as head of NHTSA, someone who could rationally evaluate ideas for safety versus what is possible with technology. This would be a refreshing change from people like Joan Claybrook who said she thought airbags were the preferable solution to seat belts for children in the front seat. Her mentor, Ralph Nader, was featured in a mock up photo of a fully inflated passenger airbag in front of an unbelted girl – the sort of ignorant advocacy that got many children and small women killed by early generation airbags, including three known child decapitations.
James C. Walker, National Motorists Association