Chao resigns as DOT secretary in response to Capitol riots

Elaine L. Chao has announced her resignation as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, effective January 11, in response to what she called the "traumatic and entirely avoidable" events that occurred in Washington, D.C. on January 6. Protests turned violent as rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol yesterday during the official electoral count proceedings to certify Joseph Biden as President.

"As I'm sure is the case with many of you, it has deeply troubled me in a way that I simply cannot set aside," Chao said in the tweet. "I am tremendously proud of the many accomplishments we were able to achieve together for our country and I will never forget the commitment you have for this Department and the United States of America. I am hopeful that many of you will carry forward our vision to improve the lives of Americans through this Department and beyond." 

Chao plans to work with her successor, Pete Buttigieg, between now and January 11 to assist with transitioning responsibility of running the transportation department.

One of the most significant undertakings of the Trump-led DOT was following through with changes made to the federal hours of service (HOS) rules, which took effect across the U.S. on September 29, 2020.

Last year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instituted four main changes to the longstanding HOS rules that dictate how much a professional driver can work before taking required off-duty time. The revisions, according to FMCSA officials at the time, were the result of 8,000 public comments the agency received and were made to add “needed flexibility in the lives of America’s truckers.”

At the time, Chao highlighted what she called the “tremendous contributions” of America’s truck drivers since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S.

“Truck drivers have been working around the clock to deliver packages to American families, making sure our food shelves are fully stocked and delivering food and products to businesses, and making sure that needed medical supplies and equipment go to where they need to go. So truckers are really American heroes, especially at a time like this,” she said.

This story is breaking and will be updated as more information becomes available.