Republican is filing bill to let Pete Buttigieg fly commercially until flight debacle is fixed

Republicans want Pete Buttigieg and his associates to be forced to fly commercial flights until recent air travel disruptions are fully investigated and resolved.

South Carolina GOP Representative Nancy Mace introduced legislation Wednesday that would force the Secretary of Transportation to deal with catastrophic air travel.

Southwest Airlines in particular had a complete meltdown over the holiday, causing thousands of flights to be canceled and delayed – resulting in stranded passengers and a nationwide baggage disaster.

Airline departures in the United States were also suspended for several hours on Wednesday morning because of a computer glitch in the Federal Aviation Administration’s system, which sends safety alerts and other important information to pilots.

Buttigieg, 40, has faced a lot of criticism for his handling of transportation and infrastructure problems plaguing the US since he became President Joe Biden’s head of DOT two years ago.

A new Republican bill would force Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and his staff to operate commercial flights until recent air service disruptions are fully investigated and resolved

The transport minister also came under fire last month for spending a personal holiday in Portugal amid negotiations with rail unions to avoid a looming strike that could disrupt the entire US transportation system and supply chain just before Christmas.

The only political experience Buttigieg had before becoming a cabinet official was mayor of South Bend, Indiana, from 20212 to 2020. He ran in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary and had a relatively successful campaign given his lack of national prominence, difficult-to-pronounce last name, and open homosexuality.

Commercial Cabins for Cabinet Members was filed Wednesday by Mace, who pointed out her children were hit by the South West debacle and almost didn’t make it home in time for Christmas.

The bill was introduced on Wednesday by Rep. Nancy Mace (RS.C.), who serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, after the FAA grounded thousands of flights for several hours on Wednesday morning

Regarding the FAA glitch, Buttigieg stated in a press conference: “There was a system problem overnight that resulted in a ground stop because security information was leaking through the system.”

Though the issue was soon resolved, Buttigieg warned that travelers could expect to see some effects “rippling through the system.”

The bill, Mace said in a statement announcing it on Wednesday, “would require the Secretary of Transport to fly only commercially”.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s system, which sends pilots safety alerts and other important information, caused disruptions on Wednesday, causing flights to be grounded for hours

A Southwest Airlines traveler in Chicago searches for her luggage in a huge pile of lost suitcases after a massive winter storm swept through the Christmas holiday weekend

Passengers wait to check in at Southwest Airlines self-service kiosks at Chicago’s Midway Airport after a corrupted computer file grounded flights across the United States

“So until the issues with Southwest and the FAA are investigated and resolved, he and his staff should be required to fly commercial flights, just live every other American,” she said.

“This should provide ample time to investigate Southwest and the FAA,” the Republican lawmaker added.

A DOT spokesman told Fox News that 111 of Buttigieg’s 129 flights in his capacity as Secretary of Transportation were commercial because it was the cheapest way to fly.

They clarified that there are “certain instances where the DOT ethics office will authorize the use of the 9-seat FAA airplane” because it is “more efficient and/or less expensive” for the secretary and his staff to do so to travel.

“This approach has saved taxpayers’ money,” added the spokesman.

Buttigieg was forced into damage control Wednesday after thousands of flights were canceled or delayed due to the FAA systems error

Mace has slammed Buttigieg for flying “about 20 times” in the past six months.

Buttigieg traveled to Porto, Portugal last month as the federal government and rail unions worked to avert a nationwide strike.

The previously unreported “personal trip” drew Buttigieg widespread criticism, considering it was made just a week before Amtrak announced it was canceling the long-distance route in anticipation of a railroad workers’ strike.

A DOT spokesman told multiple outlets, “The secretary went on a long-planned personal trip from August 29th to September 5th. As usual, throughout his personal journey he remained available and committed to urgent matters, which in this case meant multiple calls with staff and stakeholders to work through the issue of rail labor negotiations.’

Fortunately, the US was able to avert a strike, but if it did, shutting down the railroads could have cost the US economy $2 billion a day in losses.