Nine Republicans help save Pete Buttigieg from mandated jet log disclosures

Nine House Republicans joined more than 200 Democrats late Wednesday in voting to spare Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg from having to reveal where he travels on taxpayer-funded planes.

The requirement was included in an amendment to legislation funding the Federal Aviation Administration for the next five years.

The measure, pitched by Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.), called for the FAA’s administrator to “submit to Congress a report containing the flight records of the Secretary of Transportation for any flight on an aircraft owned by the Federal Aviation Administration” within the previous three years.

“Secretary Buttigieg and President Biden’s policies have created chaos within the FAA,” Miller said on the House floor. “Under the Biden administration, we saw the first full
ground stoppage of all flights since September 11.

“Taxpayers deserve to know where Secretary Pete was jetting off to on a private jet while our constituents were dealing with canceled and delayed flights,” she added.

Democrats argued that the requirement was a waste of the agency’s time and resources.

“There is no basis as to why this report should be needed,” Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) argued in opposition to Miller. “There are many pressing issues the FAA should dedicate its attention toward in this reauthorization, and the gentlewoman’s amendment would detract from those efforts.”

Miller’s amendment failed by a narrow 219-216 vote, with nine Republicans saying “nay” — at least one of whom claimed to have done so by accident.

”During a busy vote series late Wednesday night, Rep. Balderson inadvertently voted against Rep. Miller’s amendment to shed light on Secretary Buttigieg’s superfluous taxpayer-funded travel,” Kyle Chance, a spokesman for Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Ohio), told The Post.

The other nine Republicans who voted against the amendment were Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Brandon Williams (R-NY), David Joyce (R-Ohio), Garret Graves (R-La.), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Jennifer Kiggans (R-Va.), Marcus Molinaro (R-NY), and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.).

Three Democrats — Reps. Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), and Katie Porter (D-Calif.) — backed the amendment.

Williams, who reps New York’s 22nd District — including Syracuse and Utica — told The Post that “the right venue for holding Secretary Buttigieg accountable is either the courts … or with appropriate House oversight action.

“I supported Chairman Graves’ effort to avoid holding the FAA reauthorization hostage to this important, but misplaced oversight action,” he added. “The people of NY-22 did not send me to DC to tie-up critical, time-sensitive legislation with ineffectual distractions. I was sent to govern.”

Molinaro, who reps the sprawling 19th District, explained his vote to The Post by saying: “I expect the House to subpoena his travel records.” 

Buttigieg, a 2020 presidential contender and vocal advocate of combating climate change, has come under fierce scrutiny from Republicans over his stewardship over the Department of Transportation.

In December, Fox News reported that he took at least 18 flights on FAA jets between 2021 and the middle of 2022.

The matter is being investigated by the Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General

The bill to reauthorize the FAA for five years — the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act — cleared the House Thursday by a 351-69 vote.

Another notable amendment to the bill, offered by Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah) would have added seven new flight routes to and from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, just across the Potomac River from the Capitol in northern Virginia.

That amendment also failed 229-205.