Photo Credits: Kevin Lamarque/Pool via Getty Images

Madison Kwiecinski

News Editor 

mvk5945@psu.edu

Pete Buttigieg was recently confirmed as President Joe Biden’s Secretary of Transportation, making him the first-ever openly gay Cabinet Secretary to be confirmed by the Senate. 

Buttigieg was a Democratic Presidential candidate early on in the 2020 race and was also the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. At age 36, Buttigieg is also the youngest elected member to hold one of Biden’s Cabinet positions. He was also the nation’s youngest Mayor of a city South Bend’s size or larger when he took office in 2012. 

As Mayor, Buttigieg used his data-driven background with the consulting firm McKinsey to test big ideas that included the “smart sewers” that saved South Bend an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars and is now a product sold to cities all over the world. 

Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema, the country’s first openly bisexual senator, was presiding over the Senate at the time of Buttiege’s confirmation and announced the final vote at 86-13, showing a tremendous amount of bi-partisan support for Buttigieg. 

Following the vote, Buttigieg tweeted that he was “honored and humbled by today’s vote in the Senate—and ready to get to work.” 

Despite the bi-partisan support that was shown during Buttigieg’s confirmation, some Senate Republicans are still upset about the choice. Kansas Republican Senator Roger Marshall believes Buttigieg lacks the experience to lead the Transportation Department. 

“Fixing municipal potholes and managing bus routes in no way equates to what he will oversee at DOT,” Marshall said. “It is troubling that Pete Buttigieg has openly talked about using his post as a pulpit for social agenda items and supports the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline.” 

The Department of Transportation distributes billions of federal dollars in highway funding and regulates railroads, busing, and aviation. As Transportation Secretary, Buttigieg has pledged to recognize the power infrastructure has to bridge economic and racial disparities across the country. He also plans to work with the Biden Administration in order to fight climate change and address the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

Buttigieg will take over a department with over 55,000 federal employees and an extensive budget. He is honored to assume the position and proud of what it will mean for all members of the LGBTQ+ community. It was not always possible for a member of the LGBTQ+ community to assume a position such as his. The Cabinet Nomination marks a historical event in American history. 

“I can remember watching the news — 17-years-old in Indiana, seeing a story about an appointee of President Clinton named to be an ambassador attacked and denied a vote in the Senate because he was gay — ultimately able to serve only by a recess appointment,” Buttigieg said. “And I learned something about some of the limits that exist in this country when it comes to who is allowed to belong. But just as important, I saw how those limits could be challenged.” 

Several LGBTQ+ organizations have praised Buttigieg’s nomination, recognizing it as a major step in ensuring the new administration is representative and reflects the diversity of the country. 

Biden’s Cabinet also includes the first female Treasury Secretary, the first female director of National Intelligence, and the first Black defense secretary. Buttigieg marks the fifth cabinet-level position of President Bidens to be confirmed by the Senate.