The Honorable Daniel B. Maffei was first appointed to the Federal Maritime Commission by President Obama in July 2016, and he has since been reappointed by President Trump in 2019 and President Biden in 2024.  Commissioner Maffei is currently serving in a term that expires in June 2027.

He served as Chairman of the Commission during the four years of the Biden Administration, including during the COVID related supply chain crisis.  Maffei’s efforts helped secure broad bipartisan and bicameral support for the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) of 2022.  Maffei then established many reforms and organizational improvements at the Federal Maritime Commission to implement the legislation and supporting policies.

As Chairman and Commissioner, Maffei has shown a particular interest in addressing the vulnerability of the global transportation system to industry-wide economic and security risks. He has spoken at national and international conferences on the changing nature of international shipping due to technological advances and the pressures that newer and larger ocean-going freight carriers have placed on U.S. transportation infrastructure.

Prior to serving on the Commission, Maffei had been twice elected to the United States Congress representing a district comprising his hometown of Syracuse, NY, and the surrounding region.  Prior to his Congressional service, Maffei worked in the private sector, in television news, and as a staff person for two prominent U.S. Senators and the powerful U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.

Commissioner Maffei received his college degree from Brown University and holds master’s degrees from Columbia and Harvard.