Senate Approves Chao to Run Transportation Department

The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to confirm Elaine Chao to run the U.S. Transportation Department, the agency that overseas aviation, vehicle, train and pipeline safety.

Chao, a former U.S. Labor secretary and deputy transportation secretary, will face key decisions on how to regulate the growing use of drones and automakers' plans to offer self-driving cars.

She will be a key player in the Trump administration's plans to win approval for a $1 trillion infrastructure proposal over 10 years. The department has a $75 billion annual budget and around 60,000 employees and includes the Federal Aviation Administration, which handles air traffic control.