Politics

Pete Buttigieg fact-checks a GOP congressman to his face at House hearing

"But I imagine most people are aware of that," Buttigieg said before the Republican showed that he was not, in fact, aware of that.
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May 2, 2024; Washington, D.C.: Secretary Pete Buttigieg testifies at the Senate Appropriations - Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
May 2, 2024; Washington, D.C.: Secretary Pete Buttigieg testifies at the Senate Appropriations - Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Photo: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY

Out Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is getting praise online for fact-checking a Republican congressman to his face earlier today at a hearing held by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) spent part of his time questioning Buttigieg on the offensive, going after the Biden administration’s efforts to promote the electric vehicle (EV) industry in the United States. During his questioning, Perry claimed that the EV industry “is in a bit of a tailspin” and accused the Biden administration of trying to “bribe the industry.” He also claimed that EV adoption by the wider public has “failed at this point.”

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Pete Buttigieg slams Fox News over its crusade against electric vehicles

“When is Fox News going to figure out that it’s impossible to paint Pete Buttigieg into a corner?”

“I’m wondering if there’s some point- if you’ve identified some point where you will stop, where the administration will stop, where the federal government will stop this requirement and let the market decide as opposed to this central planning model and this dictatorial policy?” Perry asked.

Buttigieg, though, didn’t accept the premise of the question and started pointing out Perry’s factual inaccuracies.

“Given time is limited, I will confine myself to addressing the factual incorrect portions of what you said, beginning with the assertion that EV sales are going down,” Buttigieg started. “They are, in fact, going up every single year.”

Perry tried to suggest that the government is buying the vehicles to push those numbers up, but Buttigieg said he would send the numbers over showing that private sector sales are up.

“Let me address the second factual mistake in your remarks, which was that EV costs are getting higher,” he continued. “They are, in fact, getting lower and, according to J.D. Power, have now reached parity or are slightly lower than the equivalent gas-powered cars.”

“The third incorrect assertion you made was that sales dropped in Q1 [the first three months of 2024],” Buttigieg said. “They did not drop compared to Q1 of the previous year. Of course, if you compare them to Q4, they dropped because they always do because car sales are seasonal.”

“But I imagine most people are aware of that,” Buttigieg said before Perry said that he was, in fact, comparing Q1 2024 sales to Q4 2023 sales, showing that he was not aware of that.

“The word ‘tailspin’ is a bizarre word to use for a growing sector of our economy,” Buttigieg continued.

“The final thing I need to challenge as being factually inaccurate, which is that there is no mandate,” he added. “You can purchase a gas car if you want to pay gas prices at the pump. But if you don’t, you can purchase an EV.”

Many conservatives are ideologically opposed to EVs, and they have often used their opposition to criticize Buttigieg and the Biden administration. One Congressmember even accused Buttigieg of trying to “emasculate the way we drive” by supporting environmentally friendly transportation.

On X, people praised Buttigieg’s responses.

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