Elaine Chao
Elaine Lan Chao-McConnell (趙小蘭; born March 26, 1953)[2] is an American politician. She was the 18th United States Secretary of Transportation from January 31, 2017 to January 11, 2021 during the Donald Trump administration.
Elaine Chao | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
趙小蘭 | |||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 18th United States Secretary of Transportation | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office January 31, 2017 – January 11, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||
| President | Donald Trump | ||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Jeffrey A. Rosen Steven G. Bradbury | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Anthony Foxx | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Pete Buttigieg | ||||||||||||||||||
| 24th United States Secretary of Labor | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office January 29, 2001 – January 20, 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||
| President | George W. Bush | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Alexis Herman | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Hilda Solis | ||||||||||||||||||
| 12th Director of the Peace Corps | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office October 8, 1991 – November 13, 1992 | |||||||||||||||||||
| President | George H. W. Bush | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Paul Coverdell | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Carol Bellamy | ||||||||||||||||||
| United States Deputy Secretary of Transportation | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office April 19, 1989 – October 8, 1991 | |||||||||||||||||||
| President | George H. W. Bush | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Mimi Weyforth Dawson | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | James B. Busey IV | ||||||||||||||||||
| Chair of the Federal Maritime Commission | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office April 29, 1988 – April 19, 1989 | |||||||||||||||||||
| President | Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Edward Hickey | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | James Carey | ||||||||||||||||||
| Commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission | |||||||||||||||||||
| In office April 29, 1988 – April 19, 1989 | |||||||||||||||||||
| President | Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush | ||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Edward Hickey | ||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Ming Hsu | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Elaine Lan Chao March 26, 1953 Taipei, Taiwan | ||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Republican | ||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Mitch McConnell (m. 1993) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Parents | James S. C. Chao Ruth Mulan Chu Chao | ||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Mount Holyoke College (BA) Harvard University (MBA) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Net worth | $24 million[1]
| ||||||||||||||||||
She served as the 24th United States Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009, and Deputy Secretary of Transportation under President George H. W. Bush. She was the first Asian-American woman and the first Taiwanese American in U.S. history to be appointed to a U.S. president's cabinet.[3]
Early life
Chao was born in Taipei, Taiwan.[4] Her parents were Ruth Mulan Chu Chao (1930–2007) and James S. C. Chao (born 1927). Her parents immigrated to the United States in 1961. She studied at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and at Harvard University.
United States Secretary of Labor (2001–2009)
Chao was the only cabinet member in the George W. Bush administration to serve for the entirety of his eight years.[5] She was also the longest-serving Secretary of Labor since Frances Perkins, who served from 1933 to 1945, under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.[6]
United States Secretary of Transport (2017–2021)
On November 29, 2016, it was announced that President-elect Donald Trump planned to nominate Chao for Secretary of Transportation when he takes office.[7]
On January 31, 2017, the United States Senate confirmed Chao's nomination with a 93-6 vote.[8] She assumed office on the same day, with Vice President Mike Pence swearing her in.
Following the 2021 United States Capitol attack, Chao announced her resignation as Secretary of Transportation on January 7, 2021. She resigned on January 11, 2021.[9][10]
Personal life
Chao is married to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Elaine Chao Media
Chao in Syosset High School's 1971 yearbook
- OfficeoftheAssistantSecretaryforAdministrationandManagementSecretaryElaineChaoPresentsAwardsattheHonorAwardsCeremonyDPLAbdebabddf(page)(cropped)
Official Secretary of Labor photo
Chao at her confirmation hearing to be Secretary of Transportation
Chao speaking at an event in June 2022
]]
Elaine Chao and her father James S. C. Chao met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2016.
_(cropped).jpg)
.jpg)
References
- ↑ Peterson-Withorn, Chase (December 22, 2016). "Here's What Each Member Of Trump's $4.5 Billion Cabinet Is Worth". Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2016/12/22/heres-how-much-trumps-cabinet-is-really-worth/#3b5c6faf7169.
- ↑ Ancestry.com. U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1 [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Voter Registration Lists, Public Record Filings, Historical Residential Records, and Other Household Database Listings
- ↑ "Press Briefing by Administration Officials on American Competitiveness Initiative", (February 1, 2006), retrieved February 25, 2009
- ↑ First Taiwan-born US Cabinet member revisits her roots on Taipei visit Archived 2017-08-10 at the Wayback Machine, Formosa Television News, 2014/11/14
- ↑ "Chao becomes fifth-longest-serving Secretary of Labor". Peace Corps Online. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
- ↑ "US Department of Labor History". Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
- ↑ CNN, Phil Mattingly and David Wright. "Trump picks Elaine Chao for transportation secretary". CNN. Retrieved 2016-11-29.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ↑ "US Senate Roll Call Vote PN35". United States Senate. January 31, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
- ↑ Kaitlan Collins; Jeremy Diamond (January 7, 2021). "Elaine Chao resigns as transportation secretary in wake of riot". CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/politics/elaine-chao-cabinet-resignation-trump/index.html. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
- ↑ Rehman, Fareeha (2021-01-07). "Elaine Chao first Trump Cabinet member to resign after Capitol riot" (in en-US). KRON4. https://www.kron4.com/news/national/elaine-chao-first-trump-cabinet-member-to-resign-after-capitol-riot/. Retrieved 2021-01-07.
Other websites
Media related to Elaine Chao at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Heritage Foundation profile Archived 2009-07-24 at the Wayback Machine
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Elaine Chao history at Department of Labor Archived 2014-04-07 at the Wayback Machine
- Elaine Chao Archived 2017-01-14 at the Wayback Machine Video produced by Makers: Women Who Make America
- msb.georgetown.edu Archived 2015-06-11 at the Wayback Machine