President Joe Biden’s pick to run the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration won a key congressional committee’s approval Wednesday, advancing the nominee toward a vote of the full Senate.
Steven Cliff has been the agency’s interim chief since January. He is a former deputy executive officer at the California Air Resources Board, which regulates auto emissions in the Golden State. He navigated through a smooth confirmation vote, although Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., voiced opposition during the markup.
NHTSA, the federal regulator charged with keeping U.S. roads safe, is now in its fifth year without a permanent administrator.