Marc Molinaro, who represented New York’s 19th Congressional District for one term, has been nominated to head the Federal Transit Administration, an agency housed under the Department of Transportation that supports local public transportation systems across the United States.

Molinaro, who represented Greater Binghamton in the U.S. House of Representatives before his defeat last November, will require confirmation from the U.S. Senate before taking office. The Federal Transit Administration spends around $20 billion each year on supporting nationwide public transportation. Rumors of Molinaro’s appointment were first reported by The Gothamist, a nonprofit New York City news blog operated by New York Public Radio.

The nomination was received by the Senate on Feb. 3 and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

The Transport Workers Union of America, in a Feb. 4 statement supporting the nomination, said: “Marc Molinaro was a strong advocate for public transit in downstate New York while serving in Congress.”

Before he was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022, Molinaro served as Dutchess County executive for 10 years. He served in the New York State Assembly from 2007 to 2011 and ran for governor in 2018 as the Republican nominee against then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“We are all better off when Marc Molinaro is serving the public,” wrote Benji Federman, the chair of the Broome County Republicans. “He’s been making government work effectively for over 30 years and we’re excited to see all he’ll accomplish for New Yorkers in the federal administration.”

Molinaro and the Trump administration could shape the future of public transit programs — particularly in New York City. The former congressman has been a strong opponent of the city’s congestion pricing plan, which requires drivers who enter Manhattan at or below 60th Street to pay $9 during peak hours. Trump said in November that the policy “will put New York City at a disadvantage over competing cities and states.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy sent a letter to Trump last week encouraging him to review the scheme, which received final approval from the Metropolitan Transit Authority in November.

The New York Times and other outlets recently reported that the Trump administration is considering ways to pause or roll back congestion pricing, with Trump himself speaking to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul twice. Trump reportedly told Hochul that “no immediate action” on congestion pricing would occur and that they should speak again. Any action taken will likely result in a legal battle in federal court.

Congestion pricing was first approved by the Federal Highway Administration in 2023. The plan was scheduled to go into effect last year on June 30 before Hochul delayed its implementation, citing concerns over whether the plan would interfere with the city’s recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the original plan, drivers would have paid $15 to enter below 60th Street. Hochul announced her intention to move forward with congestion pricing a week following the November election when Democrats won back several competitive House seats on Long Island, the Hudson Valley and the Syracuse region.

“As I said from the start, a $15 toll was just too high in this economic climate,” Hochul said in a November statement. “That’s why our plan cuts the daytime toll to $9 for cars. By getting congestion pricing underway and fully supporting the MTA capital plan, we’ll unclog our streets, reduce pollution and deliver better public transit for millions of New Yorkers.”

A bipartisan group of government officials representing the city’s outer boroughs — led by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Staten Island Republican — sent a letter to Trump last week calling congestion pricing a “cash grab” that would allocate money to a “mismanaged and bloated agency that has treated New York commuters as bottomless ATMs.” The letter asked Trump to order the Department of Transportation to consider reversing the federal government’s approval of the plan, maintaining that an environmental impact statement should be issued studying the effects of “redirected traffic and pollution” on city residents living outside Manhattan.

Responding to the letter, Molinaro called for an overhaul of the MTA in a post on X last week.

“There is a clear path to undoing the State’s cash grab,” Molinaro wrote. “The MTA is in desperate need of reform, transparency & accountability. Hardworking NYers & New Jerseyans aren’t an ATM for this bloated bureaucracy. Safety, accountability, accessibility & efficiency first!”