Buttigieg Pledges to Make Transportation Systems Covid-Safe
(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden’s pick to run the U.S. Transportation Department says he will focus on preventing the spread of Covid-19 on the nation’s transportation systems if he is confirmed by the U.S. Senate. “Safety is the foundation of the department’s mission, and that takes on new meaning amid this pandemic,” Pete Buttigieg said Thursday at his confirmation hearing before the Senate
“Safety is the foundation of the department’s mission, and that takes on new meaning amid this pandemic,” Pete Buttigieg said Thursday at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. “We have to ensure all of our transportation systems – our aviation and public transits, our railways, our railways, roads, ports, our waterways, and pipelines - all of it is managed safely during this critical period, as we work to defeat the virus for good.”
The Transportation secretary oversees a budget of almost $90 billion, the majority of which pays for building roads, bridges and other highway infrastructure. The DOT also manages multiple agencies that regulate aviation, railroads, trucking and pipeline safety.
The position could be pivotal in any attempts by Biden to expand infrastructure spending, as some Democrats are seeking.
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