Biden selects Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary

Buttigieg, a 38-year-old openly gay military veteran who served in Afghanistan, emerged as an amazing next-generation contender for the Democratic presidential nomination against Mr. Biden and secured a narrow victory in the Iowa caucuses. But this victory was overshadowed by technical problems and to report delays in the groups and faded in subsequent contests.

Mr Biden issued a statement saying Mr Buttigieg had been chosen “because this position is at the root of so many intertwined challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Jobs, infrastructure, equity and climate are joining the DOT”.

Buttigieg served as mayor for two South Bend terms from 2012 to 2020, making urban development and economic revitalization the cornerstones of his administration. He officially began his presidential campaign at a former Studebaker plant in his hometown that was transformed into a technology park during his tenure.

Buttigieg has spent the last few months campaigning for Mr. Biden and, more recently, was under consideration for various roles in the Biden administration. Buttigieg, which represented a city of about 100,000 people, beat several other people with experience in much larger transportation systems, including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Sarah Feinberg, the acting president of the Los Angeles traffic system. New York City, people familiar with the matter.

Biden campaigned for a $ 2 trillion plan to rebuild the nation’s transportation-related infrastructure. Among the campaign’s boldest proposals was a “high-quality, zero-emission” mass traffic call for all U.S. cities with 100,000 or more residents. But it’s unclear how the Biden administration would persuade Congress to fund this effort, especially given the current resistance to financial aid packages for mass transit systems, as they struggle with a driving collapse due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Buttigieg would take on a department whose most critical functions are to establish transportation regulations and distribute large sums of money, primarily to states to fund their respective highway, road, and traffic systems. The largest fund available to the DOT — the $ 43 billion Federal Highway Trust Fund — needs major reform. The fund relies primarily on federal taxes on gasoline and diesel, but the gas tax has not increased since 1993, leading to growing deficits in the fund that Congress has covered with money. from other sources.

If confirmed, Mr. Buttigieg would be the second openly gay cabinet secretary. President Trump appointed Richard Grenell as acting director of National Intelligence in his cabinet earlier this year.

The Human Rights Campaign, an organization advocating for LGBTQ people, said the nomination would be “a reminder to LGBTQ people everywhere that any opportunity is possible.”

Buttigieg, who campaigned as a centrist willing to work across the aisle, helped the former vice president consolidate support and eventually win the party nomination. Buttigieg continued to be a member of Biden’s presidential transition.

During the campaign, Mr. Buttigieg proved to be a prodigious fundraiser. But he struggled to bring together a diverse coalition of voters beyond the well-educated whites who were most attracted to him.

—Tim Puko and Emily Glazer contributed to this article.

Write to Eliza Collins to [email protected]. and Ken Thomas at [email protected]