In an interview with TIME Magazine, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he can’t reach Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis even about major transportation issues.
“I’ve never heard from this Governor, and it’s not because I’ve never called him. We’ve never spoken,” Buttigieg told TIME.
However, Buttigieg said the relationship between the U.S. and Florida Departments of Transportation remains healthy.
“What I will say is we’ve done a lot of good work with the Florida Department of Transportation,” Buttigieg said. “We try to work around and through all that to just get stuff done. A huge amount of energy and effort is being wasted in these dumb fights. And that’s really unfortunate. It’s policy waste in order to achieve political benefit or perceived political benefit.”
Buttigieg notably has leveled criticism at DeSantis over non-transportation-related issues, as has his husband, Chasten Buttigieg.
When President Joe Biden picked Buttigieg as a part of his administration, the Indiana Democrat became the first openly gay man ever appointed to a federal Cabinet post. As such, he has frequently commented on LGBTQ issues nationwide.
He told CNN a parental rights legislation signed by DeSantis, a law derided by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, was dangerous. “It tells youth who are different or whose families are different that there is something wrong with them out of the gate,” he said last year.
But regardless of policy disagreements, Buttigieg said there are important infrastructure matters he would like to discuss directly with DeSantis. For example, he specifically referenced a high-speed rail project intended to connect Tampa and Miami, with stops in Orlando.
While the U.S. Transportation Department has provided $31 million to Brightline during Buttigieg’s tenure, including $16 million for a Tampa-Orlando leg, DeSantis said the state could lose out on substantial federal funding if it does not comply with deadlines.
But he said DeSantis is prioritizing culture wars and his presidential campaign.
“He’s more worried about Bud Light or Disney or whatever,” Buttigieg said.
Of note, Buttigieg has held presidential ambitions himself, running for the Democratic nomination in 2020 before dropping out and endorsing Biden. While Buttigieg isn’t expected to challenge his boss for the nomination in 2024, he’s a prospective contender in 2028 whether Biden wins or loses his re-election bid. This potentially could set up Buttigieg and DeSantis as direct political foes.
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