Senate Commerce Committee Aide to Head NHTSA
David L. Strickland, the senior Democratic counsel to the Senate Commerce Committee since August 2001, is expected to be announced as the Obama administrations nominee to head the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Strickland, a Harvard University Law School graduate, has been a key player on the committee in pressing environmental rules long fought by the U.S. auto industry. He also helped write auto safety legislation and the “Do Not Call” registry law.
Strickland, a longtime congressional aide, also helped write the 2007 energy bill, which hiked passenger car fuel efficiency standards for the first time since they were created in 1975. That measure increased fleetwide fuel efficiency standards by at least 10 mpg over 10 years, to 35 mpg by 2020.
David Kelly, who was NHTSA administrator until Jan. 20 under President George W. Bush, called Strickland a very fair guy who knows auto safety.”
Kelly noted that Strickland, as a Democratic aide, helped work on the 2005 five-year transportation authorization bill. That legislation included several auto safety provisions.
“Even though the Republicans were in control, (Strickland) was one of the main guys getting auto safety provisions in that bill,” he said.
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