Buttigieg Does Supply Chain Crisis Victory Lap as Grocery Shelves Go Empty

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was hailed as the man who “saved Christmas” on Tuesday over his handling of the supply chain crisis as Americans around the country shared photos of empty grocery shelves on social media.

Speaking at a press conference at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Buttigieg said that while the supply chain crisis will continue throughout the pandemic, he celebrated the transportation of goods over Christmas.

“As long as the pandemic persists, as long as we are making up for decades of past disinvestment, we are going to see impacts on shipping times and shipping cost,” Buttigieg said. “When there is an issue affecting ports here, you will feel it as far away as my Indiana hometown.

“Not only is this about the presents under the tree, this is about essential goods like medical goods that are needed in this moment of continued public health challenge,” he added.

Buttigieg hailed the shipment of goods over the Christmas season as “an extraordinary achievement,” noting that the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach “processed 14 percent more containers compared to those processed in 2018 over the same time period,” according to the Hill. – READ MORE