Male, White Transportation Staff Complicate Biden Equity Pledge

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has become the Biden administration’s go-to spokesman for emphasizing “equity” in policy.

He has pledged to consider the needs of minority communities when evaluating old projects or considering new ones. But he makes these commitments while leading a midsize department of disproportionately White and male employees—a potential barrier to achieving truly equitable outcomes, some observers warn.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks to Amtrak employees during a visit at Union Station in February 2021 in Washington, D.C.

Photographer: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Buttigieg has acknowledged the general issue of staff diversity during events, saying he hopes to change his department to better reflect the makeup of the country. But with tens of thousands of career employees, and gender and race disparities decades ...