An airline lobbyist and longtime loyalist to President
Democrats on the Senate Commerce Committee will likely scrutinize Trent Morse over his recent lobbying for
Confirmation by the full Senate would give Trump input on reshaping additional public works in his image following efforts at the White House and federal buildings nationwide. Morse said in an interview with Bloomberg Government he wants to champion the modernization of Dulles International Airport on behalf of the president.
“I’m dedicated to making sure that Dulles is the world-class facility that it should be,” he added. “The fact that we have people movers still being used since the 60s, it’s an embarrassment.”
Morse, who left the Trump administration in September to start Morse Strategies and partner with lobbying firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, would join the board as congressional Republicans consider legislation (H.R. 691) that would rename Dulles airport after Trump.
“It’s under Congress’s purview,” Morse said. “I support anything that Congress passes.”
Interest Conflicts
Morse said he would continue working as a lobbyist, but would drop American Airlines and FedEx as clients if he’s confirmed for a six-year board term. Both companies have extensive operations at Dulles.
“I don’t have any other clients that would conflict with anything, but I would not take any client in the future that potentially could conflict,” he added.
Board member Alex Vogel is also a registered lobbyist.
Trump Firings
Morse had roles with Trump’s transition team last year and worked as a special assistant at the Transportation Department during the first Trump administration. Before that he worked at the Florida Department of Transportation.
Democrats at the Wednesday hearing will likely focus on his time in the White House Presidential Personnel Office earlier this year, where he was Trump’s go-to staffer for notifying officials that they were fired. That includes the legally challenged dismissal of NTSB Vice Chair Alvin Brown, a Democrat who sued to remain in his position.
The committee will consider the nomination of a potential replacement — John DeLeeuw, an executive at American Airlines — on Thursday. Democrats argue his nomination endangers traditional bipartisan norms on the committee, especially considering Trump hasn’t named any members of the opposing party to independent boards during his second term despite legal requirements.
‘Personal Passion’
Ryan McCormack and Daniel Edwards will face the committee alongside Morse for their respective nominations to be undersecretary of transportation for policy and assistant secretary of transportation for aviation and international affairs.
Democrats might also question Morse’s lack of experience working on issues directly tied to airports, though other board members lacked such credentials before the governors of Virginia, Maryland, or the mayor of Washington, DC named them to the board.
“It’s a personal passion of mine,” Morse said of airports. “I’m just as qualified as anyone else on the board, and I look forward to being the president’s representative on the board.”
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