Buttigieg Definition of Equity Draws Line on Infrastructure Push

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pledged in his first note to his staff to “break new ground” by “making sure transportation is an engine for equity in this country” — a pledge he’s tirelessly repeated on prime-time television and on social media.

Translating those calls for “equity” into law requires defining the word and its goals, neither of which are bipartisan.

To Buttigieg and advocates who support his messaging, equity is about Black and brown communities that have suffered from moves like building highways through their neighborhoods. Some Republicans describe similar views on racial equity, but believe Buttigieg focuses too much ...