Pete Buttigieg just testified before Congress. It did not go well for Republicans

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg testified before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday, where he was forced to educate Republicans on a wide variety of topics, from climate change to not needing passports to fly domestically, to subsidies for oil and gas companies. In one heated back-and-forth, U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, who has been fighting a subpoena from Special Counsel Jack Smith, blamed Secretary Buttigieg specifically for “killing” the auto industry by supporting electric vehicles. “Do you dispute that two-thirds of EV owners, are owned by people over 100,000, that make over 100,000?” Buttigieg explained that the first electric vehicles were expensive, but “that number is going down.” Perry yelled it “doesn’t matter” that the prices of the electric vehicles are going down, his constituents “can’t afford them today,” which led Buttigieg to ask why he is opposed to “cutting their costs?” “I’m not against cutting the cost. “Nobody wants these electric vehicles unless you’re an elite that can afford them – people in my district sure as hell don’t want them.” “We’re doing this for three reasons, even though the EV revolution’s going to happen anyway,” Buttigieg told U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa. “I would love to answer your question, Congressman.” Moments later, when Buttigieg said “climate change is real,” LaMalfa shot back, “This one’s called Autumn.” Buttigieg made him repeat it before explaining, “yeah, that’s the seasons changing which respectfully is not the same as the climate changing.” And when U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison appeared to be unprepared with facts and figures, Buttigieg was happy to provide them for him, upending his inquiry into the Transportation Secretary’s “private” flights.