The Senate on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to confirm Pete Buttigieg to be transportation secretary, making history as the first openly gay U.S. Cabinet secretary.
The full Senate voted 86-13 to approve President Joe Biden’s pick and former rival during the 2020 Democratic primary.
“I’m honored and humbled by today’s vote in the Senate — and ready to get to work,” Buttigieg wrote on Twitter.
GOPUSA Editor’s Note: Here are the GOP senators who voted against confirmation of Buttigieg: Marsha Blackburn, Tenn. – Bill Cassidy, La. – Tom Cotton, Ark. – Ted Cruz, Texas – Bill Hagerty, Tenn. – Josh Hawley, Mo. – Jim Lankford, Okla. – Roger Marshall, Kan. – Marco Rubio, Fla. – Tim Scott, S.C. – Rick Scott, Fla. – Richard Shelby, Ala. and Tommy Tuberville, Ala.
Prior to launching his 2020 presidential campaign, Buttigieg, 39, served as the mayor of South Bend, Ind., and served in Afghanistan as a member of the U.S. Navy Reserve.
Prior to becoming mayor, he was a consultant for the Chicago office of McKinsey and Company where he worked on energy, retail, economic development and logistics for three years.
Buttigieg is a graduate of Harvard College and Oxford University, which he attended on a Rhodes Scholarship.
Buttigieg, who is married to Chasten Buttigieg, a high school teacher, came out as gay in a 2015 essay for the South Bend Tribune while serving as mayor, and won re-election later that year.
During his confirmation hearing, Buttigieg defended the Biden administration’s decision to halt the Keystone XL pipeline. The controversial pipeline, which would deliver some 830,000 barrels of crude tar sand oil a day from the Canadian city of Hardisty, Alberta, to Steel City, Neb., had been stalled by the Obama administration when Biden was vice president but it was favored by the Trump administration.
Responding to Sen. Ted Cruz’s concerns that the cancellation would cost “thousands of union-paying jobs,” Buttigieg touted job creation in the clean environment sector.
“We can [create jobs] while recognizing the fact that when the books are written about our careers, one of the main things we will be judged on is whether we did enough to stop the destruction of life and property due to climate change. If you and I can make common cause in our support of labor then I think that’s great.”
Sommer Brokaw and Darryl Coote contributed to this report.
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why?
JUST goes to show, the RINO PARTY needs to go..
Oh boy, another limp wrist to the democrats 3-ring circus. He ain’t named Pete for nothin’!
Buttigieg is a graduate of Harvard College and Oxford University. That says it all, The “intelligentsia” and then like my American History teacher did, when he would say that word, he would roll his eyes and that’s what I am doing. Let me also say this, I have seen many comments on how Mitch McConnell and some other Senate and House members, just recently became a RINO / RINOS. McConnell has been one forever, just like the Bushes. Wake up people!
Wow, he has such stellar qualifications, rode a train, rode a bus, sailed on a freighter, drives a car and likes airports….. especially likes airports as venues for marriage proposals. A limp noodle for a wimp of a president. I guess “Choo Choo Charlie” wasn’t available for the position.
Another unqualified Progressive politically correct nomination based on loins and groins that will cost THE PEOPLE lots of coins. Whatever happened to giving THE PEOPLE the best experienced and qualified rather than on the job training of political paybacks to unqualified loyal party members? One more squirrel to be heard scratching about the Whitehouse attic.
qualifiications??? WHO NEEDS qualifications, when those in charge, ONLY CARE ABOUT “are you a leftists, and do you hit the LGBTQURS wickets!?”
With this administration, I’m surprised that we don’t have a “Minister of Silly Walks”…
NO more ministers. They’re all Tzars remember..