Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia recently proposed an amendment to the 2024 Transportation and Housing and Urban Development spending bill that would cut Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s salary to $1. The proposal, which was approved by a voice vote in the House, could still face Senate opposition in order to be included in the final budget.
Greene said in her floor remarks that Buttigieg has not been serving the American people well as Secretary of Transportation and has his priorities wrong.
“He has been busy calling roads racist and forcing equity action plans and implementing climate change initiatives rather than strengthening our nation’s transportation and infrastructure systems and responding to emergencies like the train derailment in East Palestine,” Greene said.
Greene also called out Buttigieg for “intentionally trying to deceive the American people,” in reference to a video that surfaced of Buttigieg unloading a bicycle from an SUV before riding it, leading some to believe the Secretary of Transportation faked his bike ride to a White House Cabinet meeting.
“He has also intentionally tried to deceive the American people, as shown when a video surfaced of him faking a bike ride to a White House Cabinet meeting,” Greene said.
Greene further criticized Buttigieg for his lack of attention to rural America.
“He stated there is racism physically built into some of our highways. Every transportation decision is inherently, in many ways, a decision about equity,” she said. “I would argue people driving on dirt roads every single day in rural America may feel that way. But our Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, doesn’t care about Americans in rural America.”
Greene, who referred to Buttigieg as “Pothole Pete” for not repairing all the potholes when he was mayor, added that Buttigieg has been “busy taking taxpayer-funded carbon-emitting private jets to receive LGBTQ awards” while ignoring disasters such as the train derailment in East Palestine.
The thought of potentially having a Cabinet member receive a taxpayer-funded salary of just $1 for their work incensed Americans for Public Trust Executive Director Caitlin Sutherland.
“Secretary Buttigieg continues to blow off the American people, who simply want to know the true cost of his taxpayer-funded private jet trips,” Sutherland said. “Buttigieg looks to be politicizing his role and making it clear that he believes he’s above accountability and transparency, a dismissive attitude that seems to be endemic throughout the Biden administration.”
???? BREAKING: I’m proud to announce my amendment to FIRE Pete Buttigieg just PASSED the House.
Pothole Pete staged fake bike rides to the White House and used private planes funded by taxpayers to receive awards for the way certain people have sex.
American taxpayers should not… pic.twitter.com/9fq9XrXLV2
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene???????? (@RepMTG) November 7, 2023
Farewell Pete! Your servicing office has been a disaster.