During an appearance on CBS’s Face The Nation this weekend, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reminded Americans of some of what Republicans have obstructed during the first two years of the Biden administration.
House and Senate Democrats have successfully enacted or helped lead the enactment of measures like the Inflation Reduction Act, a gun policy reform bill, the bipartisan infrastructure deal, and, much earlier, the early 2021 COVID-19 relief package. Even with bipartisan support for certain measures, more Democrats were onboard. There is, however, more that could be done, like the enactment of paid family leave, and with so-called moderates in the Senate Democratic Caucus like West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, implementing family leave proved difficult throughout recent years’ legislative negotiations. Buttigieg pointed out there was nothing stopping Republicans from supporting Democratic ambitions, meaning fault for those that have faltered doesn’t only rest with someone like Manchin and by extension the Democratic side.
“We’re not going to give up on anything, because these are good policies that are wildly popular among the American people,” Buttigieg said, specifically discussing paid family leave. “Most Republicans think this is a good policy. Just not most Republicans in Congress. And so, in the same way that we were able to get that infrastructure bill through, where a number of Republicans crossed over to work with Democrats on the president’s priority — I think any other priority, you have to at least give it a shot. And I would point out, after repeated declarations that the infrastructure bill was dead, the way that that succeeded, as well as the other policy wins we’ve had, aren’t just good news. They specifically validate the president’s theory of change, which is that even in a divided Washington, you can get things done, and sometimes, you can get them done with bipartisan support.”
After host Margaret Brennan pressed Buttigieg on the dispute over paid leave among Democrats, Buttigieg pointed out that on that point Republicans failed. “But if even one Republican were prepared to support paid leave, we’d be in a different territory,” the Transportation Secretary observed. “So let’s not let 50 Republicans off the hook because we couldn’t get alignment with one or two Democrats.” On what are Republicans hoping to gain power in the midterm elections even running? Trump’s lies about the 2020 election? His antagonism of marginalized groups? His anti-Semitism? His threats to undercut NATO, providing Russia and potentially other hostile interests with an opening for action? The possibility of a wildly unpopular national abortion ban? The prospect of further rollbacks of rights for women, LGBTQ people, and others whose rights haven’t always been secured? Watch Buttigieg on CBS this weekend below:
On whether the Biden admin. has given up on getting legislation passed on paid leave, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg tells @margbrennan, "We're not going to give up on anything."
"Most Republicans think this is a good policy. Just not most Republicans in Congress." pic.twitter.com/C1KTgMqKX2
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) October 16, 2022
