The legislative body passed a resolution on Tuesday evening to significantly reduce the salary of the Transportation Secretary to a symbolic amount of one dollar. This resolution was presented by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia and was adopted by a vocal majority. It was attached as an amendment to the funding bill for the upcoming year, which includes provisions for the General Services Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and other associated entities.
"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," Greene said in a Tuesday social media post. "American taxpayers should not be on the hook for paying for his lavish trips or his salary."
"Pete Buttigieg doesn’t do his job. It’s all about fake photo ops and taxpayer-funded private jet trip to accept LGBTQ awards for him," Greene continued. "I’m happy my amendment passed, but he doesn’t deserve a single penny."
???? 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
Since assuming his position in 2021, the Transportation Secretary has been the subject of scrutiny from Republican members of Congress regarding multiple issues within the Department of Transportation.
For instance, in February, following the derailment of a train carrying vinyl chloride—a hazardous, colorless gas—in East Palestine, Ohio, he received criticism for what was perceived as a lack of action and for delaying his visit to the accident location for several weeks.
Furthermore, during his term, there have been numerous occurrences of widespread commercial flight cancellations due to a variety of factors, including a shortage of pilots. Lawmakers from both parties have urged the Secretary to enact firm measures to safeguard airline passengers from such disruptions.
During his time in office, while addressing issues related to commercial flight delays, the Transportation Secretary has utilized government-operated private jets for travel at least 18 times. These travels are currently under examination by an inspector general and, based on data from Americans for Public Trust (APT), they have incurred significant costs to taxpayers.
In a notable example from September 2022, the Secretary flew to Montreal on a government aircraft. He was there to partake in an event held by a prominent Canadian LGBTQ rights group, where he was honored with a distinguished award for his efforts in promoting LGBTQ rights.
Moreover, his office has been reticent in providing further details regarding his use of the government's executive aircraft fleet.
"Secretary Buttigieg continues to blow off the American people who simply want to know the true cost of his taxpayer-funded private jet trips," APT Executive Director Caitlin Sutherland said during a Tuesday appearance on Fox News. "After multiple FOIA requests, a lawsuit, and an ongoing inspector general investigation, Buttigieg's office still refuses to provide vital details about using a private government jet for a swing state tour, which appears more akin to campaigning than official DOT business."
"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," Sutherland said.
The Transportation Secretary faced criticism last year following the disclosure of his trip to Porto, Portugal, at a time when his department and the White House were deeply engaged in critical discussions with rail worker unions to prevent a strike that threatened to seriously affect the U.S. economy. In response to the scrutiny, the Department of Transportation stated that the trip was a "long-planned personal trip."