Pete Buttigieg calls being a dad 'amazing and indescribable'

During a recent informal Q&A on Twitter, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was asked about his experience as a new father.

Buttigieg and his husband Chasten Buttigieg welcomed their first two children, daughter Penelope Rose and son Joseph August, in September.

Buttigieg, the nation's first openly gay U.S. Cabinet member to be confirmed by the Senate, took the questions on a flight from Long Beach, California.

"En route back to DC after a productive and energizing visit to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach," Buttigieg tweeted. "Pretty good WiFi on board... happy to take a few questions for the next little while if you'd like to reply here with anything on your mind."

"What's your top priority right now?" a user asked.

"Safety," he responded. "It's always the top priority for our department, and I consider it the main reason @USDOT exists. That's true on everything from @FAA regulations to @PHMSA_DOT pipeline oversight. And that reminds me, stay tuned for the release of our National Roadway Safety Strategy soon."

"What's the first step(s) that the DoT is taking to alleviate the supply chain issues going on right now?"

"That was a big focus of our trip today," Buttigieg answered. "We've been promoting steps like 24/7 operations in ports, sweeper ships to clear out empties, fines to make sure shippers move containers that are getting in the way, and more. For the longer term, infrastructure improvements are key."

When asked, "What's it like to be a dad?" Buttigieg answered that the job was "amazing" and "fulfilling."

"It's amazing and indescribable," he said. "It's incredibly fulfilling (and demanding) work for @chasten and me both, and it's changed the way we relate to the future. Not sleeping much but we're completely in love!"