Former Transportation Secretary Says Agencies Need Overhaul

A former Transportation Secretary said this week that several federal agencies require substantial reform. In an interview published Monday, the onetime Cabinet member said his service in the prior administration led him to recognize deep flaws in government programs. He added that the agencies should not return to their previous structure.

The former official said the Department of Education could undergo a serious overhaul. He stated that international development aid remains strategically important but that the previous approach at the U.S. Agency for International Development needed major changes. He said it would be wrong to eliminate the agencies outright and equally wrong to restore them unchanged.

The former official described a drive for more efficient government as a concept the party should welcome. He said changes are needed in how money is spent and how services are delivered. He urged colleagues to develop a clear governing vision ahead of future elections rather than relying on dissatisfaction with the current administration.