Pete Buttigieg is one step closer to being confirmed as Transportation Secretary for the Biden Administration.
On January 27, Buttigieg has become the first LGBTQ+ candidate to pass a committee nomination. The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana was approved by a landslide vote (21-3), which will be sent to Senate.
The news follows Buttigieg becoming the first gay candidate to be sworn in for a US cabinet post.
Since the vote, the nominee took to social media to post a message of gratitude.
“Thank you to the members of the @SenateCommerce Committee for their vote of confidence in me today,” he wrote on Twitter.
“I look forward to working with @SenatorWicker, @SenatorCantwell and the rest of the committee as we get to work on infrastructure and building our economy back better.”
Senate is expected to officially confirm Buttigieg by the end of the week.
Thank you to the members of the @SenateCommerce Committee for their vote of confidence in me today. I look forward to working with @SenatorWicker, @SenatorCantwell, and the rest of the committee as we get to work on infrastructure and building our economy back better.
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) January 27, 2021
In December 2020, Joe Biden has selected Pete Buttigieg for a top role in his new administration.
The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was Biden’s rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, has been picked as the United States Secretary of Transportation.
The historic move means Buttigieg will become America’s first ever openly gay Cabinet secretary.
In a statement, the US president elect hailed Buttigieg as a “patriot and a problem-solver who speaks to the best of who we are as a nation”.
“I am nominating him for secretary of transportation because this position stands at the nexus of so many of the interlocking challenges and opportunities ahead of us,” he continued.
“Jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate all come together at the DOT, the site of some of our most ambitious plans to build back better.”
The Human Rights Campaign praised Biden for nominating Buttigieg, saying he was “open and honest” about his identity in his presidential campaign, and gave the LGBTQ+ community a voice.
“His voice as a champion for the LGBTQ community in the Cabinet room will help President-elect Biden build back our nation better, stronger and more equal than before,” said HRC president Alphonso David.
Mayor @PeteButtigieg is a leader, patriot, and problem-solver. He speaks to the best of who we are as a nation.
I am nominating him for Secretary of Transportation because he's equipped to take on the challenges at the intersection of jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 16, 2020
Related: Pete Buttigieg to make history as first openly gay Cabinet member in the US
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