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Pete Buttigieg will tell senators the country has a “generational opportunity” to invest in infrastructure at his confirmation hearing this morning to become transportation secretary.
I’ll be following along with @mikelaris https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/pete-buttigieg-confirmation/2021/01/21/08cd0f64-5b55-11eb-8bcf-3877871c819d_story.html
I’ll be following along with @mikelaris https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/pete-buttigieg-confirmation/2021/01/21/08cd0f64-5b55-11eb-8bcf-3877871c819d_story.html
Here's the livestream of Buttigieg's confirmation hearing https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2021/1/ni
Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said he's "delighted" that Buttigieg is the first of Biden's nominees the committee will consider.
Says Buttigieg has "Impressive credentials that demonstrate his intellect and commitment to serving our nation."
Says Buttigieg has "Impressive credentials that demonstrate his intellect and commitment to serving our nation."
Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) cites Buttigieg's Smart Streets program in South Bend.
"I hope you will do that for communities across the United States of America," she said.
Background: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/pete-buttigieg-south-bend/2021/01/15/6bb014b2-55d5-11eb-a08b-f1381ef3d207_story.html
"I hope you will do that for communities across the United States of America," she said.
Background: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/pete-buttigieg-south-bend/2021/01/15/6bb014b2-55d5-11eb-a08b-f1381ef3d207_story.html
Buttigieg starts off by introducing his husband @Chasten who is sitting just behind him.
"I'm really proud to have him by my side," Pete Buttigieg said.
He stands to become the first gay cabinet member confirmed by the senate.
"I'm really proud to have him by my side," Pete Buttigieg said.
He stands to become the first gay cabinet member confirmed by the senate.
Buttigieg: "The chance to lead this department at this historic moment is not one I take lightly."
Sen. Wicker starts it off with some train chat, inviting Buttigieg to come to Mississipi where he's trying to restart a gulf coast rail route.
Buttigieg: "I think Americans ought to be able to enjoy the highest standard of passenger rail service."
Buttigieg: "I think Americans ought to be able to enjoy the highest standard of passenger rail service."
Buttigieg basically punts on the knottiest question: how to fund all this proposed infrastructure spending.
"There are a lot of conversations that still need to happen," he said.
"There are a lot of conversations that still need to happen," he said.
As a presidential candidate Buttigieg sounded pretty keen on a new kind of tax that would charge people for how far they drive rather than how much gas they consume.
Now says only that the highway fund needs to get "sustainable and predictable" funding.
Now says only that the highway fund needs to get "sustainable and predictable" funding.
Sen. Cantwell raises the results of an internal FAA survey that found front line safety engineers didn't trust their bosses. Asks Buttigieg if he is willing to make personnel changes. He says he is.
Background: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/faa-survey-finds-employees-under-strong-pressure-from-industry-and-in-fear-of-retaliation-for-raising-safety-concerns/2020/08/07/11cc3dda-d8e0-11ea-930e-d88518c57dcc_story.html
Background: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/faa-survey-finds-employees-under-strong-pressure-from-industry-and-in-fear-of-retaliation-for-raising-safety-concerns/2020/08/07/11cc3dda-d8e0-11ea-930e-d88518c57dcc_story.html
Sen. John Thune (R-SD) says there has to be a way to pay for infrastructure investments. Notes that another committee unanimously approved a bill that raised highway spending 28 percent, but they didn't have to say how to finance it because that's another committee's job...
Buttigieg again mentions need for streets to serve people in and out of cars, and the need to put money behind those kinds of designs.
"Often we've had an autocentric view that has forgotten historically about all the other different modes," he said.
"Often we've had an autocentric view that has forgotten historically about all the other different modes," he said.
Buttigieg says he's got the message from senators about supporting the Essential Air Service, which subsidizes small airports to the tune of hundreds of dollars per passenger, and which the Trump administration wanted to cut back.
Background: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/maryland-airport-goes-to-court-after-getting-booted-from-federal-subsidy-program/2019/12/01/62647ac6-0d5e-11ea-97ac-a7ccc8dd1ebc_story.html
Background: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/maryland-airport-goes-to-court-after-getting-booted-from-federal-subsidy-program/2019/12/01/62647ac6-0d5e-11ea-97ac-a7ccc8dd1ebc_story.html
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) asks about Trump administration moves to preempt state rest rules when it comes to truck drivers in the name of consistency. But it wasn't popular with safety groups and the Teamsters.
Buttigieg says he needs to look into it further.
Buttigieg says he needs to look into it further.
Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) asks Buttigieg about policy on automated vehicles, saying there needs to be regulatory flexibility.
"In many ways policy has not kept up," Buttigieg said, but no real details.
"In many ways policy has not kept up," Buttigieg said, but no real details.
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) calls on Buttigieg to use his position to "clarify that the objective here is to get people where they need to go, not to always to think of widening the aperture through which the maximum number of cars can move at the maximum speed."
First real confrontation in this hearing when Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) asks about Biden's order halting the Keystone XL pipeline and what that means for job losses.
Buttigieg said the president kept a promise and that fighting climate change will ultimately create jobs.
Buttigieg said the president kept a promise and that fighting climate change will ultimately create jobs.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) asks Buttigieg directly whether he supports raising the gas tax. Gets a bit more out of him, with Buttigieg saying it could be raised and tied to inflation and that vehicle miles traveled tax could be option longer term.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) says he's worried about raising the gas tax because the burden ends up falling most heavily on poorer people.
His state is at the forefront of testing miles traveled kind of fees https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2021/01/11/utah-cruises-ahead-with/
His state is at the forefront of testing miles traveled kind of fees https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2021/01/11/utah-cruises-ahead-with/
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) says he's back for his first in person hearing since the pandemic started. Effusively praises Buttigieg: "You have put on a clinic on how a nominee should work and act."
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) also confronts Buttigieg over the Keystone pipeline order: "What do you say to those workers whose jobs have just been eliminated by presidential edict?"
Buttigieg: "Getting this right means ensuring there are more good paying union jobs."
Buttigieg: "Getting this right means ensuring there are more good paying union jobs."
Buttigieg tells Cruz what he sees as the stakes on limiting exploitation of fossil fuels: "When the books are written about our careers one of the main things we'll be judged on is whether we did enough to stop the destruction of life and property due to climate change."
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) mentioned the Corridor H highway project.
Incredibly, it's a bike route. Nevermind complete streets, here's, um, a complete highway.
Incredibly, it's a bike route. Nevermind complete streets, here's, um, a complete highway.
And that's it for Buttigieg's confirmation hearing.
No real fireworks but it was a decent survey of what we can expect from the new administration as it gets to work.
No real fireworks but it was a decent survey of what we can expect from the new administration as it gets to work.
