Nomination of Mary E. Peters to Be Secretary of Transportation
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S. HRG. 109–944 NOMINATION OF MARY E. PETERS TO BE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION SEPTEMBER 20, 2006 Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 35–168 PDF WASHINGTON : 2007 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate 0ct 09 2002 14:49 Jul 27, 2007 Jkt 035168 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\35168.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION TED STEVENS, Alaska, Chairman JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii, Co-Chairman CONRAD BURNS, Montana JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia TRENT LOTT, Mississippi JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine BARBARA BOXER, California GORDON H. SMITH, Oregon BILL NELSON, Florida JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada MARIA CANTWELL, Washington GEORGE ALLEN, Virginia FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire E. BENJAMIN NELSON, Nebraska JIM DEMINT, South Carolina MARK PRYOR, Arkansas DAVID VITTER, Louisiana LISA J. SUTHERLAND, Republican Staff Director CHRISTINE DRAGER KURTH, Republican Deputy Staff Director KENNETH R. NAHIGIAN, Republican Chief Counsel MARGARET L. CUMMISKY, Democratic Staff Director and Chief Counsel SAMUEL E. WHITEHORN, Democratic Deputy Staff Director and General Counsel LILA HARPER HELMS, Democratic Policy Director (II) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 14:49 Jul 27, 2007 Jkt 035168 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\35168.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE C O N T E N T S Page Hearing held on September 20, 2006 ..................................................................... 1 Statement of Senator Burns ................................................................................... 19 Statement of Senator DeMint ................................................................................. 21 Statement of Senator Dorgan ................................................................................. 16 Statement of Senator Inouye .................................................................................. 14 Statement of Senator Lautenberg .......................................................................... 23 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 23 Statement of Senator Lott ...................................................................................... 14 Statement of Senator McCain ................................................................................. 1 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 2 Statement of Senator Pryor .................................................................................... 25 Statement of Senator Rockefeller ........................................................................... 17 Statement of Senator Smith ................................................................................... 21 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 22 Statement of Senator Snowe ................................................................................... 26 Statement of Senator Stevens ................................................................................ 1 WITNESSES Kyl, Hon. Jon, U.S. Senator from Arizona ............................................................ 2 Peters, Hon. Mary E., Nominee to be Secretary of Transportation ..................... 3 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 5 Biographical information ................................................................................. 8 APPENDIX Chilson, George, President, National Association of Railroad Passengers, pre- pared statement ................................................................................................... 33 Response to written questions submitted to Hon. Mary E. Peters by: Hon. Barbara Boxer ......................................................................................... 48 Hon. Conrad Burns .......................................................................................... 40 Hon. Maria Cantwell ........................................................................................ 50 Hon. Daniel K. Inouye ...................................................................................... 33 Hon. John F. Kerry .......................................................................................... 45 Hon. Frank R. Lautenberg ............................................................................... 53 Hon. Olympia J. Snowe .................................................................................... 41 (III) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 14:49 Jul 27, 2007 Jkt 035168 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\35168.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE VerDate 0ct 09 2002 14:49 Jul 27, 2007 Jkt 035168 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\35168.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE NOMINATION OF MARY E. PETERS TO BE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2006 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:30 p.m. in room SR–253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Ted Stevens, Chairman of the Committee, presiding. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. TED STEVENS, U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA The CHAIRMAN. The Committee will come to order. The Chairman would agree that it would be proper to allow time for the two Senators from Arizona to introduce the nominee. Sen- ator McCain, you’re the senior Senator. Senator MCCAIN. Thanks very much. I remind Senator Kyl of that daily. [Laughter.] STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN MCCAIN, U.S. SENATOR FROM ARIZONA Senator MCCAIN. Well, thank you. It’s with great pleasure, Mr. Chairman, I introduce to the Com- mittee Mary Peters, who has been nominated, as you well know, as the 15th Secretary of the Department of Transportation. And, of course, all of us are familiar with Mary through her nearly 4 years of service as the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administra- tion from 2001 to 2005. She’s a fourth-generation Arizonan, was the director of the Arizona Department of Transportation, known as ADOT, prior to taking the helm of the Highway Administration. She gained nearly 16 years of firsthand transportation agency ex- perience during her service at the Arizona Department of Trans- portation, and another 4 years at the Federal Highway Administra- tion. I appreciate very much the President of the United States select- ing such an outstanding and capable individual to fill this impor- tant leadership position. She has a long and accomplished profes- sional record. And, Mr. Chairman, she has so many awards, I will not repeat them. I would ask that my complete statement be made part of the record. And I would like very much that this committee approve, or con- sider and then approve, her nomination as quickly as possible, as (1) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 14:49 Jul 27, 2007 Jkt 035168 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 S:\WPSHR\GPO\DOCS\35168.TXT SCOM1 PsN: JACKIE 2 I think it would be good for the country to have her on the job be- fore we go out for recess. And I thank you for allowing me to make this statement on her behalf. The CHAIRMAN. Your statement will appear in the record in full. [The prepared statement of Senator McCain follows:] PREPARED STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN MCCAIN, U.S. SENATOR FROM ARIZONA Thank you. It is with great pleasure that I introduce to the Committee Mary Pe- ters, who has been nominated to serve as the 15th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Of course, most of you are already familiar with Mary through her nearly 4 years of service as the Administrator of the Federal Highway Adminis- tration (FHWA), from 2001–2005. Mary Peters is a fourth generation Arizonan and was the Director of the Arizona Department of Transportation, known as ADOT, prior to taking the helm at FHWA. She gained nearly 16 years of firsthand transportation agency experience during her service at ADOT and another 4 years at FHWA. This hands-on experience will serve her well in fulfilling the duties of the Secretary, and I commend the President for selecting such an outstanding and capable individual to fill this important leader- ship position. Mary has a long and accomplished professional record and has often received well- deserved recognition for her efforts, whether in Washington, D.C. or in Arizona. For example, she has received numerous awards throughout her career from the Wom- en’s Transportation Seminar, including the 2004 National Woman of the Year Award. She has also received awards from the American Association of State High- way and Transportation Officials (ASHTO), the National Council on Public Private Partnerships and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. And not surprising, Mary also been recognized as one of the Top 100 Who’s Who of Ari- zona Women in Business, and as the Most Influential Person in Arizona in Trans- portation. On a personal side, Mary is one of the kindest persons you’d ever