"Buttigieg said he has spoken with his incoming replacement, Sean Duffy, and believes he can do a good job; though he adds that his position's effectiveness was "largely put in the hands of... state or local or tribal or regional authorities" who are overseeing projects funded by President Joe Biden's $1.2 trillion infrastructure law. Many of these authorities aren't necessarily Republican, Buttigieg notes, and the secretary is expected to deal with them equally."
"Biden recently complained to USA Today, "We would've been a hell of a lot better off had we been able to go much harder at getting some of these projects in the ground quicker." Buttigieg said he thought Biden "was getting at is an impatience we all feel about the recognition and credit that this work deserves," adding, "The nature of the beast with this infrastructure work is that it takes longer than a political cycle to get it done.""
Outgoing Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reflected on accomplishments and regrets ahead of the incoming administration, noting pride as the first openly gay cabinet member to serve an entire presidential term. He reported speaking with incoming Secretary Sean Duffy and expressed confidence in Duffy's ability while observing that federal influence is often limited because states, localities and tribal and regional authorities implement infrastructure projects. The $1.2 trillion infrastructure law initiated about 72,000 projects, with roughly 22,000 completed. Buttigieg echoed President Biden's frustration about project pace and emphasized that major infrastructure work often exceeds political cycles and requires lengthy timelines.
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