Joe Biden picks Pete Buttigieg as US transportation secretary
- Pete Buttigieg’s nomination to be transportation secretary caps a meteoric rise for the former small town Indiana mayor
- Buttigieg, 38, is the first Democratic primary campaign rival selected by Joe Biden for his cabinet
US President-elect Joe Biden has chosen Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, to be his transportation secretary, assigning a one-time rival an important role in fulfilling a campaign pledge to “build back better”.
In a statement announcing the pick, Biden described Buttigieg as “a patriot and a problem-solver who speaks to the best of who we are as a nation,” and that he wants him to lead the Transportation Department “because this position stands at the nexus of so many of the interlocking challenges and opportunities ahead of us.
“Jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate all come together at the DOT, the site of some of our most ambitious plans to build back better,” Biden said. “I trust Mayor Pete to lead this work with focus, decency, and a bold vision — he will bring people together to get big things done.”
Biden is scheduled to introduce Buttigieg in an event in Wilmington, Delaware on Wednesday. A former candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, Buttigieg narrowly won the Iowa caucuses but endorsed Biden after dropping out of the race.
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Buttigieg, 38, a military veteran and Harvard University graduate, was mayor of South Bend for two terms, leaving office last January.
The secretary of transportation oversees a budget of almost US$90 billion, the majority of which pays for building roads, bridges and other highway infrastructure. The DOT also manages multiple agencies that regulate aviation, railroads, trucking and pipeline safety.
The position could be pivotal in any attempts by Biden to expand infrastructure spending, as some Democrats are seeking.
The department also is among the federal agencies that could play a significant role in the coronavirus pandemic. The Trump administration has so far not set any health-related rules for travel on planes, railroads and transit systems. In addition, the department could help struggling airlines and transit systems recover from dramatic drops in passengers.