>> AND HERE WITH ME NOW
IS TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY PETE
BUTTIGIEG.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
WE ARE LESS THAN SEVEN DAYS FROM
THE POTENTIAL GOVERNMENT
SHUTDOWN.
HOW SERIOUSLY IS THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION TAKING THAT
POSSIBILITY?
>> LOOK, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
CAN AND SHOULD BE PREVENTED.
SO THE ADMINISTRATION, AS
ALWAYS, WILL BE READY FOR
ANYTHING, BUT LOOK, SPEAKER
McCARTHY AND THE SPEAKER MADE A
DEAL.
IT WASN'T AN EASY DEAL AND IT
MEANT US ACCEPTING CUTS THAT
REPUBLICANS WERE DEMANDING TO
PROGRAMS THAT WE WANTED TO USE
TO FUND MORE ROADS, BRIDGES AND
AIRPORTS, BUT WE MADE THAT DEAL
AND ALL WE'RE ASKING IS THAT
THEY LIVE UP TO THAT DEAL.
A SHUTDOWN WOULD INCLUDE JUST IN
THE TRANSPORTATION SIDE ALONE
SHUTTING DOWN AIR TRAFFIC
CONTROL TRAINING AT THE EXACT
MOMENT WHEN THE COUNTRY
RECOGNIZES THE NEED FOR MORE,
NOT LESS ATC STAFFING AND WHEN
WE FINALLY GOT CANCELLATIONS
BACK AT OR BELOW NORMAL RATES
THAT'S A SHUTDOWN THAT MEANS
SERVICE MEMBERS WOULDN'T GET
PAID.
COMING BACK TO TRANSPORTATION,
THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS WHO
WOULD BE WORKING IN THE TOWERS
THEY WOULDN'T GET PAID AND
THEY'RE UNDER ENOUGH STRESS AS
MIDDLE DOING THAT JOB WITHOUT
COMING TO WORK WITH THE ADDED
STRESS OF NOT RECEIVING A
PAYCHECK.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DON'T WANT A
SHUTDOWN.
FROM WHAT I CAN TELL THE SENATE
IS READY TO GO, THE
ADMINISTRATION IS READY TO GO.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS NEED TO COME
TO THEIR SENSES AND KEEP THE
GOVERNMENT RUNNING.
>> YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT WOULD
HAPPEN WHEN IT COMES TO AIR
TRAFFIC CONTROL.
THE TRAINING -- THOSE BEING
TRAINED AND THOSE WHO ARE
ACTUALLY WORKING NOW, WHAT WOULD
IT MEAN FOR PASSENGERS?
>> WELL, LOOK, ONE THING THAT WE
HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF IS
DISRUPTIONS, RIGHT?
THOSE DISRUPTIONS ARE LARGELY
CAUSED BY THE WEATHER AND
SOMETIMES IT CAN BE BECAUSE
STAFFING ISSUES AND THAT'S
EXACTLY WHY WE'RE TRYING TO GROW
THE WORKFORCE AND THIS WILL STOP
US IN OUR TRACKS AND IN JANUARY
THERE'S AN OUTAGE OF A CRITICAL
I.T. SYSTEM THAT THE FAA HAS
BEEN WORKING TO MODERNIZE.
A SHUTDOWN WOULD SLOW DOWN THE
PROGRESS AT THE EXACT MOMENT
WHEN WE NEED TO DO IT AND AGAIN,
THE TRANSPORTATION SPACE ACROSS
THE COUNTRY AND THIS HAS TO BE
AVOIDED.
>> YOU MENTIONED THAT THE DEAL
THAT THE PRESIDENT AND HOUSE
SPEAKER CUT A FEW MONTHS AGO,
HAVE YOU SPOKEN TO THE CRISIS?
>> I DON'T KNOW, THE LATEST TIME
THAT YOU'VE SPOKEN AND I THINK
THE PRESIDENT'S POSITION IS VERY
CLEAR.
BY THE WAY, THERE'S ALSO BEEN A
DIALOGUE GOING ON ABOUT MAKING
SURE THAT THERE'S MEASURES TO
KEEP THE GOVERNMENT OPEN THAT
HAD THINGS LIKE DISASTER RELIEF
IN THEM, THAT HAVE THINGS LIKE
SUPPORT FOR THE FAA TO BE ABLE
TO GET THROUGH SOME OF THESE
ISSUES THAT THE FAA IS FACING.
BY THE WAY, YOU MENTIONED
PASSENGERS AND ANOTHER THING
THAT GRINDS TO A HALT IN THE
EVENT
EVENT OF A SHUTDOWN IS THE RULES
THAT GIVE PASSENGERS REFUNDS
WHEN THEY GET DELAYS.
SOMETIMES THE RHETORIC IN
WASHINGTON ISN'T THAT ISN'T THE
MILITARY GETS TALKED ABOUT AS IF
IT'S FACELESS, MEANINGLESS
BUREAUCRACY.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REAL WORK
THAT PROTECT AMERICAN,
EVERYTHING FROM FOOD SAFETY
INS
INSPECTIONS AND WE HAVE ALL OF
THESE PARTS OF THE GOVERNMENT
FOR A REASON AND AMERICANS
EXPECT CONGRESS TO KEEP THAT UP
AND RUNNING TO KEEP THE LIGHTS
ON. >> YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE'S
SOME DAY CARE CENTERS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
TO TAKE JUST ONE EXAMPLE THAT
HITS PRETTY CLOSE TO HOME FOR
OUR HOUSEHOLD AND MORE
IMPORTANTLY, FOR PEOPLE ACROSS
THE COUNTRY AND WHETHER WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT FEDERAL WORKERS OR
PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, PARENTS
WHO ARE DEPENDING ON WIC
BENEFITS MIGHT BE WAITLISTED
INSTEAD OF BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT
THEIR KIDS AND I WOULD ADD THE
SHUTDOWN IS BEING USED BY SOME
HOUSE REPUBLICANS AS LEVERAGE TO
GET BUDGET CUTS OVER AND ABOVE
THE DEAL THAT WAS MADE WHICH
WOULD HAVE AN INCREDIBLY
NEGATIVE EFFECT.
>> THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE DEAL IN
THE FIRST PLACE.
>> THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS
FOR TRANSPORTATION.
I'M SPEAKING TO MOSTLY WHAT'S IN
MY LANE AND SOME OF THE VERY
HOUSE REPUBLICANS WHO WERE
LINING UP TO TRY TO MAKE A
PARTISAN, POLITICAL ISSUE OF AIR
TRAFFIC DISRUPTIONS ARE
PROPOSING CUTS THAT WOULD MAKE
IT HARDER TO MODERNIZE OUR
SYSTEMS.
SOME OF THE VERY SAME HOUSE
REPUBLICANS WHO WERE LINING UP
TO TRY TO MAKE THE PAIN OF THE
PEOPLE OF EAST PALESTINE, OHIO,
INTO A PARTISAN POLITICAL ISSUE
WOULD CUT RAILROAD SAFETY
INSPECTIONS.
IT MAKES NO SENSE.
>> PRESIDENT BIDEN IS PLANNING
TO JOIN THE AUTOWORKERS WHO ARE
STRIKING.
HE'S GOING TUESDAY TO YOUR
ADOPTED HOME STATE OF MICHIGAN.
DONALD TRUMP SAYS THAT PRESIDENT
BIDEN IS ONLY GOING BECAUSE HE
HAD PLANNED TO GO ON WEDNESDAY.
IS THAT PART OF WHAT'S GOING ON
HERE?
PRESIDENT BIDEN TRYING TO DRAW A
CONTRAST?
>> NO.
PRESIDENT BIDEN IS DOING WHAT HE
HAS ALWAYS DONE WHICH IS TO
STAND WITH AMERICAN WORKERS.
HE IS PROUD OF BEING THE MOST
PRO-UNION, PRO-WORKER PRESIDENT
NOT ONLY COMPARED TO THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION WITH THE
ANTI-UNION POLICIES AND REALLY
COMPARED TO ANY MODERN
PRESIDENT.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND
SOMEBODY WHO HAS MORE
CONSISTENTLY STOOD WITH UNIONS.
NOW HAVING SAID THAT, IT'S ALSO
THE CASE THAT THESE AUTO
COMPANIES CAN THRIVE IN A
WIN-WIN DEAL THAT DOES WHAT THE
PRESIDENT HAS CALLED FOR WHICH
IS TO SAY THAT RECORD PROFITS
SHOULD LEAD TO RECORD PAY AND
RECORD BENEFITS FOR THE WORKERS
WHO ARE CREATING ALL THAT VALUE
AND AS THE AUTO INDUSTRY, THE
GLOBAL AUTO INDUSTRY MOVES INTO
THE EV FUTURE, WHICH JUST TO BE
CLEAR, IS GOING TO HAPPEN NO
MATTER WHAT.
OUR GOAL AND CERTAINLY THE UAW'S
GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT
IS A MADE IN AMERICA, EV FUTURE
WHERE AMERICAN WORKERS THRIVE.
>> WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT A NEW
ATLANTIC PROFILE THAT SAYS THAT
THEN PRESIDENT TRUMP COMPARED TO
CHAIRMAN, THE JOINT CHIEFS OF
STAFF MARK MILLEY AFTER AN ARMY
VETERAN WHO LOST A LEG IN COMBAT
SAYING AT THE PENTAGON, AT AN
EVENT AT THE PENTAGON, TRUMP
REPORTEDLY TOLD MILLEY, QUOTE,
WHY DO YOU BRING PEOPLE LIKE
THAT HERE?
NO ONE WANTS TO SEE THAT, THE
WOUNDED.
AFTER THAT ARTICLE CAME OUT
TRUMP ATTACKED MILLEY ON SOCIAL
MEDIA IN A RAMBLING POST AND
SUGGESTED THAT MILLEY DESERVED
THE DEATH PENALTY.
YOU ARE A VETERAN.
WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE?
>> IT'S JUST THE LATEST IN A
PATTERN OF OUTRAGEOUS ATTACKS ON
THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP THIS COUNTRY
SAFE, AND SEPTEMBER PUTS ME IN A
REFLECTIVE MOOD BECAUSE IT'S
ACTUALLY TOMORROW NINE YEARS AGO
NOW THAT I GOT BACK TO SOUTH
BEND AFTER MY ONE TOUR IN
AFGHANISTAN.
I SERVED WITH PEOPLE WHO DID
FIVE, SIX, SERVE VEN TOURS SOME
AFTER BEING INJURED.
I SERVED WITH SOMEONE WHO HAD
THE FIN OF OF A ROCKET GO
THROUGH HIS TRICEP AFTER HE WAS
STANDING -- HE WAS STANDING IN
GHAZNI PROVINCE AND MIRACULOUSLY
THE ROCKET DIDN'T KILL HIM AND
HE WAS EAGER TO GET TO HIS NEXT
TOUR. IN AN AIRPORT I RAN INTO SOMEONE
I SERVED WITH WHO BASICALLY HAD
HER LEG SHOT OFF AND WITH HER
NEW LEG WHEN I RAN INTO HER AND
ASKED HER HOW SHE WAS DOING.
SHE SAID THE NAVY FIXED ME UP
JUST FINE AND WENT ON TO HER
NEXT ASSIGNMENT.
THESE ARE THE KIND OF PEOPLE WHO
DESERVE RESPECT AND A HELL OF A
LOT MORE THAN THAT FROM EVERY
AMERICAN AND DEFINITELY FROM
EVERY AMERICAN PRESIDENT AND THE
IDEA THAT -- THAT AN AMERICAN
PRESIDENT, A PERSON TO WHOM
SERVICE MEMBERS LOOK TO AS A
COMMANDER IN CHIEF AND THE
PERSON WHO SETS THE TONE FOR
THIS ENTIRE COUNTRY COULD THINK
THAT WAY OR ACT THAT WAY OR TALK
THAT WAY ABOUT ANYONE IN YOO UMP
A
UNIFORM AND CERTAINLY THOSE WHO
PUT THEIR BODIES ON THE LINE AND
SACRIFICED IN WAYS THAT MOST
AMERICANS WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND,
AND I GUESS -- I GUESS WOUNDED
VETERANS MAKE PRESIDENT TRUMP
FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE.
WHEN I ENCOUNTER SOMEBODY WHO
PUT THEIR BODY ON THE LINE AND
PAID A PRICE FOR THIS COUNTRY, I
FEEL ABOUT THIS BIG BECAUSE I
SEE WHAT THEY'VE DONE, AND I SEE
AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN THEIR
WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE GIVING,
BUT THOSE ARE EXACTLY THE KINDS
OF PEOPLE WE SHOULD LIFT UP
BECAUSE THEIR COMMITMENT COULD
HELP UNIFY THE COUNTRY AND WE
NEED VOICES WHEN IT'S ORDINARY
PEOPLE, SERVICE MEMBERS OR
POLITICAL LEADERS WHO ARE
INTERESTED IN UNIFYING AND NOT
DIVIDING AMERICANS.
>> TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY PETE
BUTTIGIEG, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.