Confirmation process for Pete Buttigieg for secretary of transportation

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President Joe Biden (D) announced Pete Buttigieg as his nominee for secretary of transportation on December 15, 2020. This presidential appointment required Senate confirmation.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a confirmation hearing for Buttigieg on January 21, 2021. The Senate confirmed him on February 2, 2021, by a vote of 86-13. He is the first openly gay person to be confirmed to a Cabinet position.[1]

Biden said of his nomination, "Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a patriot and a problem-solver who speaks to the best of who we are as a nation. I am nominating him for Secretary of Transportation because this position stands at the nexus of so many of the interlocking challenges and opportunities ahead of us. Jobs, infrastructure, equity, and climate all come together at the DOT, the site of some of our most ambitious plans to build back better. I trust Mayor Pete to lead this work with focus, decency, and a bold vision — he will bring people together to get big things done.”[2]

This page includes the following information about the confirmation process:

Confirmation process

See also: Confirmation process for Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees

Confirmation vote roll call

Buttigieg was confirmed on February 2, 2021, by a vote of 86-13.

Summary of Senate vote on Pete Buttigieg's nomination for secretary of transportation (February 2, 2021)
Party Votes for Votes against Not voting
Democratic Party Democrats 48 0 0
Republican Party Republicans 36 13 1
Grey.png Independents 2 0 0
Totals 86 13 1


Thirteen Republican senators voted against his confirmation:[3]


Click on the following table to view the full roll call.

Senate confirmation hearing

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held Buttigieg's confirmation hearing on January 21, 2021.

Pete Buttigieg's Senate confirmation hearing, January 21, 2021

Financial disclosures

The Office of Government Ethics released Buttigieg's financial disclosures in January 2021. Click here to review them.

About the nominee

Buttigieg was born in South Bend, Indiana, in 1982. He earned a bachelor's degree in history and literature from Harvard University. He also studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar.[4][5]

From 2007 to 2010, Buttigieg worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company, specializing in economic development, business, logistics, and energy initiatives for government and private sector clients.[6][7] Before running for public office, Buttigieg worked for the campaigns of presidential candidate John Kerry as a research director in 2004 and Indiana gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson as an advisor in 2008.[4] He became a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve in 2009.

Buttigieg ran for treasurer of Indiana as a Democrat in 2010, losing in the general election to Richard Mourdock (R). The following year, he won the South Bend mayoral election with 74% of the vote. At the age of 29, he was the youngest mayor of a city with more than 100,000 residents.[8] In 2014, he took a leave of absence as mayor and completed a seven-month tour of duty in Afghanistan, earning the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his contributions to counterterrorism.[5] In 2015, during his re-election campaign, Buttigieg came out as gay in a column in a local paper.[9] He was re-elected mayor in 2015 with 80% of the vote.[10]

Buttigieg was a candidate for chair of the Democratic National Committee in 2017 but withdrew his candidacy before a vote was held. He previously served as president of the Indiana Urban Mayors Caucus and on the boards of directors of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns and the Truman National Security Project.

About the confirmation process

See also: Appointment confirmation process

The confirmation process includes several rounds of investigation and review, beginning with the submission of a personal financial disclosure report and a background check. The nominee is then evaluated in a committee hearing, which allows for a close examination of the nominee and his or her views on public policy. Supporters and opponents of the nominee may also testify.[11]

Once committee hearings are closed, most committees have a set amount of time before a vote is taken on whether the nominee is reported to the Senate favorably, unfavorably, or without recommendation. The nomination will then go to the Senate floor for consideration. Once the nomination is considered by the Senate, unlimited debate is allowed until a majority of the Senate votes to invoke cloture and close debate. Following a vote of cloture, the Senate conducts a simple majority vote on whether to confirm, reject, or take no action on the nomination.[12]

Other Biden Cabinet nominees

See also: Joe Biden's Cabinet and Confirmation process for Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees

The following table provides an overview of the confirmation hearings and committee and Senate votes for each of Biden's Cabinet and Cabinet-rank nominees.

Overview of confirmation process for Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees
Nominee Position Announced Senate committee Confirmation hearing Committee vote Senate vote Status
Tony Blinken Secretary of State November 23, 2020 Foreign Relations January 19, 2021 Favorable (15-3) 78-22 Confirmed on January 26, 2021
Janet Yellen Secretary of the Treasury November 30, 2020 Finance January 19, 2021 Favorable (26-0) 84-15 Confirmed on January 25, 2021
Lloyd Austin Secretary of Defense December 8, 2020 Armed Services January 19, 2021 Favorable (Voice Vote) 93-2 Confirmed on January 22, 2021
Merrick Garland Attorney General January 7, 2021 Judiciary February 22-23, 2021 Favorable (15-7) 70-30 Confirmed on March 10, 2021
Debra Haaland Secretary of the Interior December 17, 2020 Energy and Natural Resources February 23-24, 2021 Favorable (11-9) 51-40 Confirmed on March 15, 2021
Tom Vilsack Secretary of Agriculture December 10, 2020 Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry February 2, 2021 Favorable (Voice Vote) 92-7 Confirmed on February 23, 2021
Gina Raimondo Secretary of Commerce January 7, 2021 Commerce, Science, and Transportation January 26, 2021 Favorable (21-3) 84-15 Confirmed on March 2, 2021
Marty Walsh Secretary of Labor January 7, 2021 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions February 4, 2021 Favorable (18-4) 68-29 Confirmed on March 22, 2021
Julie Su Secretary of Labor February 28, 2023 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions April 20, 2023 Favorable (11-10) N/A No vote taken
Xavier Becerra Secretary of Health and Human Services December 7, 2020 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
/ Finance		 February 23, 2021 / February 24, 2021 No recommendation (14-14) 50-49 Confirmed on March 18, 2021
Marcia Fudge Secretary of Housing and Urban Development December 10, 2020 Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs January 28, 2021 Favorable (17-7) 66-34 Confirmed on March 10, 2021
Pete Buttigieg Secretary of Transportation December 15, 2020 Commerce, Science, and Transportation January 21, 2021 Favorable (21-3) 86-13 Confirmed on February 2, 2021
Jennifer Granholm Secretary of Energy December 17, 2020 Energy and Natural Resources January 27, 2021 Favorable (13-4) 64-35 Confirmed on February 25, 2021
Miguel Cardona Secretary of Education December 22, 2020 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions February 3, 2021 Favorable (17-5) 64-33 Confirmed on March 1, 2021
Denis McDonough Secretary of Veterans Affairs December 10, 2020 Veterans' Affairs January 27, 2021 Favorable (Unanimous) 87-7 Confirmed on February 8, 2021
Alejandro Mayorkas Secretary of Homeland Security November 23, 2020 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs January 19, 2021 Favorable (7-4) 56-43 Confirmed on February 2, 2021
Katherine Tai U.S. Trade Representative December 10, 2020 Finance February 25, 2021 Favorable (Voice Vote) 98-0 Confirmed on March 17, 2021
Avril Haines Director of National Intelligence November 23, 2020 Intelligence (Select) January 19, 2021 N/A[13] 84-10 Confirmed on January 20, 2021
Linda Thomas-Greenfield U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations November 23, 2020 Foreign Relations January 27, 2021 Favorable (18-4) 78-20 Confirmed on February 23, 2021
Cecilia Rouse Chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisers November 30, 2020 Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs January 28, 2021 Favorable (24-0) 95-4 Confirmed on March 2, 2021
Jared Bernstein Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers February 14, 2023 Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs April 18, 2023 Favorable (12-11) 50-49 Confirmed on June 13, 2023
Neera Tanden Director of the Office of Management and Budget November 30, 2020 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs / Budget February 9, 2021 / February 10, 2021 N/A N/A Withdrawn on March 2, 2021
Shalanda Young Director of the Office of Management and Budget November 24, 2021 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs / Budget February 1, 2022 / February 1, 2022 Favorable (7-6) / Favorable (15-6) 61-36 Confirmed on March 15, 2022
Michael Regan Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency December 17, 2020 Environment and Public Works February 3, 2021 Favorable (14-6) 66-34 Confirmed on March 10, 2021
Isabel Guzman Administrator of the Small Business Administration January 7, 2021 Small Business and Entrepreneurship February 3, 2021 Favorable (15-5) 81-17 Confirmed on March 16, 2021
Eric Lander Presidential Science Advisor and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy January 16, 2021 Commerce, Science, and Transportation April 29, 2021 Favorable (Voice Vote) Voice Vote Confirmed on May 28, 2021
Arati Prabhakar Presidential Science Advisor and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy June 21, 2022 Commerce, Science, and Transportation July 20, 2022 Favorable (15-13) 56-40 Confirmed on September 22, 2022
William J. Burns[14] Director of the Central Intelligence Agency January 11, 2021 Intelligence February 24, 2021 Favorable (Voice Vote) Voice Vote Confirmed on March 18, 2021


Historical comparison of Cabinet confirmations

Comparison to Trump administration

The following chart compares how many days it took after the inaugurations in 2017 and 2021 for the Cabinet secretaries of Presidents Donald Trump (R) and Joe Biden (D), respectively, to be confirmed. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.

Comparison to Obama administration

The following chart compares how many days it took after the inaugurations in 2009 and 2021 for the Cabinet secretaries of Presidents Barack Obama (D) and Joe Biden (D), respectively, to be confirmed. This chart includes the main 15 Cabinet positions.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ NBC News, "Senate confirms Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary," February 2, 2021
  2. ↑ 4President, "President-elect Biden Announces Mayor Pete Buttigieg as Nominee for Secretary of Transportation," December 15, 2021
  3. ↑ Senate.gov, "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Peter Paul Montgomery Buttigieg, of Indiana, to be Secretary of Transportation )," February 2, 2021
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Vote Smart, "Pete Buttigieg's Biography," accessed July 8, 2019
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named meet
  6. ↑ City of South Bend, "Mayor Pete Buttigieg," accessed January 10, 2017
  7. ↑ Pete for South Bend, "About Mayor Pete," accessed January 9, 2017
  8. ↑ CNBC, "Meet 37-year-old Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, who thinks he can become the youngest US president ever," April 15, 2019
  9. ↑ Boston.com, "Pete Buttigieg explains why he didn’t come out until nearly his second term as South Bend mayor," April 3, 2019
  10. ↑ WNDU, "South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg wins re-election," November 3, 2015
  11. ↑ CRS Report for Congress, "Senate Confirmation Process: An Overview," accessed July 24, 2013
  12. ↑ Congressional Research Service, "Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure," April 4, 2019
  13. ↑ PBS, "Senate confirms Avril Haines as director of national intelligence," January 20, 2021
  14. ↑ At the time of Burns' confirmation, director of the Central Intelligence Agency was not a Cabinet-level position in the Biden administration. Biden elevated the position to Cabinet-level on July 21, 2023.
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