Pete Buttigieg faces claim he’s ‘asleep at the wheel’ after Southwest grounded all flights

Ministry of Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg has come under increasing scrutiny from Republicans in Congress, who accuse him of “sleeping behind the wheel” and prioritizing justice and diversity over airline safety and passenger travel convenience.

Southwest Airlines was forced to ground its entire fleet on Tuesday morning, sparking a massive reaction from travelers across the country. The shutdown began at 9:45 a.m. ET and lasted approximately one hour, resulting in 1,982 delays and 10 cancellations as of 4 p.m. ET.

The ground halt, which was caused by “intermittent technology issues,” comes after the airline collapsed due to another technical glitch over the holiday season, leading to the cancellation of nearly 17,000 flights and $1 billion in lost revenue.

Republican lawmakers accuse Buttigieg of not holding the airline responsible for delays and cancellations during the Christmas season because his administration is so focused on “awakened” diversity initiatives.

Led by Buttigieg, his department launched a $1 billion campaign last summer to build “racial equality” on roads, a move that sparked confusion and outrage from critics, who said it was a waste of taxpayers’ money.

In addition, on the same day as the Southwest’s latest fiasco this week, Buttigieg tweeted that “major racial disparities” are contributing to the rise in car accident deaths in the US.

“Road deaths are on the rise across America — and major racial disparities are part of the pattern,” he wrote.

“As Mayor Pete continues to focus on awakened initiatives, transportation disruptions are on the rise across the country.” Rep., Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., told DailyMail.com.

“Mayor Pete sleeps behind the wheel and continues to put the lives of millions of Americans at risk by wasting resources on eliminating so-called racist roads and expanding expensive electric vehicles,” said Biggs, who has previously called on Buttigieg to resign for his assault of a toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, in February.

“Mayor Pete is unfit to run the Department of Transportation,” Biggs concluded, “From overseeing supply chain issues to train derailments to other airline failures.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., also accused Buttigieg of pushing “awakened initiatives and climate nonsense” in a recent speech examining the secretary’s handling of the train derailment in eastern Palestine.

At a House Science Committee hearing Wednesday, Rep. Mike Collins accused Buttigieg of many “failures” and aroused the radicalism that was infiltrating the transportation department.

Buttigieg tweeted a statement after the ground stop Tuesday, saying the department is “watching” the latest Southwest debacle.

“We are looking to ensure Southwest Airlines is taking care of all passengers impacted by their technical issues this morning,” he wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.

“Any customer who is not getting the accommodations or refunds they owe should notify us through our website, and we will do something about it.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to grapple with a shortage of air traffic controllers, affecting flights across the country

The government has asked all major airlines to cut service out of the New York City area by 10% in the coming summer months to make up for the shortfall.

In a letter to Buttigieg on April 5, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, demanded information about the steps the transportation department has taken to ensure consumers aren’t badly affected by the shortage of controllers.

Cruz, who serves as a senior member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, also asked for details about what safeguards are in place to avoid similar requests in the future from the FAA for airlines to “cut their schedules.”

“As air traffic continues to rise beyond pre-pandemic levels, the FAA should provide a targeted and sustainable solution for the entire National Airspace System (NAS),” he wrote.