If you’ve been watching President Trump’s new cabinet picks, you may have noticed one man who wasn’t in the headlines much before: Mr. Sean Duffy of Wisconsin.

Become a Monthly Ministry Partner today.

View Comments (2)

Mr. Duffy is not new to public service, but he hasn’t been a household name in years past. Now, however, he is in one of the most important positions in the nation: the U.S. Transportation Secretary. He is responsible for overseeing major aspects of our national infrastructure, and he needs our prayers!

First, let’s look at a little bit of background information.

Who is Mr. Sean Duffy?

Sean Duffy actually began his public-facing career in the unusual forum of reality TV, starring on MTV’s The Real World: Boston in 1997, and later on Road Rules: All Stars in 1998. He met his future wife, Rachel Campos (now Rachel Campos-Duffy), on the Road Rules set. (As of this writing, they have nine children together.)

After his stint in reality TV, Duffy got into politics. He represented Wisconsin’s 7^th District in the US House of Representatives from 2011-2019, only resigning in 2019 to help care for his family when his new daughter was born with significant medical needs. During his time in office, he fought for conservative values. In fact, after leaving Congress, IFA presented him and his wife with a Champion for Life Award on the eve of the Dobbs case hearing.

Additionally, according to his official bio, “Prior to serving in Congress, Duffy was the District Attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin, for ten years. There he brought over a hundred cases to trial with an over 90% trial success rate. After leaving Congress, Duffy hosted the Fox Business show, “The Bottom Line with Dagen and Duffy.”

What is Duffy’s background?

Mr. Duffy, the 10^th of 11 children in an Irish Catholic family, hails from Wisconsin. He is actually a world champion lumberjack and holds two titles in that area! He also holds a degree in marketing from St. Mary’s University and a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law.

Why was Duffy chosen for his role?

Pundits have questioned why President Trump would tap Mr. Duffy for the huge role of Secretary of Transportation. Duffy does not have management experience at the level of a huge federal agency.

However, President Trump has pointed out that Duffy is an experienced public servant and a respected communicator. Nevertheless, Mr. Duffy will certainly need prayer, as he faces an aging and, in some cases, completely outdated infrastructure—yet will certainly be blamed if any of it fails.

What challenges is he facing in his role?

One of the biggest challenges Mr. Duffy faces is to get the FAA’s air traffic control computer systems updated. Both the software and the machines that the FAA uses are extremely antiquated, but prior DOT officials have opined that it was too dangerous to try and update them. Fixing these systems is a high priority for this administration.

Mr. Duffy and the new DOT have also already hit the ground running on hiring more air traffic controllers.

The new department has been outspoken in its abolishing of DEI initiatives, which under the prior administration famously even invited people with intellectual challenges to become air traffic controllers, placing potentially mentally unstable people in charge of air safety for thousands of commercial flyers daily. Duffy has stated that this will no longer be allowed.

Going forward, air traffic controllers (ATC) will now be vetted more thoroughly, and only those with aptitude and capacity for handling the high-stress, high-responsibility work of the ATC role will be hired into that career.

Additionally, with President Trump’s aggressive recruitment of key international players in the shipping industry (including shipbuilders), updating and maintaining the safety of our seaports and even inland rail ports will be a key area of focus for Duffy’s new DOT.

How can we pray for Sean Duffy?

First, pray that the Lord would give Duffy and his team great wisdom to discern/uncover any threats to our nation’s transportation system.

Whether the threats are of an intrinsic nature (such as naturally weakening dams or bridges) or an extrinsic nature (such as terrorist threats coming into seaports), pray that information and intelligence would flow to Duffy and the USDOT team without hindrance.

Secondly, ask the Lord to give Mr. Duffy and his team a mighty spirit of valor, so they can and will stand up for what’s right.

Great valor will be required for all the federal departments—and especially the Department of Transportation—to remain focused on their tasks at hand. Duffy has already faced criticism for caring more about safety than “green” initiatives. He will need the Lord’s help to remain focused on safety and infrastructure, rather than getting distracted by conflict that arises from the left-wing agenda (such as climate change, excessive emissions regulations, and so on).

Thirdly, pray that the Lord will put a supernatural grace and ease on the process of updating the FAA’s air traffic control computer systems.

This is a process that could result in significant danger to air traffic if the process is not carried out perfectly. Duffy and all his team—including Elon Musk’s team, which is slated to assist with the software development and deployment—are going to need a huge amount of help from the Lord.

Therefore, pray specifically that zero accidents will occur as a result of this much-needed technological update, and that air safety would increase exponentially.

Finally, pray that our nation’s infrastructure would be updated, safe, and brought into the future in order to help bring prosperity to our land.

From the smallest railroad tie to the busiest airport in the nation, we need open lanes of transportation in order to facilitate the flow of commerce. Ask the Lord to help work on our infrastructure begin, continue, and be completed in every area that will be a blessing to our land.

Friends, every member of President Trump’s cabinet needs our prayers. Mr. Sean Duffy is no exception, and we need to pray that the Lord will help him both preserve public safety AND make the critical updates to infrastructure nationwide that will be a blessing to American families and American commerce.

How are you praying for U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy? Please leave a comment below!

Jamie Rohrbaugh is the founder and CEO of From His Presence, a global discipleship ministry. She has written over 40 books, including The Way Forward: 10 Prayers for Your Journey Into the Promised Land, All Things New, Finding Deep Soul Healing 101, and Healing from Father Wounds. She seeks to equip you to carry God’s manifest glory everywhere you go. Her resources have been published by YouVersion Bible Plans, The Elijah List, Crosswalk, and various other ministry outlets. You can find free mentoring and encouragement on her website or YouTube channel. Download her free prayer tool, 25 Prayers That Will Build Your Life, here. Photo Credit: U.S. Department of Transportation.