Office of the Under Secretary for Policy

ABOUT US The Under Secretary for Policy serves as a principal advisor to the Secretary and provides leadership in the development of policies for the Department, generating proposals and providing advice regarding legislative and regulatory initiatives across all modes of transportation. The Under Secretary coordinates the Department’s budget development and policy development functions. The Under Secretary also directs transportation policy development and works to ensure that the Nation’s transportation resources function as an integrated national system. By statute, the Under Secretary is third in the Department’s order of succession. The Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy is responsible for recommending overall surface transportation policy initiatives to the Secretary. The office coordinates multi-modal initiatives and processes, such as the development of DOT's proposed reauthorization language, and the coordination of the President's Executive Order on streamlining environmental reviews of transportation infrastructure. The Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs is the principal advisor to the Secretary on domestic and international economic aviation matters and international surface transportation policy and trade. The Assistant Secretary serves as the Department decision maker in proceedings involving the allocation of international aviation route authority, licensing of air carriers, providing air services to rural communities, and grants of antitrust immunity for international aviation alliance activities. In addition, the Assistant Secretary leads the Department’s efforts on international cooperation, export promotion and trade facilitation in transportation.