Buttigieg under fire from both parties amid Southwest holiday travel fiasco

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is facing demands and pressure from influential leaders across the political spectrum as tens of thousands of Americans remain stranded at airports across the nation.

Southwest Airlines canceled more than 2,500 flights Wednesday, 62% of its scheduled flights, and plans to cancel an estimated two-thirds of flights in the following days. Democrat and GOP elected officials and political activists demanded the Department of Transportation hold the company accountable so that customers receive full refunds and accommodations. 

"Southwest's flight delays & cancellations are beyond unacceptable," Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., tweeted Wednesday. "This is a company that got a $7 billion taxpayer bailout & will be handing out $428 million in dividends to their wealthy shareholders."

The Department of Transportation "must hold Southwest's CEO accountable for his greed and incompetence," Sanders added.