Pete Buttigieg, the 2020 presidential candidate that took America by storm, has been nominated to be Joe Biden’s Secretary of Transportation in his Cabinet. If confirmed by the Senate, this would make Buttigieg the first openly-gay Cabinet member to be approved through the Senate.
Biden sees many qualities in Buttigieg that would make him perfect for the job. For starters, his time as mayor means he knows how cities function. He knows the transportation issues that many cities face around the country as well as what tactics have and haven’t worked from his own experience.
In fact, The United States Conference of Mayors wrote a statement applauding Biden for choosing a mayor to lead the transportation department, saying,
“The nation’s mayors applaud President-elect Joe Biden’s selection of Pete Buttigieg as the next Secretary of Transportation. As a former mayor, he is acutely aware of the infrastructure challenges facing cities across the country and the impact they have on the health of the economy, the environment and the quality of people’s lives. We also appreciate that President-elect Biden continues to make working with mayors a priority.”
Many in the nation are looking forward to a real leader working as the head of the transportation department. The current Secretary of Transportation is Mitch McConnel’s wife, Elaine Chao, who has notoriously done nothing during her tenure and is even wrapped up in numerous scandals about profiteering from her position.
Groups such as the Transportation Workers Union have even written entire memos discussing the absolute lack of leadership or help the transportation department has actually given to things like…transportation and infrastructure.Â
Buttigieg is just one of many notable firsts for inclusivity and diversity within the Biden Cabinet.
