During a historic worldwide supply-chain crisis that is largely the result of inadequate shipping needs, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is nowhere to be found.
As Politico reports, “Pete Buttigieg has been MIA.”
The “mission” of the Transportation Secretary, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, is “to ensure America has the safest, most efficient and modern transportation system in the world, which boosts our economic productivity and global competitiveness and enhances the quality of life in communities both rural and urban.”
So where is the erstwhile “Mayor Pete”?
Politico reporters Alex Thompson and Tina Sfondeles tracked down a DOT spokesman to learn that the new father had been granted previously unannounced paid parental leave.
“They didn’t previously announce it, but Buttigieg’s office told West Wing Playbook that the secretary has actually been on paid leave since mid-August to spend time with his husband, Chasten, and their two newborn babies.”
Chasten and I are beyond thankful for all the kind wishes since first sharing the news that we’re becoming parents. We are delighted to welcome Penelope Rose and Joseph August Buttigieg to our family. pic.twitter.com/kS89gb11Ax
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) September 4, 2021
At the Daily Wire, Ryan Saavedra reported that “Buttigieg’s absence comes as a $1 trillion pipeline of goods from Asia to the U.S. has been clogged for months, leading to skyrocketing shipping costs which are exacerbating inflationary pressures on an economy that is struggling to rebound under Democrat President Joe Biden’s administration.”
And, at Breitbart, Jordan Dixon–Hamilton spoke to Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who slammed latest example of careless mismanagement from the Biden administration.
“We’re in the middle of a transportation crisis, and Pete Buttigieg is sitting at home,” Blackburn said.
“Meanwhile, cargo boats are unable to dock and shelves are sitting empty,” she continued. “Pete needs to either get back to work or leave the Department of Transportation. It’s time to put American families first.”
We’ve seen recently how greatly the ruling class values “disruptive forces,” so perhaps doing nothing is part of the plan.
A more optimistic take, perhaps, is that as The Hill columnist Joe Concha said, Mayor Pete is “clearly in over his head.”
The avid cyclist surfaced briefly Wednesday to give an interview to NPR in which he said he was “optimistic” about what the New York Times is called the Great Supply Chain Disruption.
