How has the NTSB fared with DOGE?
Presented by
With help from Chinanu Okoli, Jessie Blaeser and Oriana Pawlyk
QUICK FIX
— DOGE has taken a chainsaw to some federal agencies. But so far, the National Transportation Safety Board has emerged relatively unscathed.
— Goodbye, Elon Musk. Maybe?
— DOT Secretary Sean Duffy is in hot water with the White House as he wades into a looming Senate primary in Michigan.
IT'S MONDAY: You're reading Morning Transportation, your Washington policy guide to everything that moves. We're glad you're here. Send tips, feedback and song lyrics to Sam at sogozalek@politico.com, Chris at cmarquette@politico.com and Oriana at opawlyk@politico.com and follow us at @SamOgozalek, @ChrisMarquette_ and @Oriana0214.
'Well, I started the engine and I gave it some gas/ And Cathy was closing her purse/ Well, we hadn't gone far in my beat-up old car/ And I was prepared for the worst/ 'Will you still see me tomorrow?'/ 'No, I got too much to do'/ Well, a question ain't really a question/ If you know the answer, too.'
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Driving the day
NO MASSIVE UPHEAVAL: Even though Elon Musk is (officially) done with his government role, DOGE's cost-cutting mission continues — and so far, the independent National Transportation Safety Board has not experienced massive disruption like other agencies have. A DOGE team, though, was recently assigned to review the NTSB's contracts, staffing and leases, the agency confirmed to POLITICO. It happened about two weeks ago, the agency said Thursday. (Reuters first wrote of the team's existence.)
— The NTSB declined to comment further, referring other questions to DOGE, whose recently departed spokesperson, Katie Miller, didn't respond to a request for comment. The group also didn't reply to a message sent via X, its preferred communications platform.
SHOW ME THE MONEY: Your MT host examined DOGE's so-called Wall of Receipts, which details its cost-cutting efforts in a sometimes error-riddled fashion, to see how the safety board has fared. DOGE has posted five NTSB contracts it says it has terminated — but has only listed savings in one case: $23,405 for canceling an award to Monica Thakrar Inc., a consulting firm, for 'organizational development services.' (This figure is the difference between the total potential value of the contract and its currently obligated amount. The NTSB had already paid the company $7,519 for its work, according to USA Spending, but on Friday the firm told your MT host that the outlay was actually a bit higher than that: $8,786.)
— DOGE claims $0 in savings for the four other terminations, according to data it published on May 26. These included contracts for LinkedIn software licenses and leadership training.
BREAKING IT DOWN: NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy in March said the agency didn't fire any probationary workers as part of the Trump administration's wide-scale effort earlier in the year to terminate those employees, who have fewer job protections than other federal staff. She added that the NTSB was exempt from a 'deferred resignation' program.
— In a mid-April letter to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, Homendy said the agency crafted a reduction-in-force and reorganization plan and expects to eliminate 14 positions 'through regular attrition,' including one in the Office of Highway Safety and two in the Office of Safety Recommendations and Communications. In the letter, which was seen by POLITICO and first reported by Reuters, Homendy added that she was reviewing all roles to 'ensure they are necessary to efficiently and effectively carry out our public safety mission.' Homendy in March told House appropriators that the agency had 427 employees.
DOGE WATCH
SO LONG ... SORTA?: During an Oval Office news conference Friday billed as a goodbye to Musk, President Donald Trump suggested that the billionaire might continue to drop by as DOGE continues its campaign. 'Elon's really not leaving, he's gonna be back and forth I think, I have a feeling,' Trump told reporters.
— Musk, for his part, said he would remain a friend and 'adviser' to Trump. He added that it was only the beginning for DOGE.
CHECK IT OUT: Debra Kahn, the former California bureau chief for POLITICO who has a background in covering transportation policy, is now a columnist — and her latest piece digs into Musk's relationship with Democrats, and how the party is conflicted over the billionaire's recent pivot to criticizing the GOP's reconciliation megabill.
ELECTION 2026
DUFFY IN THE DOGHOUSE: Trump allies aren't happy with DOT Secretary Sean Duffy for jumping into Michigan's looming Senate primary, with the former congressman headlining a planned Wednesday fundraiser for his friend, Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), who's preparing to run against former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.). Adam Wren has the scoop.
— The move puts Duffy at odds with the National Republican Senatorial Committee and 2024 Trump co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita. 'He did not ask for it to be approved,' a person close to Trump told Adam. A spokesperson for Duffy didn't respond to a request for comment.
APPROPRIATIONS
DIGGING IN: Chris, Sam and Oriana have the latest on DOT's fiscal 2026 budget request, including how the Trump administration wants to slash money for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and is seeking $111.3 billion in 'new budgetary resources,' according to a summary from the agency.
At the Agencies
NOT NOW: Duffy recently said that DOT would conduct a RIF as soon as late May — but on Friday, an agency spokesperson confirmed that the department is holding off on a mass-layoff 'due to ongoing litigation' and will revisit the issue once the 'legal issues are resolved.'
— As MT readers will know, a federal judge in California has temporarily blocked many agencies, including DOT, from carrying out RIFs while a lawsuit brought by the American Federation of Government Employees and other groups plays out. The Justice Department sought a pause of the judge's decision, but an appeals court on Friday denied that motion.
drones
GIVE 'EM A BOOST: A drone industry official told Oriana that the White House is preparing new executive orders that aim to bolster U.S. companies as Chinese rivals dominate the market. They could come as soon as Wednesday, but the strategy remains fluid and is still subject to change. Among other things, the Trump administration wants to speed up rules pending at the FAA that would allow drones to fly farther without an observer present.
Aviation
A BIT CONFUSING: During the news conference with Musk, Trump on Friday said 'we're bidding out' air traffic control systems 'to the best companies in the world.' (This is an apparent reference to Duffy's plan to modernize FAA infrastructure and technology that underpins the national airspace.) DOT is still seeking an unclear amount of funding from Congress to carry out the initiative.
A SIGH OF RELIEF: Duffy in an X post Friday announced that runway construction at Newark Liberty International Airport, which compounded recent communications and radar issues, has wrapped up nearly two weeks ahead of schedule.
NEXT STEPS: In a Sunday court filing, a federal judge in Texas laid out a timeline for the ongoing fraud conspiracy case tied to the 2018 and 2019 Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. (The Trump administration has reached a nonprosecution agreement with the company and has asked the judge to dismiss the case.)
— Victims' families have to file any responses to the motion to dismiss by June 18, and the government and Boeing must file any replies by June 25.
Space
ANOTHER PROBE: The FAA said Friday it will oversee a SpaceX-led mishap investigation of the company's ninth test flight of its Starship craft, which broke up on reentry over the Indian Ocean following a propellant leak. (The vehicle's booster, meanwhile, blew up over the Gulf of Mexico, but the agency isn't requiring Musk's company to look into that as it was purposefully subjecting it to extreme testing.)
— All 'debris landed within the designated hazard areas,' the FAA said, and there were no reports of injuries or property damage. Starship is grounded until the agency is satisfied with SpaceX's inquiry and its work to address whatever happened during the latest flight.
NEW FACES
ICYMI: In the premiere episode of The Conversation, POLITICO White House Bureau Chief Dasha Burns sat down with Mehmet Oz — now leading the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services — for a candid talk on drug prices, potential Medicaid cuts and why he's getting early morning calls from Trump. Watch the full episode on YouTube. And don't miss a moment — subscribe now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to get new episodes when they drop.
The Autobahn
— 'Musk Lobbies Washington to Clear Way for Self-Driving Cars.' Bloomberg.
— 'On the Campaign Trail, Elon Musk Juggled Drugs and Family Drama.' New York Times.
— 'Trump Has Targeted a Plane China Sees as a 'Power' Symbol.' New York Times.
— 'Ford recalls more than 29,000 vehicles in the US, NHTSA says.' Reuters.
— 'Trump says he'll double steel tariff to 50 percent.' POLITICO Pro.
— 'German carmakers promise 'massive' investments in US to dodge Trump tariffs.' POLITICO Pro.
— 'Imports plunge in early sign of Trump tariff impact.' POLITICO.
— 'White House plans to pull nomination for NASA administrator.' POLITICO.
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