WASHINGTON — Three of the major U.S. transportation safety agencies are without permanent leaders as the nation contends with toxic railway spills, near-collisions on runways and surging traffic deaths.
The Federal Aviation Administration is on its second acting chief in 15 months, while agencies overseeing highways and the transportation of hazardous waste have been without Senate-confirmed leaders for most of the past two years.
The leadership vacuums, blamed on a combination of slow action by the Biden administration and partisan clashes in Congress, extend beyond the top jobs, according to public records, current and former officials, and industry representatives. At the FAA, multiple senior posts overseeing safety and other tasks are also being performed by people in acting roles.
