WASHINGTON — He says he’s not ready to give up on a bipartisan deal.
Former South Bend Mayor and current Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spoke with MSNBC’s Joy Reid this week, and the hot topic was opposition from Republicans.
“I am puzzled by it,” Buttigieg tells Reid, “because what we’re trying to do is wildly popular. I mean, that’s true of the Rescue plan, which did so much to bring us back from the brink, and it’s certainly true of the bipartisan Infrastructure framework.”
One of the key issues between Democrats and Republicans is what should and should not be included in the Infrastructure deal. Republicans believe some of the content should be separated and made into another bill. But whether that happens or not, what remains are ambitious goals, according to Buttigieg.
Buttigieg tells Reid, “twelve weeks of paid family leave if you need it, making sure 3 and 4 year old’s can get Pre-Kindergarten education, free community college, making child care more affordable. These are things the American people want, matter of fact most Republicans want it.”
Buttigieg believes that to be true of the everyday, Republican American. He also believes there’s a path that both Democrats and Republicans can walk together.
“Maybe they’ll be for it, maybe they wont, but the American people are for it,” Buttigieg tells Reid, “we think both of these packages will pass. Both of them deserve to get to the president’s desk and when he signs them, American lives are going to be better.”
Buttigieg continues, “I mean, we’re talking about the biggest in public transit in American history, we’re talking about the biggest investment in roads and bridges since Eisenhower, the most we’ve ever done on a number of environmental cleanup issues.”
Buttigieg says having both sides of the aisle working together is still important to President Biden and the Senate Democratic Caucus. Even if they face opposition, Buttigieg says Democrats are ready to accept the challenge.
