Skift Take
Confirmation hearings can be contentious, but Thursday's hearing to confirm Pete Buttigieg as the nation's first open LGBTQ cabinet member seemed more like a gathering of old friends. But Buttigieg was clear: transportation can play a leading role in bringing the country back.
Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg stressed the important role transportation will play with safety and jobs in the coronavirus pandemic recovery during nearly three hours of testimony before a Senate committee considering his nomination for secretary of transportation.
Emphasizing that safety for both travelers and workers will be his and the department's shared mission, the 39-year-old former presidential candidate was cordial and relaxed while testifying before a bipartisan senate panel deciding his future, telling members he looked forward to working closely with Congress.
"We need to build our economy back better than ever, and the Department of Transportation can play a central role in this, by implementing President Biden's infrastructure vision. By creating millions of good paying jobs revitalizing communities that have been left behind, enabling American small businesses workers, families and farmers to compete and win in the global economy, and tackling the climate crisis," Buttigieg said.
Although the confirmation hearing was delayed and taking place the day after President Joe Biden assumed the helm of the United States without a single confirmed cabinet member, Buttigieg, accompanied by his husband Chasten Buttigieg, has been in talks and meetings with
