Government Affairs

About Us

The Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs is the principal advisor to the Secretary, Deputy Secretary and senior staff with respect to legislative affairs, Congressional relations, and policy matters affecting Federal, state and local governments, and public and private interest groups.

• Staff Directory

The Office is responsible for coordinating Congressional and intergovernmental relations activities involving modal offices to ensure the effective and accurate presentation of the Department’s views. The Office cooperates with the Office of General Counsel, the Office of Transportation Policy, and modal offices in developing the Department’s position on all relevant legislative matters.

Useful Links

• The Official Blog of the U.S. Department of Transportation
• Briefing Room
• Grants
• FAST Act
• State DOT Websites
• Resources for Tribes and Tribal Governments

Updates

Testimony, Legislation & Reports

• Significant Congressional Testimony
• Selected Legislative Proposals to Congress
• Agency Reports to Congress
• DOT Budget and Performance Information

State and Local Organization Websites

• National Governors Association
• National Conference of State Legislatures
• Council of State Governments
• National Association of Counties
• U.S. Conference of Mayors
• National League of Cities
• International City/County Management Association
• American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
• American Public Transportation Association
• Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
• National Association of Regional Councils

Requests for Information

Upon receipt of a Congressional inquiry addressed to the Secretary, the Office of Governmental Affairs:

• Forwards the correspondence to the Department’s Executive Secretariat to assign the action item to the appropriate office or OA.
• The Executive Secretariat reviews draft responses to inquiries,  circulates the information between all relevant offices for review, and tracks the correspondence to ensure timely responses.
• The final response letter is signed by the Secretary or OA Administrator and then mailed via the United States Postal Service.
• Finally, the Office of Governmental Affairs  forwards an electronic copy of the letter to the Congressional office that made the inquiry.