[1][2] He was also acting U.S. secretary of transportation under President Donald Trump for 11 days in 2017 until the Senate confirmed the appointment of Elaine Chao to the position.

Huerta received his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Riverside and his master's in international relations from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

[citation needed] Huerta was commissioner of New York City's Department of Ports, International Trade and Commerce from 1986 to 1989[citation needed] before leaving to serve as executive director of the Port of San Francisco until 1993.

[citation needed] From 1993 to 1998 he held senior positions at the United States Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., serving under secretaries Federico Peña and Rodney E. Slater during the administration of President Bill Clinton.

[7] On December 6, 2011, Huerta became acting administrator of the FAA upon the resignation of Randy Babbitt.