logo
Top Biden official exposed for spending $80 billion on DEI, delaying air traffic control upgrades: Report

Top Biden official exposed for spending $80 billion on DEI, delaying air traffic control upgrades: Report

A new report claims that former Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg spent $80 billion on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) grants and failed to implement upgrades to the country's air traffic control systems under former President Joe Biden's administration.
According to The New York Post, airline industry sources and federal spending records indicate that Buttigieg prioritized the Biden administration's DEI policies while failing to replace the Department of Transportation's outdated air traffic control systems. Sources told the outlet that Buttigieg told airline industry executives during a meeting that upgrading air traffic control systems would allow airlines to fly additional airplanes, 'and so why would that be in his interest?'
The New York Post reported that federal spending records show the Department of Transportation spent over $80 billion under the Biden administration on approximately 400 DEI grants.
'He was definitely pushing an agenda,' an industry official told The New York Post. The source claimed that Buttigieg had 'little to no interest' and took 'definitely zero action' toward the modernization of the country's air traffic control systems. Instead, sources told the outlet that Buttigieg repeatedly blamed airlines for traffic delays and denied that the Department of Transportation's DEI policies led to staffing shortages.
READ MORE: Video: Pentagon failure exposed by FAA after deadly DC plane crash
One source told The New York Post, 'At first, [the Department of Transportation] and he were reluctant to say there was an air traffic controller shortage or that the shortage had anything to do with flight delays or flight cancellations.'
In response to The New York Post's report regarding Buttigieg's leadership of the Department of Transportation, Chris Meagher, a Buttigieg spokesperson, said, 'Suggesting that Secretary Buttigieg chose not to pursue air traffic control modernization is absurd.'
'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 added. 'Fixing issues with air traffic control was a priority.'
The Buttigieg spokesperson claimed that the Department of Transportation's DEI grants that were approved under the Biden administration were a 'separate siloed transportation mode' and did not result in delays to the 'work' of the Federal Aviation Administration.
'You can walk and chew gum at the same time,' Meagher said. 'FAA operates completely separately than other modal administrations. So what happens at FHWA doesn't have a meaningful effect on FAA or NHTSA because they operate independently. It's separate staff, separate budgets, separate programs.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Democrats launching summer blitz to press Republicans on Trump spending plan
Democrats launching summer blitz to press Republicans on Trump spending plan

Hamilton Spectator

time34 minutes ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

Democrats launching summer blitz to press Republicans on Trump spending plan

NEW YORK (AP) — Democrats are launching a nationwide summer blitz designed to force vulnerable Republicans to defend President Donald Trump's big tax breaks and spending cuts bill — especially Medicaid cuts that will leave millions of Americans without health care coverage. Republican leaders in Washington, meanwhile, have encouraged their members to promote more popular aspects of the bill during smaller controlled appearances where GOP officials are less likely to face difficult questions or protests. The Democratic National Committee's so-called 'Organizing Summer' will feature events in all 50 states, beginning with Alaska, Texas, Colorado and California over the coming week. The party's message will be reinforced by online advertising and billboard trucks at state and county fairs in the coming days targeting vulnerable House Republicans in Pennsylvania, Michigan and New Jersey, among other states. 'As Democrats, our job is to ensure that every American across the country understands the devastating impacts of this bill,' DNC Chair Ken Martin said. 'Democrats will be holding events, highlighting Republican hypocrisy, and ensuring Americans across the country know exactly who is responsible for taking away health care, food, construction jobs, and nursing homes in order to give massive handouts to billionaires.' The massive Republican-backed tax and spending package that Trump called 'big, beautiful' and signed into law on July 4 may ultimately become the defining issue of next year's midterm elections, which will decide control of Congress for Trump's final two years in office. Republicans are touting the bill as a tax cut for all Americans, but polling suggests that voters have been slow to embrace the GOP's message. The new law will add $3.4 trillion to federal deficits through 2034, leave more than another 10 million people without health insurance and leave millions of others without food stamps, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office . For much of the year, Republican officials have avoided town hall meetings with constituents or public appearances where they might face protesters or unscripted questions from voters. GOP members of Congress may be slightly more visible this summer, however, according to a memo distributed this week by the House Republican campaign arm. The memo encourages Republicans to be proactive in selling Trump's bill during the August recess, although the National Republican Campaign Committee suggests its members focus on tax cuts in smaller settings they can control. Among the NRCC's suggestions outlined in the memo: 'Visit a local hospital and discuss how you voted for no tax on overtime,' 'stop by a restaurant to highlight your vote on no tax on tips' and 'work the counter at a local store and chat about your work to lower costs.' The monthlong August break 'is a critical opportunity to continue to define how this legislation will help every voter and push back on Democrat fearmongering,' the Republican memo says. Democrats are planning a decidedly more public campaign this month than their Republican rivals, although they'll also offer 'multi-day intensive bootcamps' as part of a training program for political operatives and community leaders. Events are being planned for all 50 states with special focus on 35 of the most competitive congressional districts in the country. Current and former Democratic officials will be featured, including former Rep. Gabby Giffords , who emerged as a leader against gun violence since her 2011 assassination attempt. As part of the new effort, the Democratic National Committee is also launching a new digital advertising campaign initially targeting vulnerable Republicans in Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia. That's in addition to the DNC sending mobile billboard trucks to county fairs in the districts of Republicans in Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 'Trump's big ugly bill: $4 trillion giveaway to billionaires. The rest of us pay the price,' read the billboards, which will feature the name and face of each Republican congressman. And as Republicans search for an effective message to sell Trump's bill, Democrats are increasingly confident. 'The big, ugly law is a political disaster,' said Viet Shelton, spokesman for the House Democrats campaign arm. 'Everyone hates it and vulnerable House Republicans know it, which is why they're scared to face their constituents in person during the August recess.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .

The Army's acquisition process for new weapons systems is still broken
The Army's acquisition process for new weapons systems is still broken

The Hill

time34 minutes ago

  • The Hill

The Army's acquisition process for new weapons systems is still broken

To the surprise of many, the U.S. Army, long considered to be the most bureaucratically hidebound of the military services, appears to have successfully reoriented itself toward the demands of a potential war in the western Pacific. For example, at this month's Talisman Sabre military exercise with Australia and Singapore, the Army employed its Typhon missile system, which entered service in 2023, to sink a maritime target at a distance of over 100 miles. And in that same exercise, it employed the HIMARS rocket artillery system in conjunction with the other two nations to demonstrate interoperability among them. Recognizing the growing threat from China, the Army began to reorient itself during the Biden administration and has therefore easily and quickly adapted itself to the Trump administration's priorities. But notwithstanding its strategic reorientation, the Army's acquisition processes continue to suffer from a long-standing inability to consistently field major new weapons systems. The Army continues to operate Abrams tanks, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and Apache helicopters that, although upgraded over the years, are fundamentally products of the mid-1970s. The list of failed Army programs is both long and troubling. In 1982, the Department of Defense canceled the Roland short-range air defense missile system, originally a Franco-German product that the Army unsuccessfully sought to modify and integrate. Three years later, Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger canceled the Sergeant York Division Air Defense gun which, like Roland, had been in development since the mid-1970s. The Sergeant York not only had spiraling costs but was also unable to track low-flying targets and suffered from a range too short to attack missiles fired from Soviet helicopters. In 1987, the Army had to cancel its Aquila remotely piloted vehicle program — the forerunner to today's drones. The Aquila suffered from cost overruns and development delays, as well as an inability to carry the payloads and data links for which it had been designed. In 2002, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld terminated the Crusader self-propelled howitzer, which also suffered from cost overruns and was too heavy for the expeditionary operations that became the military's priority after 9/11. Two years later, Rumsfeld canceled the Comanche reconnaissance helicopter. The cancellation represented the latest in the Army's decades-long failure to replace the late 1960s vintage OH-58 Kiowa Warrior. The Army tried again with its Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter program, and in 2008 this too was terminated. The Army's armor programs at best have had mixed results. The service successfully fielded the lightweight Stryker vehicle, which has seen a number of upgrades and variations since it was first entered full-scale production in 2005. But that was not the fate of the Manned Ground Vehicle, a key element of the Future Combat System, which was meant to be a lightweight companion to the Abrams tank. The Pentagon terminated the Future Combat System program in 2009 due to cost overruns and technological challenges, and the Manned Ground Vehicle, which suffered from the same shortcomings, collapsed with it. In June, the Army terminated its M-10 Booker combat vehicle program, previously known as Mobile Protective Firepower. The Booker was meant to be a lightweight air-droppable vehicle that could be carried on a C-130 aircraft. After having taken delivery of 80 of them, the Army determined that the M-10 was too heavy for the aircraft and a poor fit for the service's operational requirements. The common thread in all these failures is the Army's manifest inability to anticipate evolving requirements, to control costs and to avoid program delays. As the war in Ukraine has demonstrated, cutting-edge technologies will be critical to success on future battlefields. To be effective in any future contingency, the Army will have to overhaul its entire acquisition system. It simply cannot tolerate the program delays and cost growth that have stymied so many previous development programs. Moreover, the Army must carefully assess its requirements for new systems, focusing on a range of future contingencies and not limiting itself to any one of them. It is therefore critical that as the Army contemplates acquiring a follow-on to the M-10, and for that matter replaces key weapons systems like the Abrams tank, it should not restrict its requirements and programs to contingencies in the western Pacific, where it is likely to do no more than to supplement Navy, Marine and Air Force operations. Instead, the Army should look beyond both its current Pacific orientation and expected forthcoming reductions in its European presence. Its future program development and acquisition should also account for its ongoing and critical role in support of NATO's ability to deter an aggressive and predatory Russia that seems likely to continue menacing Europe for many years to come. Dov S. Zakheim is a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and vice chairman of the board for the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He was undersecretary of Defense (comptroller) and chief financial officer for the Department of Defense from 2001 to 2004 and a deputy undersecretary of Defense from 1985 to 1987.

Democrats launching summer blitz to press Republicans on Trump spending plan
Democrats launching summer blitz to press Republicans on Trump spending plan

San Francisco Chronicle​

time34 minutes ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Democrats launching summer blitz to press Republicans on Trump spending plan

NEW YORK (AP) — Democrats are launching a nationwide summer blitz designed to force vulnerable Republicans to defend President Donald Trump's big tax breaks and spending cuts bill — especially Medicaid cuts that will leave millions of Americans without health care coverage. Republican leaders in Washington, meanwhile, have encouraged their members to promote more popular aspects of the bill during smaller controlled appearances where GOP officials are less likely to face difficult questions or protests. The Democratic National Committee's so-called 'Organizing Summer" will feature events in all 50 states, beginning with Alaska, Texas, Colorado and California over the coming week. The party's message will be reinforced by online advertising and billboard trucks at state and county fairs in the coming days targeting vulnerable House Republicans in Pennsylvania, Michigan and New Jersey, among other states. 'As Democrats, our job is to ensure that every American across the country understands the devastating impacts of this bill," DNC Chair Ken Martin said. "Democrats will be holding events, highlighting Republican hypocrisy, and ensuring Americans across the country know exactly who is responsible for taking away health care, food, construction jobs, and nursing homes in order to give massive handouts to billionaires.' The massive Republican-backed tax and spending package that Trump called 'big, beautiful' and signed into law on July 4 may ultimately become the defining issue of next year's midterm elections, which will decide control of Congress for Trump's final two years in office. Republicans are touting the bill as a tax cut for all Americans, but polling suggests that voters have been slow to embrace the GOP's message. The new law will add $3.4 trillion to federal deficits through 2034, leave more than another 10 million people without health insurance and leave millions of others without food stamps, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. For much of the year, Republican officials have avoided town hall meetings with constituents or public appearances where they might face protesters or unscripted questions from voters. GOP members of Congress may be slightly more visible this summer, however, according to a memo distributed this week by the House Republican campaign arm. The memo encourages Republicans to be proactive in selling Trump's bill during the August recess, although the National Republican Campaign Committee suggests its members focus on tax cuts in smaller settings they can control. Among the NRCC's suggestions outlined in the memo: 'Visit a local hospital and discuss how you voted for no tax on overtime,' 'stop by a restaurant to highlight your vote on no tax on tips' and 'work the counter at a local store and chat about your work to lower costs.' The monthlong August break 'is a critical opportunity to continue to define how this legislation will help every voter and push back on Democrat fearmongering,' the Republican memo says. Democrats are planning a decidedly more public campaign this month than their Republican rivals, although they'll also offer 'multi-day intensive bootcamps' as part of a training program for political operatives and community leaders. Events are being planned for all 50 states with special focus on 35 of the most competitive congressional districts in the country. Current and former Democratic officials will be featured, including former Rep. Gabby Giffords, who emerged as a leader against gun violence since her 2011 assassination attempt. As part of the new effort, the Democratic National Committee is also launching a new digital advertising campaign initially targeting vulnerable Republicans in Iowa, Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia. That's in addition to the DNC sending mobile billboard trucks to county fairs in the districts of Republicans in Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 'Trump's big ugly bill: $4 trillion giveaway to billionaires. The rest of us pay the price,' read the billboards, which will feature the name and face of each Republican congressman. 'The big, ugly law is a political disaster," said Viet Shelton, spokesman for the House Democrats campaign arm. 'Everyone hates it and vulnerable House Republicans know it, which is why they're scared to face their constituents in person during the August recess.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store