US Senate confirms Pete Buttigieg as Head of DOT

The US Senate has confirmed Pete Buttigieg to lead the Department of Transportation (DOT) under the administration of President Joe Biden. Buttigieg, 39, is former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and also ran for president in 2020. He is the youngest person to be confirmed to head the DOT, and the first openly gay member of the Cabinet. Industry trade groups welcomed the confirmation. Buttigieg will be tasked to work on infrastructure issues as well as the development of new technologies like electric vehicles, and helping manage the country’s pandemic-related travel restrictions. The Federal Aviation Administration falls under the DOT. “As the Biden Administration looks to enact comprehensive infrastructure investment, we look forward to working with Secretary Buttigieg to continue prioritizing the safety and health of passengers and employees as our industry and the nation looks to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic – the most devastating crisis the airline industry has ever experienced,” said A4A chief executive Nicolas Calio. The Biden administration has made fighting the global pandemic a top priority and in its first two weeks introduced numerous stricter measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus.