The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed former South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg as Secretary of Transportation in an 86-13 vote.
The Senate's Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation last week approved the nomination by a 21-3 vote. Prior to Tuesday's vote, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the committee's ranking Democratic member, urged his confirmation as "a young, energetic mayor who is going to help us usher in a new era of transportation," including infrastructure investment, ensuring health and safety for transportation workers amid the Covid-19 pandemic and aviation safety reform.
Buttigieg is the first openly LGBTQ person to be confirmed by the Senate to a Cabinet-level position in the United States, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), the ranking Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, in a statement said he would work with Buttigieg on "policies that can pass with strong bipartisan support," in particular improving rural infrastructure and exploring alternatives to a federal gas tax, such as a system based on vehicle miles traveled.
In a statement issued immediately following Buttigieg's confirmation, JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said that he "brings to the role a strong understanding of the importance of infrastructure investment, which we're hopeful will include modernizing the nation's air traffic control system." Hayes said he also looked forward to collaborating with Buttigieg on the administration's climate change initiatives and pandemic recovery, looking for "support to ensure we emerge in a position of power to help the economy when the crisis is over."
U.S. Travel Association CEO Roger Dow cited Buttigieg's "pragmatic approach to transportation policy" in a statement following the Senate's confirmation.
"As a former mayor, Buttigieg brings priority-based thinking to transportation investment, which will be valuable since travel and tourism has been hit by far the hardest of any U.S. industry by the fallout of the pandemic," according to Dow. "Now is the time to prioritize investments in projects that will accelerate recovery, usher in the future of mobility, and ensure the travel industry is globally competitive."