[Senate Hearing 117-701]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 117-701
NOMINATION OF PETER BUTTIGIEG,
NOMINEE TO BE SECRETARY,
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE,
SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
JANUARY 21, 2021
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available online: http://www.govinfo.gov
______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
53-057 WASHINGTON : 2023
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington, Chair
AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota ROGER WICKER, Mississippi, Ranking
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii ROY BLUNT, Missouri
EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts TED CRUZ, Texas
GARY PETERS, Michigan DEB FISCHER, Nebraska
TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin JERRY MORAN, Kansas
TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
JON TESTER, Montana MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee
KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona TODD YOUNG, Indiana
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada MIKE LEE, Utah
BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
JOHN HICKENLOOPER, Colorado SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West
RAPHAEL WARNOCK, Georgia Virginia
RICK SCOTT, Florida
CYNTHIA LUMMIS, Wyoming
David Strickland, Staff Director
Melissa Porter, Deputy Staff Director
George Greenwell, Policy Coordinator and Security Manager
John Keast, Republican Staff Director
Crystal Tully, Republican Deputy Staff Director
Steven Wall, General Counsel
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Hearing held on January 21, 2021................................. 1
Statement of Senator Wicker...................................... 1
Statement of Senator Cantwell.................................... 2
Statement of Senator Young....................................... 4
Statement of Senator Thune....................................... 26
Statement of Senator Klobuchar................................... 28
Statement of Senator Blunt....................................... 29
Statement of Senator Blumenthal.................................. 31
Statement of Senator Fischer..................................... 33
Statement of Senator Schatz...................................... 34
Statement of Senator Markey...................................... 36
Statement of Senator Sullivan.................................... 37
Statement of Senator Peters...................................... 39
Statement of Senator Blackburn................................... 41
Statement of Senator Baldwin..................................... 42
Statement of Senator Scott....................................... 44
Statement of Senator Duckworth................................... 45
Statement of Senator Lee......................................... 47
Statement of Senator Tester...................................... 49
Statement of Senator Cruz........................................ 51
Statement of Senator Sinema...................................... 53
Statement of Senator Capito...................................... 54
Statement of Senator Rosen....................................... 56
Witnesses
Peter Buttigieg, Nominee to be Secretary, U.S. Department of
Transportation................................................. 4
Prepared statement........................................... 6
Biographical information..................................... 7
Appendix
Response to written questions submitted to Peter Buttigieg by:
Hon. Amy Klobuchar........................................... 63
Hon. Richard Blumenthal...................................... 64
Hon. Edward Markey........................................... 66
Hon. Gary Peters............................................. 68
Hon. Tammy Duckworth......................................... 69
Hon. Jon Tester.............................................. 70
Hon. Kyrsten Sinema.......................................... 71
Hon. Jacky Rosen............................................. 72
Hon. Roger Wicker............................................ 73
Hon. John Thune.............................................. 78
Hon. Roy Blunt............................................... 79
Hon. Deb Fischer............................................. 82
Hon. Jerry Moran............................................. 82
Hon. Dan Sullivan............................................ 83
Hon. Shelley Moore Capito.................................... 90
Hon. Todd Young.............................................. 92
Hon. Rick Scott.............................................. 94
Hon. Marsha Blackburn........................................ 95
NOMINATION OF PETER BUTTIGIEG,
NOMINEE TO BE SECRETARY,
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
----------
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:02 a.m., in
room SR-253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Roger Wicker,
Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
Present: Senators Wicker [presiding], Thune, Blunt, Cruz,
Fischer, Sullivan, Blackburn, Capito, Lee, Young, Scott,
Cantwell, Klobuchar, Blumenthal. Schatz, Markey, Peters,
Baldwin, Duckworth, Tester, Sinema, and Rosen.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ROGER WICKER,
U.S. SENATOR FROM MISSISSIPPI
The Chairman. This hearing will come to order. And because
of the technicality that a power sharing agreement has not yet
been signed between the Majority Leader and the Minority
Leader, I am chairing this hearing today. And I want to thank
Senator Cantwell for her cooperation as we move toward a
transition, and perhaps for the next hearing, will have a
symbolic passing of the gavel.
But I want to convey my commitment and expectation that as
we move forward, we will continue to work together in a
bipartisan manner on the vital issues that come before this
committee. In the last Congress, that bipartisan approach led
to more than 50 public laws being enacted out of this
committee. This cooperative spirit will extend to the
confirmation process for President Biden [technical problems]
and I am absolutely delighted today that the first of these
nominees submitted for our consideration is Mayor Pete
Buttigieg to be Secretary of Transportation. Mayor Buttigieg
has impressive credentials which demonstrate his intellect and
commitment to serving our Nation.
As a former local elected official, he will bring a
valuable perspective to the Department of Transportation
regarding the transportation infrastructure needs and
challenges of towns and cities throughout our country. His
educational background as a Harvard graduate and Rhodes Scholar
at Oxford University will serve our country well as we address
our Nation's transportation policy priorities. I also want to
thank him for his service as an intelligence officer in the
U.S. Navy Reserve. Also, at this point, I want to thank
outgoing Secretary, former Secretary of Transportation Elaine
Chao for the professional and principled manner in which she
has directed the Department for the past 4 years. And I salute
her on her accomplishments as a once again a member of a
Presidential cabinet.
I look forward to hearing from Mayor Buttigieg today on his
and President Biden's goals for the Department of
Transportation should he be confirmed as Secretary, and I am
quite certain he will be confirmed. I know this is only the
beginning of our dialog about key matters, including
implementation of the momentous COVID legislation passed by
Congress, which provides assistance to key transportation
sectors such as aviation, infrastructure investment on how to
improve infrastructure in small towns and rural communities,
including using financing tools such as advanced refunding or
creating taxable infrastructure bonds, promoting transportation
safety in coordination with State and local Governments and
other stakeholders, further advancing transportation innovation
including autonomous vehicles and drones, building upon our
transportation networks including our ports, highways, and rail
systems, including our National passenger rail system, Amtrak.
And in that connection, addressing one of my top
priorities, restoring Amtrak service along the Gulf Coast,
where it was halted after Hurricane Katrina some 15 years ago.
These issues are significant for all Mississippians and all
Washingtonians and all Americans, and I am grateful that Mayor
Buttigieg is here today to provide these views and I am
grateful that he is willing to serve.
I want to thank Mayor Buttigieg for testifying today. And
at this point, I turn to my dear friend and colleague, the soon
to be Chair of this Committee, Senator Cantwell.
STATEMENT OF HON. MARIA CANTWELL,
U.S. SENATOR FROM WASHINGTON
Senator Cantwell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I certainly
appreciate the great collegial working relationship that we
have established thus far, and I look forward to growing it in
this Congress. As you know, we were able to work together
productively and passed landmark aviation safety legislation
and many other pieces of legislation, including the Coast Guard
bill that moved out of this committee and then onto other
moving legislation and successfully implemented into law. So,
thank you for that productivity among other legislative
priorities. I do want to take a second, since we have both the
members of our committee who were able to successfully pull off
yesterday's celebration, just thank Senators Blunt and
Klobuchar for getting us safely through yesterday and having
the magnificent celebration that it was--.
The Chairman. Here, here.
Senator Cantwell. And look forward to working with them.
And certainly, want to, again, thank, as you mentioned,
Secretary Chao for her work on many transportation priorities.
I think this committee is a hallmark of bipartisan cooperation.
A lot of the subjects we deal with are just hard problems to
solve. And we have been able to continue to work together in a
bipartisan fashion so I hope that will continue. And I think
transportation, of all the sectors that we deal with,
transportation should be one of those which we should be able
to use facts and information and come together on priorities.
So, I am very excited that the President has nominated Mayor
Pete Buttigieg to run the Transportation agency, and I look
forward to his vision in leading that Department of
Transportation.
As a Mayor, I know you are no stranger to the challenges
that a region faces on transportation infrastructure issues. I
know that you are National recognition for your Smart Streets
project that created a safe environment for all road users. The
project resulted in over $100 million in private sector
investment. You used your experience as Mayor to help forge
that, and I hope that you will do that for communities across
the United States of America. For us in the State of
Washington, we are a big export state. Not only do we export
our own products, so everything from cherries and wheat and
apples and airplanes, but we also are a big pass through for
many of the Midwest agricultural products reaching Asian
destinations.
So, to say that we need infrastructure investment is an
understatement. The growth of the Pacific and the demand for
U.S. products is a good problem to have. We just need to deal
with the bottlenecks. And congestion in Puget Sound is at
record levels. We need to address projects like the I-5
Columbia River Bridge replacement, the West Seattle Bridge
replacement, the North South Corridor in Spokane. And we need
to make infrastructure investment all around the United States
of America, including in public transportation. Projects like
sound transit are facing a $1 billion shortfall as a result of
COVID-19, which jeopardizes the much-needed investment
throughout Puget Sound. Today marks the 1-year anniversary of
the first case of the COVID pandemic with a man from Everett,
Washington being tested positive. One of the most impacted
sectors in the United States, not the only sector, but one of
the most impacted sectors in the United States has been
transportation. The Chairman alluded to the fact that this
committee played a very aggressive role in trying to come up
with solutions for the impacts to the transportation sector,
whether that was aviation or most recently with infrastructure
and with Amtrak. But that will continue.
The needs to move product and people will continue whether
we have a COVID pandemic or not, and so I hope that you will
help us in facing these shortfalls. I also want to point out
that, as I mentioned, the movement of freight is particularly
important, and we will look forward to your leadership in
moving--improve ways to move freight around the United States.
I continue to think that the legislation that ended up being
INFRA Grant Program was very helpful to states across the
United States. And I just want to mention the fact that
aviation safety and security and the legislation that this
committee passed and was implemented into law has to now be
administered by the Department of Transportation and the FAA.
So, we are going to be looking for your leadership, your
success, and holding them accountable to the many aspects of
that legislation and helping us move forward.
If we want to be the leaders in the United States of
America on aviation, we have to be the leaders in aviation
safety as well. So, we will look for your leadership on that.
So, Mr. Chairman, I am excited about this nominee's ability to
help us focus on transportation issues and look forward to
seeing his leadership at the Department. Thank you.
The Chairman. Thank you very much, Senator Klobuchar. And
at this point, it is my pleasure to recognize our distinguished
colleague from the State of Indiana, a member of this
committee, Senator Young, to introduce our witness.
STATEMENT OF HON. TODD YOUNG,
U.S. SENATOR FROM INDIANA
Senator Young. Well, hello, Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member
Cantwell, members of the Committee. It is my distinct pleasure
to introduce a fellow Hoosier as President Biden's nominee for
Secretary of Transportation, Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Pete and I
have known one another for a number of years. He is a
professional friend and colleague and someone for whom I have a
great deal of respect. On the off chance that members of this
committee were not paying attention during the 2020
Presidential Democratic primaries, I will quickly recap Mayor
Buttigieg's background. He was born in South Bend, Indiana,
where he went on to serve as Mayor for two terms from 2012 to
2020.
And as Mayor, he invested in important infrastructure
improvements and facilitated public/private partnerships that
made those dollars go much further. Indiana has long been a
leader in these public/private partnerships, a model that will
be very important for future infrastructure investments. Mayor
Buttigieg was also a supporter of the South Shore Double Track
Project, whose full funding grant agreement was signed earlier
this month. Like many State and local projects, the Department
of Transportation awards funding toward the South Shore Double
Track required remarkable coordination between Federal, State,
and local leaders to make the project a reality and to get it
across the finish line.
While Mayor, he also served our country as a United States
Navy reservist, from 2009 to 2017, including a deployment to
Afghanistan in 2014. He is a graduate of Harvard College 2004
and he attended Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship. Transportation
is a vital sector to the Hoosier State. We are in the top 10
states when it comes to railroad mileage. We have world class
airport, 66 public transit systems, 3 ports, and our state
motto is, ``the crossroads of America.''
I have traveled tens of thousands of miles on those roads
and I know Pete has as well. If Mayor Buttigieg is confirmed,
and I believe he will be, I hope he will be, I look forward to
working with him and my colleagues here on this committee to
maintain and improve the infrastructure that drives the
American economy. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The Chairman. Thank you very, very much, Senator Young. And
Mr. Mayor, you are recognized for your opening statement.
Delighted to have you.
STATEMENT OF PETER BUTTIGIEG, NOMINEE TO BE SECRETARY, U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Mr. Buttigieg. [Technical problems]--Cantwell, members of
the Committee, it is a real honor to be able to appear before
you as nominee for Secretary of Transportation. And let me
begin just first by thanking my home state Senator Young for
your kind introduction, for your service to our shared home
state and to our country, and to your attention to South Bend
during the time that I was Mayor. Thank you. I want to thank
President Biden for trusting me with this nomination. And I
would like to take a moment to introduce my husband, Chasten
Buttigieg, who is here with me today. I am really proud to have
him by my side. I also want to take this chance to thank him
for his many sacrifices and his support in making it possible
for me to pursue public service.
Today, I hope to present to you my goals for the Department
of Transportation, to share a little bit about myself, and, of
course, to hear from you about your priorities for the
Department, the issues that you consider important for your
constituents and for our country. First and foremost, I want
you to know that if confirmed, I will work every day to make
sure the Department meets its mission of ensuring safety,
safety for both travelers and for workers, and I look forward
to working closely with Congress to do so. Safety is the
foundation of the Department's mission, and that takes on new
meaning amid this pandemic. We have to ensure that all of our
transportation systems, our aviation and public transit, our
railways, roads, ports, our waterways and pipelines, all of it
is managed safely in this critical period as we work to defeat
the virus for good.
We also have a lot of work to do to improve the
infrastructure in this country, a mission that will not only
keep more people safe but will grow our economy as we look to
the future. Now is the time and I believe we have a real chance
to deliver for the American people. We need to build our
economy back, better than ever, and the Department of
Transportation can play a central role in this by implementing
President Biden's infrastructure vision, by creating millions
of good paying jobs, revitalizing communities that have been
left behind, enabling American small businesses, workers,
families, and farmers to compete and win in the global economy,
and tackling the climate crisis.
Infrastructure can be the cornerstone to all of this, and
you have my commitment that I will work closely with you to
deliver the innovation and the growth that America needs in
this area. As a Mayor from the industrial Midwest, I will bring
a bottom-up perspective on transportation programs and funding.
If confirmed, I am looking forward to working with our partners
at the State, local, territorial and tribal levels as well to
find solutions to our infrastructure issues while we also
prepare for the future of transportation at a time of great
change. When I took office as Mayor of South Bend, a city built
by the power of American transportation, we had been hit so
hard by economic loss that some in the National press listed us
as one of America's dying cities. As our city fought its way
out of the teeth of the Great Recession, infrastructure was at
the heart of our vision for a better future.
As Mayor, I worked with public and private partners to
launch a Smart Streets initiative that brought new life to our
urban core and to the historically underserved West side of our
city, revitalizing our downtown, redesigning streets, and
spurring hundreds of millions in major economic investment. I
worked with regional and State partners and across the aisle to
support enhancements to our intercity train system that Senator
Young mentioned, the South Shore Line, and our now
international airport, as we pioneered public, private
partnerships at the same time, like Commuters Trust, the
benefits program to improve the city's transportation
experience for workers. We got results by bringing people in,
engaging stakeholders and residents, prioritizing limited funds
effectively, and unlocking new resources to solve problems.
And that is how I will approach the Department of
Transportation if confirmed. I believe good transportation
policy can play no lesser role than making possible the
American dream, getting people and goods to where they need to
be directly and indirectly creating good paying jobs. But I
also recognize that at their worst, misguided policies and
missed opportunities in transportation can reinforce racial and
economic inequality by dividing or isolating neighborhoods and
undermining Government's basic role of empowering Americans to
thrive. So much is at stake today and so much is possible as
our country works to emerge from the crises of this moment with
bipartisan appetite for a generational opportunity to transform
and improve America's infrastructure.
So, the chance to lead this Department at this historic
moment is not one that I take lightly. And if confirmed, I
promise to bring the same sense of duty and commitment that led
me to serve my hometown as Mayor and that motivated me to serve
our country in the Navy Reserve.
To conclude, Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member, Cantwell,
members of the Committee, I am eager to get to work, and if
confirmed, look forward to partnering with this committee and
with Congress. And I look forward to your questions now.
[The prepared statement and biographical information of Mr.
Buttigieg follow:]
Prepared Statement of Peter Buttigieg, Nominee to be Secretary,
U.S. Department of Transportation
Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Cantwell, Members of the Committee,
it's an honor for me to appear before you as the nominee for the United
States Secretary of Transportation. I want to first say thank you to my
home state senator, Todd Young, for his kind introduction today and for
his service to Indiana. I want to thank President Biden for trusting me
with this nomination. And I also want to take a moment to introduce my
husband, Chasten Buttigieg, who is here with me today.
I'm proud to have him by my side, and I want to thank him for his
many sacrifices and his support in making it possible for me to pursue
public service.
Today I hope to present to you my goals for the Department of
Transportation, to share a little about myself, and of course to hear
from you about your priorities and the issues you consider most
important to your constituents and to our country.
First and foremost, I want you to know that if confirmed, I will
work every day to ensure that the Department meets its mission of
ensuring safety for both travelers and workers--and I will work closely
with Congress to do so.
Safety is the foundation of the department's mission, and it takes
on new meaning amid this pandemic. We must ensure all of our
transportation systems--from aviation to public transit, to our
railways, roads, ports, waterways, and pipelines--are managed safely
during this critical period, as we work to defeat the virus.
We also have a lot of work to do to improve the infrastructure in
this country, a mission that will not only keep more people safe, but
also grow our economy as we look to the future.
Now is the time, and we have a real chance to deliver for the
American people. We need to build our economy back, better than ever,
and the Department of Transportation can play a central role in this,
by implementing President Biden's infrastructure vision--creating
millions of good-paying jobs, revitalizing communities that have been
left behind, enabling American small businesses, workers, families and
farmers to compete and win in the global economy, and tackling the
climate crisis.
Infrastructure can be the cornerstone to all of this, and you have
my commitment that I will work closely with you to deliver the
innovation and growth that America needs in this area.
As a mayor from the industrial midwest, I will bring a bottom-up
perspective on transportation programs and funding. If confirmed, I
look forward to working with our partners at the state, local,
territorial, and tribal levels to find solutions to our infrastructure
issues while we also prepare for the future of transportation at a time
of great change.
When I took office as the mayor of South Bend--a city that was
built by the power of American transportation--we had been hit so hard
by economic loss that some in the national press listed us as one of
America's ``dying cities.'' As our city fought its way out of the teeth
of the Great Recession, infrastructure was at the heart of our vision
for a better future.
As Mayor, I worked with public and private partners to launch a
``Smart Streets'' initiative that brought new life to our urban core
and to the historically underserved West Side, revitalizing the
downtown, redesigning streets, and spurring hundreds of millions in
major economic investment. I worked with regional and state partners--
and across the aisle--to support enhancements to our inter-city train
system and our now-international airport, and we pioneered public-
private partnerships like Commuters Trust, a benefits program to
improve the city's transportation experience for workers.
We achieved results by bringing people in, engaging stakeholders
and residents, prioritizing limited funds effectively, and unlocking
new resources to solve problems. And that's how I will approach the
Department of Transportation, if confirmed.
I believe that good transportation policy can play no less a role
than making possible the American Dream, getting people and goods to
where they need to be, directly and indirectly creating good-paying
jobs. But I also recognize that at their worst, misguided policies and
missed opportunities in transportation can reinforce racial and
economic inequality, by dividing or isolating neighborhoods and
undermining government's basic role of empowering Americans to thrive.
So much is at stake today--and so much is possible, as our country
works to emerge from the crises of the moment, with bipartisan appetite
for a generational opportunity to transform and improve America's
infrastructure.
The chance to lead this department at this historic moment is not
one that I take lightly, and if confirmed, I promise to bring the same
sense of duty and commitment that led me to serve my hometown as mayor
and that motivated me to serve our country in the Navy Reserve.
To conclude, Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Cantwell, I am
eager to get to work, and if confirmed I look forward to partnering
with this committee and with Congress--and I look forward to your
questions now.
Thank you.
______
a. biographical information
1. Name (Include any former names or nicknames used): Peter Paul
Montgomery Buttigieg.
2. Position to which nominated: Secretary of Transportation.
3. Date of Nomination: No official nomination yet (most likely the
20th).
4. Address (List current place of residence and office addresses):
Residence: Information not released to the public.
Office: Information not provided.
5. Date and Place of Birth: January 19, 1982; South Bend, Indiana.
6. Provide the name, position, and place of employment for your
spouse (if married) and the names and ages of your children (including
stepchildren and children by a previous marriage).
Spouse: Chasten James Glezman
Occupation: Self-employed (author)
(No children or stepchildren)
7. List all college and graduate degrees. Provide year and school
attended.
BA, OXFORD UNIVERSITY, 2007
Rhodes Scholar
Honors BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
BA, HARVARD UNIVERSITY, 2004
Honors AB in History and Literature (American Studies)
Language citation in Arabic
8. List all post-undergraduate employment, and highlight all
management-level jobs held and any non-managerial jobs that relate to
the position for which you are nominated.
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME--Faculty Fellow
THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA--Mayor
UNITED STATES NAVY RESERVE--Intelligence Officer
MCKINSEY & COMPANY--Associate
THE COHEN GROUP--Conference Coordinator, The Leaders Project
KERRY-EDWARDS CAMPAIGN--Research Director, Arizona Democratic
Party
9. Attach a copy of your resume.
In A.9 Attachment 1
10. List any advisory, consultative, honorary, or other part-time
service or positions with Federal, State, or local governments, other
than those listed above, within the last ten years. None.
11. List all positions held as an officer, director, trustee,
partner, proprietor, agent, representative, or consultant of any
corporation, company, firm, partnership, or other business, enterprise,
educational, or other institution within the last ten years.
PB Projects, Inc.
Dates: July 2020-Present
Nature of Membership: Managing Member
Responsibilities and Activities: Managing member and sole
shareholder of PB Projects, Inc., which is a pass-through S-
Corporation established to receive fees from my intellectual
property.
12. Please list each membership you have had during the past ten
years or currently hold with any civic, social, charitable,
educational, political, professional, fraternal, benevolent or
religiously affiliated organization, private club, or other membership
organization. (For this question, you do not have to list your
religious affiliation or membership in a religious house of worship or
institution.). Include dates of membership and any positions you have
held with any organization. Please note whether any such club or
organization restricts membership on the basis of sex, race, color,
religion, national origin, age, or disability.
Democratic Candidate for Mayor of South Bend, Indiana
Dates: January 2011-November 2011
Nature of Membership: Candidate
Responsibilities and Activities: Ran and won for my first term
as Mayor of South Bend
Accelerate Indiana's Municipalities (AIM)
Dates: January 2012-December 2019
Nature of Membership: Board Member
Responsibilities and Activities: Served on Board
Northern Indiana Mayors Roundtable
Dates: January 2012-December 2019
Nature of Membership: Member, Officer
Responsibilities and Activities: Attended occasional meetings
of mayors from this region of Indiana, served for one year as
treasurer and one year as president.
Indiana Urban Mayors Caucus
Dates: January 2012-December 2019
Nature of Membership: Member, Officer
Responsibilities and Activities: Conducted policy and advocacy
work on behalf of mayors of Indiana's larger cities. Served one
year as president.
South Bend NAACP
Dates: May 2012-present
Nature of Membership: Subscribing Member
Responsibilities and Activities: Dues-Paying Member
South Bend Educational Foundation
Dates: January 2013-December 2018
Nature of Membership: Board Member ex officio
Responsibilities and Activities: Served on Board
South Bend Symphony Orchestra
Dates: November 2013-December 2019
Nature of Membership: Board Member
Responsibilities and Activities: Served on Board
Truman National Security Project
Dates: January 2014-January 2019
Nature of Membership: Member of the Board of Advisors
Responsibilities and Activities: Served on Board of Advisors
Democratic Candidate for Mayor of South Bend, Indiana
Dates: January 2015-November 2015
Nature of Membership: Candidate
Responsibilities and Activities: Ran and won for my second term
as Mayor of South Bend
U.S. Conference of Mayors
Dates: January 2012-December 2019
Nature of Membership: Advisory Board Member
Responsibilities and Activities: Served on the Advisory Board
and served as founding chair of its Task Force on Automation.
Democratic Candidate for Democratic National Committee Chair
Dates: January 2017-February 2017
Nature of Membership: Candidate
Responsibilities and Activities: Ran and lost the race for
Chair of the Democratic National Committee
Hitting Home PAC
Dates: June 2017-May 2019
Nature of Membership: Founder
Responsibilities and Activities: Launched a 527 organization in
order to support candidates across the country
Accelerator for America
Dates: November 2017-January 2019
Nature of Membership: Advisory Council Member
Responsibilities and Activities: Served on the Advisory
Council, hosted events and attended discussions of policy work.
Veterans Community Connections
Dates: May 2018-March 2019
Nature of Membership: Board Member
Responsibilities and Activities: Served on Board
Democratic Candidate for President of the United States
Dates: April 2019-March 2020
Nature of Membership: Candidate
Responsibilities and Activities: Ran for President of the
United States
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Dates: June 2019-Present
Nature of Membership: Paid Member
Responsibilities and Activities: No Duties
Win the Era PAC and Action Fund
Dates: April 2020-December 2020
Nature of Membership: Founde
Responsibilities and Activities: Launched Political Action
Committee (PAC) and 501(c)4 organization in order to support
causes and candidates across the country. (2020)
Pandemic Resilience Working Group for America's Mayors
Dates: June 2020-December 2020
Nature of Membership: Former Co-Chair, current Member
Responsibilities and Activities: Served as co-chair with Mayor
Steve Benjamin, collaborating with mayors on helping our cities
stem the spread of the coronavirus
Transition Advisory Board (PT Fund, Inc.)
Dates: September 2020-Present
Nature of Membership: Member of the Advisory Board
Responsibilities and Activities: Served as a member of the
Biden Transition team's Advisory Board
13. Have you ever been a candidate for and/or held a public office
(elected, non-elected, or appointed)? If so, indicate whether any
campaign has any outstanding debt, the amount, and whether you are
personally liable for that debt.
Yes, I have been a candidate for the elected offices of Indiana
State Treasurer, Mayor of South Bend, DNC Chair and President of the
United States. There are no outstanding debts for any of my campaigns
or public office.
14. List all memberships and offices held with and services
rendered to, whether compensated or not, any political party or
election committee within the past ten years. If you have held a paid
position or served in a formal or official advisory position (whether
compensated or not) in a political campaign within the past ten years,
identify the particulars of the campaign, including the candidate, year
of the campaign, and your title and responsibilities.
Answer. As Mayor of South Bend, I led the transformation of a city
that was characterized by some in the press as ``one of America's top
ten dying cities'' onto a different and positive trajectory. My team
attracted hundreds of millions in private investment to downtown South
Bend and gained national recognition for many of our initiatives,
including our Smart Streets initiative. As a mayor overseeing a budget
of hundreds of millions of dollars a year, and a city with departments
offering a variety of services to its residents, I saw the impact of
the Federal government's decisions on local municipalities. I also
experienced firsthand how important it was to put strong experts in
their field, leaders and managers in positions of influence and power,
and rely on the knowledge and expertise of those people in running the
organization. I was accustomed to being held accountable by residents
of South Bend for delivering the services that they needed and expected
every day.
My national engagement on these issues grew deeper when I served as
the founding chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Task Force on
Automation, convening mayors and experts from around the country to
evaluate the effects of automated transportation technology on the
future of American cities. And as a candidate for President, I engaged
stakeholders on the policy imperatives facing the United States when it
comes to these issues--including safety, equity, climate, and job
growth--and was proud to put forward one of the most detailed
infrastructure plans in the 2020 presidential campaign. I will draw on
these experiences, as well as the leadership lessons learned during my
service in uniform, to guide me in setting the course of this
department, if confirmed. Serving my country in this capacity would be
the honor of my career, and if confirmed, I will work every day to make
the Administration and the American people proud of our Department of
Transportation.
Question 2. For almost a decade, the domestic and global small
drone industry has been dominated by Chinese company DJI. DJI was
recently placed on the entity list for supporting human rights
violations. DJI also presents serious cybersecurity risks, owing to its
close relationship with the Chinese Communist Party. DJI's impact on
domestic manufacturers has been equally concerning. According to the
Defense Department, DJI has engaged in predatory dumping practices that
deflated prices, decimating U.S. competitors in the past and depriving
consumers of choice.
a. First, as Secretary, what steps will you take to support the
emerging domestic drone industry?
b. Second, at least until recently, DJI held a position of influence
on the FAA's Drone Advisory Committee and participated in other
DOT and FAA working groups on Remote Identification and other
matters. If confirmed, how will you guard against undue
influence from companies like DJI that are beholden to the
Chinese government and known to support human rights abuses?
Answer. The main focus of the FAA is safety. I am a strong
proponent of a regulatory framework in which the unmanned aircraft
industry can both integrate safely into the National Aviation System
and develop new technologies. If confirmed, I will work with the FAA on
an integration structure that will allow for a better understanding of
risk and unintended consequences. I will look at expanding the
conversation to include representatives from airports, state and local
governments, rural communities, and industry. With regards to DJI, as
you noted, it is no longer part of the Drone Advisory Committee, and I
look forward to working with you and other concerned Members of
Congress on this issue, if I am confirmed.
Question 3. Last Congress, I introduced legislation called the RIDE
Act, with Senator Udall, which would require DOT, through National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), to implement a timeline
that would require blood alcohol testing technology in all new
vehicles.
a. The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety Program (DADSS)
has received around $50 million from Congress each year since
around 2008 to develop technology like this. I believe it's far
past time to let the private sector come up with a solution
that could save 9,400 lives a year. What are your thoughts on
this?
Answer. If I am confirmed, safety will be my top priority at the
Department. DADSS has the potential to save thousands of lives each
year, and I support the use of technology and other safety initiatives
to address impaired driving. I consider it important to engage industry
and make use of all appropriate tools to ensure that the safest
technologies are being employed in our transportation system.
______
Response to Written Questions Submitted by Hon. Marsha Blackburn to
Peter Buttigieg
Autonomous Vehicles
1. Mayor Buttigieg: There has been significant work in recent years
related to automated vehicles. Despite attention to the issue, progress
in advancing measures that would establish a clear framework to
encourage and support the safe development, testing, and deployment of
automated vehicles has been slow and inconsistent.
Is the existing exemptions limit of 2,500 vehicles
sufficient to allowing the development of this industry?
Will you support efforts by NHTSA to utilize existing
authority to help facilitate the advancement of autonomous
vehicles or examine ways to create new authorities that
allows for the testing and deployment of automated driving
systems?
Answer. We know that autonomous vehicles are part of the future of
this Nation's transportation infrastructure. Autonomous vehicles can
make our transportation system safer and more efficient. If confirmed,
I am eager to work with you and your colleagues in Congress to ensure
that the Federal government is leading the way on ensuring safe
autonomous vehicle operations nationwide, including examining whether
the current exemption limits are sufficient. I would work with
industry, American workers, safety organizations, environmental groups,
and other stakeholders to determine how to create American jobs and
advance American technological leadership through this industry.
Mineral Definition
1. Mayor Buttigieg: The raw materials provided by the aggregate
industry are necessary for virtually every public works project across
the country, and these raw material operators adhere to various Federal
agencies concerning the rocks they quarry.
How would you support the need for accurate mineral
definitions to maintain an efficient construction supply
chain and deliver infrastructure projects in a timely
manner?
Answer. Access to aggregates and construction materials is
critically important for the maintenance and development of our
infrastructure system. There are a limited number of existing aggregate
resource sites in our Nation and we need to take coordinated efforts to
understand how to ensure the availability and reasonable price of these
resources without compromising our commitments to safety or
environmental protection. If I am confirmed, I look forward to working
with you, your colleagues, and other stakeholders to explore what
actions can be taken to sustain our supply of aggregates.
Transportation Systems
1 Mayor Buttigieg: Many cities have access to a wealth of
information and data for planning purposes, but it is often siloed
within different city departments and agencies.
How can DOT help drive efficiencies and work to see
that data is adequately and safely shared between different
public agencies, the private sector, and stakeholders to
ensure delivery of better transportation systems?
Answer. Safely sharing data is critical to creating a safe and
inclusive transportation system. If I am confirmed, I look forward to
working with you and our State and local officials, community
stakeholders, and the private sector to support best practices for
sharing data safely to deliver a safe and inclusive transportation
system. I consider it important to work across silos and break down
barriers to information sharing whenever this can benefit the public.
Truck Driver Shortage
1. Mayor Buttigieg: The U.S. truck driver shortage is worsened by
the industry's struggles to recruit new drivers.
Will you commit to working with me to fix the
regulatory barriers that prevent or deter capable drivers
from entering the trucking workforce?
Answer. The goal of regulation is to set standards to keep the
public and workers safe and able to earn a fair wage. We should always
work to ensure that such regulations are delivering on their purpose in
a way that it is balanced with other considerations. If I am confirmed,
I will work with you to better understand all potential workforce
obstacles.
Drones
1. Mayor Buttigieg: Small electric drones are becoming the tool of
choice to inspect critical infrastructure. Utilities use drones to
inspect power lines to find flaws before they start fires; railroads
inspect tracks for problems that could cause derailments and delays;
and state transportation departments inspect bridges without having
workers rappel from dangerous heights. These operations make our
society safer, and more efficient.
Will you commit to working with me to fix the
regulatory barriers that prevent or deter capable drivers
from entering the trucking workforce?
Answer. Safety is our top priority. Efforts to use technology that
augment and enhance our workers' safety, including UAS, are of high
interest. If confirmed, I will continue to have the FAA work with
stakeholders and Congress on this issue.