[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 19 (Tuesday, February 2, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S220-S222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Nomination of Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg
Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise today in support of Pete
Buttigieg's nomination to lead the Department of Transportation.
Whether it is rebuilding our crumbling roads and bridges, maintaining
our leadership in the global mobility race, or improving pipeline
safety, there is no shortage of challenges facing our incoming
Secretary.
As a fellow midwesterner, as a former officer in the U.S. Navy
Reserve, I can't think of anyone more equipped to take on this
challenge than Pete Buttigieg.
He understands the need to revitalize our infrastructure because he
has seen it in our neighborhoods and on our roads each and every day
when he served as a mayor.
He has a unique understanding of how the Department can be a resource
to State and to local governments and what can be done to ensure that
the Federal Government supports those State and local governments and
make sure that need gets addressed most effectively.
If we are going to build back better, a partnership at each level of
government will be absolutely vital. Having someone at the helm who
recognizes that that relationship is so important will be an incredible
asset to the Department.
I have also had several conversations with Secretary-Designate
Buttigieg on the auto industry, which is the very beating heart of our
manufacturing economy. And as the industry advances both toward
electrification and self-driving technologies, it will be critical that
we support these technologies and make sure that they are safely
deployed and that they are deployed here in the United States.
We have an opportunity to save lives but also to create jobs and
empower our domestic auto industry to take the moonshot for artificial
intelligence and spur technological innovation, and I am pleased that
Secretary-Designate Buttigieg has committed to working with us as we
craft legislation that establishes a Federal framework around these new
technologies.
Finally, I am excited to work with Secretary-Designate Buttigieg on
improving pipeline safety, especially around the Great Lakes.
We know that line 5, under the Straits of Mackinac, poses a very
serious threat to the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes are not only an
economic driver and natural resource for our country, they are
literally in the DNA of every Michiganian.
As a midwesterner and as husband to a Michigan native who was born
and raised in Traverse City, Secretary-Designate Buttigieg fully
recognizes the need to protect the Great Lakes.
I agree with Mayor Pete's belief that, as he says, ``good
transportation policy can play no less a role than making possible the
American dream.''
I am proud to support Pete Buttigieg's historic nomination, which has
already garnered bipartisan support, and I urge all of my colleagues to
vote for him.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, ahead of our votes today, I wanted to
echo the concerns that have already been voiced by many of my
colleagues in this Chamber regarding the nomination of Alejandro
Mayorkas to be the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
At this point, we are all very familiar with his long legacy of
service on behalf of people of the United States, so I will just
highlight one example of the ``value'' that he will bring to the table
should the Senate vote to confirm him.
When he served as USCIS Director during the Obama administration, the
inspector general was forced to investigate an ``extraordinary'' number
of internal allegations that Mayorkas was granting ``special access and
special favors'' to wealthy EB-5 ``investor visa'' applicants linked to
influential Democrats.
When the IG took a closer look at the visa applications for three
powerful Chinese nationals in particular, they came to the conclusion
that if Mayorkas hadn't intervened, and I am quoting, ``the matter
would have been decided differently.''
Now, this is something that we know is inappropriate. We know that
this is something for which Mr. Mayorkas should be held accountable. We
know that this is something for which he has not been held accountable,
and here is what he did: He put his thumb on the scale, pressured his
DHS colleagues--pressured his DHS colleagues--to break their own rules
and turn the law on its head, all because a few powerful friends asked
him to do it. He pressured others for the benefit of some powerful
friends, and it is all there for everyone to read in the inspector
general's report, and he was never held accountable. Yet, here we are,
being asked to support his nomination to the President's Cabinet.
There are plenty of policy differences between myself and Mr.
Mayorkas that have convinced me I have no choice but to stand in
opposition to his confirmation. But the example I just cited, in
particular, gives me additional serious concerns about how his
influence would affect the integrity of the Agency.
Just last week, I joined several of my colleagues in a letter to the
senior Senator from Illinois, asking him to exercise his judgment as
the incoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and allow for a
second hearing so we could examine Mr. Mayorkas's record thoroughly
because, while I believe that the President has every right to assemble
his Cabinet, I also believe that the American people have every right
to understand exactly who is
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being put in charge of enforcing our Nation's immigration laws and
keeping our border secure, enforcing counterterrorism measures and
keeping an eye on the country's cybersecurity. And the current nominee?
Never held accountable for showing favor to some friends in high
places. That is not the way this is supposed to be.
I would urge my colleagues to consider the American people--the
taxpayers who are footing the bill for every salary that is given to
every individual working with the Federal Government. What is the
standard? What do they expect from their leaders?
Thereby, I oppose the nomination.
I yield my time.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to support the
nomination of Pete Buttigieg to be Secretary of Transportation.
We all know the nominee as Mayor Pete--a man who basically came on to
the national stage as a Midwest mayor who had lots of enthusiasm for
making investments in America's future. So today we are considering his
nomination to be Secretary of Transportation at a time when we need a
lot of work done on transportation. In my opinion, he is a young,
energetic mayor who is going to help us usher in a new era of
transportation. That means there is going to be a lot of bipartisan
dialogue about how we get there. But this job should not be
underestimated in terms of the importance of the transportation sector
and the investments for the future that we need.
Our transportation system serves as a backbone of our economy, and
when it is not doing well, the consequential impact of that affects our
economy. It affects how our businesses compete in a global economy. It
affects how people get to and from work, and it affects their home life
as well. So it is a big job that we have, and I know that this mayor
and future Secretary of Transportation understands how big this
challenge is.
We have underinvested in our infrastructure for decades. In the past
10 years alone, we have underfunded our infrastructure needs by $1.5
trillion. The American Society of Engineers estimates that we need to
invest $5.6 trillion in our infrastructure over the next two decades,
or the United States stands to lose about $10.3 trillion in GDP. I know
this because my State knows this. I think the Presiding Officer knows
this as well. If the transportation infrastructure doesn't work, goods
and services don't get through your ports, they don't get to their
destination, and businesses choose other vehicles or other avenues for
the products to be delivered. America needs to be competitive.
The American public also knows that poor infrastructure and the
problems they see in their communities have to be addressed, whether
that is concrete crumbling off of bridges, delayed trains, buses,
congestion, railroads, or any of many issues. Just this week, a highway
in California slid into the ocean, disrupting traffic along the famous
Highway 1, and this could be a delay for months. I know, again, the
Presiding Officer understands this as well as the State of Washington.
Mother Nature doesn't always comply with our transportation needs.
So while these investments and numbers may seem huge to people, it is
what this investment will enable that we need to keep focused on. We
need to focus on the fact that the United States makes and grows
things, and we need to get them to their destinations. We need people
be able to get to their places of employment. So we need someone at the
Department of Transportation who is enthusiastic about taking on these
challenges and helping President Biden administer a new era of
transportation and the challenges that we face.
Mayor Buttigieg--a Harvard graduate, Rhodes Scholar, former U.S.
Reservist who I believe served in Afghanistan--also understands the
challenges of smalltown mayors and the impacts that transportation
systems can have. He knows the challenges we now face because of COVID-
19, that there is a new burden on our transportation system because of
the impact of lost revenue.
State departments of transportation estimate $50 billion in lost
revenues over the next 5 years. Airports have lost $23 billion because
of people no longer flying. Transit agencies will have lost an
estimated $50 billion by the end of 2021. These losses will continue to
compound until we find the best way to protect our transportation
workers, our travelers, and to continue to help with personal
protective equipment, testing, vaccines, and clear, health-based
protocols to help return safety to our transportation system and to
build public confidence. That is one of the reasons why we are fighting
so hard for this next package of investments.
President Biden took decisive action by mandating that people wear
masks, which is a giant step forward in our transportation system. I
think there is more we can do, and hopefully our colleagues can work
together on that.
The long-term revenue outlet for transportation also is changing, and
so it will be a long time before its recovery.
So I believe that Mayor Pete Buttigieg is the right choice for this
job because he was mayor of South Bend. He dealt with infrastructure
where the rubber meets the road--managing State, Federal, and local
resources to help build infrastructure in his community.
He also helped facilitate public-private partnerships to make the
dollars go farther, an important model for future investments in
transportation. One of those projects, the South Shore double-track
project, whose full funding grant agreement was signed earlier this
month, is like many other State and local projects. The South Shore
double track demanded impressive coordination between Federal, State,
and local governments to bring it to fruition.
Mayor Buttigieg's Smart Streets Initiative also shows he knows how to
operate and succeed in the current environment and will be able to help
communities around the country replicate the success he had in South
Bend.
He won't be the first mayor to be the Secretary of Transportation,
but I think we can say that when you have a mayor in that job, they are
going to pay attention to local transportation infrastructure
investments to help our communities continue to grow and be
competitive.
We have a major opportunity, I believe, to now deliver on the
infrastructure needs of many of those communities. We should start
immediately by talking about infrastructure packages and working on a
transportation infrastructure plan for the 21st century because it is
clear we have opportunities this year, with the surface transportation
programs expiring in September.
Communities everywhere are demanding that we help work on these
important issues for their communities, but Mayor Buttigieg will also
be called on to think about the new era of transportation and how we
maintain ou competitiveness. He will have to think about issues of
ensuring safety with new autonomous vehicle technologies and unmanned
aircraft. He will have to promote stronger emission standards for
automobiles, aviation, and the maritime industry. He will have to
support the continued growth of electric vehicle infrastructure. He
will have to make big investments in game-changing projects that will
help us move freight more cost-effectively through our Nation. People
will want to know and understand what our reliable passenger rail,
transit systems, roads, and investments in bridges are going to be for
the future.
So all of this is a big challenge, but I know that this nominee is up
to that challenge. He did well at the committee in making sure that
people understood that he believes that those challenges need to be
addressed in order for America to continue to move forward.
From my perspective, just in the State of Washington, before COVID
had really hit, we saw 78 hours per year of delayed traffic; that is,
the average commuter spent 78 hours in delayed traffic. A recent study
in my State estimated that Washingtonians lost more than $7.4 billion
each year in lost time
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and wasted fuel due to congestion, deteriorated roads, and safety
problems. As America starts to head back to the office, no one wants to
spend time back in that world of congestion, and so we need to make
critical investments.
People in Puget Sound know that we need to fix the West Seattle
Bridge. They know in Southwest Washington that the Columbia River needs
a new bridge across I-5. In Eastern Washington, they know that we need
a north-south corridor. In Everett, they know that the trestle needs
replacement if goods from Eastern Washington are going to get to the
Port of Everett and out the door.
All of these things are investments, and with them come the
structures of things like at-grade crossings, passenger rail systems,
and safety that are huge, I believe, infrastructure investments that
have not been quite appreciated. I was very pleased to get Mr.
Buttigieg's commitment during our session with him that these things--
at-grade crossings, port competitiveness, and moving products safely--
should be a big priority for the future.
The Lander Street project in Seattle, which was an investment of the
new freight program, is just a few blocks, but literally, congestion
for hours had stopped traffic from getting from I-5 to the Port of
Seattle. The Lander Street project in a lot of ways represents what it
really is: a bridge to the future, a bridge to get people moving where
they need to go, and the right investment, being competitive for the
future. We are going to face many more delays if America doesn't remain
competitive.
So I look forward to working with Mr. Buttigieg on all of these
issues. He also, during the committee hearing process, committed that
he will continue to work with Senator Wicker and me on important issues
of aviation safety. He committed to us that he understood that aviation
safety and the FAA need to continue to make reforms. I believe that if
you want to be the leaders in aviation, you have to be the leaders in
aviation safety. I think Mayor Buttigieg understands that will be a
very big job of the Department of Transportation as well.
I enthusiastically support this nominee. I look forward to the type
of focus he can give to the Department of Transportation. This area of
our government right now needs to address the COVID crisis. It needs to
help us plan for a better transportation system of the future. It needs
to understand that this transportation infrastructure and investment in
these changes in these sectors--cars, planes, and passenger systems are
all very dynamic, changing industries, and so our competitiveness will
be at stake as well.
So I encourage my colleagues to support this nominee. I am sure we
will hear a lot of discussion from him and a lot of bipartisan effort
to help get our transportation system fully funded.
I yield the floor
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I rise today to express my support for
the nomination of Mayor Pete Buttigieg to be the Secretary of the
United States Department of Transportation.
I believe Mayor Buttigieg's experience serving the people of South
Bend, IN, as mayor and his service in the U.S. Navy Reserve position
him well to lead the Biden administration's ambitious infrastructure
and climate-related agenda at the Department of Transportation.
In coordination with Congress, Mayor Buttigieg will face numerous
challenges as the Transportation Secretary concerning issues important
to Marylanders.
We must reauthorize WMATA to maintain and improve metro rail and bus
service to Maryland's DC suburbs, develop transit solutions for
Baltimore city and other jurisdictions throughout the State, and
provide pandemic relief assistance for Maryland's motor coach and
transit industries not included in the CARES Act and for whom the most
recent bipartisan package was only a down payment.
We also should focus on repairing and modernizing our infrastructure,
investing in local projects, working with other Federal partners to
expand access to broadband, addressing environmental concerns such as
air and noise pollution plaguing our communities from air traffic, and
connecting communities through the removal of aging infrastructure. As
Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg will also play a vital role
in implementing Presidents Biden's climate change agenda.
As one of the youngest Cabinet Secretaries in decades and the first
openly gay member of a Presidential Cabinet, Mayor Buttigieg's
nomination presents an opportunity to bridge the gap between the
Federal Government and younger generations of Americans and communities
traditionally underrepresented by leadership in government.
I am confident in Mayor Buttigieg's ability to take on these urgent
challenges. And I look forward to voting yes on his nomination and
working closely with him in the years ahead to tackle the issues facing
our national infrastructure and transportation system.
Ms. CANTWELL. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Lujan). The Senator from Rhode Island.
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.