CNN
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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg responded Sunday to Republican opposition to codifying same-sex marriage, criticizing Home Republicans for opposing a invoice to do exactly that hours after he was in a room with them speaking about transportation coverage.

Buttigieg, who’s homosexual, additionally reacted to feedback from Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who advised CNN earlier this week voting on a invoice to codify same-sex marriage was “a silly waste of time.”

“If [Rubio’s] bought time to struggle towards Disney, I don’t know why he wouldn’t have time to assist safeguard marriages like mine – look, that is actually, actually vital to lots of people. It’s actually vital to me,” Buttigieg advised CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”

Buttigieg advised Tapper spending time Sunday morning together with his youngsters, “had me fascinated about how a lot I rely upon and depend on my partner daily, and our marriage deserves to be handled equally,” blasting Home Republicans for voting towards laws codifying same-sex marriage simply “hours after I used to be in a room with a whole lot of them speaking about transportation coverage, having what I believed had been completely regular conversations with a lot of them on that topic.”

“In the event that they don’t need to spend so much of time on this, they will vote ‘sure,’ and transfer on, and that may be actually reassuring for lots of households round America, together with mine,” Buttigieg advised Tapper.

Buttigieg additionally mentioned the administration’s efforts to move a reconciliation invoice geared toward social packages, declining to put the blame with West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin.

“We’re coping with a Senate the place not one Senate Republican is prepared to hitch on any of these priorities both, but additionally the place we’ve been in a position to get so much completed,” Buttigieg advised Tapper, touting the administration’s legislative achievements just like the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Regulation. “The President is constant to push on different priorities – we shouldn’t overlook what’s been achieved, and we shouldn’t ever relent in pushing for what nonetheless must be completed. I’m actually wanting ahead to seeing the place we’re in a position to get on pharmaceuticals, one thing that may give a whole lot of respiration room for households. There’s far more work to be completed.”

And he pledged his company has “been appearing with our enforcement powers to carry airways accountable,” after a slew of airline cancellations left vacationers scrambling over the previous few months attributable to climate and staffing considerations.

“We’re going to proceed to push [airlines] and, in fact, put together to work collaboratively each time there’s an opportunity to do issues that easy out operations in our nationwide airspace,” Buttigieg mentioned. “It’s a superb factor that People have the revenue and the inclination to get again within the skies, that demand is so excessive after a pair years of individuals laying aside journeys. Now that that demand is again, the airways must be ready to service these tickets that they’re accumulating income promoting.”