Van Hollen Statement in Support of Pete Buttigieg to Serve as Transportation Secretary

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement regarding his vote to confirm Pete Buttigieg to serve as the Secretary of Transportation:

“Today, I was proud to vote in support of Pete Buttigieg to serve as our next Secretary of Transportation. I know he’s an innovative problem solver who will help us repair and modernize our infrastructure, invest in local projects, work with other federal partners to expand access to broadband, address the climate crisis, and create jobs.

“I also look forward to working with him and the Department of Transportation to address a number of issues important to Marylanders—from reauthorizing WMATA to maintain and improve metro rail and bus service to Maryland’s DC suburbs, to developing transit solutions for Baltimore City and other jurisdictions throughout the state, to providing much-needed pandemic relief assistance for Maryland’s transit industries.

“With Secretary Buttigieg’s Senate confirmation today, our country recognizes its first openly LGBTQ+ cabinet secretary. This is one more step on the path towards a new chapter of inclusion in federal government service. Secretary Buttigieg is the right person to take on the challenges our country faces in infrastructure and transportation, and I look forward to working together to tackle these urgent issues.”