Buttigieg Visits Eastern Iowa Airport, Touts Expansion

As union construction workers practiced their trade in the background, US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Iowa officials Thursday to celebrate the progress of a $20 million update to the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids.

The project was made possible by funding from the Biden Administration’s infrastructure law. 

“The bipartisan infrastructure package gave us more funds than we’ve ever been able to put toward things like terminal improvements,” Buttigieg told a captive crowd of about 70 on one of the airport’s runways.

The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021. Of Iowa’s then-federal delegation, only former Rep. Cindy Axne and US Sen. Chuck Grassley voted for the legislation. 

The rest of the delegation, including Rep. Ashley Hinson, whose district houses the airport, voted against the bill. Neither Hinson nor Grassley were at Thursday’s event, but both had representatives there. 

Through a competitive grant process, the Eastern Iowa Airport was awarded $20.1 in federal funds to support a terminal expansion project. When completed, the new terminal will be 240,000 square feet, more accessible for people who have disabilities, and improve the overall passenger experience thanks to four new gates, giving it a total of 17.

For comparison, when the terminal first opened in 1986, it was only 94,000 square feet. The initial opening was also the last time a sitting US Transportation Secretary visited the facility, as Elizabeth Dole was on hand.

“As everybody knows, this has been a years-long, four-phase project to upgrade the passenger facilities and the freight facilities that the potential of this region really calls for, and none of that was easy, “Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg also echoed the earlier remarks of Rick Peterson of Laborers Local 43 in Cedar Rapids, who noted projects like the airport and others funded by the infrastructure bill have kept him and other union workers busy.

“During slow times, I tend to worry when the next job is popping up and how far I will have to travel, and thanks to Mayor Peter, the Biden Administration, and local government—construction workers like me and the next generation, it takes some of the weight off of us; we don’t have to worry,” Peterson said.

Buttigieg also jokingly called himself a transportation nerd. He noted that no matter how many times he visits a different airport for work, he still takes the time to marvel at the facilities.

Buttigieg, who is the first openly gay cabinet secretary in US history, also took time to answer questions from reporters during the visit, including a question about his thoughts on states across the country, including Iowa, that have been attacking LGBTQ rights.

He said he doesn’t see how bills like those help anybody.

“They show, frankly, a bit of a problem with priorities on the part of a lot of elected leaders,” Buttigieg said. “I mean, here we are in Cedar Rapids working on making life a little easier for airline passengers and they’re over there in Des Moines working on making life a little harder for LGBTQ high schoolers.

“Of all the things you could do with the power, the trust, and the resources that are put in your hands as an elected official, why wouldn’t you be concentrating more on building roads and bridges and fixing up airports and making insulin more affordable and helping veterans and all the other things that we’re doing as an administration.”

I asked @PeteButtigieg his thoughts on state legislatures in red states — including Iowa — passing and/or introducing a number of anti-LGBTQ bills. https://t.co/mkVMqxVmhf pic.twitter.com/TsS3blR2Qn

— Ty Rushing (@Rushthewriter) May 25, 2023

Buttigieg also said politicians should have higher priorities than picking on groups of people because they think it can help them get elected.

“We’re going to continue focusing on the work we can do—by the way, often on a bipartisan basis—that’s making people better off and delivering concrete results and I’m proud of any chance to highlight that good work.”

by Ty Rushing
05/25/23

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