On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Commerce,
Science and Transportation in a 21-to-3 vote approved former South Bend, Ind.,
mayor Pete Buttigieg’s nomination as Secretary of Transportation. Buttigieg’s
nomination now moves before the full Senate for approval. Sen. Maria Cantwell
(D-Washington), the ranking Democratic member on the committee, in Wednesday’s
executive session said she hoped to see “his nomination moving quickly
through the Senate” so that he could work on transportation issues in the
next Covid-19 relief package. Cantwell also said she would ask Buttigieg and
President Joe Biden to help prioritize transportation infrastructure workers to
receive vaccines.