If confirmed by the United States Senate, Buttigieg would be the first LGBTQ cabinet secretary to be approved by the chamber.
Buttigieg said he remembered how James Hormel was attacked as a teenager and refused a vote in the Senate to serve as President Bill Clinton’s ambassador to Luxembourg because he was gay. (Clinton eventually appointed Hormel through a break appointment.)
At the time, I had no aspirations to be appointed by a president. At that age, I was hoping to become a pilot, and I was far from coming out, even to myself. But still, I saw that story and I have learned about some of the restrictions that exist in this country when it comes to who could belong, ”Buttigieg said at an event in Wilmington, Delaware, where the President-elect introduced him as his candidate for the post.
Buttigieg continued, “Two decades later, I can’t help but think of a 17-year-old somewhere who might be watching us right now, someone wondering if and where they belong in the world, or even in their own family. And I think about the message today’s announcement sends to them. ”
Buttigieg, 38, is also the youngest member named to Biden’s cabinet so far, and is the only one of Biden’s former Democratic presidential opponents to be named as a candidate for a cabinet secretary.
The role of transportation secretary is expected to play a central role in Biden’s pursuit of a dual infrastructure package.
Biden spoke on Wednesday about how the United States is lagging behind other countries in terms of infrastructure quality, and its plans to create jobs and rebuild crumbling roads and bridges. He highlighted the intersection with his climate plan and how he plans to revive the economy, while turning the country towards electric vehicles and cutting energy consumption.
“We chose Pete for transportation because it is the intersection of some of the most ambitious plans to build back better,” said Biden.
He praised Buttigieg as “one of the smartest people you will ever meet and one of the most humble”.
“An inland mayor, a management expert, a policy winner with a big heart, a veteran, a lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserve, an intelligence officer who had been sent to Afghanistan while he was mayor. A new voice with new ideas, determined to go beyond the old politics, ‘Biden said.
Buttigieg drew on his experience as a mayor and his work as the leader of a number of South Bend infrastructure projects. He said one of those projects was to develop “new forms of support for lower-paid workers on their commute” and to add “electric vehicle charging infrastructure to prepare for a more sustainable future.”
Buttigieg spoke of what he described as his own “personal love of transportation, since childhood.” He said he would convince friends to travel with him on the Amtrak nearly 1,000 miles back to Indiana.
“Although I know that in this administration, I will strive at best to become the second-greatest train enthusiast,” Buttigieg said with a smile, looking back at Biden, who was famous for traveling around 8,000 Amtrak during his time as Senator. and vice president, earning him the nickname “Amtrak Joe”.
Buttigieg noted that he also proposed to his now-husband at an airport terminal. “Don’t let anyone tell you that O’Hare (International Airport) isn’t romantic,” he joked.
Elected Vice President Kamala Harris, who virtually attended the event, praised Buttigieg’s “keen intellect and deep dedication to unifying people across party lines.”
She described him as a “pioneering industrial Midwestern leader” and a “veteran and dedicated public servant who represents the very best of our country and the next generation of American leadership.”
“We will transform our roads and bridges, transit systems, railways, ports and airports and provide them with clean energy. Spark a renaissance in US rail passenger transport that will not only connect our country, but also create jobs and growth in our manufacturing sector., ‘said Harris.
The vice-president-elect continued, “And we will equitably expand and upgrade our transportation system, serving communities of all sizes, urban and rural, in our country.”
Buttigieg asked former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her advice on joining the president’s cabinet in his podcast, “The Deciding Decade.”
“First and foremost, in all these cabinet positions, you have to demonstrate that you are going to be a good steward, lead and manage a diverse, complicated department, and really grounded, literally, what it takes to get results,” Clinton said on the podcast , which was released Wednesday morning.
Clinton advised Buttigieg to immerse himself in the policy – “You have to do the work” – and set goals in line with Biden’s vision for the department.
“You have to be part of the government’s overall approach to climate change,” said Clinton. The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate also noted that part of Buttigieg’s role will be to restore public confidence in the use of public transportation after the pandemic.
The former mayor is seen as a rising star in the Democratic primaries and rose to national prominence in the 2020 Democratic primaries. Once an unknown small town mayor, Buttigieg became one of the leading presidential candidates and made history as the first LGBTQ presidential candidate who won primary deputies from a major party.
During his tenure as mayor, Buttigieg was deployed to Afghanistan in 2014 as an intelligence officer.
After returning from his broadcast in 2015, Buttigieg emerged as gay in an essay for the South Bend Tribune while serving as mayor. Later that year, Buttigieg won reelection.
Before joining the office, Buttigieg was a consultant with McKinsey & Company in Chicago.
CNN’s Dan Merica contributed to this report.