CNN reported that on the 15th, President-elect Biden issued a statement nominating Pete Buttigieg as the cabinet Secretary of Transport. Compared with the rumor that he was considered to be the U.S. ambassador to China, there was a 180-degree turn.
In a statement, Biden described Buttigieg as a “leader”, “patriot” and “solution expert” and the post of transportation secretary “a hub connecting many intertwined challenges and opportunities we face”.
Biden put forward the slogan of “build back better” during the campaign, promising to launch a $300 billion infrastructure construction plan after taking office, while advancing the agenda of increasing employment, expanding the clean energy economy and minority rights.
CNN commented that its cabinet minister of transportation will play a key role in this infrastructure plan. Biden’s statement also mentioned that the U.S. Department of Transportation will be “the place for some of the most ambitious plans to be implemented”.
On social media, Buttigieg’s profile has been changed to “Candidate for Transport Minister”. He said he was honored to be nominated as a “great opportunity to create jobs, meet climate challenges and strengthen equality for all”.
Buttigieg will also be the first Democratic primary candidate to serve in Biden’s cabinet if the nomination is confirmed by the Senate.
Buttigieg, 38, is the youngest candidate in the 2020 U.S. presidential election and takes a moderate position. He studied at Harvard University and Oxford University, joined the army in Afghanistan, and served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
At the beginning of this year, Buttigieg became famous in the Iowa Democratic primary, and was widely praised by the American media as a “dark horse” and a Democratic “nova”. Biden also gave him a high evaluation. Many people believe that Buttigieg is expected to challenge the presidential election in the future.
It is worth mentioning that the U.S. media “Axios News Network” on December 8th quoted people familiar with the matter as an exclusive disclosure that Biden was considering nominating Buttigieg as the U.S. ambassador to China at that time. Since the ambassador to China is usually a senior politician, this move is considered to be an intention to provide him with experience opportunities. Buttigieg also allegedly told the Biden team that he was most interested in foreign policy or the field of national security.
However, now he has been transferred to a cabinet position focusing on domestic and economic issues, which is a 180-degree turn compared with previous rumors. It is said that the Secretary of Transport is usually not valued by the ordinary American people, and this arrangement seems to be a little “awesome”.
CNN gave four reasons why Buttigieg was very suitable to be the Minister of Transport and could also prepare him to “polish” his resume before the presidential election.
First of all, Buttigieg lacks experience working in Washington and leading large federal agencies. Before running for election, he served as mayor of South Bend with a population of only 100,000. The U.S. Department of Transportation, with 55,000 federal employees, is suitable for “training”.
The second point is that “rebuilding a better future” is Biden’s governance priority, as mentioned earlier, and the new construction of modern roads, bridges, networks, ports and airports will become potential economic growth points. These infrastructure work is closely related to the Minister of Transport.
Thirdly, Buttigieg is considered “very photogenic” and suitable for communicating with the media. And Biden’s cabinet list so far does not have many such people. In fact, the U.S. media “politician” website once counted that Biden’s cabinet is all “old people’s clubs” and the average age is 63. Buttigieg’s young face became a sharp contrast.
Finally, CNN thought Buttigieg was a “nerd”, which actually helped the work of the Minister of Transport. His policy propositions during the primary election include a detailed $1 trillion infrastructure plan. During the debate, he also often promotes the “smart sewer” plan he pushed as mayor. According to a reporter, Buttigieg’s favorite board games include Ticket to Ride.
