The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Sean Duffy as secretary of the Department of Transportation.

The vote was 77-22, a solid bipartisan showing after his nomination unanimously advanced out of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee last week.

Mr. Duffy, a 53-year-old Wisconsin Republican, served in the House from 2011 to 2019, when he resigned in the middle of his fifth term because he and his wife were about to have a baby who would need extra care due to medical complications, including a heart condition.

Before serving in Congress, Mr. Duffy was part of the cast of MTV’s “The Real World: Boston.” His wife, Fox News contributor Rachel Campos-Duffy, appeared in an earlier season, “The Real World: San Francisco.”

As transportation secretary, Mr. Duffy will focus on air travel safety, a pilot shortage and supply chain issues at ports, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, South Dakota Republican, said.

“He has a proven track record of working with Republicans and Democrats to deliver good infrastructure for the people we all serve,” he said.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Democrat, said she and Mr. Duffy didn’t always agree but were able to work together on infrastructure improvements for their state, including a decades-long battle to build a bridge over the St. Croix River, connecting Wisconsin to Minnesota.

“I expect that he will work with members on both sides of the aisle to improve our infrastructure and address challenges in the years ahead,” she said, explaining her support for his nomination.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat, planned to support Mr. Dufffy’s nomination but ultimately voted against him to protest the Trump administration’s decision to freeze federal funding for a variety of grants and other assistance programs. He said he would vote against other Trump nominees “right now” for the same reason.

“I really feel so deeply and urgently that we have to provide some certainty and security to the people of the United States, that the law will be followed and funding will be provided, payrolls will be met for the suicide prevention programs, for hospitals, for all kinds of essential and immediately necessary programs,” Mr. Blumenthal said. “This is a break-the-glass moment for our democracy.”

• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.