We all drive on the nation's roads, and many of us fly the commercial airlines. Too many of us deal with deteriorating highways and we are all keenly aware of dangerous incidents with airliners and air traffic control in recent months. The federal agency responsible for oversight of these matters has suffered for four years under inept and ineffective leadership, but that's changing now. In another serious upgrade from the former administration, the Senate has confirmed former Republican Congressman from Wisconsin and Fox Business host Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation by a vote of 77-22.

The U.S. Senate confirmed Sean Duffy on Tuesday as secretary of Transportation, clearing the way for another of President Donald Trump's Cabinet officials to start working on plans to improve traffic safety, cut regulations on construction projects and restore public confidence in Boeing.

Duffy was confirmed by a vote of 77 to 22.

In nominating Duffy to his post, Trump said the former Wisconsin Republican lawmaker would use his experience and relationships from eight years in Congress to rebuild the country’s infrastructure and improve travel safety.

Mr. Duffy replaces the inept and ineffective Pete Buttigieg, the former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who was known locally (and not favorably) as "Pothole Pete." Duffy has already laid out several priorities for when he assumes his new role. One of his priorities, rightly, is eliminating wasteful red tape. That's appropriate; in these as in so many matters, the best thing the government can do for major infrastructure projects is to stay out of the way.

At his confirmation hearing on Jan. 15, Duffy said he would prioritize road safety to reduce fatalities on American roadways, noting there are more than 40,000 deaths in traffic accidents each year.

Duffy, 53, said another priority is to focus on large construction projects and reduce the red tape that he said “slows critical infrastructure projects.”

Duffy said that the country needs more air traffic controllers to improve aviation. He promised to work with the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates Boeing, and Congress to restore international confidence in the plane manufacturer after fatal crashes overseas.

It's safe to assume that, unlike during Mayor Pete's term in South Bend, under Mr. Duffy's leadership, potholes won't be a problem.

Previously on RedState: Duffy Is a Done Deal for Secretary of Transportation After Senate Hearing

Confirmation Hearing Preview: Secretary of Transportation Nominee Sean Duffy on the Docket

Duffy's predecessor was notoriously incapable and ineffective. Buttigieg's term as Secretary of Transportation was marked by failure, from his inability to deal with port issues during the massive supply-chain crisis - at one point, a quarter-million cargo containers were floating off our West Coast ports, waiting to be unloaded - to his disappearing from the job for months on "paternity leave."

Sean Duffy represents a serious upgrade. It could scarcely be otherwise.

While roads, other than the U.S. highways and interstate highways, are primarily a state issue, the federal government is heavily involved with the redistribution of revenues for road maintenance. The Transportation Department is also responsible for oversight of air traffic, ports, and vehicle/aircraft standards.

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