Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx appeared today before a Senate committee as his confirmation hearing began this afternoon on Capitol Hill. President Obama nominated the two-term Charlotte mayor last month to replace the retiring Ray LaHood as U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Senators will likely delve into his transit reforms in Charlotte during the hearing.
In his opening statement, Foxx told the committee a story about going to his first job at age 12 by taking the number six bus after school.
鈥淭he number six connected me to the larger world of opportunity,鈥� Foxx said. 鈥淎nd I truly believe that whether it is a bus, a road, a train, a plane or a ship...our transportation system at its best connects our people to jobs and a better quality of life.鈥�
Senators will seek opinions from Foxx on transportation matters such as mass transit and air-traffic control. He was formally introduced to the by both of North Carolina's senators: Republican Richard Burr and Democrat Kay Hagan.
