Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) became the latest lawmaker to chastise Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg's leadership on the Ohio train derailment crisis.
In a rebuke, Romney contended Buttigieg wasn't ready for his current job and argued that the department would be better served by someone who had more experience overseeing a large agency or business.
PETE BUTTIGIEG'S ALLEGED USE OF GOVERNMENT PLANES FOR PERSONAL USE UNDER INVESTIGATION
“He’s not ready for the responsibility he has. He was a fine mayor, from what I understand, but the position he’s got really would be better served by a person who’s managed a large enterprise, a state, or something of the scale he’s now dealing with,” Romney said, per the Hill.
A number of Republicans have slammed Buttigieg over the derailment fiasco, with some, such as Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), pondering why Buttigieg still has a job. In response, the Biden administration has stood by him and countered that critics were peddling false narratives. Buttigieg shrugged off the criticism as politics.
Buttigieg took nearly three weeks to visit East Palestine, Ohio, after a Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern freight train derailment, coupled with a subsequent controlled burn, unleashed toxic chemicals, such as vinyl chloride, into the nearby air, soil, and water.
Former President Donald Trump visited East Palestine shortly before Buttigieg's trip and handed out Trump-branded water and other critical aid to help residents address the crisis. Buttigieg argued that a rollback of regulation on train braking systems during the Trump administration may have contributed to the catastrophe — something Trump rejected.
“One thing he can do is express support for reversing the deregulation that happened on his watch. I heard he said he had nothing to do with it, even though it was in his administration,” Buttigieg said during his visit late last month.
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A rising star during the 2020 Democratic primary cycle, Buttigieg has weathered a string of controversies during his tenure at the helm of the Transportation Department, including taking leave during the supply chain snarl early on in the Biden administration and an airline meltdown in the holiday season last year.
Some residents near East Palestine reported rashes and other ailments and have fretted over the long-term health repercussions of the ordeal.