A Senate committee will hold confirmation hearings Wednesday for three Department of Transportation appointees, including the man chosen to lead the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will meet to question Derek Barrs, a veteran Florida police officer, nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as FMCSA administrator. He was nominated by Trump in March after Adrienne Camire, who had been named acting FMCSA administrator, abruptly left.
The major trucking organizations have all voiced support for Barr.
Also to face questions from the committee are Jonathan Morrison to be administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Paul Roberti to be administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.
The hearing is set to begin at 10 a.m.and will stream live on the committee's website and its YouTube channel.
Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, is the chair. Maria Cantwell, of Washington is the ranking Democrat.
Trucker busted for having $3 million in cocaine
A New Mexico truck driver was charged in a high-profile drug bust along Interstate 72 in Illinois last week.
Jose Cleofas Cereceres, 42, of Deming, New Mexico, was arrested of trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, and manufacturing or delivering a controlled substance, according to a Morgan County Sheriff's Department report.
Sheriff's deputies said they stopped a Freightliner semi-trailer truck July 10 and found more than 66 pounds of powder cocaine in the cab of the vehicle.
The cocaine has a street value of about $3 million, according to deputies.
Cereceres was being held in the Morgan County jail.
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