Amid growing criticism of the Biden administration – and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in particular – over the federal response (or lack thereof) to a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, that released toxic chemicals into the air and water , Sen. Marco Rubio (R)-FL) is calling for change at the top.
In a letter to President Joe Biden, Rubio calls on the chief executive to “request the immediate resignation of U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Buttigieg” due to what Rubio calls an “egregious level of incompetence and apathy that harms safety.” and the prosperity of the American people.”
Rubio describes how “Secretary Buttigieg downplayed and ignored crisis after crisis, prioritizing topics of little importance to our nation’s transportation system” during the Biden administration’s first two years in office. “It is painfully clear to the American people that Secretary Buttigieg has no respect for the responsibilities of Secretary of Transportation,” Rubio added.
““At no time has this been more evident than in the last two weeks,” Rubio notes of the slow response to the train derailment. “Secretary Buttigieg refused to acknowledge the disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, until his willful ignorance was no longer tenable. Even after acknowledging the tragedy, he continues to shirk his responsibility for the safety of our nation’s rail system,” the Florida Republican says of Buttigieg’s wine game. “The circumstances leading to the derailment demonstrate a clear lack of oversight and demand commitment from our nation’s top transportation official,” Rubio insists, before noting that Buttigieg’s lack of attention is nothing modern:
Unfortunately, this is part of a two-year pattern. During the historic disruptions to sea and surface transportation in 2021, Secretary Buttigieg was completely absent. With a possible rail strike looming last year, Secretary Buttigieg left the country for a vacation in Portuguese wine country. Dangerous situations in commercial aviation, as well as recent system failures, including the one that halted air travel in Florida in January, indicate that stern and persistent problems across the Department of Transportation are not being adequately addressed. I have no confidence in Secretary Buttigieg’s ability to keep the American people secure.
Rubio also alludes to reporting related to documents alleging “the misuse of taxpayer dollars by chartering private jets that are more expensive than allowed under federal employee travel regulations, including for international travel,” which has led to a known lack of accountability despite the fact that “[s]Similar cases in previous administrations led to resignations.”
“It is also alleged that Secretary Buttigieg used government aircraft for travel that may be political in nature,” Rubio’s letter to Biden continues. “Americans deserve to know that government officials do not misuse their taxes for personal or political purposes and that public officials are held to the same standards regardless of their political affiliation.”
Finally, Rubio notes President Biden’s broken promise on how to run his administration “The transparency and accountability you obsessively promised to uphold at your inauguration is nowhere to be found. Your administration’s incompetence and failures cannot continue to be ignored when the health and safety of Americans are at risk,” Rubio noted. ““I hope you will change course to keep your unfulfilled promise to the American people by demanding Secretary Buttigieg’s immediate resignation.”
It’s time for @SecretaryPete toresign.
My letter to President Biden explains why.https://t.co/DTnwoq0ww7 pic.twitter.com/zqSFBNUSW6
— Senator Marco Rubio (@SenMarcoRubio) February 16, 2023
