Buttigieg Boosts New Marshall Plan—For Ukraine
“With the memory of the Marshall plan in mind, what we’re talking about is not only about how we fund immediate needs and support their ability to maintain the war effort, but how we support the ability of Ukraine to be economically viable and generate a sustainable future for themselves, even as they’re under attack.” That was Transportation Secretary and former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, in a recent interview with the Guardian.
Talking about reconstruction “might feel premature,” but Buttigieg expressed interest in President Volodymr Zelenskiy’s calls for reconstruction on a city and regional level. So, “Understanding the needs and different capacities of different parts of the country is going to be very important.”
According to the Transportation Department, Buttigieg’s trip to Ukraine “will focus on advancing Ukraine’s economic recovery and efforts to return Ukraine to economic self-sufficiency, including via supporting investments in transportation infrastructure and reforms that will support a return to private-sector led growth.” Taxpayers have to wonder how much economic recovery, transportation infrastructure, and private-sector growth Secretary Buttigieg has achieved in the United States.
On the home front, the Secretary has been flying on private jets at taxpayer expense, and during a supply-chain crisis, he took a two-month parental leave. The Secretary also ignored the aftermath of a major train derailment in Ohio, preferring to focus on “diversity issues.” Given his record, taxpayers have a right to wonder what Secretary Buttigieg could accomplish in war-torn Ukraine, and the timing seems wrong.
The House of Representatives recently approved a measure to slash Secretary Buttigieg’s salary to one dollar. If the Senate approves—an unlikely prospect—that would be a good start on defunding, scaling back, or eliminating poorly managed federal departments that fail to perform for the people.
