Kan, who has been a member of Amtrak’s board since 2015, previously served as a policy adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is Chao’s husband. Kan was also a presidential management fellow at the Office of Management and Budget.

If confirmed, Kan would be responsible for providing policy guidance for the agency, including how to deal with emerging technologies. Chao said that the DOT is currently reevaluating self-driving car guidelines that were released by the Obama administration last fall.

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