WASHINGTON --
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta will leave behind unfinished
business when he steps down on July 7.
But his
resignation ends a five-year tenure that will be remembered for his
role in helping to manage the government response to the 9/11
terrorist attacks, including a complete overhaul of transportation
security systems.
Mineta, the only
Democrat to serve in a cabinet post under President Bush, submitted
his letter of resignation on June 20, saying he was he was leaving
to move on to other challenges.
Minetas long
career in public service includes 20 years (1975 to 1995) as a
member of the House of Representatives representing San Jose (he is
a former mayor) and Californias Silicon Valley.
Throughout his
tenure in the House, he was deeply involved in transportation
issues, serving as chairman of the Public Works and Transportation
committee. At various times he chaired its aviation and surface
transportation subcommittees.
After leaving the
House, he chaired the National Civil Aviation Review Commission.
Later, President Bill Clinton tapped him to serve as Secretary of
Commerce.
On Jan. 25, 2001,
Mineta joined President Bushs cabinet as Transportation Secretary,
becoming the first Asian-American ever to hold that
post.
Over the past
five years, the DOT was involved in myriad transportation issues,
some of them recurring, some new.
In addition to
continuing the U.S. policy of seeking open-skies aviation
agreements abroad, the DOT under Mineta undertook a review of rules
and guidelines for air fare advertising and Internet displays,
floated a plan to permit greater foreign ownership of U.S.
carriers, proposed guidelines for space tourism and grappled, as
did his predecessors, with ways to restructure Amtrak. Those
initiatives remain unfinished and will be inherited by his
successor.
Minetas tenure as
DOT secretary will be widely remembered for the DOTs decision to
ground all commercial air traffic in U.S. airspace in the immediate
aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist
attacks, and the subsequent overhaul of transportation
security.
In his
resignation letter, Mineta expressed pride in the work of his
department in the wake of horrific terrorist attacks.
Among other
things, Mineta oversaw the establishment of the Transportation
Security Administration, the federal department that took over the
security screening of airline passengers.
The TSA was later
transferred from the DOT and became part of the Dept. of Homeland
Security.
Praise
for Mineta
Norms impact in
the transportation security area in the time after 9/11 has been
outstanding, said Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), chairman of the
Senate Commerce Committee, in a statement. He has been a tremendous
secretary for the transportation area.
Rep. Don Young
(R-Alaska), chairman of the House Transportation Committee, also
praised Minetas actions at the time of the attacks.
History will show
that, beginning with his decisive actions during the first moments
of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, through the development of more
comprehensive aviation and port security systems, Norm Mineta has
helped reshape our nation in the war against terrorism, Young
said.
It is difficult
to imagine a world without the leadership and vision of Secretary
Mineta, James May, president and chief executive officer of the Air
Transport Association, a trade group representing the airlines,
said in a statement.
From his many
years in Congress to the years he served as Secretary of
Transportation, Secretary Mineta has been a major force driving
U.S. aviation to be the safest and most reliable air transportation
system in the world. His leadership and persistence following the
Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on our nation were pivotal in getting
Americas airlines back in the air.
Bill Connors,
executive director and chief operating officer of the National
Business Travel Association, said that Mineta specifically asked
his group to serve on a board of travel industry representatives
that is currently considering how the aviation system will look in
the year 2025.
Thats his baby,
Connors said. The fact that he appointed us to sit on that board
certainly made him a friend to NBTA.
Hes an incredible
gentleman to work with, said Peter Pantuso, president and chief
executive officer for the American Bus Association.
He was always
knowledgeable about our industry and what was going on. There wasnt
a time when I was in a meeting with him that I didnt find him to be
both intellectually engaging and curious about what [the DOT] could
do to enhance bus travel. Well miss working with him. He was
fantastic.
Nevertheless,
Minetas service as DOT secretary was not without controversy on the
ground and in the air.
Regarding Amtrak,
Mineta aggressively championed the Bush administrations long-held
position that Amtrak needs significant reforms in order to stem its
mounting losses. Mineta regularly voiced his displeasure with the
how the railroad was organized and operated.
His criticism
drew the ire of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, an
advocacy group.
A lot of
statements that he made were hostile, said Ross Capon, the NARPs
executive director. Hopefully, going
forward, the department will have a practical way to expand
passenger rail.
Also left
unfinished is a more recent DOT effort to ease restrictions on
foreign ownership of U.S. airlines.
Partly to gain
favor with the European Union and bring about an open aviation
market across the Atlantic, the DOT had sought to amend its
regulations to permit foreign investors a greater degree of control
over U.S. airlines, but Congress balked and blocked the
plan.
To contact reporter Michael Milligan, send e-mail to [email protected].