Is Mayor Pete Buttigieg Ready For His New Job?

Joe Biden has been busy putting together his cabinet.  He recently appointed former South Bend, IN Mayor Pete Buttigieg to the position of Transportation secretary.  What makes up Mr. Buttigieg’s background and is he the best fit for the position?

To begin with, Mr. Buttigieg graduated from Harvard University and the University of Oxford, respectively.  He first got involved in politics while he was in college.  He is an active advisor on the Truman National Security Project (Biography.com).  

A U.S. Navy Reserve officer, Mr. Buttigieg was called upon to serve in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2014 (Biography.com).

Mr. Buttigieg ran in the 2020 election, but ultimately dropped out in March.  He ran on ideas that involved an optional medicare system, a depoliticized U.S. Supreme Court, and The Douglass Plan, which was created to help the African-American community in multiple ways (Biography.com).

In regard to the position of Transportation secretary, Mr. Buttigieg does have experience with the field.  According to Biography.com, “He created programs to repair and clean up abandoned buildings, assisted low-incoming housing and promoted urban development projects.”

In a recent interview with MSNBC, Mr. Buttigieg was asked about what his vision was for the U.S.’s transportation and infrastructure.  He said that everything begins with safety and that that is his highest priority, taking that ideology over one that favors the appearance of infrastructure more than safety.  He also sees this job split into three parts: climate, equity, and jobs. 

In the interview, Mr. Buttigieg said, “With the wealth and the capacity and the talent of our country, we should be leading the world when it comes to transportation infrastructure, not catching up.”  

He also included that “Just about every job in America today is either directly or indirectly supported in someway by transportation by infrastructure.”

Biography.Com, Editors. “Pete Buttigieg.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 14 Sept. 2020, http://www.biography.com/political-figure/pete-buttigieg. 

 MSNBC. “Buttigieg: I’m Mindful of What My Nomination Means Historically.” MSNBC, NBCUniversal News Group, 23 Dec. 2020, http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/buttigieg-i-m-mindful-of-what-my-nomination-means-historically-98321477956.