Elaine Chao, Donald Trump's former Secretary of Transportation, thinks she knows the biggest obstacle that the incoming administration will face.
Speaking to Politico, Chao warned the Surface Transportation Act was set to expire right before the 2026 election. If it doesn't get continued support, she said all future transportation funding will cease.
When President Joe Biden signed the infrastructure package in November 2021, it reauthorized funding to fix roads, bridges, mass transit and water infrastructure.
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"It's going to be a big issue, and they've got to be ready for it," Chao said after being asked to outline the 'biggest obstacle facing the next administration."
"I also expect consumer acceptance of EVs to keep growing, so I question the effectiveness of relying only on the gasoline tax to fund the Highway Trust Fund that repairs and maintains our national highway system and also the transit system," she said.
A CNN columnist wrote in 2019 that "Infrastructure Week" had become a running joke during the first Trump administration because Trump repeatedly promised the passage of the bill, while failing to keep his word. Ultimately, the Biden White House ushered in the funding package.
Asking Chao about her time working with Trump, Politico asked, "Where did you go to have a meltdown?"
Chao dodged the question, saying it was her "privilege" to "work extra hard" for the country.
