WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate has confirmed Elaine Chao as U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

Chao, who was Deputy Secretary of Transportation under President George HW Bush, was Secretary of Labor under George W. Bush.

Reports suggest she wants to lean more heavily on public-private partnerships and reduce regulatory barriers for private companies involved in them.

The new transportation secretary faced several questions about autonomous vehicles during confirmation hearings early this month.

“What we are seeing is, obviously, technology outstripping the consumer ability to accept and understand that technology,” she said. “It behooves all of us, as a country and as a society, to bring greater familiarity and greater comfort for passengers and other stakeholders who will be eventual users of this technology – to understand the benefits, the limitations, and what it means going forward in the future.”

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America was among the first industry associations to offer congratulations.

“Today, we find ourselves in the midst of a whirlwind period of innovation in transportation-driven by swift advances in cloud computing, automation, robotics and artificial intelligence. This, in turn, is changing the fundamental makeup of entire industries,” Regina Hopper, ITS America president and Chief Executive Officer, wrote in a congratulatory letter. “Our members would like to work closely with you to build a transportation infrastructure that is the technological envy of the world-a national system that drives economic growth, enhances global competitiveness, advances safety, and improves mobility.”

NATSO, an association of travel plazas and truck stops, said it looked forward to finding sustainable solutions for the Highway Trust Fund that is behind infrastructure investments. “Specifically, we hope that the Department of Transportation will eschew such revenue schemes as tolling and commercializing rest areas, both of which harm interstate exit-based businesses, the local communities that they support and consumers,” the group said.

“We look forward to addressing all the vital issues involving small-business truckers and highway safety regulations,” added Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) executive vice president Todd Spencer. “Chao’s previous experience should assist in successfully bringing an infrastructure bill from discussion to reality.”