TRANSPORTATION, PETE BUTTIGIEG. IT’S ALL YOURS.
IT’S ALL YOURS.
>> MR. PRESIDENT-ELECT, MADAM
VICE PRESIDENT ELECT, THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR ENTRUSTING ME WITH
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
I AM HUMBLED BY YOUR CONFIDENCE,
EAGER TO DO EVERYTHING IN MY
POWER TO ENSURE THAT THIS
ADMINISTRATION SUCCEEDS.
MY HOMETOWN, SOUTH BEND,
INDIANA, WAS BUILT BY THE POWER
OF AMERICAN TRANSPORTATION, FROM
TRADE ALONG THE RIVER WHOSE BEND
GIVES OUR CITY ITS NAME, TO THE
RAIL LINES THAT CONNECTED US TO
THE REST OF THE COUNTRY BACK
WHEN WE WERE CONSIDERED THE
WEST, TO THE LIVELIHOODS CREATED
BY THE GOOD-PAYING YOU KNOW JOBS
THAT PLACES LIKE THEARY ARY OE
AERONAUTICAL SUPPLIER BENDIX AND
AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIER STUDEBAKER.
ALSO I HAVE A PERSONAL LOVE OF
TRANSPORTATION EVER SINCE
CHILDHOOD.
MORE THAN ONCE AS A COLLEGE
STUDENT, I WOULD CONVINCE A
FRIEND TO TRAVEL NEARLY A
THOUSAND MILES BACK TO INDIANA
WITH ME ON AMTRAK, THOUGH I KNOW
THAT IN THIS ADMINISTRATION I
WILL AT BEST ASPIRE TO BE THE
SECOND BIGGEST TRAIN ENTHUSIAST
AROUND.
I SPENT A SPRING BREAK IN
GRADUATE SCHOOL ABOARD A CARGO
SHIP, STUDYING THERE.
TRAVEL IN MY MIND IS SYNONYMOUS
WITH GROWTH, WITH ADVENTURE,
EVEN LOVE, SO MUCH SO THAT I
PROPOSED TO MY HUSBAND CHASTAIN
IN AN AIRPORT TERMINAL.
DON’T LET ANYBODY TELL YOU THAT
O’HARE ISN’T ROMANTIC.
AND I WANT TO TAKE THIS CHANCE
TO THANK CHASTAIN FOR EVERYTHING
THAT HE GIVES AND EVERYTHING
THAT HE SACRIFICES TO SUPPORT ME
IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
FIRST TIME I RAN FOR OFFICE WAS
ON A PLATFORM OF SUPPORTING THE
OBAMA/BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S
RESCUE OF THE AUTO INDUSTRY.
AND WHEN I DID FIRST TAKE OFFICE
AS MAYOR, IN A CITY FIGHTING ITS
WAY OUT OF THE TEETH OF THE
GREAT RECESSION, INFRASTRUCTURE
WAS AT THE HEART OF OUR VISION.
WE REIMAGINED HOW VEHICLES AND
PEOPLE MOVE THROUGH THE CITY,
UNLOCKING NEW ECONOMIC VIBRANCY
IN OUR URBAN CORE.
WE BUILT UP PARTNERSHIPS FROM A
REGIONAL COLLABORATION TO
IMPROVE RAIL SERVICE TO THE
PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT
PUT OUR CITY AT THE CUTTING EDGE
OF BICYCLE MOBILITY.
WE DEVELOPED NEW FORMS OF
SUPPORT FOR LOWER WAGE WORKERS
IN THEIR COMMUTES AND ADDED
ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING
INFRASTRUCTURE TO HELP PREPARE
FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.
WE ALSO DEALT WITH THE
CHALLENGES CREATED BY
GENERATIONS OF OFTEN-INADEQUATE
STATE AND FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE
FUNDING, WITH JUST ENOUGH
RESOURCES TO REPLENISH THE
PAVING OF EVERY LANE MILE OF
STREET IN OUR CITY ONLY EVERY
100 YEARS OR SO.
I FACED A CONSTANT BATTLE WITH
THAT NATURAL ENEMY OF ALL
MAYORS, THE POTHOLE.
IN A COMMUNITY WHERE MORE THAN A
QUARTER OF OUR RESIDENTS LIVED
IN POVERTY, WE WORKED TO FILL IN
THE GAPS THAT WERE CREATED WHEN
UNDERFUNDED TRANSIT RESOURCES
LEFT TOO MANY CUT OFF FROM
OPPORTUNITY JUST BECAUSE THEY
DIDN’T HAVE THE MEANS TO OWN A
CAR.
AT ITS BEST, TRANSPORTATION
MAKES THE AMERICAN DREAM
POSSIBLE, GETTING PEOPLE AND
GOODS TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE,
DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY CREATING
GOOD PAYING JOBS.
AT ITS WORST, MISGUIDED POLICIES
AND MISSED OPPORTUNITIES CAN
REINFORCE RACIAL, ECONOMIC, AND
ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE,
DIVIDING OR ISOLATING
NEIGHBORHOODS, UNDERMINING
GOVERNMENT’S BASIC ROLE TO
EMPOWER EVERYONE TO THRIVE.
AND NOW COMES A HISTORIC
OPPORTUNITY.
THIS ADMINISTRATION CAN DELIVER
POLICIES AND RESOURCES THAT WILL
CREATE JOBS, RISE TO THE CLIMATE
CHALLENGE, AND EQUITABLY SERVE
ALL AMERICANS, ALL WHILE
CONTINUING TO ENSURE THE SAFETY
OF TRAVELERS AND WORKERS ALIKE.
AMERICA HAS GIVEN THIS
ADMINISTRATION A MANDATE TO
BUILD BACK BETTER.
AND STEP ONE IN BUILDING BACK
BETTER, LITERALLY, IS TO BUILD.
AMERICANS SHOULDN’T SETTLE FOR
LESS THAN OUR PEERS IN THE
DEVELOPED WORLD WHEN IT COMES TO
OUR ROADS AND BRIDGES, OUR
RAILWAYS, AND TRANSIT SYSTEMS.
THE U.S. SHOULD LEAD THE WAY.
AND I KNOW THAT IN THIS
ADMINISTRATION, WE WILL.
WE’LL BRING TOGETHER LEADERS AND
COMMUNITIES FROM EVERY CORNER,
LABOR AND BUSINESS, LEFT, RIGHT,
AND CENTER, URBAN AND RURAL,
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, TRIBAL
NATIONS, MAYORS, COUNTIES,
STATES, EVERYONE WHO HAS A STAKE
IN AMERICAN INFRASTRUCTURE, TO
DESIGN A BETTER FUTURE.
AMERICANS EXPECT US TO SEE TO IT
THAT THE IDEA OF AN
INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK IS
ASSOCIATED WITH RESULTS AND
NEVER AGAIN A MEDIA PUNCH LINE.
MY VIEW OF THIS OPPORTUNITY IS
ALSO SHAPED BY BEING THE
YOUNGEST MEMBER SO FAR NAMED TO
THIS CABINET AND THE FIRST
MILLENIAL INVITED TO A SEAT AT
THAT TABLE.
NEWER GENERATIONS HAVE A LOT AT
STAKE IN INFRASTRUCTURE POLICY
THAT BY ITS NATURE MUST
CONTEMPLATE BOTH THE IMMEDIATE
AND THE LONG TERM.
THE QUESTION OF HOW AMERICA WILL
LOOK BY THE MIDDLE OF THIS
CENTURY, THE CAVEATOMPETITIVENES
OUR ECONOMY, THE SECURITY OF OUR
CLIMATE, FOR ME THIS ISN’T
ACADEMIC, IT’S PERSONAL.
I’M ALSO MINDFUL THAT THE EYES
OF HISTORY ARE ON THIS
APPOINTMENT, KNOWING THAT THIS
IS THE FIRST TIME AN AMERICAN
PRESIDENT HAS EVER SENT AN
OPENLY LGBTQ CABINET MEMBER TO
THE SENATE FOR CONFIRMATION.
I CAN REMEMBER WATCHING THE
NEWS, 17 YEARS OLD, IN INDIANA,
SEEING A STORY ABOUT AN
APPOINTEE OF PRESIDENT CLINTON
NAMED TO BE AN AMBASSADOR,
ATTACKED AND DENIED A VOTE IN
THE SENATE BECAUSE HE WAS GAY.
ULTIMATELY ABLE TO SERVE ONLY BY
RECESS APPOINTMENT.
AT THE TIME I HAD NO ASPIRATIONS
OF BEING APPOINTED BY A
PRESIDENT TO ANYTHING.
AT THAT AGE I WAS HOPING TO BE
AN AIRLINE PILOT.
AND I WAS A LONG WAY FROM COMING
OUT EVEN TO MYSELF.
BUT STILL, I WATCHED THAT STORY.
I LEARNED SOMETHING ABOUT SOME
OF THE LIMITS THAT EXIST IN THIS
COUNTRY WHEN IT COMES TO WHO IS
ALLOWED TO BELONG.
BUT JUST AS IMPORTANT, I SAW HOW
THOSE LIMITS COULD BE
CHALLENGED.
SO TWO DECADES LATER, I CAN’T
HELP BUT THINK OF A 17-YEAR-OLD
SOMEWHERE WHO MIGHT BE WATCHING
US RIGHT NOW, SOMEBODY WHO
WONDERS WHETHER AND WHERE THEY
BELONG IN THE WORLD OR EVEN IN
THEIR OWN FAMILY.
AND I’M THINKING ABOUT THE
MESSAGE THAT TODAY’S
ANNOUNCEMENT IS SENDING TO THEM.
SO THANK YOU, MR.
PRESIDENT-ELECT, THANK YOU FOR
HONORING YOUR COMMITMENT TO
DIVERSITY WITH THIS
ADMINISTRATION THAT YOU’RE
ASSEMBLING.
AND THANK YOU, MADAM VICE
PRESIDENT ELECT, FOR YOUR
TRAILBLAZING LEADERSHIP, YOUR
ENCOURAGEMENT, AND YOUR
FRIENDSHIP.
THERE IS NO GREATER SOURCE OF
MEANING IN PROFESSIONAL LIFE
THAN THE CHANCE TO SERVE OTHERS.
I FELT THAT MEANING EVERY TIME I
LACED UP MY BOOTS WHEN I WAS IN
THE MILITARY.
EVERY TIME I CAME TO WORK WHEN I
WAS A MAYOR.
AND I FEEL IT HERE NOW, JOINING
THIS HISTORIC TEAM WITH SUCH AN