WATCH: Duffy says DOT ‘can do more with less,' amid staffing cuts, flight safety concerns

Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., questioned Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy Wednesday about major staff reductions in his department over the past few months.

“How many departures can you handle without eroding the ability to carry out a safe and effective mission?” asked Womack, who chairs the House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

“We can do more with less, Mr. Chairman,” Duffy responded. “And if we do more with less, that means that we'll have additional money, I think, through this committee, to put back into the infrastructure that so many of us dearly want in our communities.”

Duffy said the department should take advantage of resignations and early retirements to “save the American people money,” but noted that if he needed to hire people back, he would.

Duffy's appearance before the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development comes as key administration officials present their budget requests. Duffy's requests come as significant outages have impacted flights at Newark Liberty International Airport.

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