Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, talks to FOX 11 about Port of Long Beach & Biden future

Buttigieg in LA, talks Port of Long Beach's future

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to highlight millions of dollars in investments into public transportation projects.

LOS ANGELES - Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, spoke with FOX 11 Thursday ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony for "America's Green Gateway."

America's Green Gateway is a rail project that aims to ultimately help make the Port of Long Beach run more efficiently and cleaner.

"Now getting to this moment where we're actually moving dirt and breaking ground is really thrilling," said Buttigieg.

Secretary Buttigieg said the impacts of this project will be felt nationwide.

"The truth is you don't have to live anywhere near here, you don't have to work at the port to be better off because of the project. It means less congestion on the roads, less pollution in the air and even means less pressure the cost of living because it helps us reduce costs," said Buttigieg.

The $1.567B project will be built in phases with a projected completion by 2032.

"When you can move 100 containers by rail instead of on 100 trucks, there's a big efficiency gain that comes from that," said Buttigieg.

Secretary Buttigieg also spoke about the concerns surrounding Boeing planes.

"In the case of Boeing, there have been a number of concerns about their quality control and even their culture as a company, and that's why the FAA has put Boeing under a microscope. They've delivered a comprehensive plan for how they're gonna improve and we're gonna hold them to that plan," he said.

Amid the headlines of top Democratic leaders asking President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race, Secretary Buttigieg believes President Biden is more than capable of leading America.

"This is an administration that has done things that previous administrations just talked about, including an infrastructure package which the Trump administration promised and failed to deliver and the Biden-Harris administration has done. There's a lot to be done. There's a long way to go. There's a lot of work ahead. We're in the middle of that good work and it's led by a President [Biden] who is extraordinarily accomplished and I'm humbled to be trusted with this job in his cabinet," he said.

When asked if Buttigieg has confidence in President Biden, he responded with "absolutely."

"He is somebody who has been a remarkable President and a good man and a good boss," said Buttigieg.