Top NHTSA Official to Leave Agency

Heidi King, deputy administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is planning to leave the agency as soon as next week.

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August 9, 2019

Top NHTSA Official to Leave Agency — Heidi King plans to leave NHTSA, which would leave the agency with its top two positions unfilled.
Photo via NHTSA.

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Heidi King, deputy administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is planning to leave the agency as soon as next week, reports E&E News.

King is reportedly frustrated with her stalled confirmation to lead the agency. She has served as the de-facto top official since Mark Rosekind stepped down as administrator shortly before Trump's inauguration. Trump tapped King to lead NHTSA in April 2018, but her nomination has stalled in the Senate.

King has been the chief architect of Trump's plan to roll back Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards from Obama-era levels. NHTSA and the U.S. EPA are planning to freeze CAFE standards at 2020 levels through the 2026 model year. That would allow vehicles to drive 35 mpg on average by 2025 rather than the 50 mpg mandated by Obama.

Topics:Donald Trump NHTSA CAFE Standards Safety

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