Joe Biden wasn’t the only flawed member of his administration. In fact, pretty much everyone who was a part of his presidency had no clue what they were doing.
And the former Biden admin was exposed for a potentially deadly failure according to this latest bombshell report.
Pete Buttigieg’s DOT Tenure: Prioritizing Equity Over Aviation Upgrades
Pete Buttigieg’s time as Transportation Secretary under President Joe Biden sparked debate over his focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at the expense of modernizing the nation’s outdated air traffic control systems. Federal spending records reveal that the Department of Transportation (DOT) allocated over $80 billion to DEI grants over four years—roughly half its typical annual budget—while air traffic infrastructure, unchanged since the Carter era, continued to cause flight delays and cancellations, according to airline industry insiders.
In a candid moment, Buttigieg, rumored to be eyeing a 2028 presidential run, reportedly told airline executives that upgrading air traffic systems would only allow them to fly more planes, “and so why would that be in his interest?” sources said according to the New York Post. This remark fueled perceptions that he showed “little to no interest” and took “definitely zero action” toward modernizing aviation infrastructure, as one industry official put it.
Under Buttigieg’s leadership, the DOT approved around 400 DEI-related grants between 2021 and 2024, a sharp rise from the 60 grants, worth a few billion dollars, approved in the prior administration.
Initiatives like “Justice40” channeled 55% of $150 billion in infrastructure investments to “disadvantaged communities,” following a 2021 Biden executive order. Yet, some Democrats criticized results, such as a $5 billion equity push to build 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations that yielded only seven by June of last year.
Buttigieg often blamed airlines for delays, “vilifying” the industry while dismissing claims that his DEI focus contributed to air traffic control staffing shortages or perpetuated an aging safety system, sources said to the New York Post.
The consequences were felt by travelers, notably during a January 2023 FAA system outage that triggered the first nationwide flight grounding since September 11, 2001, leaving thousands stranded.
While Biden’s 2021 $1.2 trillion infrastructure law allocated $5 billion for air traffic facilities, industry officials noted that much of this—about $3.5 billion annually—went to maintenance, not modernization. The FAA has been understaffed for years, operating at roughly 80% of its target for certified controllers since at least the fiscal year of 2017.
In April 2024, industry trade groups warned Buttigieg’s DOT that, at the current hiring pace, it could take 90 years to fully staff key New York air traffic control centers.
Chris Meagher, Buttigieg’s spokesman, defended his record, highlighting increased controller hiring, software upgrades for runway efficiency, new flight routes saving up to 100 hours annually, and communications technology to cut delays.
Meagher called claims that Buttigieg neglected air traffic modernization “absurd,” noting that Biden’s 2025 budget requested $8 billion for aviation infrastructure, which congressional Republicans blocked. “Secretary Buttigieg’s focus was always on safety—not just in aviation, but also on roads and bridges, where 40,000 Americans die on our country’s roads each year,” Meagher said.
DOT data shows that from 2021 to 2025, 54.3% of flight cancellations were weather-related, 34.7% were due to air carriers, and 10.6% stemmed from national aviation system failures. Nearly 80% of flights were on time, with delays attributed to air carriers (7%), late-arriving aircraft (7%), the aviation system (5%), and weather (less than 1%).
Industry officials, however, argue that delays often snowball, with initial disruptions like thunderstorms mislabeled as carrier faults. “No matter what the original cause of the delay was, that always gets tagged to us as our fault,” one official said. “It’s a complicated story.”
Buttigieg’s DOT also championed consumer protections, including a rule enacted 12 days before the 2024 election mandating up to $1,000 in compensation for flight delays and cancellations, even if exceeding the original fare. This drew criticism from an airline trade group as a political move. Meagher touted achievements like automatic refunds for canceled flights, proposals for free family seating, and compensation for damaged wheelchairs, plus nearly $4 billion in consumer refunds from complaint investigations.
David Grizzle, a former FAA official under President Barack Obama, noted that transportation secretaries often prioritize highways and bridges over aviation due to the role’s vast scope. “There certainly were no remarkable achievements in aviation during his [Buttigieg’s] term,” Grizzle said, adding that FAA budget shortfalls began in the 2010s and worsened over time.
As Buttigieg eyes a 2028 presidential bid—leading a July 2025 Emerson College poll with 16% support in a potential Democratic primary matchup—his tenure contrasts with current Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who secured $12.5 billion through President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill to revamp FAA systems. Grizzle praised Duffy’s engagement, calling him “one of the most engaged secretaries we’ve had.”
While Meagher insisted DEI grants operated separately from FAA programs, allowing the DOT to “walk and chew gum at the same time,” critics argue that Buttigieg’s emphasis on equity initiatives sidelined critical aviation upgrades, leaving passengers to face the fallout of an outdated air traffic control system.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
