Buttigieg gets Senate confirmation

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate voted 86-13 on Tuesday to confirm former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg to be secretary of transportation in the Biden administration.

Buttigieg, 39, a veteran who served as an intelligence officer for the Navy Reserves, will be the first openly gay person to be confirmed by the Senate to hold a Cabinet-level position, according to the LGBTQ rights group the Human Rights Campaign.

“This confirmation breaks through a barrier that has existed for too long; where LGBTQ identity served as an impediment to nomination or confirmation at the highest level of government,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “Let this important moment for our movement serve as a reminder to every LGBTQ young person: you too can serve your country in any capacity you earn the qualifications to hold.”

Despite the 13 votes against him, his journey to Senate confirmation proceeded smoothly. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved him last week by a 21-3 vote, with both Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and incoming Chairman Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., praising him for his experience during his confirmation hearing.

Other DOT nominees were confirmed by unanimous votes or, in some cases, voice votes.