Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) voted today to confirm Mayor Pete Buttigieg as Secretary of Transportation.
“Pete Buttigieg has made clear his priorities: to invest in much-needed infrastructure improvements, to bolster electric vehicles and other solutions to reduce air pollution and combat the climate crisis, and to promote a mix of transportation solutions that benefit pedestrians and commuters alike. These goals promise to generate good-paying jobs in Nevada and across the nation and make our communities healthier and more livable. I look forward to engaging with his transportation agenda on behalf of the Silver State.”
Background:
Senator Cortez Masto has been a strong proponent of forward-thinking transportation policies as part of her Innovation State Initiative. Along with Senator Rosen, she has written to the Biden administration and Secretary Buttigieg to advocate for prioritizing the expansion of Interstate-11 so that it connects Las Vegas and Phoenix, then onto Northern Nevada.
Under her Innovation State Initiative, she has introduced a suite of legislation to promote electric vehicles and improve clean energy infrastructure. She is also the author of the bipartisan Moving FIRST Act to create greater federal funding investments in smart city transportation opportunities. Senator Cortez Masto has consistently advocated for funding and legislation to create new and creative transportation solutions in Nevada. In 2020 alone, she helped secure $50 million for improvements to I-15 in Las Vegas and over $160 million in funding under the CARES Act to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on public transportation.
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