Pete Buttigieg Slams South Carolina Republicans for Taking Credit for Infrastructure Wins They Opposed: ‘Makes People Cynical About Politics and Government’

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg criticized South Carolina congressional Republicans for taking credit for infrastructure wins after voting against the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law.

Buttigieg Calls Out South Carolina Republicans

On Wednesday, Buttigieg said in a post on X that, as transportation secretary, he could “always count on a Congressional Republican to take credit for an infrastructure win that they had voted against.”

In a clip he shared, he pointed to then-Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who voted for the bipartisan infrastructure law and said it was good for the state.

“But I must point out that not one Republican that this state sent to the House of Representatives joined him,” Buttigieg said.

Infrastructure Law Dispute

Buttigieg accused South Carolina Republicans of taking credit for transportation and infrastructure successes despite voting against the legislation.

“It’s really remarkable,” he said. “It’s exactly the kind of behavior that makes people cynical about politics and government.”

Buttigieg said political leaders should instead work to build public trust, arguing that Americans are “ready for something different.”

As Transportation Secretary, I could always count on a Congressional Republican to take credit for an infrastructure win that they had voted against. That’s the type of behavior that makes people cynical about politics – but it doesn’t have to be that way. pic.twitter.com/Ax0fj5Kvjt

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) October 7, 2026

Infrastructure Law

Last year, the U.S. Department of Transportation had announced $5.4 billion in grant funding under the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law for the construction, replacement and repair of bridges across the country.

The funding included nearly $4.9 billion for major bridge projects and up to $500 million for rural bridge repairs and replacements. DOT said the program would help address the approximately 42,000 bridges in poor condition nationwide.

Infrastructure Expansion

In August, President Donald Trump signed the National Space Transportation Policy aimed at expanding U.S. launch and reentry infrastructure, streamlining access to commercial space transportation and supporting more than 1,000 launches and reentries annually by 2030.

In July, the White House expanded its AI data center pledge to ensure companies covered the costs of electricity generation and transmission infrastructure needed for their projects instead of passing them to residential customers.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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