Here’s What ‘Mayor Pete’ Faces as Transportation Secretary

Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., who made a run at the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination and put his name into the national spotlight, has been nominated by President-Elect Joe Biden as the new Secretary of the Department of Transportation.

"Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a patriot and a problem-solver who speaks to the best of who we are as a nation," Biden said. "I am nominating him for Secretary of Transportation because this position stands at the nexus of so many of the interlocking challenges and opportunities ahead of us."

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Does it ever.

Buttigieg would be the first openly gay Cabinet secretary confirmed by the Senate if he passes the nomination hearings next month. But ‘Mayor Pete’ faces myriad issues. Some are new – the financial problems wrought by the nearly year-long fight against the coronavirus has devastated the airlines, cruise industry, Amtrak and mass transit. And some are old – infrastructure in the U.S., from highways to railways to airports, is decaying.

Railways, especially, are near and dear to Biden’s heart. For years, while serving as a United States Senator, Biden commuted daily on Amtrak between Delaware and Washington D.C. Amtrak was facing a budget cut for 2021 under President Trump; in all likelihood, Biden and Buttigieg will work together to at least keep Amtrak’s current budget, if not increase it.

In fact, when Buttigieg ran for President, he announced policy platforms that included a $1 trillion initiative to repair and rebuild the country’s rails, roads, bridges, tunnels and airports. And, again, he is on the same page as Biden, who wants a $1.3 trillion budget over 10 years to make the needed investment in infrastructure.

As for the financially plagued airlines and cruise lines, Buttigieg is known as a fan of aviation. It’s likely he will recommend funding to improve airports assuming the vaccine helps fearful travelers return to flying again.

Currently, the airlines are operating at about 40 percent capacity compared to this time last year. A bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers has proposed a $908 billion stimulus package that looks like it could be voted on before year’s end. If so, it includes $17 billion for airlines, which have already been forced to lay off more than 30,000 employees. If not, Buttigieg and Biden will have another issue in front of them.