Buttigieg visits South Bend in final days as Secretary of Transportation 

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- It was important for Pete Buttigieg to visit South Bend in his final days as secretary of transportation, he said; this is where he grew up and where he started his political career.

His message: new projects are underway, jobs are here and coming, and he doesn't want to see a new administration halt that momentum.

Of course, his time in federal office ends when Donald Trump and his administration enter the White House.

"What is next? These are your final days in your role as secretary of transportation," asked ABC57's Annie Kate.

"Well, I haven't made any decisions," he replied. "We got a lot of work to do, even in these remaining weeks, getting dollars out the door, helping communities fund their transportation projects, finishing policy work that we set into motion. What I do know is I'm looking forward to more time with Chasten, and more time with our kids. He's got a pretty big honey-do list for me to take care of around the house. And then we'll see what's ahead."

Wednesday, Buttigieg first met with trades workers at the IBEW Local 153.

"It showcases that this is another opportunity for young people. And having him here brings attention to that," said Joe Gambill, training director for the South Bend Electrical JATC. "Also, he was involved with us early on. His first days on the campaign as mayor was in our building trades basement."

In a roundtable with apprentices, Buttigieg asked what got them into the field.

"He wanted to know our stories and how we got into the program. And I think that's really important to share with everybody, especially people like us," said 2nd-year apprentice Roxanna Hernandez.

And he held a "fireside chat" alongside his successor as South Bend Mayor, James Mueller.

Then, he mad his way to the South Shore Line to get an update on the double-track expansion before climbing aboard the train to Chicago.

But first, ABC57's Annie Kate got to speak with him one-on-one.

"What I know is I'll be working on things that have to do with innovation, infrastructure, and economic growth in the industrial Midwest," he said. "I don't know what that'll mean, but I know those are things I care about."

Of course, during his tenure as South Bend Mayor, Buttigieg ran for president in 2020, so ABC57 asked if he had his sights set on 2028.

"Not ready to rule anything in or out right now," he said. "Just going to take a moment, then take it from there."

While the Democratic Party suffered huge losses in the 2024 presidential election, Buttigieg is proud of the work of the Department of Transportation over the past four years, taking a victory lap in his hometown.

"The most important thing is we are leaving America's transportation systems better than we found them," he said.

And he highlighted new legislation too, after a record-breaking Thanksgiving travel weekend and before the winter holiday travel, like automatic refunds for canceled flights.

"Passengers have more protections now than they did a year ago, and much more than four years ago," Buttigieg said. "There's more work to be done, but as a passenger, you have more rights today than when we got here."

He worries his progress could be undone in the next administration, taking over in January.

"I'm concerned about how a policy change could undermine the good-paying EV jobs that are being created here in St. Joseph County, around Kokomo, and around the rest of the state. But it doesn't have to be that way. I think Republican or Democrat, I don't think ideology should stop the work that's been done to improve and amplify the standing of the industrial Midwest as a powerhouse for the future."