The number-two official at the top auto safety agency will be nominated to head the agency.
Heidi King is expected to be confirmed to run the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. King is currently the deputy administrator. King took that post last fall, after serving in the White House budget office, and as chief economist on the House Energy Committee. She enjoys strong support from republicans and by the auto industry trade association.
NHTSA has a number of big auto-safety investigations under way and is currently probing a fatal crash involving a self-driving Uber vehicle in Arizona and a fatal crash involving a Tesla vehicle in “Autopilot mode.”
The biggest issue may be the agency’s plans to soften fuel efficiency increases.