REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE NORMAN Y. MINETA
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
WORLD PRESIDENT’S ORGANIZATION
WASHINGTON, D.C.
APRIL 22, 2002
Thank you for that kind introduction, and welcome everyone. I trust you have found this seminar on “Public Policy and the Private Sector” interesting, educational and stimulating.
After the horrible attack on our nation on September 11th, all of us in the public and the private sectors know one thing to be true: Nothing is the same. Yet we must act “normal.”
That’s what the Bush Administration’s “New Normalcy” is all about. It’s about finding a new level of normalcy and heading toward it at full speed.
Sometimes it feels like we are being asked to change our spark plugs while driving toward the future at 60 miles per hour. So, it isn’t easy!
Since September 11th, we at the Department of Transportation have had to shift our focal point on the horizon. We have had to clear new paths to get there. And it hasn’t been easy.
What it has been is challenging and rewarding.
Challenging because we have had to focus on safety and security like no one ever has done before in this country.
And rewarding because we have found that the public and private sectors can, and will, pull together when it is important for America’s future.
Let me take a few moments now to explain how far we have come since September 11th, and where we are headed — at least as far as these eyes can see today.
The first thing that we, in the Bush Administration, did was strengthen our resolve to do everything possible to safeguard against future terrorist attacks.
It was important to show the American public that we were, and are, serious about making our country safe, about preserving our freedoms — including the freedom to travel throughout this nation and beyond.
Only days after the September 11th attacks, I established a National Infrastructure Security Committee, or NISC, within the DOT to review security throughout the national transportation system. NISC is made up of six Direct Action Groups that each focus on a different mode of transportation.
For example, these NISC groups discovered the need for DOT to provide round-the-clock information to the transportation industry. In response, we are establishing a Transportation Information Operations Center that will, in effect, be our communication link to the transportation industry.
Soon after that, we in the Bush Administration worked with Congress to pass the airline industry stabilization plan, a bill that quickly earmarked $15 billion for the airline industry so they could stay in business, and thus avoid yet another blow to the American economy.
Next, lawmakers passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001, establishing the Transportation Security Administration, or the TSA, within the Department of Transportation.
This agency, which is the largest created from scratch since World War II, is charged with keeping all forms of U.S. transportation safe and secure. That means that we are watching our highways, railways, waterways, and runways.
It is headed by Under Secretary John W. Magaw, former director of both the Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Two months ago, TSA took over responsibility for all airport screening security personnel. By November, the law that Congress passed mandates that we will have all civilian airport security personnel on board as federal employees.
Our last mandated deadline will be in December, when we will have all checked luggage screened by bomb detection machines.
In addition to what the law required, Under Secretary Magaw and I are working together to develop additional layers of security.
For example:
TSA is studying security procedures and processes at 15 selected U.S. airports. The result of the studies will be used to improve security at all 429 U.S. airports with commercial service. Baltimore Washington International Airport currently serves as a case study for security best-practices.
TSA has implemented a number of common-sense changes to passenger screening, such as providing chairs and shoehorns for passengers whose shoes are inspected. We also have instituted policies to ensure that passenger pat-down searches are administered by a screener of the same gender as the passenger.
An ombudsman, under the direction of Under Secretary Magaw, with direct responsibility for enforcement of passenger rights and concerns, soon will be appointed.
The office of the ombudsman will enforce regulations to protect against discrimination, abuse, and inappropriate behavior.
It is important that we make these changes, and that we make them quickly, efficiently, and visibly to assure the American traveling public that we are committed to their safety. We need them to once again have trust and confidence in our national transportation system.
Our mantra is to provide world-class security, and world-class customer service.
To that end, we are developing a screening process that systematically
prohibits weapons or other banned materials in airport sterile zones without
requiring a wait of longer than 10 minutes at any security checkpoint in the
United States.
No weapons, no waiting: that’s
our goal.
You may think we are spending an awful lot of time on aviation. Well, you’re right. With all of the strict deadlines set by Congress to take over aviation security, we have had to concentrate a lot of resources there.
However, we have not forgotten that 75 to 80 percent of all travel occurs on our nation’s highways. Nor have we forgotten our ports, which host both cargo and cruise ships.
DOT plays an important role in new laws that have been passed by Congress pertaining to security in these other modes.
For example, we are the agency responsible for handing out the $93 million in Port Security grants. We are also the agency writing the rules and regulations for that part of the NAFTA agreement that will allow Mexican commercial trucks and regular route buses greater access to our country.
We are also continuing our work to develop proposals for the reauthorization of the surface and air transportation laws known as TEA-21 and AIR-21.
So, you can see that we are very busy making our new task of world-class security with world-class customer service seem like it’s easy, despite all of the moving parts.
If anyone has any tips on how to change the spark plugs on our speeding vehicle, I’m always open to suggestions.
Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to talk to you this morning.
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